Connecting a Thunderbolt Display to PC

[HobbySKMK]

Hello everyone, hope the year is starting good!!

I have an issue - I am trying to connect an Apple thunderbolt display (A1407) to a desktop PC. I purchased a ThunderboltEX 4 card, installed it, updated the drivers - checked the device manager works fine. Also the ThunderboltEX 4 card is fully supported on by the motherboard. I connected the Apple thunderbolt display, does not start up. The display works fine, I tested it with a mac computer. The card has two thunderbolt 2 ports and 2 thunderbolt 4 ports. Not sure what the issue is.

Not sure if anyone has an answer or an idea what to try - greatly appreciated.

 

[PaulD-UK]

The MR expert in this is @joevt
However your ThunderboltEX 4 card doesn't have any TB2 output ports, only USB-C TB4 output ports.
On Asus' webpage they describe the other ports as MiniDisplay 1.2 Input ports - for input only.

I assume you are using a compatible (ASUS) motherboard in your PC?
Whether this still requires GPU to mDP-in loopback cables to get video from the graphics card into the TB output stream I don't know?
That presumably is why there are mDP input ports? Did the card come with cables for this?

So if you are just plugging your ATD monitor into one of these mDP ports it won't work...
If it does work it will by plugging Apple's TB3 to TB2 adapter into one of the TB4 USB-C ports.

 

[joevt]

Right. Connect two of the short DisplayPort to Mini DisplayPort cables that came with the ThunderboltEX 4 from the GPU to the ThunderboltEX 4. Then connect the Apple Thunderbolt 1 Display to the ThunderboltEX 4 using a Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter. The Apple Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter might be the least expensive such adapter.

I don't know if the PC Thunderbolt 4 add-in cards (AIC) support Thunderbolt 1 or Thunderbolt 2 devices.
Google "Does the ThunderboltEX 4 support Thunderbolt 1 devices?". It says it depends on the firmware version that is flashed to the AIC.
You may be able to flash an older version of the firmware.

 

[HobbySKMK]

Right. Connect two of the short DisplayPort to Mini DisplayPort cables that came with the ThunderboltEX 4 from the GPU to the ThunderboltEX 4. Then connect the Apple Thunderbolt 1 Display to the ThunderboltEX 4 using a Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter. The Apple Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter might be the least expensive such adapter.

I don't know if the PC Thunderbolt 4 add-in cards (AIC) support Thunderbolt 1 or Thunderbolt 2 devices.
Google "Does the ThunderboltEX 4 support Thunderbolt 1 devices?". It says it depends on the firmware version that is flashed to the AIC.
You may be able to flash an older version of the firmware.

@PaulD-UK and @joevt thank you for the reply. @joevt I tried what you told me and it does not work. I did some research and its the firmware! I am currently running NVM firmware version 36, and from what I found on the internet that specific version does not support thunderbolt 1/2 devices!!! My luck!! I am looking for a firmware downgrade, version 31 seems to work, but I need to find it - I will let you know.

Thank you for all your help!!!

 

[joevt]

I am looking for a firmware downgrade, version 31 seems to work, but I need to find it - I will let you know.

Maybe search for maple ridge nvm31 or v31 at tonymacx86.com

My ASUS ThunderboltEX 4 has v24.
The firmware updater on the ASUS website has v36.
Not sure where v31 is at. Maybe you can ask ASUS for a downgrade.

ignoreuid=0
dodump=0
cd /Volumes/Work/Programming/ThunderboltProjects/ThunderboltDROM

# load the commands
source Scripts/ThunderboltUtil.sh

loadfwfile "../Notes/from joevt/ASUSThunderboltEX4.bin"
loadfwfile "/Volumes/Storage/Downloads/TBTFwUpdateToolEfi_V1.3/NVM.bin"
listdroms

1)
thedrom=9300bcfd45761f8780f0dbe31501750031001350011808818002800000000882900180000000088380048001000008849003800100000585000000058650000002c70b88200100640000000000038980058a500000058b5000000701415355530012025448554e444552424f4c5445582034000f0910044310f68724240000000001
sources:
../Notes/from joevt/ASUSThunderboltEX4.bin:linux:v24:nvm_v0.0:0x200

