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Conformance Partner Program - Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the Portrait Displays Manufacturer Developers Kit (MDK)?
2. How does the customer qualify for receipt of the MDK?
3. What is the Monitor Hardware Reference Specification?
4. What is the definition for conformance?
5. What is the difference between Display Toolbox and Display Tune?
6. How do I obtain an evaluation copy of Display Tune?
7. What is the Display Tune GUI Customization Kit?
8. Can I ship Portrait Displays' standard version of Display Tune?
9. Isn't the standard hardware OSD sufficient for the end user?
10. What about Microsoft's implementation of DDC/CI?

1. What is the Portrait Displays Manufacturer Developers Kit (MDK)?
Also known as the Display Tune Reference Design Package, the Portrait Displays MDK is a complete set of software tools and documentation to debug and design an elegant OSD replacement for DDC/CI enabled monitors. The MDK consists of documentation and software tools to assist the hardware and software (firmware) engineer in assessing potential failures in proper DDC/CI communication. The second deliverable, the Display Tune GUI Customization Kit, assists in the creation and editing of the user interface for the software replacement OSD.

2. How does the customer qualify for receipt of the MDK?
In order to receive the MDK, the customer must have a DDC/CI compliant prototype display with which to test. When used with the prototype hardware, the firmware within the display can be tested and debugged for full conformance while running Display Tune Toolbox™. The Display Tune Toolbox™ is a software application that tests the DDC/CI communication and correct implementation of the Virtual Control Panel (VCP) commands.

3. What is the Monitor Hardware Reference Specification?
The Monitor Hardware Reference Specification (MHRS) is a published document from Portrait Displays that contains the list of VCP commands derived from the VESA Monitor Control Command Set (MCCS) specification. These commands must be supported by the display's firmware in order for Display Tune to function. To verify conformance with the MHRS, the customer is required to submit a diagnostic report using Display Tune Toolbox. Conformance requires that Level 0 - Level 3 are fully supported in the firmware. The submittal and verification of this report authorizes the customer to receive Display Tune and the GUI customization kit.

4. What is the definition for conformance?
Display Tune Toolbox supports report generation. The reports are based on various Levels of conformance. Level 0 verifies bi-directional communication via DDC/CI. Before any other Levels can be tested, DDC/CI communication must function between the display and the host computer. Level 1 support is the bare minimum support to obtain VESA MCCS 2.0 conformance. Level 2 support is the base set required VCP commands to create a software OSD. Level 3 support is for additional recommended VCP commands for optimal performance and Display Tune complete conformance. Level 4 and above are for Portrait Displays' proprietary plug-in support for display management features.

5. What is the difference between Display Toolbox and Display Tune?
Display Tune Toolbox is a development application tool to verify DDC/CI conformance and to verify conformance with both the VESA MCCS specification and Portrait Displays' Monitor Hardware Reference Specification. The Toolbox is not for resale as an OSD replacement, nor may it be re-distributed to the field. It is an engineering tool to assist in the evaluation and debugging of a DDC/CI display. Display Tune is a stand alone OSD software replacement. Display Tune can be licensed for distribution with DDC/CI displays. Display Tune can easily be modified to add customer branding to the GUI.

6. How do I obtain an evaluation copy of Display Tune?
Portrait Displays will provide an evaluation copy of Display Tune once it has been verified that Level 0- Level 2 conformance is complete. It is recommended that the display firmware support all levels of conformance up to Level 3. Support of Level 1-3 will ensure that all Display Tune commands and features will work without modification.

7. What is the Display Tune GUI Customization Kit?
The Display Tune GUI Customization Kit provides the necessary documentation and html source to create a visually elegant user interface that communicates with the underlying Display Tune communications engine (DCE). The separation of user interface with the actual code that communicates to the display via DDC/CI allows the customer to add the company's unique branding and style to the UI. The software branding becomes crucial as the bezel continues to shrink in size reducing the real estate for silk screening or other logo placement on the hardware. OSDs have their own "look and feel" for branding consistency across the manufacturer's display line. The ability to move the OSD into software provides greater flexibility and wider graphic design capability than could ever be achieved in hardware. This extension from ROM based OSD to software based allows the customer to design without hardware limitations.

8. Can I ship Portrait Displays' standard version of Display Tune? Yes. Display Tune is a stand alone OSD replacement with full support for the Monitor Hardware Reference Specification. Conformance of the MHRS will allow the customer to license and ship Display Tune "as is" with no modification to the graphical user interface. As part of the licensing requirement, the customer must have Display Tune locked to their monitors. In order to accomplish this, the customer is required to record an identification tag in their firmware, which Portrait will supply. The tag is verified by Display Tune during execution using the VCP code intended for this purpose.

9. Isn't the standard hardware OSD sufficient for the end user? Conventional hardware OSD's that come with displays are crude and unintuitive. They don't provide feedback to the user on how the adjustments to the display should be made. There are no instructions or target screens to easily allow for correctly "dialing in" the display's characteristics. Thus the user is left with a frustrating experience when calibrating the display for the work environment.

10. What about Microsoft's implementation of DDC/CI? Microsoft offers an undocumented API that supports DDC/CI. This solution is limited both in the OS and the graphics driver support. The Microsoft API requires Windows 2000 or XP. Additionally the supplier of the graphics display driver must expose the I2C bus of the underlying graphics silicon. This is rarely done today. Portrait Displays has created a second method to couple with Microsoft's method of supporting DDC/CI. Portrait Display's method enables the I2C communication on graphic controllers that are not currently supported as well as provide coverage for all Windows operating systems; 98, Me, NT, 2000, and XP. Portrait Displays solution combined with Microsoft's limited support offers the broadest compatibility for today's computer systems and the next generation of the Windows OS.

To learn more and to qualify for a free Manufacturer Developers Kit (MDK) from Portrait Displays, please contact us.

Information subject to change without notice. PDCPP material contained here does not imply that Portrait Displays intends to announce any partner company's services, programs, or products prior to official release. Use of the MDK is not a guarantee of possible compliance.