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CalDigit Thunderbolt Station

I've been enjoying my CalDigit for a couple of weeks now. No issues whatsoever, just pure plug-n-play.

I have it hooked up to a base 2011 Mini. USB 3.0 is such a huge improvement! I have it on my old Windows PC, but now my Mini is such a joy to use now that I can transfer files so quickly.

I was maxed out on my 4 standard Mini USB 2.0 ports, so this gives me some breathing room. I don't need/use the audio or Ethernet connection, but those may come in handy if I need to connect the CalDigit up to my wife's 2012 Air.

I feel like I breathed another 2 years of life into my Mini.
 
New member to the forums..... Long time listener, first time caller and all that... :)

I bought a Caldigit Thunderbolt Station and set it up yesterday morning. It worked flawlessly for around 10 hours but now I have complete loss of the USB ports.

My HP 24" monitor can still connect and work fine over HDMI->DVI. Likewise Ethernet still works but the headphone port does not.

The station also makes a high pitched whine when connected to mains power but not by Thunderbolt to the MacBook Air (IE. Just plugged into the mains) if that's anything to note.

If I plug my iPhone into one of the USB 3.0 ports it does not attempt to charge. If I plug the phone into any other powered USB hub, it does charge. To me this would suggest the ports are completely dead. Note - I do have the station connected to the MBA when testing this so the blue LED is lit.

Caldigit support have had me reset the SMC & PRAM three times in a row and try the other Thunderbolt port, neither successful. I also left it unplugged over night in case it was overheating. Only other suggestions from them so far is to try a different Thunderbolt cable or try the station on another computer. The lack of power from the USB 3.0 ports to me would suggest that neither my MBA or the cable is at fault (unless power is not diverted to the USB ports until a successful USB handshake with the host computer which would make some sense but operates different to any other USB (2.0) hubs I've tried).

Any suggestions and thanks in advance.....
 
Your assumption regarding power isn't entirely correct. The Thunderbolt Station can bus power usb devices but it is limited in how much power it can deliver. It can't charge high powered devices like the iPad. So it depends on how much power your phone is requiring. See below:

Can the Thunderbolt Station charge my USB devices?

Yes, the USB 3.0 ports on the Thunderbolt Station can supply up to 900mA per port. When using a USB 2.0 connection, the max output will be 500mA. Some devices such as tablets or powerful smartphones require high power draw will charge slower than usual. Apple iPads will charge when connected to the Thunderbolt Station but the icon will not indicate this due to the lower power output. CalDigit is working on the software to improve the higher current charging.
Please visit the following link for more information http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4049.
Click to expand...

Also, cables can break. Earlier this week my old iPod didn't charge. Thought it was dead until a tried another cable. It charged without any problems. You can also try other bus powered device to see if the ports are ok.

The whining power adapter is something I've seen with many devices. They whine when you do not have the device itself connected to something else: there is no load on it. Once you connect the device the whining is gone. The power adapter with one of my external hdd's has this behaviour but it has been operating fine for several years now. Not much of a problem, just annoying. The power adapter on my Caldigit dock doesn't do this luckily.

In your case I'd just do the additional tests Caldigit asked you to do. They probably will show the same results as when hooked up to your own Mac. Well, hopefully it'll do that because that would indicate your Caldigit dock is defective. That would be a very simple situation where you claim warranty on the device and Caldigit will fix/replace it. Done. If the results are different the situation becomes complex and you have to go look further (more or less looking for a needle in a haystack). Good luck!
 
Video to external before close lid MBP?

I read something somewhere that if you intend to use your retina macbook pro with an external monitor, you need to switch the video mode on the mac first,then close the lid.

In other words, you can't just plug in an hdmi cable and route video to an external monitor.

Is that true?

I've never used a mac with an external monitor so I don't know what to expect.

Thanks for any clarification,

Mike
 
CavemanMike said:
In other words, you can't just plug in an hdmi cable and route video to an external monitor.
Click to expand...
You can just plug the cable in and go if you want to have 2 displays. If you only want one display you'll need an external keyboard and mouse as you'll only get that with the lid closed. When you make the connection doesn't really matter but if you connect then close the lid, the computer will go to sleep and you'll need to wake it up again.
 
