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How to Enable Thunderbolt 3 Hotplug on macOS [Clover/OpenCore]
An EliteMacx86 Exclusive Guide - This guide covers implementation of Thunderbolt 3 Hotplug on macOS for single and multiple Thunderbolt 3 Cards.
Overview
An EliteMacx86 Exclusive Guide - In our previous post, we covered a guide about implementation of Thunderbolt on macOS. This guide covers the implementation of Thunderbolt 3 Hotplug.
You can read about the implementation of Thunderbolt 3 here:
For more information on Thunderbolt 4 Hotplug, refer to the guide linked below.
Implementation of Hotplug with Thunderbolt has been always a major issue with macOS. But Thanks to users like KGP who has been able to implement it on the hardware. The reason with the not working of Hotplug with the Thunderbolt is due to the working style of thunderbolt on both the platform i.e. Windows and Mac. On Windows hardware, the working of Thunderbolt is different as compared to a real Macintosh.
Before getting into it, let's get to know about the working of ThunderBolt on Mac and Windows hardware which will help you to understand about the working of Hotplug.
On Windows hardware, the Thunderbolt is only powered up when any Thunderbolt compatible Device is connected. The device triggers the thunderbolt to function and turns on the power to the connected device. Once, it's disconnected, the power to the port is also turned off.
On the other hand, on Mac, it's not the same. On Mac, the Thunderbolt is always on until the system is turned off. When any device is connected to the Thunderbolt port, the Device automatically connects to the thunderbolt and this is the reason the hotplug basically works. The Thunderbolt is always active as it keeps drawing the power.
On the Hackintosh, it's little bit different or you can say, it's mixed. The thunderbolt will function only if the device is connected before booting to macOS i.e preboot mode. If you disconnect it, the device no longer function and you need to restart the system again. Hence, the system is not capable of Hotplug.
But by using this guide, you would be able to implement Hotplug.
Requirements
Enabling hotplug can be quite complex process and time consuming. But if done correctly, you can have a working Thunderbolt with hotplug feature with the required speed and performance.
Following are the test devices used as an example for this guide which features Audio Interfaces, Dock, and Thunderbolt Drives. From consumer series to HEDT series motherboard, it works as expected.
Thunderbolt Devices:
Motherboards:
Thunderbolt Status
Following are the Thunderbolt Status for the following Thunderbolt Hardware. The table provides the functionality and features with Hotplug for several devices and with different Thunderbolt hardware setup such as Multiple Alpine Ridge and Titan Ridge Card for a TB extensive workflow.
Notes:
Notes:
Notes:
macOS Support
You can find the support table listed below for each particular macOS version with each setup.
THB_C and TB Settings Support
You can find the support table listed below for each particular macOS version with each setup.
SMBIOS Support
You can find the support table listed below for each particular macOS version with each setup.
Thunderbolt Firmware Configuration
There can be normally two firmware configuration for Thunderbolt 3. Original and Custom firmware Configuration. Both of them have been described below.
Original Firmware:
A original firmware is provided and is already flashed on the Thunderbolt Card. When you setup multiple Thunderbolt Cards, only one Card will work in a desired way and the other cards will not work due to limitation of different device address.
Custom Firmware:
A custom firmware is modified some of the experts from this community which eliminates the limitation of Thunderbolt Cards with different device addresses and also provides additional function such as Thunderbolt Bus configuration, visibility under System Report>Thunderbolt.
Thunderbolt Configuration
There can be normally two configuration for Thunderbolt 3. Single Card and Multiple Card Configuration. Where, single card offers up to "two" thunderbolt 3 ports and multiple card can offer up to "twelve" thunderbolt 3 ports depending on the PCIe slots available where one slot is always reserved for the GPU. These can be further categorized into four more configuration which are outlined below.
Single Card with Original Firmware:
A single Card with original firmware can offer up to "two" Thunderbolt 3 ports which doesn't requires flashing of a custom firmware for macOS.
Single Card with Custom Firmware:
A single card with original firmware can offer up to "two" Thunderbolt 3 ports which requires flashing of a custom firmware for macOS. With a custom firmware, it can provide additional function, visibility and additional information of Thunderbolt under System Report>Thunderbolt section.
Multiple Card with Original Firmware:
Multiple cards with original firmware can range between two (minimum) or more (up to 6, maximum) Thunderbolt card installed. HEDT and Workstation motherboards can offer up to 7 PCIe slots. However, one slot is reserved for GPU. Hence, the maximum capacity is six Thunderbolt 3 Cards. The drawback of using multiple cards with original firmware is that other than the reserved slot for Thunderbolt or small peripherals where the device address is usually PXSX, will be initialized and fully work, more likely like a single card with custom firmware. The rest of the cards installed will not function in any way. This is because, unless the card is flashed with a custom firmware, the Thunderbolt cannot be driven due to having different address such as BR1A, BR3A, PEGP, SL01, SL09.
