Thunderbolt as Fast As Possible

Thunderbolt started as a joint Apple and Intel project that eventually became an open standard, with Intel taking the lead in rights and implementation. The video explains how the original concept evolved from an optical Light Peak prototype to a copper-based Thunderbolt that uses a mini DisplayPort style connector with a tiny lightning bolt icon, carrying a single serial signal that merges PCI Express, DisplayPort, and a DC power line over one cable. This design enables connecting and powering a range of devices, including displays, audio gear, storage, USB, FireWire, and Ethernet through adapters, with up to six devices usable in a daisy-chained or hub-based setup. It then covers the Thunderbolt 2 upgrade, which doubled bandwidth to 20 Gbit per second and allowed 4K video while powering or accessing high-speed storage over one cable, all while preserving backward compatibility with Thunderbolt 1 and 2. The presenter notes that despite impressive capabilities, real-world speeds are often constrained by overhead and PCIe limits, and the topic of power delivery remains a driving force for future improvements. Rumors around Thunderbolt 3 suggest a further 2x increase to 40 Gbit per second, four modes including HDMI 2.0, PCIe Gen 3 support, possible up to 100 watts of charging, and a potential new connector requiring adapters for backward compatibility. The video closes with reflections on the pace of Thunderbolt development, staying excited about future possibilities while acknowledging current costs, and it segues into a sponsor segment for Dollar Shave Club, highlighting their razor, shave butter, and related bathroom products before inviting viewers to subscribe and share the content for more fastest-possible tech explorations.

Topics · technology · hardware · computing · standards