I read through this thread, but it appears as though most people are only using this dock to connect 1 display. Here's what I would like to do, please let me know if it is possible to do with this dock:

Dell 23" (1920x1080) DVI->HDMI->CalDigit Dock HDMI port
Dell 23" (1920x1080) DVI->Mini DisplayPort->CalDigit Dock TB port

Thats the important part I need to do (to have 2 monitors connected to the dock)
Then also, the following items, but I know for sure I can do:

Ethernet -> CalDigit
Apple Wired keyboard -> CalDigit
Speakers/headphones -> CalDigit

Then connect it all from CalDigit to rMBP TB port. Thanks in advance for the feedback, I really would like to be able to use it with 2 displays!
 
dspilman said:
I read through this thread, but it appears as though most people are only using this dock to connect 1 display. Here's what I would like to do, please let me know if it is possible to do with this dock:

Dell 23" (1920x1080) DVI->HDMI->CalDigit Dock HDMI port
Dell 23" (1920x1080) DVI->Mini DisplayPort->CalDigit Dock TB port
Click to expand...

Pretty sure that won't work - if you want to use two monitors, one of them has to be a Apple Thunderbolt Display (or another thunderbolt display) - only one display port or DP->xxx can exist on the thunderbolt chain.

From the CalDigit FAQ: (http://www.caldigit.com/thunderboltstation/faq.asp)

3.Can I use multiple monitors with my Thunderbolt Station?
Yes, the Thunderbolt Station can support two monitors if one of them is an Apple Thunderbolt Display. You cannot use a monitor with a mini display port to DVI/VGA/HDMI adapter while using the HDMI port on the device for a multiple display configuration because only the first display that is detected will function.

For example
1. Thunderbolt Monitor and HDMI Monitor - Yes
2. Mini-Display Port Monitor and HDMI Monitor - No
3. Mini-display port adapter to DVI Monitor and HDMI monitor - No
4. Thunderbolt Display and HDMI adapter to DVI Monitor - Yes
 
Thanks for the response. That sucks. I'm trying to figure out the best option for using my 2 displays (which sadly are not TBD :( ), along with wired ethernet (needed for office NAS). Apple only offers a TB->Ethernet adaptor, which takes up one of my displayports needed for my displays. Will continue the search for solution....
 
dspilman said:
Thanks for the response. That sucks. I'm trying to figure out the best option for using my 2 displays (which sadly are not TBD :( ), along with wired ethernet (needed for office NAS). Apple only offers a TB->Ethernet adaptor, which takes up one of my displayports needed for my displays. Will continue the search for solution....
Click to expand...

You have two Thunderbolt ports; with the Caldigit dock, you don't need Apple's ethernet adaptor. Connect one display to the HDMI or Thunderbolt/MDP port on the dock, connect the other display to the built in HDMI on the MBP.
That still leaves you with one free Thunderbolt port on the MBP.
 
dspilman said:
Thanks for the response. That sucks. I'm trying to figure out the best option for using my 2 displays (which sadly are not TBD :( ),
Click to expand...

One of them has to hook to the mac directly (either HDMI port, or other thunderbolt port).

Or hook a USB3 -> DVI adapter to the caldigit - it basically has its own video adapter inside -- like this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-SuperSpeed-2048x1152-1920x1200/dp/B00BPEV1XK

My sister uses a similar one through USB2 for her mac at work, and is reasonably happy with it.
 
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omvs said:
One of them has to hook to the mac directly (either HDMI port, or other thunderbolt port).

Or hook a USB3 -> DVI adapter to the caldigit - it basically has its own video adapter inside -- like this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-SuperSpeed-2048x1152-1920x1200/dp/B00BPEV1XK

My sister uses a similar one through USB2 for her mac at work, and is reasonably happy with it.
Click to expand...


As above poster mentions can you not do the following:

rMBP -> monitor 1 (Thunderbolt/Mini Displayport to DVI adaptor or similar)
rMBP -> Caldigit (Thunderbolt)
Caldigit -> LAN (through inbuilt Ethernet port)
Caldigit -> monitor 2 (using either the second Thunderbolt port with a Mini Displayport to DVI lead or HDMI to DVI lead)
 
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That would be fine too. There is just one thing you need to keep in mind: the dock only allows for 1 non-Thunderbolt display either via HDMI or via the Thunderbolt port with some kind of mDP adapter.

There is one other alternative if you only want to hook up displays to that dock that hasn't been mentioned yet: use one of the devices from Matrox that allow you to hook up two or three displays to 1 mDP port. Keep in mind that the Matrox device will turn the 2 or 3 physical displays into 1 logical display. OS X will only see 1 display. If you have 2 physical displays this can be annoying at times because things pop up partly on the left screen and partly on the right screen (because it starts in the centre of the display).
 
I'm having trouble attaching a display to the Thunderbolt Station. When I use a mini display port to DVI adapter to attach it to the second Thunderbolt port, the monitor will not sync upon initial startup. I have to power the monitor off and on to get it to sync. Re-syncing after the monitor sleeps is also very slow. And finally the Mac Mini and Thunderbolt Station will not sleep at all.

