Thunderbolt Technology

The Transformational PC I/O

Tanbin Islam Siyam 0707043

Introduction
Thunderbolt is an interface for connecting peripheral devices to a computer via an expansion. Originally codenamed Light Peak. Developed by Intel, with technical collaboration of Apple.

Introduction (cont.)
Thunderbolt technology is a transformational I/O innovation, supports data (PCI Express) and HD display (DisplayPort) connections over a single cable. 10 Gbps of full duplex bandwidth per channel.

Features at a glance
Dual-channel 10Gbps per port Bi-directional Dual-protocol (PCI Express and DisplayPort) Compatible with existing DisplayPort devices Daisy-chained devices

Features at a glance (cont.)

Electrical or optical cables Low latency with highly accurate time synchronization Uses native protocol software drivers Power over cable for bus-powered devices

Refining the I/O

I/O technology evolve to provide higher bandwidth of data transfer with every generation upgrade of IT. We now have two discrete type of I/Oo Display o Data This two fundamental I/O protocol is combined in Thunderbolt technology within a single meta-protocol. It transmits them in a single cable and able to manage traffic routing with intelligent hardware controllers.

Refining the I/O (cont.)

HD Display Data storage

Laptop

Devices in Daisy chain connection supported. Hotplug Ready.

Protocol Architecture
Thunderbolt technology is based on a new architecture with full-duplex links. Thunderbolt port is capable of providing the full bandwidth of the link in both directions. no sharing of bandwidth between ports or between upstream and downstream directions.

Protocol Architecture (cont.)

The Thunderbolt protocol physical layer is responsible for link maintenance including hot-plug detection, and data encoding to provide highly efficient data transfer. The heart of the Thunderbolt protocol architecture is the transport layer.

Figure: Thunderbolt Technology Architecture.

Protocol Architecture (cont.)

DisplayPort and PCI Express protocols are mapped onto the transport layer. Mapped protocol packets between a source device and a destination device may be routed over a path that may cross multiple Thunderbolt controllers.

Figure: PCI Express and DisplayPort transported between Thunderbolt controllers over a Thunderbolt cable.

Protocol Architecture (cont.)

At the destination device, a protocol adapter recreates the mapped protocol in a way that is indistinguishable from what was received by the source device. Thunderbolt technology-enabled product devices appear as PCI Express or DisplayPort devices to the operating system of the host PC. So available standard drivers are capable of using them.

Controller Architecture
Hostside Thunderbolt controllers have one or more DisplayPort input interfaces, a PCI Express interface along with one or more Thunderbolt technology interface. A single chip, the host-side controller enables system vendors to easily incorporate Thunderbolt technology into their designs.

Comparison Chart

Conclusion
Thunderbolt is fast and balanced in performance. It simplifies device management with smart features like daisy chain etc. With Thunderbolt technology, workstation-level performance feature expansion can be packaged as standalone accessories, and is only a cable away. Thunderbolt technology opens doors to entirely new system and product designs.

References
Thunderbolt Technology, Technology Brief, Intel Corporation, June, 2011. Intel Light Peak: Overview, Intel Corporation, February 25, 2010. http://www.intel.com/technology/io/thunderbolt/index.htm http://www.apple.com/thunderbolt/