Connecting Displayport Monitor with Thunderbolt 2

There seems to be some terminology confusion here.

ThunderBolt is a bus that most resembles the PCIe cards in a a traditional computer, but strung out onto multi-conductor cables.

Mini DisplayPort is an output-only Subset of all the signals provided by ThunderBolt. You can not convert Thunderbolt to Mini DisplayPort or the reverse, you can extract the Mini DisplayPort signals from a ThunderBolt port on the computer.

Connecting two ports together with cables is nonsense.

Mini DisplayPort is only different From [Full size] DisplayPort by the size and shape of the connector. The are electrically the same.

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There are many contacts on a Mini DisplayPort plug. Early on, users were reporting unreliable connections. You must push hard enough on the plug so that essentially all of the metal-end disappears inside the jack.

If you have been as methodical as you describe, there is no explanation for why this does not work in your case.

The problem is sometimes caused by the display "not paying attention" to the capabilities query from the Mac.

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, no data will be sent to the display.

This query is only sent at certain times:

• at startup

• at wake from sleep

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

• on invoking Option-(Detect Display) button in Displays preferences

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

Yes if you use a mini displayport cable verson 1.2 and your monitor supports DP 1.2 as Grand said.

MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Late 2013) or Mac Pro (Late 2013) also support multi-stream transport (MST) displays at 60 Hz . These displays need to be manually configured to use MST. Follow the steps below to use the display's built-in controls to enable this feature.

• Sharp PN-K321: Choose Menu > Setup > DisplayPort STREAM > MST > SET
• ASUS PQ321Q: Choose OSD menu > Setup > DisplayPort Stream
• Dell UP2414Q and UP3214Q: Choose Menu > Display Setting > DisplayPort 1.2 > Enable
• Panasonic TC-L65WT600: Choose Menu > Display Port Settings > Stream Setting > Auto

Your Mac will automatically detect an MST-enabled display. However, your display may require a firmware update to support 60Hz operation. Please contact your display vendor for details. If your specific DisplayPort display is not listed above, check with the display’s manufacturer for compatibility information.

From:

Using 4K displays and Ultra HD TVs with Mac computers

I have the Dell and had to set it up as described above to get 60 Hz.

Your monitor supports:

Your Samsung UHD monitor is perfect for your game consoles as well as your PC. Thanks to 2 HDMI ports, both your computer and your console can be connected simultaneously, so you don’t have to unplug and plug in each time when you want to switch between them. That means less hassle and more time for entertainment. Thanks to DisplayPort connectivity, your monitor is also ready to connect to UHD-compatible devices and content. *Supports HDMI 1.4 (3840 x 2160, 30Hz) and Display Port 1.2 (3840 x 2160, 60Hz)

From:

http://www.samsung.com/levant/consumer/computers-peripherals/monitors/led-monito r/LU28D590DS/ZN

I could not find the manual so I do not know how to turn that on for your monitor

Dell P2715Q (3840x2160) not recognized when connected via either Dell-supplied DP-mBP cable, nor APPL mDp-mDP cable connected to either Thunderbolt 2 MiniDisplayPort v1.2 on Late 2014 Mac Mini, OSX 10.11 ( El.Cap).

System Report for the TB2/mDv1.2 ports is "No device detected". DP/mDP version on the Dell side also 1.2.

Using an APPL mDP to mDP 2M jumper connecting TB2/mDP1.2 ports to each other, neither port on the Mac Mini recognizes the other; System Report for both TB2/mDv1.2 ports remains "No device detected" after powerdown reboot.

This after multiple attempts with various cable connections, and ensuring the proper input ( of HDMI/DP/mDP) was selected on the P2715Q. 'SMC reset', powerdown via unplug and delay of monitor and MM also failed to have any effect.

Grant- thanks for your suggestions.

I failed to mention I've repeatedly tried to get the P2715Q recognized via the Option-(Detect Display) button in Displays preferences to no avail; and as noted above I've rebooted both MacMini and P2715Q, and tried simply plugging and unplugging the DisplayPort/MiniDisplayPort cable(s) connecting the MacMini to the display, specifically while the display was set for either DP ( when using the Dell-supplied DP to mDP cable) , and when the display was set for mDP input, when using the APPL mDP to mDP cable. I guess that covers all except the 'wake from sleep' case.

As an added kicker at the risk of redundancy and as noted above, I jumpered the Mini TB ports to each other as described above with the APPL mDP to mDP cable. I don't have any experience with Thunderbolt specifically but as a generally useful sort of network interface I'd expect OSX should at least recognize OSX, even if only another port of the same OSX instance; maybe not so ...

I also haven't been able to get past APPLs' "curtain of Oz" to find any tools which might further diagnosis of mDP or Thunderbolt2 ports.

With TB2 configured as a network 'bridge'( Network Preferences > Thunderbolt Bridge ), I'd expect that, as would be the case with Ethernet (or fiberChannel, etc.), recognition of the endpoints and protocol negotiation to take place; OSX to at least recognize the 'remote' and 'local' ends of the TB2 cable - though they're both plugged into the same machine in a 'loopback', that shouldn't cause catalepsy. Something beyond 'No device detected', perhaps? Maybe coma is a better description.

In the case of the APPL mDP to mDP cable loop-back connecting TB2 ports 1 & 2, the link is only mDP in connector form factor unless the OSX magic forces DisplayLink use instad of network protocol and transport stacks to be loaded- facilitating links between hosts, between hosts and storage controllers or, as you mentioned a TB PCIe bridge to an external PCIe chassis.

So it's not entirely nonsense to expect OSX on one MacMini to recognize a device other than a display (OSX on another MacMini, or on the same Mini, a storage controller, or some other network endpoint) via a Thunderbolt link, much as a GbpsE, FC etc. 'loopback' link might function.

Re:"Thunderbolt Networking" and other capabilities:

https://thunderbolttechnology.net/sites/default/files/thunderbolt-tech-update.pd f

https://developer.apple.com/library/content/documentation/HardwareDrivers/Concep tual/ThunderboltDevGuide/Basics/Basics.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40011138-CH2-S W5

More to the point, though, OSX El.Cap still doesn't seem to 'acknowledge the existence' of an an attached Dell P2715Q via either the Dell-supplied DisplayPort or APPL MiniDisplayPort-mDP cables plugged into either TB2/mDP1.2 port.

Could be the cable since you need a displayport cable version 1.2.

Also could be because both displays are connected to the same TB bus. There are only three TB buses.

This included a diagram shows which ports are connected to what TB buses

Mac Pro (Late 2013): Using multiple displays

Also see:'

Using 4K displays and Ultra HD TVs with Mac computers

It could also be a problem with OSX since some other users have reported similar tearing

Many 4K displays require the operator to make changes in the display settings (internal to the display, not on the Mac) to achieve over 30 frames/sec. These have all different names, but may include 'enable DisplayPort 1.2'.

4K displays take more than half a ThunderBolt Bus, so as mentioned, you should try to put such a display on its own Bus, or risk occasional interference (such a flickering) from data transactions on the same Bus.

Hey Jstramitis, did you ever get this resolved buddy? I have the exact same issue. I want to run get to 60Hz and have just ordered the cable you mentioned.

Any thoughts?