2)
thedrom=9300bcfd45761f87801922b083017d0031001350012408818002000000000882900100000000088380040000000008849003000000000585000000058650000002c70b88200100640000000000038980058a500000058b5000000701415355530012025448554e444552424f4c5445582034000f0910044310f68736360000000001080b03818c04828d
sources:
/Volumes/Storage/Downloads/TBTFwUpdateToolEfi_V1.3/NVM.bin:active:v36:nvm_v0.0:0x4200


dumpdromall

=======================================
1)
0x01) UID: 0x80871F7645FDBC00 // Vendor ID (USB-IF):0x8087 Component ID:0x1F7645FDBC0 Router ID:0x0
0x0d) Version: 1 // TBT3
0x10) TBT3-Vendor ID: 0x31
0x12) TBT3-Device ID: 0x5013
0x14) TBT3-Model Revision: 0x1
0x15) TBT3-NVM Revision: 24
0x16)   1: 800280000000 // TBT3-Lane Adapter  { Lane:0, Dual-Lane Link Capable:Yes, 2nd Adapter Num:2, Unknown:0x80000000 }
0x1e)   2: 900180000000 // TBT3-Lane Adapter  { Lane:1, Dual-Lane Link Capable:Yes, 2nd Adapter Num:1, Unknown:0x80000000 }
0x26)   3: 800480010000 // TBT3-Lane Adapter  { Lane:0, Dual-Lane Link Capable:Yes, 2nd Adapter Num:4, Unknown:0x80010000 }
0x2e)   4: 900380010000 // TBT3-Lane Adapter  { Lane:1, Dual-Lane Link Capable:Yes, 2nd Adapter Num:3, Unknown:0x80010000 }
0x36)   5: 000000 // DP  { Preferred Lane Adapter:0, Preference Valid:0 }
0x3b)   6: 500000 // DP  { Unknown:0x5000, Preferred Lane Adapter:0, Preference Valid:0 }
0x40) - 7: 
0x42)   8: 200100640000000000 // TBT3-PCIe Upstream Adapter  { xx:01.0, Unknown:0x0100640000000000 }
0x4d)   9: 80 // TBT3-PCIe Downstream Adapter  { xx:04.0 }
0x50)   A: 500000 // DP  { Unknown:0x5000, Preferred Lane Adapter:0, Preference Valid:0 }
0x55)   B: 500000 // DP  { Unknown:0x5000, Preferred Lane Adapter:0, Preference Valid:0 }
0x5a)   1: "ASUS" // ASCII Vendor Name
0x61)   2: "THUNDERBOLTEX 4" // ASCII Model Name
0x73)   9: 10044310f68724240000000001 // Product Descriptor  { USB Spec:4.1.0, Vendor ID:0x1043, Product ID:0x87f6, Product FW Revision:24.2.4, TID:0x00000000, Product HW Revision:1 }
0x82) End
=======================================
2)
0x01) UID: 0x80871F7645FDBC00 // Vendor ID (USB-IF):0x8087 Component ID:0x1F7645FDBC0 Router ID:0x0
0x0d) Version: 1 // TBT3
0x10) TBT3-Vendor ID: 0x31
0x12) TBT3-Device ID: 0x5013
0x14) TBT3-Model Revision: 0x1
0x15) TBT3-NVM Revision: 36
0x16)   1: 800200000000 // TBT3-Lane Adapter  { Lane:0, Dual-Lane Link Capable:Yes, 2nd Adapter Num:2 }
0x1e)   2: 900100000000 // TBT3-Lane Adapter  { Lane:1, Dual-Lane Link Capable:Yes, 2nd Adapter Num:1 }
0x26)   3: 800400000000 // TBT3-Lane Adapter  { Lane:0, Dual-Lane Link Capable:Yes, 2nd Adapter Num:4 }
0x2e)   4: 900300000000 // TBT3-Lane Adapter  { Lane:1, Dual-Lane Link Capable:Yes, 2nd Adapter Num:3 }
0x36)   5: 000000 // DP  { Preferred Lane Adapter:0, Preference Valid:0 }
0x3b)   6: 500000 // DP  { Unknown:0x5000, Preferred Lane Adapter:0, Preference Valid:0 }
0x40) - 7: 
0x42)   8: 200100640000000000 // TBT3-PCIe Upstream Adapter  { xx:01.0, Unknown:0x0100640000000000 }
0x4d)   9: 80 // TBT3-PCIe Downstream Adapter  { xx:04.0 }
0x50)   A: 500000 // DP  { Unknown:0x5000, Preferred Lane Adapter:0, Preference Valid:0 }
0x55)   B: 500000 // DP  { Unknown:0x5000, Preferred Lane Adapter:0, Preference Valid:0 }
0x5a)   1: "ASUS" // ASCII Vendor Name
0x61)   2: "THUNDERBOLTEX 4" // ASCII Model Name
0x73)   9: 10044310f68736360000000001 // Product Descriptor  { USB Spec:4.1.0, Vendor ID:0x1043, Product ID:0x87f6, Product FW Revision:36.3.6, TID:0x00000000, Product HW Revision:1 }
0x82)   B: 03818c04828d // USB Port Mapping  { { USB3 Port Number:3, PD Port Number:1, xHCI Index:0, USB Type-C:1, USB3 Adapter Number:12, Tunnelling Support:1 }, { USB3 Port Number:4, PD Port Number:2, xHCI Index:0, USB Type-C:1, USB3 Adapter Number:13, Tunnelling Support:1 } }
0x8a) End