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nwipfli Author

Level 1

4 points

Apple display and Thunderbolt compatibility

Hi,

Looking at the Intel spec for the Thunderbolt technology ( http://www.intel.com/technology/io/thunderbolt/index.htm), it is my understanding that they use a chip as controller to merge the internal PCIe and DisplayPort signals to two bi-directional 10GB/s channels to the target device which can be a display or drive or both. Therefore, if the target device is a drive, it needs to be Thunderbolt compatible, which means that it needs to include this same Intel controller. Now, if the target device is an Apple display, do they already have this controller ?
Based on what I understand from the Intel spec, the display has to be Thunderbolt compatible:

---start---

And Thunderbolt enabled products are compatible with existing DisplayPort devices so you don’t have to go buy a new display to take advantage of a Thunderbolt technology enabled computer
---end---

So, are the existing Apple displays already Thunderbold compatible or do we have to wait or buy an adapter ?
I do not understand how Apple displays already sold x months back can work while connected to this Thunderbolt port on the laptop, if this port uses this special controller which also needs to be on the target device.

I have not found any information for Thunderbold on the Apple spec page for their display and I have not found any Thunderbolt adapter for native Apple displays.

Any idea ?

Thanks

iMac 20"

Posted on Feb 26, 2011 12:11 PM

Top-ranking reply

DanRyb

Level 1

12 points

Posted on Feb 26, 2011 12:58 PM

I have a 24" LED Cinema Display with MiniDisplay port connection and it works on my new 2011 15" MBP with Thunderbolt port (using it right now!).

View in context

101 replies

Aug 10, 2011 9:09 PM in response to atxtester

atxtester wrote:

Sorry to burst everyone's bubble, but I've got a 1-week old MBA 13" with T-bolt, and I'm having the same flicker / black screen problems with the 24" ACD. I've been continually reviewing the forums, but I'm just today realizing that no-one else seems to be reporting on this with the Air, just on the MBPs and minis.

I actually got my new MBA 13.3'' 1.8GHz to work just fine with the 24'' ACD using the miniDisplay cable into my thunderbolt port. Not a problem at all-- plugged it in and automatically worked. Just for reference purposes, it was the ACD with these specs:

24-inch, Late 2008 (1920 x 1200)

Intel HD Graphics 3000 384 MB graphics

Hope that provides some hope for prospective MacBook Air owners who need to know that it can work with the 24'' ACD-- at least here's a case where it does!

Aug 11, 2011 1:52 AM in response to tallseabass

Nice...

I suppose it works with the majority of people because happy people don't usually post on this board :-D

But I'm still keen to know what's the reason behind this before I get my new MBA...

NicoNB

Level 1

0 points

Aug 11, 2011 2:55 AM in response to tintinfromhamburg

OK, so there are late 2008 and newer 24" ACD's that work really well with the Thunderbolt port.

There are also 24" ACD's late 2008 and newer that do not work.

What could cause the problems then?

Were these displays over the years made by different manufacturers ?

Dot these displays differ internaly, different hardware ?

OR is it the display itself and the display controller from a certain manufacturer ?

Aug 11, 2011 6:24 AM in response to NicoNB

While this issue was going on I made an appointment @the apple store, and tried 2 of their ACD's.

The first was 27" - no flicker and the second was a 24" - the SOB did not flicker there either. As soon as I took it back the the office and plugged it into my 2008/09 24" ACD, FLICKER!

So I don't know why that happend but theirs did not do it.

As preiously posted, after the firmware flash that was sent to me, mine too is flicker free!

Aug 11, 2011 6:31 AM in response to MortgageGod

Hello,

I have actually received my adapter today, so I am doing MiniDisplay to DVI, DVI to HDMI on the Mac Mini. Not practicle but the best solutions waiting for a firmware.

See my last entry:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3198411?answerId=15902599022#15902599022

Is there a way you could share this firmware?

Thank you

Charles

Aug 11, 2011 6:51 AM in response to charles.m.h.

charles.m.h. wrote:

Is there a way you could share this firmware?

Sorry Charley!

LOL, Seriously I has to sign a confidentiality agreement prior to them emailing me the firmware, and then in the email it also said I can't flash anyone else's.

