Current Thunderbolt ports will support optical cabling next year

jmke · 30th September 2011, 08:44

Thunderbolt ports on the latest Macs already support optical cabling, according to Intel. New fiber optic cables, which will allow connections as long as "tens of meters" instead of the current three meter limit for copper cable, should be available in 2012.

Thunderbolt started life as an optical interconnect codenamed LightPeak. Developed by Intel with input from Apple, it was designed to ramp from 10Gbps to as high as 100Gbps using silicon photonics. Several factors—in particular, costs associated with fiber optic cabling—resulted in the initial version using electrical-only copper cabling.

When Intel introduced Thunderbolt as part of the launch of Thunderbolt-equipped MacBook Pros from Apple, the company indicated that the standard could use either electrical or optical cabling. Intel spokesperson Dave Salvatore confirmed to IDG News this week the compatibility between existing Thunderbolt ports and the upcoming optical cabling.

http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/20...red+Content%29

30th September 2011, 08:44	#1
jmke Madshrimp Join Date: May 2002 Location: 7090/Belgium Posts: 79,022	Current Thunderbolt ports will support optical cabling next year Thunderbolt ports on the latest Macs already support optical cabling, according to Intel. New fiber optic cables, which will allow connections as long as "tens of meters" instead of the current three meter limit for copper cable, should be available in 2012. Thunderbolt started life as an optical interconnect codenamed LightPeak. Developed by Intel with input from Apple, it was designed to ramp from 10Gbps to as high as 100Gbps using silicon photonics. Several factors—in particular, costs associated with fiber optic cabling—resulted in the initial version using electrical-only copper cabling. When Intel introduced Thunderbolt as part of the launch of Thunderbolt-equipped MacBook Pros from Apple, the company indicated that the standard could use either electrical or optical cabling. Intel spokesperson Dave Salvatore confirmed to IDG News this week the compatibility between existing Thunderbolt ports and the upcoming optical cabling. http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/20...red+Content%29 __________________

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Intel planning three new Thunderbolt controllers for 2012	Stefan Mileschin	WebNews	0	29th September 2011 08:58
PCI Takes on Thunderbolt, Big Worries for its Promoters	jmke	WebNews	0	29th June 2011 15:52
Intel Looks to New Interface that is Faster than Thunderbolt	jmke	WebNews	0	2nd May 2011 16:30
PC makers see Thunderbolt as USB 3 replacement	jmke	WebNews	0	20th April 2011 08:52
An In Depth Look at Intel's Thunderbolt Technology	jmke	WebNews	0	27th February 2011 19:58
Intel's Codename Light Peak Launches as Thunderbolt	jmke	WebNews	0	25th February 2011 09:04
Intel Signs Death Sentence for PCI Bus: Start to Cease Support Next Year	jmke	WebNews	0	10th June 2010 21:32
Yahoo Posts Q4 Results: Down Year Over Year, But Moving In The Right Direction	jmke	WebNews	0	27th January 2010 16:40
Ultra X2 550 Watt Power Supply with Flex Force Cabling	jmke	WebNews	0	16th February 2006 16:00