Thunderbolt by amit

THUNDERBOLT- AN INCREDIBLY FAST I/O TECHNOLOGY 2015 – 2016
E&C Dept., NCET, Bangalore Page 1
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
Intel introduced Light Peak at the 2009 Intel Developer Forum (IDF), using a
prototype Mac Pro motherboard to run two 1080p video streams plus LAN and storage
devices over a single 30-meter optical cable with modified USB ends. The system was
driven by a prototype PCI Express card, with two optical buses powering four ports. At
the show, Intel claimed that Light Peak equipped systems would begin to appear in 2010.
On 4 May 2010, in Brussels, Intel demonstrated a laptop with a Light Peak connector,
indicating that the technology had shrunk to small enough to fit inside such a device, and
had the laptop send two simultaneous HD video streams down the connection, indicating
that at least some fraction of the software/firmware stacks and protocols were functional.
At the same demonstration, Intel officials said they expected hardware manufacturing to
begin around the end of 2010. In September 2010, some early commercial prototypes
from manufacturers were demonstrated at Intel Developer Forum 2010.
1.1 Thunderbolt Technology?
Thunderbolt Technology is a transformational high speed, dual core protocol I/O protocol
which provides unmatched excellent performance over current I/O technologies which are
available in the market with 10Gbps bi-directional transfer speed. It provides flexibility
and simplicity by supporting both data (PCI express) and video (Display Port) on a single
cable connection that can daisy-chain up to six devices. Thunderbolt technology enables
flexible and innovative system designs and is ideal for thin profile systems and devices
such as Ultra books.
Fig 1.1:- Thunderbolt port

1.2 Developed By
Thunderbolt began at Intel Labs with a simple concept create an incredibly fast
input/output technology that just about anything can plug into. After close technical
collaboration between Intel and Apple, Thunderbolt emerged from the lab to make its
appearance in Mac computers. Even majority of users don’t care about cost factor. The
Intel which is one of biggest hardware company takes innovative to develop such an
interface which can meet the need of next generation of I/O data transfer and came up
with the thunderbolt technology which they codename it as “light Peak”. With this
Thunderbolt technology it is now possible to enable the thinnest and lightest laptops can
connected over a single cable to high performance storage, external media drives,
multiple HD displays, HD media and editing systems as well as legacy I/O hubs and
devices.Intel co-invented USB and PCI Express, which have become widely adopted
technologies for data transfer. Apple invented FireWire and was instrumental in
popularizing USB. Their collective experience has made Thunderbolt the most powerful,
most flexible I/O technology ever in a personal computer.
1.3 Commercial launch.
Thunderbolt I/O interface was launched by Apple in 2011 using the Apple-developed
connector as Mini DisplayPort, which is electrically identical to DisplayPort, but uses a
smaller, non-locking connector. Though the Thunderbolt trademark was registered by
Apple, full rights belong to Intel which subsequently led to the transfer of the registration
from Apple to Intel. The other companies are planning to launch their thunderbolt
compactable devices by the end of 2013 or in early 2014.
1.4 Why is it so expensive?
The Thunderbolt interface is very costly as compare to other I/O interface. Thunderbolt
requires active cables, which is why they're so expensive (in the $50 range). Each cable
end sports two tiny, low power transceiver chips that are responsible for boosting the
signal passing through to enable 10 Gb/s data rates over runs as long as three meters.
Thunderbolt being the most innovative I/O interface it gradually making its market
despite being expensive.