Aug 11, 2011 6:56 AM in response to MortgageGod

Ok I understand your position.

But I do not understand Apple's strategy. There are many people in this situation.

Anyway, I have solved my problem in a different way in the meantime.

Charles

Aug 11, 2011 9:21 AM in response to MortgageGod

I don't meant be skeptical, but I find hard to believe that apple has a solution and hides it behind a confidentiality agreement. Come on, this is not like it is about upcoming products or secret technology!

MortgageGod, who do you talk to? Was that at the apple store or was that email support? Can you at least give us the email?

Mike95

Level 1

55 points

Aug 11, 2011 9:36 AM in response to charles.m.h.

charles.m.h. wrote:

Ok I understand your position.

But I do not understand Apple's strategy. There are many people in this situation.

Anyway, I have solved my problem in a different way in the meantime.

Charles

This is actually normal. They don't want an unofficial patch to go wild before they are able to test it completely. The time to test completely though may be longer than a customer is willing to wait, so they need to give out the current version (call it the beta patch) not only to apease those clients, but to also see if there are other detrimental effects of the patch.

MortgageGod for example may encounter another issue and he will re-reply to his original ticket. The team working on the patch will then work with MortgageGod more closely causing yet another update to occur. Keeping these scenarios controlled allows for the issue to reach resolution very quickly and eventually make it into one of the official OSX updates.

Aug 11, 2011 9:44 AM in response to DallasGabe

I'm also a little skeptical at this point...MortgageGod, are you actually performing beta "testing?" Is Apple expecting you to report back after a certain period of time? And if you had to sign a confidentiality agreement, can you explain how talking about it on Apple's own discussion boards is exempt? It would seem rather pointless to have a confidentiality agreement if it's OK to share the fact that you're participating in it...

In other news, I spent 4 hours over 5 calls to Apple Care yesterday (the first 2 hours were just trying to get some poor level 1 tech on the other end to understand the scope of the problem). I finally ended up with a senior tech that wanted to walk through a screen and data-capture process with me, so that he could "demonstrate" the problem to an engineer. After discussing this thread and pointing it out to him (among some others that mention the same problem), he was astounded - he had no internal documentation of a "beta" firmware for the ACD. Of course, Apple's a big company, and internal communication isn't always the greatest, so I also take this with a grain of salt...

Anyways, during the attempted capture, and over the course of the past 18 hours, I haven't been able to get the ACD to flicker or black out even once. 2 days ago, it was doing it every 3-4 minutes, especially right after start-up. Typical troubleshooting problem, though - as soon as you try to demonstrate it to someone else, it magically goes away on its own. 🙂

So for the moment, it seems to be working as it should - although I'm standing by with the capture software just in case it starts doing it again. And before you ask - no, it wasn't that I didn't have the cable inserted correctly or anything like that - I went through basic troubleshooting multiple times over the last week - and I have no logical explanation for why it's suddenly working correctly now.

If it does start to happen again, I'll definitely report back - and in the meantime I'll be keeping my ever-skeptical eyes peeled for this "beta" firmware....

Aug 13, 2011 2:13 PM in response to atxtester

I just took my 24" to the apple store, and while we were able to replicate the issue, he determined it was the logic board. they are replacing, it, it will be interesting to see if it still reproduces the issue or not after that...

NicoNB

Level 1

0 points

Aug 13, 2011 2:43 PM in response to Chris Diaz

Logic board of your Mac or from your 24" ACD?

Aug 13, 2011 2:52 PM in response to NicoNB

of the 24" ACD....I have a feeling that isnt going to do anything, so we will see what they come back with...unless the replacement logic board has an updated firmware...

Mike95

Level 1

55 points

Aug 16, 2011 4:57 PM in response to nwipfli

There is an update now that specifically lists the flicker as one of the resolved matters. Use update in Mac OSX to get it and reply with your results. I don't have the flicker problem so I can't confirm it's. Fixture.

Aug 16, 2011 5:17 PM in response to Mike95

Updated my mid 2011 mini about 1 hour ago, no flickers so far.

Apple display and Thunderbolt compatibility