Mac Studio with 30" Cinema Display

if you have the 'Apple Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI adapter' already, you need to add a USB-C to Mini DisplayPort to that to get a picture. Don't forget that the Apple adapter requires a POWERED USB-A pigtail, it cannot be ignored. (But you can use an iPad charger.)

if you do not already have the Apple Mini DisplayPort to Dual-link DVI adapter on hand, purchase one adapter that does USB-C to Dual Link DVI. (Apple does not make one like that, but several reputable vendors do NOW, but did not when your old articles and postings were written.)

Only displays wider than 1920 wide, like the Apple 30-in Cinema Display require the complexity of Dual -Link DVI. Apple 23-in displays can use single-link, because their width does not exceed 1920.

prices for this complex adapter can run around US$75. If you find one for US$10, it is NOT Dual-lInk DVI and will not support that display properly.

startech makes one

club3d makes one

EZQuest makes one

use extreme caution, most adapters like this do NOT support displays over 1920 wide, because they are actually Single-link unless they specify otherwise.

The same DVI connector is used for both, but the center six pins are unused for single-link.

Plug into the Mac LAST is good advice, and this is why:

The Mac uses a system that reminds me of “Plug and play” to determine what display is connected, and what its capabilities are.

To get a Mac display to become active, you need the Mac to query the display, and the display to answer with its name and capabilities. Otherwise, the display will not be shown as present, and no data will be sent to the display. "No signal detected" is generated by the DISPLAY, not by the Mac.

This query is only sent at certain times:

• at startup

• at wake from sleep — so momentarily sleeping and waking your Mac may work

• at insertion of the Mac-end of the display-cable, provided everything on that cable is ready-to-go

• hold the Option key while you click on the (Detect Display) button that will appear in Displays preferences (from another display)

so try doing some of those things and see if the display comes alive.

Modern Displays with multiple ports are sometimes busy scanning the other ports, looking for an input, and miss the query from the Mac. They need to pay attention to the port you are actually using, or they will miss the query.

Some displays have On-Screen Display settings that can be used to tell the display a computer is attached on a certain port, or a certain port should be highest priority. Changing those may make your display more responsive.

Some displays include their own private "sleep" settings for the display alone. This can allow the display to enter its own sleep mode, on top of the Mac's not sending it data. A display that is sleeping on its own cannot respond to the Mac's query, and will stay dark.

1) Plug the displays USB cable into one of the Mac Studios other USB-C ports using a USB-C to USB-A adapter.

For example's > USB-C to USB Adapter - Apple

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08Z768LCW/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?

https://www.target.com/p/philips-usb-c-to-3-0-usb-a-female-adapter/-/A-79804275

2) Then try plugging the display into the adapter first and then plug the adapter into the Mac Studio.

If that doesn't help, you may have gotten a faulty StarTech adapter.

The adapter must be plugged directly into one of the Mac Studios rear ports.

That is good news, thanks for reporting back.

I use a Apple 30-in cinema display every day.

if you don't connect the USB input, you don't get a Brightness slider on your Mac, but the buttons on the display still work as expected.

Contrary to what you reported as your solution, there is NO requirement to have the Firewire-400 plug connected to anything. it can be dangling is space, and all the rest of the features of the display (except FireWire Hub features) should still function just fine.

Without further elaboration from you, I am reading the essence of your reply as:

"We fiddled with it for a long time, and it finally came alive and continues to work"

Despite being shaped like a modern USB-C connector, that's the power cord. if you unplug it, that older display can not possibly power on. It predates USB-C by more than 10 years. It's NOT USB, it's power.

My reference to the USB-A (rectangular) was that if you make a USB connection all the way from your Mac to the display, the brightness slider on the MAC would come alive, and allow you to use the slider or the keyboard shortcuts to adjust brightness remotely from the Mac. leave it disconnected and the buttons on the display still work, so no big deal.