LS PCON HDMI chip installed in laptop?

[Essereio]

High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI*) - 009 - ID:655258 | 12th Generation Intel® Core™ Processors

I have a Intel 12th gen laptop and I'd like to know which ls PCON HDMI chip is installed. Is there a program or a terminal command on either Windows or Linux that will tell me the model number of this ls PCON chip?

[AndrewG_Intel]

Hello @Essereio

Thank you for posting on the Intel® communities.

In order to review this further, could you please provide/confirm the following details?

1- When you said "I have an Intel 12th gen laptop", did you mean an Intel® NUC Laptop with Intel® Core™ i5-1240P/i7-1260P Processors? If so, could you please refer to this link Intel® NUC M15 Laptop Kits and let us know the model that you have?

On the other hand, if this is regarding a laptop from a third-party manufacturer (e.g.: HP*, Lenovo*, ASUS*, DELL*, etc), please provide us with the exact model of the computer and the model of the Processor.

2- Why are you looking to know which Level Shifter/Protocol Converter (LS-PCON) chip is installed on your laptop? Do you need to know this for a specific purpose (e.g.: Troubleshooting, firmware update, technical specifications, hardware/software compatibility or integrations, etc.)?

Best regards,

Andrew G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Essereio]

1) Lenovo Thinkbook 15 G4 IAP Core i3-1215U with CNVio(version 1) motherboard if it makes a difference. The laptop comes with a CNVio2 motherboard if it includes a Wifi AX or higher card.

PSREF ThinkBook ThinkBook 15 G4 IAP (lenovo.com)

laptops and netbooks :: thinkbook series :: thinkbook 15 g4 iap :: 21dj :: 21djcto1ww :: mp28sgby Lenovo PC Support - Lenovo Support CA

2) technical specifications, hardware/software compatibility. I'd like to know what the hardware is capable of and therefore I'll know if there's any software/bios limitation due to unimplemented features.

[AndrewG_Intel]

Hello Essereio

Thank you for your response and for all the details.

Please allow us to review this further. Once we have more details available, we will be posting back in the thread.

Best regards,

Andrew G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[AndrewG_Intel]

Hello Essereio

We would like to inform you that Gen12+ graphics support HDMI 2.0 natively thus no LSPCON should be needed. The only exception is when the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) implements HDMI 2.1 output which indeed will require LSPCON to drive DP1.4 to HDMI 2.1.

To verify if the system is using LSPCON we have several methods:

1. The simplest one is to connect an HDMI display via HDMI cable to the HDMI output and then run a Report for Intel® Graphics Drivers from the Intel Graphics Command Center (Intel GCC) app. If the Output (Connector Type) is listed as HDMI then there is no LSPCON; however, if it says DisplayPort then it has LSPCON installed.
2. From Linux, you could use the command "enum drm_lspcon_mode". More information is available here*. Please note that we do not offer how-to assistance on Linux so if in case you would need further assistance with this, our recommendation is to check with the Linux community.

Finally, if you want to know the model of the LSPCON chip installed on the computer, you may need to go to your OEM Lenovo* for specifications about the model of the LSPCON. For your convenience, here is the link to Lenovo* Support.

Best regards,

Andrew G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Essereio]

I'm dual booting Windows and Linux. I generated the report with Intel GCC. It does state HDMI while plugged into a Sony 1080p TV and DisplayPort for the internal laptop screen. A few weeks back when I tested HDMI out on a Sony X80K that supports 4K at 60Hz 4:4:4 chrome subsampling; the laptop could only output 4K at 60Hz 8bit 4:2:0 chroma subsampling and this is an indication of HDMI 1.4 output according to the following table on wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI#Refresh_frequency_limits_for_standard_video 

This is the cable I'm using: Zeskit Maya 8K 48Gbps Certified Ultra High Speed HDMI Cable 4K120 8K60 

I returned the 4K TV. Do I need a 4K TV to test whether or not there's an LSPCON installed? ie. Is the LSPCON always on or does it turn on automatically when required?

