Thunderbolt (interface)
Thunderbolt (English for thunderbolt ) is the term for the Intel in collaboration with Apple initially codenamed Light Peak interface between computers, monitors, peripherals and consumer electronics, such as video cameras or hard drives. Technically, it is a combination of DisplayPort and PCI Express-based interface.
Development
The Thunderbolt interface internally in 2009 and officially presented at the Open House IDF first time on February 24, 2011. For cost reasons, it is first dispensed, an optical transmission, an electric transmission over copper cable is used instead. Since Thunderbolt but active cables used - that is, in the plugs of the cables have processors - all devices are compatible with optical cables, if they should be introduced in the future. Mechanically and electrically Thunderbolt is backwards compatible with the display port with a mini - DisplayPort connectors.
The first equipped with this technology devices may be Notebook Series MacBook Pro from Apple, which are available since 24 February 2011. Thunderbolt should prevail according to plans by Intel as a universal connection and provide sufficient capacity for the transfer of large amounts of data in the near future. Thunderbolt is based on a plurality of parallel bi-directional channels on which serial data is transmitted. Here, existing protocols like DisplayPort and PCI Express are used. For starters, two bidirectional channels come with transfer rates of 10 Gbit / s is used, but the technique has the potential for much higher data rates. In addition, the technology has the ability to support different protocols, whereby it can be used in various applications. Electrical cables are specified by Intel to up to three meters, optical cables provide significantly longer cable lengths of at least 10 meters.
Another field of application of Thunderbolt is the replacement of the well-known USB docking stations be by " Thunderbolt docking stations ", which are no longer to have the existing restrictions on use of a generic port replicator.
Since 2012, Thunderbolt is also available on Windows systems. Thunderbolt technology is a direct competitor to the ( gross) about half as fast USB 3.0 technology, but the latter has the advantage of being compatible to the widely used older USB interfaces, plus a optional higher operating voltage and power. Under Linux, there are particular on Apple computers due not to the specifications corresponding deviations of the hardware still strong obstacles. In example Google Chromebook pixels or conventional computers it runs on Linux now with even minor problems.
In June 2013, Intel released the next generation Thunderbolt called " Thunderbolt ™ 2 " in front, based on the "Falcon Ridge " said controller. Start of production is planned for late 2013. It provides a data rate of 20 Gbit / s, which of the two so far as 10 Gbit / s high-speed data and display channels without changing the speed is possible by merging. The available bandwidth can be used more flexibly. Thunderbolt ™ 2 was announced in June 2013 by Apple for the first time at WWDC for the new Mac Pro.
Operation
Thunderbolt is integrated in the form of a controller in the supporting devices. The first version is still based on copper lines. Later, to assume the conversion between optical and electrical signals, an additional all solid- state lasers and photodiode module. Series circuits of up to six peripheral devices, without power loss are also possible. Connecting Thunderbolt chips operate with a synchronous clock signal (to avoid run-time problems, this timer a Thunderbolt device chain are at a maximum of seven " hops " differ by more than eight nanoseconds of each other).
Booth 2012 is a Thunderbolt cable technically very complex, as in the two plug ends twelve chips are installed. From this large number, the elongated, chunky design of the plug says.
Computex 2012
At Computex in Taipei ASUS introduced before the first plug-in card, which can be Motherboards expand Thunderboltfunktionalität. However, it only works with Asus boards. The ThunderboltEX must be connected for full functionality with a DisplayPort cable (loop - through) interface cable, plugged the other end in the DP output of the onboard graphics or the graphics card. One advantage is that an existing graphics card can be used with Thunderbolt. One is thus not dependent on Intel's HD Graphics when a monitor is to be controlled by Thunderbolt. The ThunderboltEX works even if no DP cable supplies the graphics signals. Then, although the data transfer to other TB devices is possible, but a Thunderbolt monitor can not be supplied with pictures.