Thunderbolt (interface) information and comparisons
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| Introduction (from Wikipedia): | Thunderbolt is a hardware interface that allows for the connection of external peripherals to a computer. It uses the same connector as Mini DisplayPort (MDP). It was released in its finished state on February 24, 2011. |
| Type: | Dual-protocol I/O |
| Designer: | Intel in collaboration with Apple |
| Manufacturer: | Various |
| Produced: | February 24, 2011–present |
| Length: | 3 meters maximum (copper) |
| Width: | 7.4 mm male (8.3 mm female) |
| Height: | 4.5 mm male (5.4 mm female) |
| Hot pluggable: | Yes |
| Daisy chain: | Yes, up to 6 devices |
| External: | Yes |
| Audio signal: | Via DisplayPort protocol or USB-based external audio cards. Supports audio through HDMI adapters. |
| Pins: | 20 |
| Connector: | Mini DisplayPort |
| Max. voltage: | 18 V (bus power) |
| Max. current: | 550 mA (10 W max) |
| Data signal: | Yes |
| Bitrate: | 10 Gbit/s per device (20 total.) |
| Protocol: | 4× PCI Express 2.0, DisplayPort 1.1a |