Thunderbolt (interface)

Thunderbolt (codenamed Light Peak)1 is an interface for abutting borderline accessories to a computer via an amplification bus. Thunderbolt was developed by Intel and brought to bazaar with abstruse accord from Apple. It was alien commercially on Apple's adapted MacBook Pro calendar on February 24, 2011, application the aforementioned adapter as Mini DisplayPort. Though the Thunderbolt brand was registered by Apple, abounding rights accord to Intel and after led to the alteration of the allotment from Apple to Intel.5

Thunderbolt combines PCI Express and DisplayPort into a consecutive abstracts interface that can be agitated over best and beneath cher cables. Thunderbolt disciplinarian chips bend the abstracts from these two sources together, and breach them aback afar afresh for burning aural the devices. This makes the arrangement astern accordant with absolute DisplayPort accouterments upstream of the driver.

The interface was originally advised to run on an optical concrete band application apparatus and adjustable optical cilia cabling developed by Intel ally and at Intel's Silicon Photonics lab. The Intel technology at the time was marketed beneath the name Light Peak,6 today (2011) referred to as Silicon Photonics Link.7 However, it was appear that accepted chestnut base could accouter the adapted 10 Gbit/s Thunderbolt bandwidth per approach at lower cost. Later versions of Thunderbolt are still planned to acquaint an optical concrete band based on Intel silicon photonics technology.

Thunderbolt integrates PCI Express abstracts and DisplayPort data, acceptance them to be agitated over the aforementioned cable simultaneously. A individual Thunderbolt anchorage supports hubs as able-bodied as a daisy alternation of up to seven Thunderbolt devices; up to two of these accessories may be high-resolution displays application DisplayPort.8

Existing Mini DisplayPort adapters for DVI, dual-link DVI, HDMI, and VGA are accordant with Thunderbolt, acceptance backwards affinity and no accident of functionality compared to Mini Displayport.

History

Introduction

Intel alien Light Peak at the 2009 Intel Developer Forum (IDF), application a ancestor Mac Pro motherboard to run two 1080p video streams additional LAN and accumulator accessories over a individual 30-meter optical cable with adapted USB ends.9 The arrangement was apprenticed by a ancestor PCI Express card, with two optical buses powering four ports.10 At the show, Intel claimed that Light Peak-equipped systems would activate to arise in 2010.11 A YouTube video accompanying appear by Intel aswell showed Light Peak interfacing with HD cameras, laptops, advancing stations, and HD monitors. Jason Ziller, Head of the Intel Optical I/O Program Office aswell approved the centralized apparatus of the technology beneath a microscope and the outputing of abstracts through an oscilloscope.12

On 4 May 2010, in Brussels, Intel approved a laptop with a Light Peak connector, advertence that the technology had diminished baby abundant to fit central such a device, and had the laptop forward two accompanying HD video streams down the connection, advertence that at atomic some atom of the software/firmware endless and protocols were functional. At the aforementioned demonstration, Intel admiral said they accepted accouterments accomplishment to activate about the end of 2010.13

In September 2010, some aboriginal bartering prototypes from manufacturers were approved at Intel Developer Forum 2010.14

Copper vs. optical

Originally conceived as an optical technology, Thunderbolt switched to electrical access to abate costs and to accumulation up to 10W of ability to affiliated devices.15

In 2009, Intel admiral said the aggregation was "working on bundling the optical cilia with chestnut wire so Light Peak can be acclimated to ability accessories acquainted into the PC."16 In 2010, Intel said the aboriginal absorbed was "to accept one individual adapter technology" that would acquiesce "electrical USB 3.0 … and piggyback on USB 3.0 or 4.0 DC power."17

In January 2011, Intel's David Perlmutter told Computerworld that antecedent Thunderbolt implementations would be based on chestnut wires.18 "The chestnut came out actual good, decidedly bigger than what we thought," he said.19

Intel and industry ally are still developing optical Thunderbolt accouterments and cables.20 The optical cilia cables are to run "tens of meters" but will not accumulation power, at atomic not initially.212223 They are to accept two 62.5-micron-wide fibers to carriage an bittersweet arresting up to 100 metres (330 ft).24 The about-face of electrical arresting to optical will be anchored into the cable itself, acceptance the accepted DisplayPort atrium to be approaching compatible, but eventually Intel hopes for a absolutely optical transceiver accumulation anchored in the PC.23

Market introduction

It was continued rumoured that the early-2011 MacBook Pro amend would cover some array of new abstracts port, and a lot of of the belief appropriate it would be Light Peak.25 At the time, there were no abstracts on the concrete implementation, and mock-ups appeared assuming a arrangement agnate to the beforehand Intel demos application a accumulated USB/Light Peak port.26 Shortly afore the absolution of the new machines, the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) appear they would not acquiesce this, advertence that USB was not accessible to modification in this way.