CHAPTER 2
TECHNOLOGICAL OVERVIEW
Thunderbolt technology dramatically increases the data transfer rate enabling
faster backup, editing and file sharing, significantly reducing the time to complete key
tasks. Thunderbolt technology was specifically designed with inherently low latency and
highly accurate time synchronization capabilities. These features enable extremely
accurate audio and video creation, playback that no other standard interconnect
technology can match Originally, Thunderbolt was going to be enabled using an optical
physical layer and optical fiber cabling. But Intel discovered that it could achieve its 10
Gbps per channel at a lower cost using copper wiring. Copper cabling delivers up to 10 W
of power to attached devices. When optical cables do emerge, attached devices will
require their own power supplies.
The interface shares certain capabilities with other technologies. For example, it supports
hot-plugging. And, like FireWire, it is designed to work in daisy chains. Machines that
come armed with Thunderbolt will either include one or two ports, each supporting up to
seven chained devices, two of which can be Display Port-enabled monitors.
 Five devices and two Thunderbolt-based displays
 Six devices and one Thunderbolt-based display
 Six devices and one display via mini-Display Port adapter
 Five devices, one Thunderbolt-based display, and one display via mini-Display
Port adapter
2.1 Key Features:
 10Gbps bi-directional, dual channel data transfer
 Data & Video on single cable with Dual-protocol (PCI Express and Display Port)
 Compatible with existing Display Port devices
 Low latency with highly accurate time synchronization
 Uses native PCIe and Display Port protocol software drivers
 Power over cable for bus-powered devices (electrical cables only)

2.2 General Specifications:
Parameters Specific values
Length 3 metres (9.8 ft) (copper)max 100 metres (330
ft) (optical) max
Width 7.4 mm male (8.3 mm female)
Height 4.5 mm male (5.4 mm female)
Hot Pluggable Yes
Daisy Chain Yes, up to 6 devices
Audio/Video signal Via DisplayPort Protocol
Pins 20
Connectors Mini-display Port
Max Voltage 18V (bus power)
Max Current 550mA (9.9 W max)
Bit Rate 10 Gbps per channel (20 Gbps in total)
Table 2.1:- General Specification
2.3. Rethinking I/O
As every generation of information technology progresses, I/O technologies evolve to
provide higher bandwidth for getting data into and out of computers. At its simplest, two
discrete types of I/O have resulted – display (with formatted video and audio
components), and data. Traditional approaches to this evolution have been to make an
existing technology faster. Thunderbolt technology combines the next step in higher
Performance with the innovation of mapping two of the most fundamental I/O protocols
at the heart of computing (PCI Express and Display Port), onto a single highly efficient
meta protocol, transmitting them over a single cable, and managing the traffic routing
(supporting daisy chaining and hot-plugging devices) with intelligent hardware
controllers. The choice of PCI Express was clear, providing for off-the-shelf controller
use to attach to nearly any technology imaginable, and the choice of Display Port was
equally clear for meeting the needs of the PC industry with capabilities like support for
multiple HD displays, and support for up to 8 channels of high-definition audio

Fig 2.1:- Thunderbolt cable expands laptop to a higher resolution display and high
performance storage in a simple daisy-chain manner
Some users need workstation performance but demand an Ultrabook form factor. With
Thunderbolt technology it is now possible to enable the thinnest and lightest laptops
connected over a single cable to high performance storage, external media drives,
multiple HD displays, HD media and editing systems as well as legacy I/O hubs and
devices. Giving users the ability to have thin and light ultrabook systems but also the
power, capability and expandability of a traditional workstation
2.4 Connector Pin Diagram:
The Thunderbolt is the proprietary interface allows the connection of external peripherals
to a computer. It combines PCI Express and Display Port into one serial signal alongside
a DC connection for electric power, transmitted over one cable.
Thunderbolt controllers multiplex one or more individual data lanes from connected PCIe
and Display Port devices for transmission via one duplex Thunderbolt lane, then de-
multiplex them for consumption by PCIe and Display Port devices on the other end.
Fig 2.2:- 20 pin Apple Thunderbolt connector

PIN NO. SIGNAL FUNCTION
PIN 1 GND Ground
PIN 2 HPD Hot plug detect
PIN 3 HS0TX(P) High speed transmitter 0 (positive)
PIN 4 HSORX(P) High speed receiver 0 (positive)
PIN 5 HSORX(P) High speed transmitter 0 (negative)
PIN 6 HSORX(P) High speed receiver 0 (negative)
PIN 7 GND Ground
PIN 8 GND Ground
PIN 9 LSR2P TX Low speed transmit
PIN 10 GND Reserved
PIN 11 LSR2P RX Low speed receiver
PIN 12 GND Reserved
PIN 13 GND Ground
PIN 14 GND Ground
PIN 15 HS1TX(P) High speed transmitter 1 (positive)
PIN 16 HS1TX(P) High speed receiver 1 (positive)
PIN 17 HS1TX(P) High speed transmitter 1 (negative)
PIN 18 HS1TX(P) High speed receiver1 (negative)
PIN 19 Ground Ground
PIN 20 DPPWR power
Table 2.2:- Connector pin diagram
2.5 Copper vs. Optical:
The interface was originally intended to run exclusively on an optical physical layer using
components and flexible optical fiber cabling developed by Intel partners and at Intel's
Silicon Photonics lab. However, it was discovered that conventional copper wiring could
furnish the desired bandwidth at lower cost which lead Intel switched to electrical
connections to reduce costs and to supply up to 10 W of power to connected devices. Intel

