Thunderbolt 2 display to 2020 MacBook Air w/ USB-C

The fact that it fits into the Thunderbolt port does not mean its a thunderbolt cable.

It could very well be a Mini Display Port cable which uses the same type of port, but would not work with a Thunderbolt display.

If your cable has a square with two lines instead of the lightning bolt arrow, its a Mini Display Port cable.

Can you post a picture of your cable ends please?

rondilienne wrote:

Am I understanding correctly that they’re the same shape but different wiring so not interchangeable?

Thunderbolt 1 & 2 use the same physical connector as Mini DisplayPort.

On Macs that have Thunderbolt 1 & 2 ports, and most peripherals that have Thunderbolt 1 & 2 ports (e.g., long-discontinued docks), things are usually set up so that the last port in a chain can act as a Thunderbolt port, or a Mini DisplayPort one. If the Mac (or the last Thunderbolt device in a chain) senses that something is plugged in which doesn't understand Thunderbolt, it does some "magic" to present an unwrapped DisplayPort signal.

The Apple Thunderbolt 3-to-2 adapter lacks that feature and is set up to deal only with Thunderbolt. Likewise, USB-C to Mini DisplayPort adapter and adapter cables know nothing about Thunderbolt, and can only present unwrapped DisplayPort signals at their Mini DisplayPort end.

With regard to cables, Thunderbolt 1 & 2 cables have the same physical connectors as Mini DisplayPort cables, but may be built to higher standards. The higher construction quality and the fact that these cables were more "niche" made them more expensive than Mini DisplayPort cables "in the day" – and makes them rather hard to find, now that Thunderbolt 3 – 5 live on a completely different connector (USB-C).

Hi,

I suppose your Thunderbolt2 extend cable is actually mini display cable, since it's quite hard to find Thunderbolt2 extend cable.

Just to clarify:

This is a female Thunderbolt 2 connector:

And this is a male Thunderbolt 2 connector:

What exactly does your cable have?

Can you post a picture?

Hi,

Mini Display cable is also same shape and connector with Thunderbolt 2 connector.

You said that the cord is shorting out several times a day.

This would be different than the case of the permanently-attached cable not being reliable – but also not shorting out components within the display. A cable with electrical shorts could cause damage to your display or adapter – damage that plugging in a bypass cable would not undo.

Re: “What would be the reason for shorting out?”

You are the one who reported that it was shorting out. I cannot inspect your cable to determine what insulation has been eroded away to allow wires that should never touch to make contact.

Hi,

Yes it is.

It seems to me, your cord is miniDisplay cord.

It's quite hard to find Thunderbolt 2 female to male cable.

And it's quite hard to find Thunderbolt 2 male to male cable as well.