16" 2021 MacBook Pro and 30" Apple Cinema Display

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16" 2021 MacBook Pro and 30" Apple Cinema Display

I bought a 16" mac book pro (2021) with a M1 max card to replace my aging MacPro from 2012. The setup I was using included a 30" Apple Cinema Display which still works fine with the old MacPro. I want to run the ACD with the new laptop. To do that I have tried dual link DVI adapters from three different companies. None of them work even though they were advertised for exactly this use.

I have tried with HCDP both on and off. I connected the USB 3 cord to the computer with a powered hub as suggested in one forum. I tried starting the MBP in safe mode to see if that made a difference as suggested in another forum. The monitor simply works fine for about 10 minutes then begins to flash on and off at about one second intervals.

My questions are:

Is there a setting I'm missing?
Might it be possible to use the graphics card from the 2012 MacPro with an external enclosure and connect through that?

I love editing photos on the ACD and really want to get it working, but haven't found a solution to the problem anywhere.

Posted on Jun 27, 2022 6:42 PM

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Answer 1

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OneEighteen Author

Level 1

13 points

Jul 5, 2022 7:29 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Last night I put everything back together for a last look before sending it all back to the seller. The monitor came on as usual.

Did some browsing for clarity about the possible role of the mini-display port adapter mentioned above. I noticed the monitor had not begun flashing like it had before after 5-10 minutes. An hour later it was still on.

I had plugged everything together like I had done before many times This morning it turned on fine and is still on.

The final setup was simple. Club 3D CAC-1510-A USB C to Dual Link DVI-D Adapter connected between the monitor and laptop without anything else; and the monitor’s USB pigtail connected directly to the computer via a USB A to C plug without any additional power (the computer has 500mA available, the monitor only needs 2mA).

My guess is this: I had bought a package of USB A to C converter plugs and the random one I had been using to connect the monitor’s USB A pigtail was defective. Last night I picked a different one out of the pocket in my briefcase and it was a good one.

I thank you for your efforts in this. Without the forum support community I would have packed up and sent it all back. You kept me interested in the problem and I learned from you.

Regards

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Answer 2

TheLittles

Level 10

192,769 points

Jul 3, 2022 10:14 PM in response to OneEighteen

OneEighteen Said:

"16" 2021 MacBook Pro and 30" Apple Cinema Display: [...]My questions are: 1. Is there a setting I'm missing? 2. Might it be possible to use the graphics card from the 2012 MacPro with an external enclosure and connect through that?[...]"

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Try my User Tip: Configuring a USB-C Only Mac with a 30-Inch Apple Cinema Display - User Tip

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Answer 3

OneEighteen Author

Level 1

13 points

Jul 3, 2022 12:23 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Thanks, Grant. I plugged everything in again this morning. The ACD still does the same thing..... runs fine for about a minute then goes off and after a few minutes begins flashing on and off.

The USB pane (and the display window in System preferences) show the ACD as present. There was not a "bid and asked" entry but there was "Current Available" (500 mA) and "Current Required" (2 mA). Screenshot attached.

It looks to me like the available power is not the problem.

Once again - thanks for your attention.

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Answer 4

Jul 3, 2022 12:38 PM in response to OneEighteen

"bid" and "asked" are terms stolen from the market for trading of small lots of stocks with limited supplies.

I can see from your report see that the correct term is Current available and Current required.

You do not appear to have exceeded the limits available, so that does not seem to be the issue.

Are all your cables Dual-Link DVI cables. at a minimum they must have all pins in the grid populated:

illustration from Wikipedia.

a single-link cable often does not have the central portion of the pin grid (medium blue) present AT ALL (or those pins are not connected end-to-end).

a related experiment is to see if you reduce the resolution to no wider than 1920 wide, it the picture stays stabilized for longer than before.

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Answer 5

Jul 2, 2022 12:34 PM in response to OneEighteen

Welcome to the Apple User-to-User support community.

Readers and responders here all al volunteers unless otherwise identified, There is no tracking of the items posted here, and Apple does not scan these forums and does nor respond here except in exceptional cases.