and industry partners are still developing optical Thunderbolt hardware and cables. The
optical fiber cables are to run "tens of meters" but will not supply power, at least not
initially. The conversion of electrical signal to optical will be embedded into the cable
itself, allowing the current MDP connector to be forward compatible, but eventually Intel
hopes for a purely optical transceiver assembly embedded in the PC.
2.6 Peripheral devices:
While the first computer to feature the interface is released by Apple in early 2011, it took
some time for peripheral devices supporting the Thunderbolt interface to hit the market
place, with initial ones not starting to hit retail stores until late 2011. Storage
manufacturer Promise Technology was the first company to release large-sized RAID
storage devices, with their Pegasus R4 (4 drive) and Pegasus R6 (6 drive) enclosures,
however they were reasonably expensive for the average consumer.
By the third quarter of 2012, other manufacturers started to release cables of varying
length up to the maximum supported length of three meters, whilst some who were
releasing storage enclosures started to include a Thunderbolt cable with their devices.
2.7 Security:
Since Thunderbolt extends the PCI Express bus, which is the main expansion bus in
current systems, it allows very low-level access to the system. PCI devices need to have
unlimited access to memory, and may thus compromise security. This issue exists with
many high-speed expansion buses, including PC Card, Express Card and FireWire. Data
transfer for backup, sharing and editing are tremendously accelerated Using thunderbolt
procducts significantly reducing time to complete the task. Transfer a full-length HD
movie in less than 30 seconds. Backup 1 year of continuous MP3 playback in just over 10
minutes.
An attacker could, for example, maliciously configure a Thunderbolt device. On
connecting to a computer, the device, through its direct and unimpeded access to system
memory and other devices, would be able to bypass almost all security measures of the
OS and have the ability to read encryption keys or install malware.

CHAPTER 3
PRPTOCOL IN THUNDERBOLT
Thunderbolt technology is based on a switched fabric architecture with full-duplex
links. Unlike bus-based I/O architectures, each Thunderbolt port on a computer is capable
of providing the full bandwidth of the link in both directions with no sharing of band-
width between ports or between upstream and downstream directions. The Thunderbolt
protocol architecture can be abstracted into four layers.
Fig 3.1:- Thunderbolt Protocol
A Thunderbolt connector is capable of providing two full duplex channels. Each channel
provides bi-directional 10Gbps of band-width, as shown in Figure. A The Thunderbolt
Connector is extremely small, making it ideal for Ultra-books, plus it is enables
connection to Thunderbolt products or to Display Port devices. Compatibility to Display
Port devices is provided by an interoperability mode between host devices and Display