Multiple Card with Custom Firmware:
Multiple cards with custom firmware can be best suited to professional music producers, video editors, motion and VFX artists. This option offers the maximum expandability of Thunderbolt 3. Offering up to 12 ports when 6 Thunderbolt Card is installed which is a maximum configuration as of now. Note that one slot is always reserved for GPU. With a custom firmware flashed on multiple Thunderbolt Card, it removes the limitation of utilizing multiple Thunderbolt cards. It also offers functionality such as Hotplug which can be achieved very easily.
Selecting Thunderbolt Configuration
Depending on your need for Thunderbolt, where the key factor can be the requirement of each individual Thunderbolt 3 ports, select your configuration and start the preparation for Thunderbolt 3 Hotplug. If you're looking for a simple Thunderbolt with Hotplug functionality and don't want to flash a custom firmware due to the complexity of the guide or not willing to take risk, the best choice would be to go for single card with original firmware. However, even if you don't want to flash your Thunderbolt with a custom firmware, you may need to flash it for some devices which requires Thunderbolt Bus to utilize a particular Thunderbolt device.
Flashing Custom Firmware
If you're planning to flash the custom firmware depending on your Thunderbolt needs, @mooseknuckleboi has written a very well guide explaining flashing Thunderbolt Cards for macOS. You can find more information for his thread linked below.
Enabling Thunderbolt 3 Hotplug
Now, you have enough information about Thunderbolt configuration, firmware, and the limitations and the next step is to enable Thunderbolt Hotplug To enable Hotplug, follow the steps outlined below.
Getting ACPI path
Before you start preparing the SSDT, it's recommended to find the ACPI path of the Thunderbolt Card.
For Single Card and Onboard Thunderbolt:
Connect any TB device and boot the system in order to get the ACPI path for the Thunderbolt Card on your Motherboard.
Now once the system is up, the next step is to get the ACPI path. To check the ACPI path, just open IOReg and type Thunderbolt in the search bar.
You should see something similar like in the attached screenshot.
Once you have located Thunderbolt node, you can clear the search to get the complete node info.
If you check, in the above screenshot, we have some Thunderbolt and USB connectors listed. You need to locate your current connector which is driving the connection to the Thunderbolt. A simple way to find this out is to just find the connector having Thunderbolt properties with AppleThunderboltHAL. In our case, it is RP21@1B,4. Your system can have a different one. Make sure to locate the right one.
For Multiple Cards:
Getting ACPI path is bit complex than single and onboard Thunderbolt. Follow the steps below.
You can install all the Thunderbolt Cards and get multiple ACPI path or can also use one card in each particular slot and then get the ACPI path.
To check the ACPI path, just open IOReg and type Thunderbolt in the search bar.
In our case, here are the following ACPI path
For Slot #2
However, this is the first phase of the ACPI path. To complete the second phase, you'll need to use a Thunderbolt SSDT and adapt for the every slot except PXSX and note down the new ACPI path. Note that normally it's PEGP. However, we recommend you to go through the second phase and confirm the ACPI path to make sure there is no fluke.
For Slot #3
Obtaining Sample Thunderbolt SSDT
To get the sample Thunderbolt SSDT, follow the steps below.
1. Open HackinDROM website in your web browser.
2. Select your Thunderbolt Controller from the drop-down list.
3. You'll see the list of available Motherboards and AIC like the screenshot attached below. The list is subject to change.
For Single Card and Onboard Thunderbolt:
If you're having an onboard Thunderbolt chip or a single Thunderbolt Card, just select the appropriate model from the list.
For Multiple Thunderbolt Card:
If you're having multiple Thunderbolt Card, the process will be bit different from the onboard and single Thunderbolt card.
1. Select the appropriate AIC model from the list.
Configuring TB Bus ID
For each Thunderbolt Card, you'll need to configure the TB Bus ID. This is necessary for multiple Thunderbolt Controllers installed in the system. Each unique Bus ID represents each unique Thunderbolt Controller. To configure the Bus ID, follow the steps below.
1. After selecting the AIC model from the list, click on Customize.
2. Under TB Bus ID, change the Bus ID. You can use Bus ID from 0 or 1, where the 0 or 1 belongs to the first Thunderbolt Card. For example, if you have 3 Thunderbolt Cards and you would like to use the TB Bus from 0, it would 0, 1 and 2 respectively and if you would like to use the TB Bus from 1, it would be simply 1, 2 and 3 respectively.
3. Once you've selected the TB Bus ID, click on COMPILE button.
4. Click on Download button and the SSDT will be downloaded/saved to your system's configured download location in your browser.