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Be certain you have supplied POWER to the Dual Link DVI adapter by connecting the USB pigtail, which exists for ONLY this reason -- to obtain extra power. If you do not have a USB-A port available, an iPad Power adapter can supply the needed power.

what Make&Model adapters have you tried?

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Answer 6

OneEighteen Author

Level 1

13 points

Jul 2, 2022 1:22 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Thanks for responding.

I plugged the usb pigtail on the monitor into a powered usb c hub with usb 3 ports. Not sure how many watts of power are supplied by the hub - might that be an issue?

USB C to Dual Link DVI Active Adapter, CableCreation USB Type-C to DVI-I Adapter 2560 x 1600 Resolution USB-C to DVI Signal Fomat Converter

StarTech.com USB 3.1 Type-C to Dual Link DVI-I Adapter - Digital Only - 2560 x 1600 - Active USB-C to DVI Video Adapter Converter (CDP2DVIDP)

Club 3D CAC-1510-A USB C to Dual Link DVI-D Adapter HDCP Off for Apple Cinema Displays, 3840x2160@30hz, 2560x1600@60Hz. Two different Club adapters (HCDP on and off)

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Answer 7

Jul 2, 2022 1:34 PM in response to OneEighteen

You can get the "bid" and "asked" values for USB power from:

 Menu > About this Mac > (system report) ...

then look on the USB pane for the specific USB interface you are using, and the connected device(s).

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Answer 8

OneEighteen Author

Level 1

13 points

Jul 3, 2022 9:58 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

I spent some time trying all the resolution options without any change. The monitor flashed at the new resolution but would not become steady.

As for the pin issue. The adapter's DVI connection is female. The male that mates with it is the cable that comes directly out of the back of the ACD. The monitor still works with the old 2012 MacPro so all its connecting pins must be properly arranged.

The other end of the DVI adapter is the USB C connection. There are no adapters for the adapter.

I even tried moving the adapter to the other two USB C ports to see if that made a difference. It did not.

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Answer 9

Jul 4, 2022 9:11 AM in response to OneEighteen

that suggests two other possibilities:

One is that the display is not working properly any more. It would be good if you could try it in the old setup with the old computer to check this.

Another is that perhaps these "modern" all-in-one USB-C adapters do not provide signals that are strong enough for robust operation of this display. We have not seen pervasive reports of this, but anything is possible.

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Answer 10

OneEighteen Author

Level 1

13 points

Jul 4, 2022 10:22 AM in response to TheLittles

Mr. Little,

Thanks for your suggestion. I saw your post when I was browsing the forums for a solution. It is unclear what the addition of the mini display port adapter does. Can you say before I order one?

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Answer 11

OneEighteen Author

Level 1

13 points

Jul 4, 2022 10:31 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Thanks Grant.

In the second sentence of my OP I note that the display still works properly with the old 2012 Mac Pro.

As for USB all in one adapters I am not using one. The Dual Link DVI adapters I have tried connect directly to the computer with their own male USB C connector at the end of the pigtail. The other end of the adapter connects directly to the monitor’s DVI outlet.

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Answer 12

TheLittles

Level 10

192,769 points

Jul 4, 2022 4:17 PM in response to OneEighteen

OneEighteen Said:

"Mr. Little, Thanks for your suggestion. I saw your post when I was browsing the forums for a solution. It is unclear what the addition of the mini display port adapter does. Can you say before I order one?"

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What the mini display port adapter does:

It allows the fit, and it equals out the currents,

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Answer 13

Jul 4, 2022 4:23 PM in response to OneEighteen

I would add that when USB-C first become available, using a USB-C to Mini DisplayPort AND the Apple adapter AND a USB-A for Power was "the only game in town", and you MUST connect its USB-A pigtail to get the additional power to run the adapter, which is why The Little's illustration might seem overly complex.

. The USB-C DIRECT to Dual-Link DVI adapters have only been available recently, I would estimate a bit less than a year.

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Answer 14

OneEighteen Author

Level 1

13 points

Jul 2, 2022 10:57 AM in response to OneEighteen

Hello?

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16" 2021 MacBook Pro and 30" Apple Cinema Display

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