Port products; if a Display Port device is detected, a Thunderbolt controller will drive
compatibility mode Display Port signals to that device. Support for Display Port also
enables easy connectivity to other display types, such as HDMI, with an adapter.
Thunderbolt technology leverages the native PCI Express and Display Port device drivers
available in most operating systems today. Native software support means no additional
software development is required to use a Thunderbolt technology enabled product.
The main focus of Thunderbolt comes on two layers, Physical layer and Transport layer.
The Thunderbolt protocol physical layer is responsible for link maintenance including
hot-plug detection, and data encoding to provide highly efficient data transfer. The
physical layer has been designed to introduce very minimal overhead and provides full
10Gbps of usable bandwidth to the upper layers. Hot-plugging means, plug-in a
peripheral or another computer to a computer while the machine is hot, while the machine
is working, Physical layer is actually responsible for that. With thunderbolt, can be made
a daisy chain network of up to 7 elements. The link maintains is comes under the physical
layer, including data encoding to provide high efficient data transfer, to enable the
amazing speed of thunderbolt. The heart of the Thunderbolt protocol architecture is the
transport layer. Some of the key innovations introduced by the transport layer include:
 A high-performance, low-power, switching architecture.
 A highly efficient, low-overhead packet format with flexible QoS support that
allows multiplexing of bursty PCI Express transactions with isochronous Display
Port communication on the same link.
 A symmetric architecture that supports flexible topologies (star, tree, daisy
chaining, etc.) and enables peer-to-peer communication (via software) between
devices.
3.1 PROTOCOL ARCHITECTURE:
Thunderbolt technology is based on switched fabric architecture with full-duplex links.
Unlike bus-based I/O architectures, each Thunderbolt port on a computer is capable of
providing the full bandwidth of the link in both directions with no sharing of bandwidth
between ports or between upstream and downstream directions. The Thunderbolt protocol
architecture can be abstracted into four layers as shown in Figure. A Thunderbolt
connector is capable of providing two full-duplex channels. Each channel provides bi-

directional 10 Gbps of bandwidth. A Thunderbolt connector on a computer is capable of
Connecting with a cable to Thunderbolt products or to Display Port devices.
The Thunderbolt connector is extremely small, making it ideal for thin systems and
compact cables. Compatibility with Display Port devices is provided by an
interoperability mode between host devices and Display Port products; if a Display Port
device is detected, a Thunderbolt controller will drive compatibility mode Display Port
signals to that device. Thunderbolt cables may be electrical or optical; both use the same
Thunderbolt connector. An active electrical-only cable provides for connections of up to
3 meters in length, and provides for up to 10W of power deliverable to a bus-powered
device. And an active optical cable provides for much greater lengths; tens of meters. The
Thunderbolt protocol physical layer is responsible for link maintenance including hot-
plug detection, and data encoding to provide highly efficient data transfer. The physical
layer has been designed to introduce very minimal overhead and provides full 10Gbps of
usable bandwidth to the upper layers.
In thunderbolt, both PCIe and Display port are transferred through same cable based on
the switched fabric architecture with full-duplex links. The heart of the Thunderbolt
protocol architecture is the transport layer. Some of the key innovations introduced by the
transport layer include:
Fig 3.2:- Protocol Architecture

 A high-performance, low-power, switching architecture.
 A highly efficient, low-overhead packet format with flexible QoS support that allows
multiplexing of bursty PCI Express transactions with isochronous Display Port
communication on the same link.
 A symmetric architecture that supports flexible topologies (star, tree, daisy chaining,
etc.) and enables peer-to-peer communication (via software) between devices.
 A novel time synchronization protocol that allows all the Thunderbolt products
connected in a domain to synchronize their time within 8ns of each other. Display Port
and PCI Express protocols are mapped onto the transport layer. The mapping function is
provided by a protocol adapter which is responsible for efficient encapsulation of the
mapped protocol information into transport layer packets. Mapped protocol packets
between a source device and a destination device may be routed over a path that may
cross multiple Thunderbolt controllers. At the destination device, a protocol adapter
recreates the mapped protocol in a way that is indistinguishable from what was received
by the source device.
3.2 Controller Architecture:
A Thunderbolt controller is the building block used to create Thunderbolt products. A
Thunderbolt controller contains:
 A high-performance, cross-bar Thunderbolt protocol switch
 One or more Thunderbolt ports
 One or more DisplayPort protocol adapter ports
 One or more Thunderbolt ports
 A PCI Express switch with one or more PCI Express protocol adapter port
The external interfaces of a Thunderbolt controller that are connected in a system depend
on the application for which the system is designed. An example implementation of a
host-side Thunderbolt controller. Host side Thunderbolt controllers have one or more
DisplayPort input interfaces, a PCI Express interface along with one or more Thunderbolt
technology interface. By integrating all the features necessary to implement Thunderbolt
into a single chip, the host-side controller enables system vendors to easily incorporate
into their designs.

