Thunderbolt and Lightning have really taken the market by storm, bringing all sorts of advantages over other ports. Well done, Apple.
Lightning taking the market by storm? Isn't that iProprietary?
(And it's not even USB 3.0 speeds, right?)
Gary
Thunderbolt and Lightning have really taken the market by storm, bringing all sorts of advantages over other ports. Well done, Apple.
You do know that TB1 is 10Gbit/s data + 10Gbit/s displayport signal and TB2 has same link speed but you can allocate all of it to data or displayport, if needed?There are people in this thread imagining running five USB 3.0 ports, each at 5 gigabits/second, plus a monitor, all off of a 10 gigabit/second TB port. It simply can't happen. And the makers of these things are NOT being honest about it - all they are discussing is what ONE peripheral it can handle...
Saying that's a GPU issue is funny, since different macs have different gpus. But, can it be that mbp's hdmi is not wired through tb, so you can't route that through tb, which reduces the max amount of monitors routed through tb?After going back and forth with CalDigit, I don't think they even understand what a MBP can and can not do with multiple monitors.
Here is what they are claiming regardless of their station:
The limit is one HDMI monitor and one Thunderbolt monitor. You can use a Display Port monitor, but not at the same time as a HDMI monitor. This is a GPU issue.
Then how am I currently using 2 separate non-thunderbolt PC monitors, in addition to the laptops display. One being connected via HDMI and other displayport to DVI adapter?
Thunderbolt and Lightning have really taken the market by storm, bringing all sorts of advantages over other ports. Well done, Apple.
Then how am I currently using 2 separate non-thunderbolt PC monitors
Because your rMBP has 2-3 free display channels each of which can be fed to either of the TB ports in 'legacy' mode, or directly to the HDMI port. 15" rMBPs have been demoed running 3 external monitors.
The Caldigit Dock, however, is limited to the single DisplayPort channel that its TB peripheral chip can extract. This can either be fed to the HDIM port or to the TB-thru port running in 'legacy' DisplayPort mode. Not both. A TB display, however, has its own peripheral chip that extracts a second DisplayPort signal from TB.
(Theoretically, any other TB peripheral with a proper TB-thru would extract the second signal and let you run a second monitor)
Caldigits description of the possibilities makes sense - but I think they're wrong about the 'GPU issue' bit - if it was a GPU issue then the TB display + HDMI wouldn't work either.
TB = TB + DisplayPort
TB = (TB + DisplayPort) + DisplayPort
So you could attach 3 external displays to the chain from mbp: 1.caldigit's box, 2. Apple TB-display, 3. Any TB-device with TB-passthrough and 4. Dp-display.Because your rMBP has 2-3 free display channels each of which can be fed to either of the TB ports in 'legacy' mode, or directly to the HDMI port. 15" rMBPs have been demoed running 3 external monitors.
The Caldigit Dock, however, is limited to the single DisplayPort channel that its TB peripheral chip can extract. This can either be fed to the HDIM port or to the TB-thru port running in 'legacy' DisplayPort mode. Not both. A TB display, however, has its own peripheral chip that extracts a second DisplayPort signal from TB.
(Theoretically, any other TB peripheral with a proper TB-thru would extract the second signal and let you run a second monitor)
Caldigits description of the possibilities makes sense - but I think they're wrong about the 'GPU issue' bit - if it was a GPU issue then the TB display + HDMI wouldn't work either.
No - I think the rMBP can only drive 2 displays via Thunderbolt.So you could attach 3 external displays to the chain from mbp: 1.caldigit's box, 2. Apple TB-display, 3. Any TB-device with TB-passthrough and 4. Dp-display.
I guess that simple TB-to-hdmi dongle does not exist?
(Different from mDP-to-hdmi...)
This is why you can hook up 2 TB monitors, but not a TB monitor and a DP-DVI monitor (ie: only one signal gets extracted).
Mac TB =====> TB2 peripheral -> DisplayPort 1.2 ---> Disp 1 ---> Disp 2
||
||======> TB out
Mac TB =====> TB2 peripheral -> DP 1.2 ---> Disp 1
|| |
|| v
|| |
||==TB out (legacy mode) ---> DP 1.1 --> Disp 2
Because your rMBP has 2-3 free display channels each of which can be fed to either of the TB ports in 'legacy' mode, or directly to the HDMI port. 15" rMBPs have been demoed running 3 external monitors.
The Caldigit Dock, however, is limited to the single DisplayPort channel that its TB peripheral chip can extract. This can either be fed to the HDIM port or to the TB-thru port running in 'legacy' DisplayPort mode. Not both. A TB display, however, has its own peripheral chip that extracts a second DisplayPort signal from TB.
(Theoretically, any other TB peripheral with a proper TB-thru would extract the second signal and let you run a second monitor)
Caldigits description of the possibilities makes sense - but I think they're wrong about the 'GPU issue' bit - if it was a GPU issue then the TB display + HDMI wouldn't work either.
the caldigit can run 2 monitors at once , one hdmi and one through displayport to whatever.
says right in faq.
So, here's a question.
Thunderbolt 2 supports Displayport 1.2.
DisplayPort 1.2 is itself daisy-chainable (http://www.displayport.org/embedded...le-displays-from-a-single-displayport-output/)
So, with a mythical Thunderbolt 2 compatible hub, could you do:
Code:Mac TB =====> TB2 peripheral -> DisplayPort 1.2 ---> Disp 1 ---> Disp 2 || ||======> TB out
Where Disp 1 and Disp 2 are either monitors with DP daisychain ports (some Dells have these now) or DisplayPort-to-HDMI/DVI converters inside a hub.
Or even split the DP1.2 signal into 2 and use one half to drive a DP device via the TB port.
Code:Mac TB =====> TB2 peripheral -> DP 1.2 ---> Disp 1 || | || v || | ||==TB out (legacy mode) ---> DP 1.1 --> Disp 2
Anybody?
I just looked at the FAQ again. It says it can run a thunderbolt monitor and a hdmi one at the same time. I would think that if you could run a display port vs thunderbolt monitor they would have listed both.
Hopefully our preorders ship soon, and we will have a definitive answer soon after.
I received mine today, after unpacking it I proceeded to install it, it has a disk for installing the Ethernet driver
Well, it's arrived, it's plugged in and WOW. Lots of people said I couldn't do this with the Thunderbolt station. Three screens - Laptop, one TB->Dvi, one HDMI->Dvi. So happy.
I've also got a Seagate 3Tb USB device attached, and a Lacie 2 Tb Little Disk on the thunderbolt chain.
the caldigit can run 2 monitors at once , one hdmi and one through displayport to whatever.
says right in faq.
2.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.
I am so glad someone verified this. I was pretty sure it would work even with CalDigit saying no, since I can do the samething without the dock. But I didn't want to be the one that tested it.Well, it's arrived, it's plugged in and WOW. Lots of people said I couldn't do this with the Thunderbolt station. Three screens - Laptop, one TB->Dvi, one HDMI->Dvi. So happy.
I've also got a Seagate 3Tb USB device attached, and a Lacie 2 Tb Little Disk on the thunderbolt chain.
I almost didn't order this as people said it wouldn't work. I almost didn't try it, but it was worth 15 mins of my time to try it out.....
I also didn't install any drivers. All I did was re-configure my audio out, and create a new location to use hard wired Ethernet rather than use wireless.
BTW, Macbook Pro early 2011 running Mavericks. Might even fire up Parallels now and see what happens with that!
So with that being said, what is the cheapest thunderbolt daisy chain device I could get to make this work?![]()