Note:
Now, we have got the ACPI path of the Thunderbolt. To enable the hotplug, you must change the ACPI path to match yours.
1. Open the downloaded SSDT
For Single Card and Onboard Thunderbolt:
For single card and onboard Thunderbolt, the steps are very simple.
If we consider our first Thunderbolt Card, which is installed on Slot #2 as the Slot #1 is reserved for GPU, the changed to the SSDT, would be the following.
2. Click on Replace checkbox in the right corner.
3. Type PCI0 in the first search box and type PC00 in the second search box.
4. Click on All and the changes would be like the screenshot attached below.
Notes:
For Multiple Thunderbolt Cards:
For Multiple Thunderbolt Cards, you'll need to perform some additional steps.
If we consider our second Thunderbolt SSDT, here would be the changes.
2. Click on Replace checkbox in the right corner.
3. Type PCI0 in the first search box and type PC01 in the second search box.
4. Click on All and the changes would be like the screenshot attached below.
5. Type RP21 in the first search box and type BR1A in the second search box.
6. Click on All and the changes would be like the screenshot attached below.
8. Click on All and the changes would be like the screenshot attached below.
Adding additional External Definition Block
If you remember the step of "Getting ACPI Path", you may have noticed that for second Thunderbolt Card, the path was PC01.BR1A.SL01 but here we have been using PEGP. Hence, we need to add PC01.BR1A.SL01 and also define SL01. To do that, follow the steps below.
1. Copy the following External method.
2. Paste it just above the External (DTGP) line.
Once changed, the SSDT should look like the screenshot attached below.
3. Copy the following Scope
4. Paste it just above the "Scope (PEGP) line.
Once changed, the SSDT should look the screenshot attached below.
Click on Compile button and save the SSDT.
Note:
Slot Configuration
The slot configuration is purely cosmetic but is helpful when debugging and makes the Thunderbolt nearly perfect. The slot counts will be from the very slot present on the Motherboard, regardless of the slot type. There can be three slot configuration for Thunderbolt 3. Onboard and Single/Multiple Thunderbolt
Onboard Thunderbolt:
For onboard Thunderbolt, the slot will be configured as "built-in" due to onboard chip directly soldered on the Motherboard. For onboard Thunderbolt configuration, the sample SSDT should be good to go as it's already configured as built-in.
Singe/Multiple Thunderbolt Card:
For single or multiple Thunderbolt, the slot will be configured as Slot-1, Slot-2 and so on. To change the Slot configuration, follow the steps below.
If we consider our first sample SSDT, which refers to the very first Thunderbolt Card installed in Slot #2, the changes would be the following.
The sample SSDT has Slot-4 as a configuration and the changes would be the following.
Note:
Renaming SSDT
If you're using multiple Thunderbolt Card, it's strongly recommended to rename the SSDTs as SSDT-TB3-SLOT1, SSDT-TB3-SLOT2 and so on.
Installing the SSDT
Now, the SSDT has our ACPI path. The next step is to install the SSDT.
1. Mount the EFI partition of the system
2. Open the EFI folder.
For OpenCore:
1. Navigate to EFI/OC/ACPI/patched directory.
2. Place the SSDT-DTGP and the related SSDT-TB3-SLOT-X.
For Clover:
1. Navigate to EFI/Clover/ACPI/patched directory.
2. Place the SSDT-DTGP and the related SSDT-TB3-SLOT-X.
Notes:
Installing kext and driver
1. Download the following kext and driver.
ThunderboltReset
TbtForcePower.efi
2. After downloading the drivers, extract it.
3. Copy ThunderboltReset.kext to EFI/Kext/Other directory.
4. Copy the TbtForcePower.efi to EFI/Drivers/UEFI
Restart your System
After performing all the above steps, restart your system for the applied changes to take effect.
Connect any TB Device and you're good to go!
Test Results
Following are the test results for various motherboards and Thunderbolt Devices.
FAQ [Frequently Asked Questions]
Q. Is my Thunderbolt Compatible?
A. All the Thunderbolt models and Family listed above, at the starting of this guide are compatible and has been tested. If you have any other model and Family, feel free to post or create a separate thread.
Q. I don't see Thunderbolt information under System Report>Thunderbolt. I only see "No Drivers are loaded". Is that normal?
A. It may be possible. But as of now, no information available yet. Yes, it's very normal. The reason you don't see the Thunderbolt information is due to the card not flashed with a custom firmware which activates Thunderbolt Bus.
Q. Is it necessary to Flash Thunderbolt Card?
A. Yes, it's necessary if you want to use any special device which requires Bus Activation and networking capability and when using multiple Thunderbolt cards on one motherboard.