Fig 3.3: Block diagram of PC system showing Thunderbolt controller connections.
As the building block to Thunderbolt technology, Thunderbolt controllers contain a high
performance cross bar Thunderbolt protocol switch, a PCI Express switch, and one or
more Thunderbolt ports, Display Ports, and PCI Express protocol adapter ports. By
integrating all the features necessary to implement Thunderbolt into a single chip, the
host-side controller enables system vendors to easily incorporate Thunderbolt technology
into their designs. Thunderbolt cables may be electrical or optical; both use the same
Thunderbolt connector. An active electrical-only cable provides for connections of up to
3 meters in length, and provides for up to 10W of power deliverable to a bus-powered
device. And an active optical cable provides for much greater lengths; tens of meters.

CHAPTER 4
THUNDERBOLT TECHNOLOGIES AND POSIBILITES
With Thunderbolt products, performance, simplicity and flexibility all come
together. Users can add high-performance features to their PC over a cable, daisy
chaining one after another, up to a total of 6 devices, including up to 2 high resolution
Display Port v1.1a displays. Because Thunderbolt technology delivers two full-bandwidth
channels, the user can realize high bandwidth on not only the first device attached, but on
downstream devices as well.
Users can connect to their other non-Thunderbolt products as well by using Thunderbolt
technology adapters (e.g., to connect to native PCI Express devices like eSata, Firewire).
These adapters can be easily built using a Thunderbolt controller with off-the-shelf PCI
Express-to-“other technology” controllers
With Thunderbolt technology, workstation-level performance and feature expansion can
supported with various Thunderbolt devices that are in the market. By leveraging the
inherently tight timing synchronization (within 8ns across 7 hops downstream from a
host) and low latencies of Thunderbolt technology, broadcast quality media can be
produced using Thunderbolt products. Thunderbolt technology gives you access to a
world of high-speed peripherals and high-resolution displays via one simple port and a
cable that carries both Display Port and PCIe.
The new initiative “Thunderbolt ready” enables PC manufacturers to offer Thunderbolt
upgradeable motherboards within desktop and workstation computers. By using a
Thunderbolt card, Thunderbolt’s blazing fast speed and uncompressed video capabilities
can now be added to any motherboard that includes a GPIO header, so even if your
system doesn’t have Thunderbolt it is now possible to “upgrade” to it.
The addition of a Thunderbolt ready card to a PC is a simple and straight forward process.
All a user needs to do is connect the Thunderbolt card into the designated PCIe slot,
connect a cable to the GPIO header, and utilize an available DP (DisplayPort) out
connector from the motherboard processor graphics, or an external graphics card,
depending on the system. And since a Thunderbolt card comes with all the necessary
cables, software, and instructions, upgrading is a breeze

4.1 No project is too massive.
With Thunderbolt, you’re just as likely to build a professional video setup around your
MacBook Pro or iMac as your Mac Pro. If you’re a video editor, imagine using a single
port to connect high-performance storage, a high-resolution display, and high-bit-rate
video capture devices to handle all the post-production for a feature film. Thunderbolt I/O
technology allows you to daisy-chain up to six Thunderbolt peripherals, including an
Apple Thunderbolt Display and the Promise Pegasus RAID or LaCie Little Big Disk.1
You can even add an Apple LED Cinema Display to the end of the chain.
And that’s just the beginning. With Thunderbolt technology, peripheral manufacturers
finally have what they need to take high-performance devices from workstations and top-
of-the-line desktops to just about any computer.
4.2 Changing the PC industry
Leveraging the I/O protocols on a single transport enables engineers to innovate new
system design configurations, allowing for standalone performance expansion
technologies that use existing native device drivers. Thunderbolt technology also enables
the introduction of thinner and lighter laptops without sacrificing I/O performance, and
extends to reach other I/O technologies by using PCIe-based adapters, making Gigabit
Ethernet, FireWire, or eSATA easy to create.
4.3 Performance and expansion made faster and smarter.
Thunderbolt I/O technology gives you two channels on the same connector with 10 Gbps
of throughput in both directions. That makes Thunderbolt ultrafast and ultraflexible. You
can move data to and from peripherals up to 20 times faster than with USB 2.0 and up to
12 times faster than with FireWire 800. You also have more than enough bandwidth to
daisy-chain multiple high-speed devices without using a hub or switch. For example, you
can connect several high-performance external disks, a video capture device, and even a
display to a single Thunderbolt chain while maintaining maximum throughput