When I try attaching using an HDMI to DVI adapter, it does not work at all.

Any ideas?
 
FredT2 said:
I'm having trouble attaching a display to the Thunderbolt Station. When I use a mini display port to DVI adapter to attach it to the second Thunderbolt port, the monitor will not sync upon initial startup. I have to power the monitor off and on to get it to sync. Re-syncing after the monitor sleeps is also very slow. And finally the Mac Mini and Thunderbolt Station will not sleep at all.

When I try attaching using an HDMI to DVI adapter, it does not work at all.

Any ideas?
Click to expand...

Which Monitor?
 
dimme said:
Which Monitor?
Click to expand...
It's an NEC 2690WUXi. It's always been slightly flaky in that it goes through a process where it comes on, then goes blank for a second or two, then fully on. Happens at startup and wake from sleep. I had it connected via DVI on my Mac Pro until recently, then via the mini display port to DVI connector on the Mini. When I got the Thunderbolt Station, I moved it to the hdmi connector on the Mini, but there's some kind of flaky stuff going on there whereby windows resize and move when waking from sleep. So I decided to try moving it to the Thunderbolt Station.

Regarding the sleep issue, something else is going on there as it continues even when I completely remove the TB Station.
 
FredT2 said:
It's an NEC 2690WUXi. It's always been slightly flaky in that it goes through a process where it comes on, then goes blank for a second or two, then fully on. Happens at startup and wake from sleep. I had it connected via DVI on my Mac Pro until recently, then via the mini display port to DVI connector on the Mini. When I got the Thunderbolt Station, I moved it to the hdmi connector on the Mini, but there's some kind of flaky stuff going on there whereby windows resize and move when waking from sleep. So I decided to try moving it to the Thunderbolt Station.

Regarding the sleep issue, something else is going on there as it continues even when I completely remove the TB Station.
Click to expand...

Sorry to say but it sounds like a monitor problem. If it is also acting flakey directly connected to the mini then it may be best to leave it connected directly to the mini. BTW did you try a different DVI cable?
 
I been using the caldigit with a 2011 MacBook Pro.
Hdmi works at 1920x1200
Adapter straight to computer would give me scan lines at that res in lion and mavricks. So it's great

Usb 3.0 works great with the newer estata adapters. Owc x2 raid is over 250mbs
Vs 60mbs over fw800.

Haven't used mice or keyboard so I hear there are issues of no usb till login. No biggie since I leave the laptop open for better ventilation using fcpx and other intensive apps.

I vote A+
 
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/798839-REG/Newer_Technology_NWTADESATAUSB3_eSATA_to_USB_3_0.html
 
I have the CalDigit and it works very well. No problems at all, built very well. I am running 2 Dell DVI displays (one to HDMI the other to a USB 3 video adapter). You can run the video dongle off the CalDigit USB ports. Great setup, just waiting for some updates; FW800 and a few more TB would be nice.
 
Sure is warm

I just got my Thunderbolt Station a week ago. I thought I'd only use it as a Thunderbolt to USB 3 adapter, but I currently only have Thunderbolt and power plugged into my 2011 MacBook Pro. Kind of nice.

I've got a Thunderbolt to Firewire adapter plugging in a Firewire audio interface, a USB 3 to eSata adapter (U3eSata) to the Mercury Elite Qx2 4 drive enclosure in JBOD mode so far, a 1920x1200 DVI display via the HDMI connector, and a usb hub with a bunch of stuff. So far it's working great, but it's really warm. I saw one other person commenting on how hot these things run. Anyone else want to pipe in on the heat output of these things?
 
v8media said:
I just got my Thunderbolt Station a week ago. I thought I'd only use it as a Thunderbolt to USB 3 adapter, but I currently only have Thunderbolt and power plugged into my 2011 MacBook Pro. Kind of nice.

I've got a Thunderbolt to Firewire adapter plugging in a Firewire audio interface, a USB 3 to eSata adapter (U3eSata) to the Mercury Elite Qx2 4 drive enclosure in JBOD mode so far, a 1920x1200 DVI display via the HDMI connector, and a usb hub with a bunch of stuff. So far it's working great, but it's really warm. I saw one other person commenting on how hot these things run. Anyone else want to pipe in on the heat output of these things?
Click to expand...

I really think that the heat is normal, there is nothing you can probably do besides putting a fan on the sides to run air through it. Has anyone taken one of these apart? I am curious what it looks like inside.
 
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trancinchino said:
I'm curious has these two stack up against the Caldigit Thunderbolt station. The Startech dock has the same outputs as the CalDigit
Click to expand...

The Startech is externally identical to the Caldigit, so it's almost certainly the same device.
 
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