periodic Dual-link display problem with new adapter

My setup:
17" MacBookPro5,2 Intel Core 2 Duo 3.06 GHz
Mini DisplayPort To Dual-Link DVI Adapter Firmware Version 1.02
30" Apple Cinema HD display
Occurred on Mac OS X 10.5.8 and 10.6 with NVIDIA 9400M and 9600M GT

It works fine for about 6 months to 1 year and then decides to gets fuzzy - one of the DVI links go down. Switching video adapters, going to sleep, or restarting does not fix the problem. What does work is plugging my MBP into another 30" Apple Cinema Display using my Mini DisplayPort adapter. Obviously some setting is being cached off somewhere, by plugging into a different monitor, the cache gets reset.

I use the display for 10+ hours on weekdays. Problem happens after 6-8 hours of use. In order to avoid any reoccurrences, I keep the adapter away from the monitor power supply brick to avoid overheating issues. Also only put wide gentle bends in the adapter cable in case there's a cable connection issue.

Apple: Can you provide a software tool to zap the cache?

Message was edited by: grnApple

Well I swapped out the mini display port adapter for another one with 1.02 firmware. The problem is now occurring every few days and sometimes twice in the same day.

In order to reset the adapter/monitor, I disconnect it from the MacBook Pro and disconnect 30" Cinema display power supply for about 30 min to insure all the power is completely discharged. Haven't tried a shorted interval yet.

Maybe this is a heat related issue - either in adapter or graphics card? I've been exclusively using 9600M GT lately.

Apple does make it difficult for us to NOT buy a 3rd party. I would like to buy Apple monitors, but have trouble tolerating Steve Jobs' high-gloss screens. I, too, have had major problems with this adapter. After much research, I concluded that the fault lies not in the stars or in Apple, but in myself. I and most of the other people here are using the product off-spec.

Apple supports the use of this adapter only for their own 30-inch screen, which they are now phasing out. I just placed an order for a product whose manufacturer does support connecting an Apple computer to a 3rd-party screen: the Atlona DP-400. Atlona is a solid company and it does support its product in this application. Its user reviews are much better than Apple's. If you can live with resolutions lower than 2560x1440 and think that you will never upgrade your equipment to this resolution, you can save some money by getting the DP-200.

PS: I have read reports on the internet of some excellent copies being sold. One person complained about getting a fake from Amazon, which usually does a great job of policing their products. If these are good enough to fool Amazon's buyers, they are good enough to fool most of the rest of us.
PPS: I have no financial connections to Atlona.