It looks like the companies in charge of the HDMI spec are at the drawing board again with the introduction of a few new prototype “mini connectors” intended for use in compact portable products such as mobile phones and compact digital cameras.

The new Type D connectors, as they are called, are prototypes based on the next HDMI standard which is currently in development. It is expected to be released before the end of June, which would mean that the first compliant products could appear as early as Q3 this year.





For starters, the new “mini connector” is roughly the same size as a Micro-USB connector and significantly smaller than the existing HDMI Type C connector for portable devices. Overall, it will maintain the same 19-pin design, but at half the size. We found it interesting that precautions were taken to ensure that a Micro-USB plug would not fit in a Type D receptacle given that the physical dimensions of both are remarkably similar.





On the other hand, Japan Aviation Electronics Industry Ltd prototyped an HDMI connector for automotive use. Not much was said about its purpose, other than that it is aimed at improving reliability and durability. Japan Aviation Electronics Industry stated that one of the biggest problems in developing connectors for automotive use is the electromagnetic interference (EMI) generated by nearby cables and associated connectors. This makes sense, as a car is generally a giant metal cage unintentionally designed to allow its passengers front-seat access to potentially harmful radiation. “We spent a large portion of total prototype development time on controlling EMI,” stated one developer.