Are you sure all Gen12+ graphics support HDMI 2.0 natively? I ask because the UHD graphics in the i3-1215U looks like a repurposed Iris Plus Graphics found in i5-1035G7 or i7-1065G7 Ice Lake processors. Based on specifications.

[AndrewG_Intel]

Hello Essereio

Thank you for your response.

In regards to your comments/questions, we would like to share the following information:

1- "I generated the report with Intel GCC. It does state HDMI while plugged into a Sony 1080p TV".

If the report shows "HDMI" as the connector type, then this indicates there is no LSPCON. However, you may always check with your OEM for confirmation since they are the only ones that have all the official technical specifications of this computer.

2- I tested HDMI out on a Sony X80K that supports 4K at 60Hz 4:4:4 chrome subsampling; the laptop could only output 4K at 60Hz 8bit 4:2:0 chroma subsampling and this is an indication of HDMI 1.4 output (...)".

Based on the information we have available, the Max. Effective Bandwidth for HDMI 1.4 is 8.16 Gbps, and for that, 4K at 24/30Hz would be the max resolution supported (at the standard 8-bit color depth). Getting higher resolutions or refresh rates (e.g.: 4K at 60Hz) might actually indicate that the system is using a higher HDMI version (2.0, 2.1, etc).

However, it is known that the OEM may alter/limit features, include customizations, and/or change or replace the driver or software for the Intel® component.

3- Do I need a 4K TV to test whether or not there's an LSPCON installed? ie. Is the LSPCON always on or does it turn on automatically when required?

Just using an HDMI* TV/monitor regardless of the resolution it supports and connecting it through the HDMI port on your computer and following Step 1 in our previous post should be enough to have an indication if the system is using an LSPCON:

• Connect an HDMI display via HDMI cable to the HDMI output and then run a Report for Intel® Graphics Drivers from the Intel GCC app. If the Output (Connector Type) is listed as HDMI then there is no LSPCON; however, if it says DisplayPort then it has LSPCON installed.

For alternative methods to check if an LSPCON is present, the best thing to do is to check further with your OEM Lenovo.

4- Is the LSPCON always on or does it turn on automatically when required?

The implementation of any LSPCON chip and its configuration is up to the OEM; therefore, this inquiry should be addressed to Lenovo.

5- Are you sure all Gen12+ graphics support HDMI 2.0 natively? I ask because the UHD graphics in the i3-1215U looks like a repurposed Iris Plus Graphics found in i5-1035G7 or i7-1065G7 Ice Lake processors. Based on specifications.

Yes, we confirmed Gen12+ graphics support HDMI 2.0 natively thus no LSPCON should be needed. However, it is up to the OEM how they decide to implement all the features and how they integrate all the components.

The integrated GPU of the Intel® Core™ i3-1215U Processor is "Intel® UHD Graphics for 12th Gen Intel® Processors". Actual performance may vary from one platform to another, and from one scenario/configuration to another. The OEM customizations, thermal solution and hardware integration/design, BIOS/operating system/app settings, power plans, type of workloads, “silicon lottery”, compatibility, components (e.g.: SSD/HDD, memory RAM), etc., are some of the factors that are involved in the real and complete experience that one can perceive from a system.

Having said that, our recommendation is that the best is to review directly with Lenovo Support about the actual and specific features and capabilities supported by the HDMI implementation and (if available) the LSPCON chip on your system. Your OEM is the one that handles all the technical documentation relevant to your computer, so they are the best channel of support if you are looking for more specific details.

Best regards,

Andrew G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[AndrewG_Intel]

Hello Essereio

We have not heard back from you so we will proceed to close this thread now. If you need any additional information, please submit a new question as this thread will no longer be monitored.

Best regards,

Andrew G.

Intel Customer Support Technician