Q. I've flashed my Thunderbolt Card with a custom firmware. Do i still need to use SSDT?
A. Yes, you'll need to use the SSDT regardless of the case. The SSDT is what provides PCI Device, Hotplug and Bus ID.
Q. Can i activate TB Bus ID without the need of flashing the custom firmware on Alpine Ridge?
A. Yes, you can.
Q. Can i activate TB Bus ID without the need of flashing the custom firmware on Titan Ridge?
A. It may be possible. But as of now, no information available yet.
Q. I cannot use the Audio Interface from Antelope, Presonus, Slate Digital, Focusrite and Apogee Digital?
A. Yes, that's a well known issue. For more information, refer to the news linked below.
Problem Reporting
Details:
Credits :
KGP
DSM2
CaseySJ
Elias64Fr
Mooseknuckleboi
Ferz
Sample Attachment
The ACPI files are attached below which has been used as an example in this guide.
An EliteMacx86 Exclusive Guide - This guide covers implementation of Thunderbolt 3 Hotplug on macOS for single and multiple Thunderbolt 3 Cards.
Overview
An EliteMacx86 Exclusive Guide - In our previous post, we covered a guide about implementation of Thunderbolt on macOS. This guide covers the implementation of Thunderbolt 3 Hotplug.
You can read about the implementation of Thunderbolt 3 here:
GUIDE - How to Enable ThunderBolt 2, Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 on macOS
How to Enable ThunderBolt 2, Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 on maOS [Clover/OpenCore] An EliteMacx86 Exclusive Guide - This guide covers implementation of Thunderbolt 2, Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 on macOS using Clover and OpenCore. Overview This guide covers the implementation of...
www.elitemacx86.com
For more information on Thunderbolt 4 Hotplug, refer to the guide linked below.
GUIDE - How to Enable Thunderbolt 4 Hotplug on macOS
How to Enable Thunderbolt 4 Hotplug on macOS [Clover/OpenCore] An EliteMacx86 Exclusive Guide - This guide covers implementation of Thunderbolt 4 Hotplug on macOS for built-in Thunderbolt hardware. Overview Recently, Intel and Apple announced their new Thunderbolt lineup i.e Thunderbolt 4...
www.elitemacx86.com
Implementation of Hotplug with Thunderbolt has been always a major issue with macOS. But Thanks to users like KGP who has been able to implement it on the hardware. The reason with the not working of Hotplug with the Thunderbolt is due to the working style of thunderbolt on both the platform i.e. Windows and Mac. On Windows hardware, the working of Thunderbolt is different as compared to a real Macintosh.
Before getting into it, let's get to know about the working of ThunderBolt on Mac and Windows hardware which will help you to understand about the working of Hotplug.
On Windows hardware, the Thunderbolt is only powered up when any Thunderbolt compatible Device is connected. The device triggers the thunderbolt to function and turns on the power to the connected device. Once, it's disconnected, the power to the port is also turned off.
On the other hand, on Mac, it's not the same. On Mac, the Thunderbolt is always on until the system is turned off. When any device is connected to the Thunderbolt port, the Device automatically connects to the thunderbolt and this is the reason the hotplug basically works. The Thunderbolt is always active as it keeps drawing the power.
On the Hackintosh, it's little bit different or you can say, it's mixed. The thunderbolt will function only if the device is connected before booting to macOS i.e preboot mode. If you disconnect it, the device no longer function and you need to restart the system again. Hence, the system is not capable of Hotplug.
But by using this guide, you would be able to implement Hotplug.
Requirements
| Compatible Thunderbolt Chipset |
| Vanilla Thunderbolt kexts in S/L/E |
| Any Thunderbolt compatible Device to check and verify the status |
| MaciASL |
| IOReg |
Enabling hotplug can be quite complex process and time consuming. But if done correctly, you can have a working Thunderbolt with hotplug feature with the required speed and performance.
Following are the test devices used as an example for this guide which features Audio Interfaces, Dock, and Thunderbolt Drives. From consumer series to HEDT series motherboard, it works as expected.
Thunderbolt Devices:
- Element 88 from Apogeedigital
- G-Technology 3TB
- UAD Twin Apollo
- Belkin Thunderbolt 3 Mini Dock with 4K Dual HDMI
- Ash Creek NVMe
- TBT3 SSD 480
Motherboards:
- GIGABYTE Z370 AORUS GAMING 3
- GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS ELITE
- GIGABYTE Z490 VISION G
- GIGABYTE X299X DESIGNARE 10G
- MSI X299 RAIDER
- EVGA X299 Micro
Thunderbolt Status
Following are the Thunderbolt Status for the following Thunderbolt Hardware. The table provides the functionality and features with Hotplug for several devices and with different Thunderbolt hardware setup such as Multiple Alpine Ridge and Titan Ridge Card for a TB extensive workflow.