CHAPTER 5
EARLY VERSION OF THUNDERBOLT
It was rumoured that the early-2011 MacBook Pro update would include some
sort of new data port, and most of the speculation suggested it would be Light Peak
(Thunderbolt).At the time, there were no details on the physical implementation, and
mock-ups appeared showing a system similar to the earlier Intel demos using a combined
USB/Light Peak port. Apple's introduction came as a major surprise when it was revealed
that the port was based on Mini DisplayPort, not USB. As the system was described,
Intel's solution to the display connection problem became clear. Older displays, using DP
1.1a or earlier, have to be located at the end of a Thunderbolt device chain, but native
displays can be placed anywhere along the line. Thunderbolt devices can go anywhere on
the chain.
5.1 Evolution of Speed:-
Protocol Speed Year Released
USB 1.0 12 Mbps 1996
USB 2.0 480 Mbps 2000
USB 3.0 5 Gbps 2008
Thunderbolt 10 Gbps 2011
USB 3.1 10 Gbps 2013
Thunderbolt 2 20 Gbps 2013
USB Type-C — 2014
Thunderbolt 3 40 Gbps 2015
Table 5.1:- Evolution of Speed

5.2 THUNDERBOLT TECHNOLOGY
Developed by Intel (under the code name Light Peak), and brought to market with
technical collaboration from Apple. Thunderbolt technology is a new, high-speed, dual-
protocol I/O technology designed for performance, simplicity, and flexibility. This high-
speed data transfer technology features the following:
 Dual-channel 10 Gbps per port
 Bi-directional
 Dual-protocol (PCI Express* and Display port*)
 Compatible with existing Display Port devices
 Daisy-chained devices
 Electrical or optical cables
 Low latency with highly accurate time synchronization
 Uses native protocol software drivers
 Power over cable for bus-powered devices
Thunderbolt is an interface for connecting peripheral devices to a computer via an
expansion bus. Thunderbolt was developed by Intel and brought to market with technical
collaboration from Apple Inc. It was introduced commercially on Apple's updated
MacBook Pro line up on February 24, 2011, using the same port and connector as Mini
Display Port. Though initially registered with Apple Inc., full rights of the Thunderbolt
technology trademark belong to Intel Corp., and subsequently led to the transfer of the
registration.
Thunderbolt I/O technology gives you two channels on the same connector with 10 Gbps
of throughput in both directions. That makes it ultra fast, and ultra flexible. You can move
data to and from peripherals up to 20 times faster than with USB 2.0 and more than 12
times faster than with FireWire 800.
Intel's Thunderbolt controllers interconnect a PC and other devices, transmitting and
receiving packetized traffic for both PCIe and DisplayPort protocols. Thunderbolt
technology works on data streams in both directions, at the same time, so users get the
benefit of full bandwidth in both directions, over a single cable. With the two independent
channels, a full 10 Gbps of bandwidth can be provided for the first device, as well as
additional downstream devices.

CHAPTER 6
THUNDERBOLT VS EXISTING I/O INTERFACE
Thunderbolt gives you two channels on the same connector with 10 Gbps of
throughput in both directions. Ultra-fast, ultra-flexible Thunderbolt 2 pushes that to 20
Gbps. You can move data to and from peripherals up to 20 times faster than with USB 2
and up to 12 times faster than with FireWire 800. You also have more than enough
bandwidth to daisy-chain multiple high-speed devices without using a hub or switch. For
example, you can connect several high-performance external disks, a video capture
device and even a display to a single Thunderbolt chain while maintaining maximum
throughput.
Fig 6.1:- speed of different I/O interfaces
6.1 Thunderbolt vs. USB 3.0
Intel’s Thunderbolt with its promise of 10Gbps-per-channel throughput, it’s quite fast as
compare to its natural competitor, USB 3.0 which is at presently at 5Gbps standard and
shortly will update to 3.1 which will be at 10Gbps standard. Even then Thunderbolt will

