Mini M1 - Two Monitors set-up problem (Fixed for now)

[ItWasNotMe]

I have a Mini M1 with an Eizo CS240 and an Intel Mini with a Benq GW2283. I also have a CalDigit SOHO Dock that I just acquired as ultimately I want to connect both monitors to the M1

The Eizo is connected directly to the HDMI port on the M1 works fine. The Benq connects to the Intel via HDMI and works fine.

I'd like to use the Benq on the M1 as well via the Caldigit SOHO HDMI port but have not yet managed to get this to work

If I connect the BenQ to the Caldigit - nothing on it at all, appears not to detect a signal, goes into energy saving mode so it might be it's timing out before the M1 detects the connection. If that's the case the M1 isn't wakening it.

If I keep the monitor ends of the cables attached to the original monitors and switch the M1 end, so the Benq is connected directly and the Eizo is connected to the hub, both monitors light up and I see the boot screen on the Benq

But...

• All the app screens appear on the Eizo together with the Dock, but the mouse is on the Benq and will not move to the Eizo.
• If I hold the mouse pointer at the bottom of the Benq, the Dock moves there but any app I launch goes to the Eizo
• System preferences won't allow me to change anything with the setup, at best I get a brief flash of a red border around the Eizo and it still retains the app windows on the Eizo with the mouse pointer on the Benq

So, the cables work, the Caldigit works, but the set-up doesn't.

How do I fix this??

 

[jdb8167]

I have a Mini M1 with an Eizo CS240 and an Intel Mini with a Benq GW2283. I also have a CalDigit SOHO Dock that I just acquired as ultimately I want to connect both monitors to the M1

The Eizo is connected directly to the HDMI port on the M1 works fine. The Benq connects to the Intel via HDMI and works fine.

I'd like to use the Benq on the M1 as well via the Caldigit SOHO HDMI port but have not yet managed to get this to work

If I connect the BenQ to the Caldigit - nothing on it at all, appears not to detect a signal, goes into energy saving mode so it might be it's timing out before the M1 detects the connection. If that's the case the M1 isn't wakening it.

If I keep the monitor ends of the cables attached to the original monitors and switch the M1 end, so the Benq is connected directly and the Eizo is connected to the hub, both monitors light up and I see the boot screen on the Benq

But...

• All the app screens appear on the Eizo together with the Dock, but the mouse is on the Benq and will not move to the Eizo.
• If I hold the mouse pointer at the bottom of the Benq, the Dock moves there but any app I launch goes to the Eizo
• System preferences won't allow me to change anything with the setup, at best I get a brief flash of a red border around the Eizo and it still retains the app windows on the Eizo with the mouse pointer on the Benq

So, the cables work, the Caldigit works, but the set-up doesn't.

How do I fix this??

I can't help on why one monitor works on the Caldigit SOHO and the other doesn't but you can move your primary monitor by dragging the small menu bar image from one monitor to the other in System Preferences->Displays->Arrange.

 

[ItWasNotMe]

I can't help on why one monitor works on the Caldigit SOHO and the other doesn't but you can move your primary monitor by dragging the small menu bar image from one monitor to the other in System Preferences->Displays->Arrange.

I tried that, wouldn't let me drag it,

Wouldn't let me do any of the preferences changes, e.g. swap left right didn't work either.

What is really strange is the way the mouse won't cross from one screen to the other

 

[jdb8167]

I tried that, wouldn't let me drag it,

Wouldn't let me do any of the preferences changes, e.g. swap left right didn't work either.

What is really strange is the way the mouse won't cross from one screen to the other

Monitor support on M1 Macs seems to be really buggy. Hopefully it gets better with Big Sur 11.2. I've managed to solve all of my issues but it cost money to go out and buy a Caldigit SOHO hub. And that apparently hasn't fixed your problems. My next step would be to contact Apple Support. They probably won't have much help but at least it is another reported problem for their stats.

 

[ItWasNotMe]

Monitor support on M1 Macs seems to be really buggy. Hopefully it gets better with Big Sur 11.2. I've managed to solve all of my issues but it cost money to go out and buy a Caldigit SOHO hub. And that apparently hasn't fixed your problems. My next step would be to contact Apple Support. They probably won't have much help but at least it is another reported problem for their stats.

Hub support is extremely poor all around... Plug and Not Play seems the order of the day

Fist attempt is to use the USBC port on the CalDigit and move one drive to a lower speed hub. I've a USBC-HDMI cable somewhere. See what that does. I had intended to use that port so some shuffling...

If that fails, next up is to try switching even more stuff around, see if I can free up one of the USBC ports on the M1

Just think it means one drive might be at the end of a series of cables M1->Hub1->Hub2->Hub3->DriveA->DriveB

Where the Hub1 is the CalDigit, would then just be hosting one SSD and passing USBC through (Good use of £100 !!)

Hub2 would have USBA ports, used for drives with little traffic and USBC passthrough (I couldn't get the USBC->HDMI cable to drive the monitor from that when it was connected to the M1)

Hub3 is a USBC hub that has USBA ports downstream - This is currently in the port I'd try to drive the monitor from

DriveA itself has two USBA to which I'd connect DriveB

Just means rearranging cabling for six drives, a printer,....

Anyone remember Donglegate?

 

[ItWasNotMe]

Tried plugging the Benq directly into USBC on the Mini - Worked, but only once I'd turned Mirror on and off. Prior to that, mouse wouldn't move to other screen

Recalled it all with HDMI and the CalDigit back in the USBC port and for now it works

Who knows how long that will last...

Can't say it looks like it completely knows what it's doing as the boot screen hops back and forth..

 

[k27]

I have a Mini M1 with an Eizo CS240 and an Intel Mini with a Benq GW2283. I also have a CalDigit SOHO Dock that I just acquired as ultimately I want to connect both monitors to the M1

The Eizo is connected directly to the HDMI port on the M1 works fine. The Benq connects to the Intel via HDMI and works fine.

Are you sure that it works fine?

=> https://www.eizoglobal.com/support/compatibility/pc/mac/apple-m1/

As far as I understand the link, you have to use USB-C or Thunderbolt to Displayport to avoid the problems mentioned. Alternatively, you should adjust the settings for HDMI as described in the link.

 

[ItWasNotMe]

Are you sure that it works fine?

=> https://www.eizoglobal.com/support/compatibility/pc/mac/apple-m1/

As far as I understand the link, you have to use USB-C or Thunderbolt to Displayport to avoid the problems mentioned. Alternatively, you should adjust the settings for HDMI as described in the link.View attachment 1771718

Theres a little bit of banding at the sides of the screen. both monitors go intermittently berserk for minutes if I let them go to sleep and then wake them up, colours sort of all right for general use and repairing images, not the best for accurate work.

When I want to adjust the colours of an image, I stockpile some work and re-cable to my mid-2010 mini kept mainly for that purpose.

"It just works" 🐃💩