| Function | Single Card with Original Firmware | Single Card with Custom Firmware | Multiple Cards with Original Firmware | Multiple Cards with Custom Firmware |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Booting with Thunderbolt Device Connected | YES |  |  | |
| Thunderbolt Hotplug with Cold Boot | YES | | | |
| Thunderbolt Hotplug with Warm Boot | YES | | | |
| Thunderbolt Hotplug with no Device Connected at Boot | YES | | | |
| Sleep with Thunderbolt Device Connected | YES | | | Inconsistent Sleep |
| Wake with Thunderbolt Device Connected | YES | | | |
| Shut Down with Thunderbolt Device Connected | YES | | | |
| Thunderbolt Auto Reconnect after Sleep | YES | NO |
| Options | Single Card with Original Firmware | Single Card with Custom Firmware | Multiple Cards with Original Firmware | Multiple Cards with Custom Firmware |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Booting with USB Device Connected | YES | | | |
| USB Hotplug with Cold Boot | YES | | | |
| USB Hotplug with Warm Boot | YES | | | |
| Sleep with USB Device Connected | YES | | | |
| Wake with USB Device Connected | YES | | | |
| Shut Down with USB Device Connected | YES | | | |
| USB Type-C Auto Reconnect after Sleep | YES |
Display |
|---|
| Options | Single Card with Original Firmware | Single Card with Custom Firmware | Multiple Cards with Original Firmware | Multiple Cards with Custom Firmware |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderbolt Display | Not Tested | Not Tested | Not Tested | Not Tested |
| Type-C Display | | | | |
| Type-C Display Cold Boot | | Not Tested | | Not Tested |
| Type-C Display Hotplug | | | | |
Drive |
|---|
| Options | Single Card with Original Firmware | Single Card with Custom Firmware | Multiple Cards with Original Firmware | Multiple Cards with Custom Firmware |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderbolt Drive | | | | |
| Thunderbolt Drive Hotplug | | | | |
| Thunderbolt NVMe | | | | |
| Thunderbolt NVMe Hotplug | | | | |
Dock |
|---|
| Options | Single Card with Original Firmware | Single Card with Custom Firmware | Multiple Cards with Original Firmware | Multiple Cards with Custom Firmware |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderbolt Dock | | | | |
| Thunderbolt Dock Hotplug | | | | |
| Thunderbolt Dock Ethernet | | | | |
| Thunderbolt Dock Display Port | | | | |
| Thunderbolt Dock HDMI | | | | |
| Thunderbolt Dock USB | | | | |
| Thunderbolt Dock Audio | | | | |
eGPU |
|---|
| Options | Single Card with Original Firmware | Single Card with Custom Firmware | Multiple Cards with Original Firmware | Multiple Cards with Custom Firmware |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderbolt eGPU | | | | |
| Thunderbolt eGPU Hotplug | | | | |
Audio |
|---|
| Options | Single Card with Original Firmware | Single Card with Custom Firmware | Multiple Cards with Original Firmware | Multiple Cards with Custom Firmware |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderbolt Audio Interface | | | | |
| Thunderbolt Audio Interface Hotplug | | | | |
Adapters |
|---|
| Options | Single Card with Original Firmware | Single Card with Custom Firmware | Multiple Cards with Original Firmware | Multiple Cards with Custom Firmware |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderbolt Ethernet Adapter | | | | |
| Thunderbolt Ethernet Adapter Hotplug | | | | |
| Thunderbolt 2 to Thunderbolt 3 | | | | |
| Options | Single Card with Original Firmware | Single Card with Custom Firmware | Multiple Cards with Original Firmware | Multiple Cards with Custom Firmware |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Booting with Thunderbolt Device Connected | | | | |
| Thunderbolt Hotplug with Cold Boot | | | | |
| Thunderbolt Hotplug with Warm Boot | | | | |
| Thunderbolt Hotplug with no Device Connected at Boot | | | | |
| Sleep with Thunderbolt Device Connected | | | | Inconsistent Sleep |
| Wake with Thunderbolt Device Connected | | | | |
| Shut Down with Thunderbolt Device Connected | | | | |
| Thunderbolt Auto Reconnect after Sleep | YES | NO |
| Options | Single Card with Original Firmware | Single Card with Custom Firmware | Multiple Cards with Original Firmware | Multiple Cards with Custom Firmware |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Booting with USB Device Connected | | | | |
| USB Hotplug with Cold Boot | | | | |
| USB Hotplug with Warm Boot | | | | |
| Sleep with USB Device Connected | | | | |
| Wake with USB Device Connected | | | | |
| Shut Down with USB Device Connected | | | | |