outclass in the term of speed as being two channel total speed will around 20Gbps as
compare to USB which is single channel.
USB has major advantage that USB ports are so common, they’re in cars and wall plugs
and are as ubiquitous as an AC outlet these days. Even if they doesn’t support USB 3.0,
we can still access your data via USB 2.0. That’s not the case with Thunderbolt, which is
extremely rare even on the Macintosh platform.
6.2 Ethernet
Moving on to other Ethernet type connections, Apple first used Gigabit Ethernet on the
"Mystic" Power Mac G4 in 2000. It gives a full 1 Gb/s. The fastest Ethernet on the market
is 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GBase-T), and 100 Gigabit Ethernet is under development. You
won't find 10G Ethernet on many computers. The standard also makes use of fibre optic
cable to achieve these transfer rates.
6.3 FireWire
FireWire was an important competitor to USB, but it has been losing popularity. Still, the
FireWire standard is still progressing. FireWire S3200 is planned to reach 3.2 Gb/s. That
keeps it comparable to USB 3.0, but still much slower than Thunderbolt. I doubt we'll see
many devices that use it.
6.4 Hard Drives SATA 6 Gb/s
Hard drives need to be speedy, and a new SATA protocol was recently released, SATA 6
Gb/s. As the name implies, it can go 6 Gb/s. The nice thing with this protocol is it
remains compatible with older systems and hard drives. You do need to have the right
motherboard to take advantage of the latest speed increase.
6.5 Thunderbolt Covers All the Bases
The chart shows how Thunderbolt compares to all of these other protocols. At 10 Gb/s, it
can cover a whole range of transfer protocols. The magic of Thunderbolts is that it can
become the cable of choice for all these protocols with no significant loss in transfer
speed. They plan to push the specification up to 100 Gb/s, with some stops along the way.

CHAPTER 7
THUNDERBOLT 2
Thunderbolt 2 is an update to the original Thunderbolt specification and takes the
original’s two 10 Gbps bi-directional channels and combines them into a single 20 Gbps
bi-directional channel. The amount of data able to go through a Thunderbolt connection
hasn’t increased, but the throughput of a single channel has been doubled.
7.1 What does Thunderbolt 2 have to do with 4K video?
4K video (a video format that has four times the resolution as 1080p and is gaining
popularity with video professionals) requires more bandwidth than the original
Thunderbolt can accommodate. Thunderbolt 2 will be able to stream that4K video and
write it to disk at the same time.
Fig 7.1:- Thunderbolt 2 supports 4K video transfer

At the physical level, the bandwidth of Thunderbolt 1 and Thunderbolt 2 are identical,
and Thunderbolt 1 cabling is thus compatible with Thunderbolt 2 interfaces. At the
logical level, Thunderbolt 2 enables channel aggregation, whereby the two previously
separate 10 Gbit/s channels can be combined into a single logical 20 Gbit/s channel.
Intel claims Thunderbolt 2 will be able to transfer a 4K video while simultaneously
displaying it on a discrete monitor.
Thunderbolt 2 incorporates Display Port 1.2 support, which allows for video streaming to
a single 4K video monitor or dual QHD monitors. Thunderbolt 2 is backwards
compatible, which means that all Thunderbolt cables and connectors are compatible with
Thunderbolt 1.
7.2 How does Thunderbolt 2 compare to USB 3.1?
Thunderbolt has a maximum throughput of 10 Gbps. Thunderbolt 2 has max throughput
of 20Gbps. Super Speed USB 3.0 has a maximum throughput of 5Gbps, which makes
Thunderbolt 2 up to four times as fast as USB 3.0.
Recently, the USB Promoters Association announced the USB 3.1 spec, which allows
USB to transfer up to 10Gbps. USB 3.1 is still a while away from shipping, though. Also,
while USB hubs are common, USB devices (like printers and hard drives) don’t generally
have USB output ports to enable daisy chaining, which is a key feature of Thunderbolt.
7.3 Will drives using the original Thunderbolt work with
Thunderbolt 2?
Yes. Thunderbolt 2 uses the same connectors as the original Thunderbolt, so Thunderbolt
2 devices will be backwards compatible with Thunderbolt peripherals and vice versa. But
a Thunderbolt device connected to a Thunderbolt 2 port will perform at the Thunderbolt
speed of 10 Gbps.
Fig 7.2:- Thunderbolt cable

