Several months ago, Intel presented at an IDF LightPeak its technology: it was time to accelerate the rate of transfer between computers or devices using fiber optics. Thunderbolt is the realization of this technology demonstrated. This brand new interconnect interface developed by Intel has received support from Apple which is the first manufacturer to integrate the standard into its product lines.
Thunderbolt is an interface input / output with a bandwidth of 10 Gbps by impressive connector in each direction. Bidirectional protocol using either the PCI-Express and DisplayPort (this is one of its strengths), the interface allows Thunderbolt to chain the devices together. It should be noted that in this sense Thunderbolt requires no specific driver. Similarly, the interface is already compatible with all DisplayPort devices.
As for features, Intel says the technology offers a Thunderbolt bus power for devices requiring power. Its implementation requires a dedicated controller, interfaced in PCI-Express 4x chipset. According to specifications provided by the foundry, it is possible to use with Thunderbolt electric cables and optical cables. Electrical cables offer the same rate as their optical counterparts, but they can not exceed three meters in length with a maximum of 10 watts for the diet. For their part, the optical cables can easily reach the tens of meters in length, but the cost of implementing the technology is higher.
In practical terms, the rate announced 10 Gbps is equivalent to a theoretical maximum throughput of 1.2 Gb / s. For comparison the USB 2.0 offers a maximum throughput of 60 MB / s against a maximum of 600 MBps for USB 3.0. According to Intel, the Thunderbolt interface can transfer an entire movie in HD format in less than 30 seconds and save a year of continuous MP3 player in 10 minutes. Other applications of the Thunderbolt interface, note the possibility of consolidating several interface on the same cable: Ethernet, FireWire, USB and Serial-ATA why not all can share a single connection from Thunderbolt and thus a single cable. This is part of the specifications and must obviously have adapters to take advantage. Pending the democratization of the interface Thunderbolt, and the emergence of devices with this standard, Intel reported a list of partners, but of course Apple LaCie, Promise Technology, Avid or BlackMagic and Western Digital.
While Intel still does not support the standard USB 3.0 technology in its chipsets, the arrival of a new interface, more efficient, is raising questions. At first glance you can see the USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt as competitors, however, one is a protocol for USB, the other is simply a means of transfer. Still, in practice this subtlety can escape everyone. Similarly if Intel says the technology Thunderbolt is not exclusive to Apple, there is no other computer manufacturer or motherboard that is present in the list of partners. It must be said that Intel does not just sell the chips because the manufacturers must also pay a license.
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