| USB Type-C Auto Reconnect after Sleep | YES | NO |
| Display |
|---|
| Options | Single Card with Original Firmware | Single Card with Custom Firmware | Multiple Cards with Original Firmware | Multiple Cards with Custom Firmware |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderbolt Display | Not Tested | Not Tested | Not Tested | Not Tested |
| Type-C Display | | | | |
| Type-C Display Cold Boot | | Not Tested | | Not Tested |
| Type-C Display Hotplug | | | | |
| Drive |
|---|
| Options | Single Card with Original Firmware | Single Card with Custom Firmware | Multiple Cards with Original Firmware | Multiple Cards with Custom Firmware |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderbolt Drive | | | | |
| Thunderbolt Drive Hotplug | | | | |
| Thunderbolt NVMe | | | | |
| Thunderbolt NVMe Hotplug | | | | |
| Dock |
|---|
| Options | Single Card with Original Firmware | Single Card with Custom Firmware | Multiple Cards with Original Firmware | Multiple Cards with Custom Firmware |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderbolt Dock | | | | |
| Thunderbolt Dock Hotplug | | | | |
| Thunderbolt Dock Ethernet | | | | |
| Thunderbolt Dock Display Port | | | | |
| Thunderbolt Dock HDMI | | | | |
| Thunderbolt Dock USB | | | | |
| Thunderbolt Dock Audio | | | | |
| eGPU |
|---|
| Options | Single Card with Original Firmware | Single Card with Custom Firmware | Multiple Cards with Original Firmware | Multiple Cards with Custom Firmware |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderbolt eGPU | | | | |
| Thunderbolt eGPU Hotplug | | | | |
| Audio |
|---|
| Options | Single Card with Original Firmware | Single Card with Custom Firmware | Multiple Cards with Original Firmware | Multiple Cards with Custom Firmware |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderbolt Audio Interface | | | | |
| Thunderbolt Audio Interface Hotplug | | | | |
| Adapters |
|---|
| Options | Single Card with Original Firmware | Single Card with Custom Firmware | Multiple Cards with Original Firmware | Multiple Cards with Custom Firmware |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderbolt Ethernet Adapter | | | | |
| Thunderbolt Ethernet Adapter Hotplug | | | | |
| Thunderbolt 2 to Thunderbolt 3 | | | | |
| SPECIFICATION |
|---|
| Model | Controller | Family | Interface | Speed | Ports | TB Device Per Port | Display Support | Daisy Chain | Thunderbolt Header | USB Header | Additional Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GIGABYTE GC-Thunderbolt 2 | PCIe 2.0 x4 | 20Gb/s | 2xTB2 | 2xDP IN | 6 Devices per port | 4K | YES | YES | NO | NO | ||
| GIGABYTE GC-ALPINE RIDGE Rev. 1.0 | DSL6540 B-Step | Alpine Ridge | PCIe 3.0 x4 | 40Gb/s | 2xTB3 | 1xHDMI | 2xDP IN | 6 Devices per port | 1x5K @60Hz or 2x4K @60Hz | YES | 1x | NO | |
| GIGABYTE GC-ALPINE RIDGE Rev. 2.0 | DSL650 C-Step | Alpine Ridge | PCIe 3.0 x4 | 40Gb/s | 2xTB3 | 1xHDMI | 2xDP IN | 6 Devices per port | 1x5K @60Hz or 2x4K @60Hz | YES | 1x | NO | |
| GIGABYTE GC-TITAN RIDGE Rev. 1.0 | DSL7540 | Titan Ridge | PCIe 3.0 x4 | 40Gb/s | 2xTB3/USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C | 1xDP | 2xmDP IN | 6 Devices per port | 4K | YES | 1x5PIN | YES | 2x6PIN PCIE |
| GIGABYTE GC-TITAN RIDGE Rev. 2.0 | DSL7540 | Titan Ridge | PCIe 3.0 x4 | 40Gb/s | 2xTB3/USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C | 1xDP | 2xmDP IN | 6 Devices per port | 4K | YES | 1x5PIN | YES | 2x6PIN PCIE |
| Thunderbolt |
|---|
| Function on macOS | Alpine Ridge with Original Firmware* | Alpine Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Alpine Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Alpine Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** | Single Titan Ridge with Original Firmware* | Single Titan Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Titan Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Titan Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Booting with Thunderbolt Device Connected | YES | YES | NO | NO | YES | |||
| Thunderbolt Hotplug with Cold Boot | YES | YES | NO | NO | YES | |||
| Thunderbolt Hotplug with Warm Boot | YES | YES | NO | NO | YES | |||
| Thunderbolt Hotplug with no Device Connected at Boot | YES | NO | NO | NO | NO | |||
| Sleep with Thunderbolt Device Connected | YES | YES | NO | NO | INCONSISTENT SLEEP | |||
| Wake with Thunderbolt Device Connected | YES | YES | NO | NO | NO | |||
| Shut Down with Thunderbolt Device Connected | YES | YES | NO | NO | NO | |||