CHAPTER 8
FUTURE SCOPE: - THUNDERBOLT 3
Thunderbolt 3 is computer port – delivering two 4K displays, fast data, and quick
notebook charging, said Navin Shenoy, vice president in Client Computing Group and
general manager of Mobility Client Platforms at Intel Corporation. “It fulfils the promise
of USB-C for single-cable docking and so much more. Users have long wanted desktop-
level performance from a mobile computer. Thunderbolt was developed to
simultaneously support the fastest data and most video bandwidth available on a single
cable, while also supplying power. Then recently the USB group introduced the USB-C
connector, which is small, reversible, fast, supplies power, and allows other I/O in
addition to USB to run on it, maximizing its potential. So in the biggest advancement
since its inception, Thunderbolt 3 brings Thunderbolt to USB-C at 40Gbps, fulfilling its
promise, creating one compact port that does it all.
Computer ports with Thunderbolt 3 provide 40Gbps Thunderbolt – double the speed of
the previous generation, USB 3.1 10Gbps, and Display Port 1.2. For the first time, one
computer port connects to Thunderbolt devices, every display, and billions of USB
devices. In Thunderbolt mode, a single cable now provides four times the data and twice
the video bandwidth of any other cable, while supplying power. It’s unrivalled for new
uses, such as 4K video, single-cable docks with charging, external graphics, and built-in
10GbE networking. Simply put, Thunderbolt 3 delivers the best USB-C.
Fig 8.1:- Thunderbolt 3

8.1 Full 4K Video Experience
Connect two 4K 60 Hz displays with astonishing resolution, contrast, and color depth to
see your photos, videos, applications, and text with amazing detail.
8.2 Best Single-Cable Docking
Now, one compact port provides Thunderbolt 3 data transfer, support for two 4K 60 Hz
displays, and quick notebook charging up to 100W with a single cable. It’s the most
advanced and versatile USB-C docking solution available.
8.3 External Graphics
Gamers can now connect plug ‘n’ play external graphics to a notebook to enjoy the latest
games at recommended or higher settings.
8.4Technology Features
 Thunderbolt, USB, Display Port, and power on USB-C
 USB-C connector and cables (small, reversible)
 40 Gbps Thunderbolt 3 – double the speed of Thunderbolt 2
o Bi-directional, dual-protocol (PCI Express and Display Port)
o 4 lanes of PCI Express Gen 3
o 8 lanes of Display Port 1.2 (HBR2 and MST)
o Supports two 4K displays (4096 x 2160 30bpp @ 60 Hz)
 USB 3.1 (10 Gbps) – compatible with existing USB devices and cables
 Power (based on USB power delivery)
o Up to 100W system charging
o 15W to bus-powered devices
 Thunderbolt Networking
o 10Gb Ethernet connection between computers
 Daisy chaining (up to six devices)
 Lowest latency for PCI Express audio recording

CHAPTER 9
CONCLUSION
Thunderbolt technology brings a new balance of performance, simplicity and flexibility to
end users and product designers alike. As the fastest PC I/O technology, combining two
key technologies (PCI Express and Display Port) on one shared high performance
transport, Thunderbolt technology opens doors to entirely new system and product
designs. It’s hardly taken to its limit by peripherals, Due to cost factor, it is out of reach
for an average product for now, USB still more popular which practically free. But the
technology is spreading gradually and more key players planning to launch their
Thunderbolt products. At present it is running at electrical standard but it will be at
optical standard in long run

REFERENCES
1. Thunderbolt Technology brief”, www.thunderbolttechnology.net, 2016
2. Apple-India, “Thunderbolt next generation high speed technology”, Apple website
3. Andrew Ku,” everything you need to know about thunderbolt” Tom’s hardware, 2014
4. Intel,”Thunderbolt Ready-upgrade program for PC, Motherboard, workstation
computers”, Benchmark review.com, 16 Nov 2013.
5. James Gilbraith, “Promise preps for MAC Pro with Thunderbolt 2” macworld.com, 16
Sep 2013
6. Thunderbolt (interface), Wikipedia, Retrieved, 2016
7. Jason Ziller, “Thunderbolt Technology update” Intel, 8 April, 2015
8. Gordon Mah Ung, “Thunderbolt vs. USB 3.0 “maximumpc.com, 29 Jan 2015

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