In animosity of these comments and speculation, the addition came as a above abruptness if it was appear that the anchorage was based on Mini DisplayPort, not USB. As the arrangement was described, Intel's band-aid to the affectation affiliation botheration became clear: Thunderbolt controllers bend abstracts from absolute DisplayPort systems with abstracts from the PCI Express anchorage into a individual cable. Earlier displays, application DisplayPort 1.1 or earlier, acquire to be amid at the end of a Thunderbolt accessory chain, but newer displays can be placed anywhere forth the line.22 Thunderbolt accessories can go anywhere on the chain. In this respect, Thunderbolt shares a accord with the earlier ACCESS.bus system, which acclimated the affectation adapter to abutment a low-speed bus.

Apple published27 abstruse abstracts answer that 6 daisy-chained peripherals are accurate per Thunderbolt port, and that the Affectation should lie at the end of the chain.

Apple

MacBook Pro (February 24, 2011)28

iMac (May 3, 2011)29

MacBook Air (July 20, 2011)30

Mac Mini (July 20, 2011)31

Mac Pro (N/A)

Sony

Vaio Z21 (N/A)3233

In February 2011, Apple alien its new band of MacBook Pro laptop computers and appear the technology's bartering name would be Thunderbolt, with these machines getting the aboriginal to affection the new I/O technology.

In May 2011, Apple appear a new band of iMacs that cover the Thunderbolt interface.34

The Thunderbolt anchorage on the new Macs is in the aforementioned area about to added ports and maintains the aforementioned concrete ambit and pin out as the bequest Mini DisplayPort connector. The primary beheld adverse on Thunderbolt able Macs is a Thunderbolt attribute instead of a DisplayPort attribute next to the anchorage opening.8

The DisplayPort accepted is partially accordant with Thunderbolt, as the two allotment Apple's physically accordant Mini DisplayPort connector. The Target Affectation approach on iMacs requires a Thunderbolt cable to acquire a video-in arresting from addition Thunderbolt-capable computer.35 Mini DisplayPort monitors action accurately as an alien adviser after an adaptor if they are either the alone or the endure accessory in the Thunderbolt accessory chain.

Intel appear that a developer kit would be appear in the additional division of 2011,36 while manufacturers of accouterments development accessories acquire adumbrated they will add abutment for the testing and development of Thunderbolt devices.37 The developer kit was not yet accessible as of 21 July 2011, with Intel adage that absorbed parties bare to accumulate blockage later.38

Description

Thunderbolt is based on the concrete Mini DisplayPort adapter developed by Apple. Mini DisplayPort is electrically identical to DisplayPort, but uses a smaller, non-locking connector.

Because the PCIe bus does not backpack video data, it is cryptic whether a standalone PCIe agenda could action a Thunderbolt port. The Intel Thunderbolt Technology Brief does not accord a absolute answer.4 Intel appear affidavit area video beck is beatific to a dual-thunderbolt controller, with the video beck getting alone beatific to one of the Thunderbolt ports, giving the acceptance that video beck is not binding on Thunderbolt implementation.

Thunderbolt can be implemented on PCIe cartoon cards, which accept admission to DisplayPort abstracts and PCI accurate connectivity, or on the motherboard of new devices, such as the MacBook Air.82239

Thunderbolt controllers on the host and peripherals circuitous the PCIe and DisplayPort abstracts into packets at the carriage band and demultiplex them at the destination.4

Thunderbolt is interoperable with DisplayPort 1.2 accordant devices. When affiliated to a DisplayPort accordant accessory the Thunderbolt anchorage can accommodate a built-in DisplayPort arresting with 4 lanes of achievement abstracts at no added than 5.4 Gbit/s per lane. When affiliated to a Thunderbolt accessory the per-lane abstracts amount becomes 10 Gbit/s and the 4 lanes are configured as 2 channels with anniversary bidirectional 10 Gbit/s approach absolute one lane of ascribe and one lane of output.4

edit Security

See also: DMA attack

Since Thunderbolt extends the PCI Accurate bus, which is the capital amplification bus in accepted systems, it allows actual low-level admission to the system. PCI accessories charge to accept absolute admission to memory, and may appropriately accommodation security.40 This affair exists with abounding accelerated amplification buses, including PC Card, ExpressCard and the IEEE 1394 interface, frequently accepted as FireWire.

It is account acquainted that a amount of Intel processors back the addition of the Nehalem microarchitecture (that is, a amount of CPU branded Core i5, Core i7, or later) abutment VT-d, an IOMMU implementation. This allows the operating arrangement (OS) to abstract a accessory in its own basic anamnesis abode amplitude (in a address akin to the abreast of processes from one addition application the MMU). Accessories are appropriately prevented from accepting admission to all of concrete memory.

Cost

As of July 2011, the aboriginal two beat Thunderbolt cable from Apple costs US$49.00.41 As an alive cable, it includes chip central the connectors. The cable has 5 wires, 1 for administration and two uni-directional pairs, one for admission and additional for approachable traffic.42