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Thunderbolt

File:Thunderbolt_5_wordmark.png · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

EntityQ329003· pop 39· linked from 502 articles

Thunderbolt

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computer hardware interface

Key facts

Designer
Apple Intel
Manufacturer
Various
Produced
Since 24 February 2011 ; 15 years ago ( 2011-02-24 )
Superseded
IEEE 1394 (FireWire) ExpressCard
Length
Up to 3 meters (10 ft) ( copper ) Up to 60 meters (200 ft) ( optical )
Width
7.4 mm plug (8.3 mm receptacle)
Height
4.5 mm plug (5.4 mm receptacle)
Hot pluggable
Yes
Daisy chain
Up to 6 devices Thunderbolt 4: Hub support
External
Yes
Audio signal
Via DisplayPort protocol or USB-based external audio cards. Supports audio through HDMI converters.
Video signal
Via DisplayPort protocol
Pins
Thunderbolt 1 and 2: 20 Thunderbolt 3, 4 and 5: 24
Connector
Thunderbolt 1 and 2: Mini DisplayPort Thunderbolt 3, 4, and 5: USB-C
Max voltage
Thunderbolt 1 and 2: 18 V (bus power) Thunderbolt 3, 4, and 5: 5 V
Max current
Thunderbolt 1 and 2: 550 mA (9.9 W max.) Thunderbolt 3, 4, and 5: 3000 mA (15 W)
Data signal
Yes
Bitrate
Thunderbolt 1: d2 channels, 10 Gbit /s each (20 Gbit/s in total) Thunderbolt 2: 20 Gbit/s in total Thunderbolt 3 and 4: 40 Gbit/s bidirectional Thunderbolt 5: 80 Gbit/s bidirectional

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Image
Thunderbolt 3 interface USB-C ports.jpg
Height
4.5
Width
7.4
Show 1 more fact
Commons category
Thunderbolt (interface)
Sources (3)

via Wikidata · CC0

~40 min read

Article

Thunderbolt is the brand name of a hardware interface for the connection of external peripherals to a computer. It was developed by Intel in collaboration with Apple. It was initially marketed under the name Light Peak, and first sold as part of an end-user product on 24 February 2011.

Thunderbolt combines PCI Express (PCIe) and DisplayPort (DP) into two serial signals and provides DC power via a single cable. Up to six peripherals may be supported by a single connector through various topologies. Thunderbolt 1 and 2 use the same connector as Mini DisplayPort (MDP), whereas Thunderbolt 3, 4, and 5 use the USB-C connector and support USB devices.

Gallery (11)

Connections

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