| Thunderbolt Auto Reconnect after Sleep | YES | NO | NO | NOT TESTED |
| USB Type-C |
|---|
| Function on macOS | Alpine Ridge with Original Firmware* | Alpine Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Alpine Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Alpine Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** | Single Titan Ridge with Original Firmware* | Single Titan Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Titan Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Titan Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Booting with USB Device Connected | YES | NO | NO | YES | ||||
| USB Hotplug with Cold Boot | YES | NO | NO | YES | ||||
| USB Hotplug with Warm Boot | YES | NO | NO | YES | ||||
| Sleep with USB Device Connected | YES | NO | NO | YES | ||||
| Wake with USB Device Connected | YES | NO | NO | YES | ||||
| Shut Down with USB Device Connected | YES | NO | NO | YES | ||||
| USB Type-C Auto Reconnect after Sleep | YES | NO | NO | NOT TESTED |
| Display |
|---|
| Function on macOS | Alpine Ridge with Original Firmware* | Alpine Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Alpine Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Alpine Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** | Single Titan Ridge with Original Firmware* | Single Titan Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Titan Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Titan Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Booting with Thunderbolt Device Connected | YES | NO | NO | NOT TESTED | ||||
| Thunderbolt Display | YES | NO | NO | |||||
| Type-C Display | YES | NO | NO | |||||
| Type-C Display Cold Boot | YES | NO | NO | NOT TESTED | ||||
| Type-C Display Hotplug | YES | NO | NO |
| Dock |
|---|
| Function on macOS | Alpine Ridge with Original Firmware* | Alpine Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Alpine Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Alpine Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** | Single Titan Ridge with Original Firmware* | Single Titan Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Titan Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Titan Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderbolt Dock | YES | NO | NO | YES | ||||
| Thunderbolt Dock Hotplug | YES | NO | NO | YES | ||||
| Thunderbolt Dock Ethernet | YES | NO | NO | YES | ||||
| Thunderbolt Dock Display Port | YES | NO | NO | YES | ||||
| Thunderbolt Dock HDMI | YES | NO | NO | YES | ||||
| Thunderbolt Dock USB | YES | NO | NO | YES | ||||
| Thunderbolt Dock Audio | YES | NO | NO | YES |
| eGPU |
|---|
| Function on macOS | Alpine Ridge with Original Firmware* | Alpine Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Alpine Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Alpine Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** | Single Titan Ridge with Original Firmware* | Single Titan Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Titan Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Titan Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderbolt eGPU | YES | NO | NO | YES | ||||
| Thunderbolt eGPU Hotplug | YES | NO | NO |
| Audio |
|---|
| Function on macOS | Alpine Ridge with Original Firmware* | Alpine Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Alpine Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Alpine Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** | Single Titan Ridge with Original Firmware* | Single Titan Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Titan Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Titan Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderbolt Audio Interface | YES | NO | NO | YES | ||||
| Thunderbolt Audio Interface Hotplug | YES | NO | NO | YES |
| Adapters |
|---|
| Function on macOS | Alpine Ridge with Original Firmware* | Alpine Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Alpine Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Alpine Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** | Single Titan Ridge with Original Firmware* | Single Titan Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Titan Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Titan Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderbolt Ethernet Adapter | YES | NO | YES | YES | NO | YES | ||
| Thunderbolt Ethernet Adapter Hotplug | YES | NO | YES | YES | NO | YES | ||
| Thunderbolt 2 to Thunderbolt 3 | YES | NO | YES | YES | NO | YES |
Notes:
- *Refers to Single Thunderbolt Card.
- **Refers to Multiple Thunderbolt Cards.
| Model | Controller | Family | Interface | Speed | Ports | TB Device Per Port | Display Support | Daisy Chain | Thunderbolt Header | USB Header | Additional Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASUS THUNDERBOLTEX 3 | DSLXXX | PCIe 3.0 x4 | 40Gb/s | 1xTB3/Type-C | 1xUSB 3.1 Type-A | 1xmDP IN | 6 Devices per port | 4K @60Hz | YES | YES | NO | NO | |
| ASUS THUNDERBOLTEX 3-TR | JHL7540 | Titan Ridge | PCIe 3.0 x4 | 40Gb/s | 2xTB3/Type-C | 1xDP IN | 1xmDP IN | 6 Devices per port | 8K @60Hz | YES | 1x5PIN | YES | 1x6PIN PCIE |
| ASUS THUNDERBOLTEX-4 | JHLXXXX | PCIe 3.0 x4 | 40Gb/s | 2xTB3/Type-C | 1xDP IN | 2xmDP IN and 1xInternal Mini DP | 5 Devices per port | 8K @60Hz | YES | 1x5PIN | YES | 1x6PIN PCIE |
| Thunderbolt |
|---|
| Function on macOS | Alpine Ridge with Original Firmware* | Alpine Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Alpine Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Alpine Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** | Single Titan Ridge with Original Firmware* | Single Titan Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Titan Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Titan Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Booting with Thunderbolt Device Connected | YES | |||||||
| Thunderbolt Hotplug with Cold Boot | YES | |||||||
| Thunderbolt Hotplug with Warm Boot | YES | |||||||
| Thunderbolt Hotplug with no Device Connected at Boot | YES | |||||||
| Sleep with Thunderbolt Device Connected | YES | |||||||
| Wake with Thunderbolt Device Connected | YES | |||||||
| Shut Down with Thunderbolt Device Connected | YES | |||||||
| Thunderbolt Auto Reconnect after Sleep | YES |
| USB Type-C |
|---|
| Function on macOS | Alpine Ridge with Original Firmware* | Alpine Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Alpine Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Alpine Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** | Single Titan Ridge with Original Firmware* | Single Titan Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Titan Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Titan Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Booting with USB Device Connected | YES | |||||||
| USB Hotplug with Cold Boot | YES | |||||||
| USB Hotplug with Warm Boot | YES | |||||||
| Sleep with USB Device Connected | YES | |||||||
| Wake with USB Device Connected | YES | |||||||
| Shut Down with USB Device Connected | YES | |||||||
| USB Type-C Auto Reconnect after Sleep | YES |
| Display |
|---|
| Function on macOS | Alpine Ridge with Original Firmware* | Alpine Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Alpine Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Alpine Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** | Single Titan Ridge with Original Firmware* | Single Titan Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Titan Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Titan Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Booting with Thunderbolt Device Connected | YES | |||||||
| Thunderbolt Display | YES | |||||||
| Type-C Display | YES | |||||||
| Type-C Display Cold Boot | YES | |||||||
| Type-C Display Hotplug | YES |
| Dock |
|---|
| Function on macOS | Alpine Ridge with Original Firmware* | Alpine Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Alpine Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Alpine Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** | Single Titan Ridge with Original Firmware* | Single Titan Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Titan Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Titan Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderbolt Dock | YES | |||||||
| Thunderbolt Dock Hotplug | YES | |||||||
| Thunderbolt Dock Ethernet | YES | |||||||
| Thunderbolt Dock Display Port | YES | |||||||
| Thunderbolt Dock HDMI | YES | |||||||
| Thunderbolt Dock USB | YES | |||||||
| Thunderbolt Dock Audio | YES |
| eGPU |
|---|
| Function on macOS | Alpine Ridge with Original Firmware* | Alpine Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Alpine Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Alpine Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** | Single Titan Ridge with Original Firmware* | Single Titan Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Titan Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Titan Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderbolt eGPU | YES | |||||||
| Thunderbolt eGPU Hotplug | YES | |||||||
| Thunderbolt eGPU Hotplug | YES |
| Audio |
|---|
| Function on macOS | Alpine Ridge with Original Firmware* | Alpine Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Alpine Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Alpine Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** | Single Titan Ridge with Original Firmware* | Single Titan Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Titan Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Titan Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderbolt Audio Interface | YES | |||||||
| Thunderbolt Audio Interface Hotplug | YES |
| Adapters |
|---|
| Function on macOS | Alpine Ridge with Original Firmware* | Alpine Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Alpine Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Alpine Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** | Single Titan Ridge with Original Firmware* | Single Titan Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Titan Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Titan Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderbolt Ethernet Adapter | YES | |||||||
| Thunderbolt Ethernet Adapter Hotplug | YES | |||||||
| Thunderbolt 2 to Thunderbolt 3 | YES |
Notes:
- *Refers to Single Thunderbolt Card.
- **Refers to Multiple Thunderbolt Cards.
| Model | Controller | Interface | Speed | Ports | TB Device Per Port | Display Support | Daisy Chain | Thunderbolt Header | USB Header | Additional Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AsRock Thunderbolt 3 AIC | JHL6540 | PCIe 3.0 x4 | 40Gb/s | 2xTB3/Type-C | 1xDP IN | 1xmDP IN | 6 Devices per port | 1x5K @60Hz or 2x4K @60Hz | YES | 1x5PIN | NO | NO |
| AsRock Thunderbolt 3 AIC R2.0 | JHL6540 | PCIe 3.0 x4 | 40Gb/s | 2xTB3/Type-C | 1xDP IN | 1xmDP IN and 1xInternal Mini DP | 6 Devices per port | 1x5K @60Hz or 2x4K @60Hz | YES | 1x5PIN | NO | NO |
| Thunderbolt |
|---|
| Function on macOS | Alpine Ridge with Original Firmware* | Alpine Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Alpine Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Alpine Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** | Single Titan Ridge with Original Firmware* | Single Titan Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Titan Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Titan Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Booting with Thunderbolt Device Connected | YES | |||||||
| Thunderbolt Hotplug with Cold Boot | YES | |||||||
| Thunderbolt Hotplug with Warm Boot | YES | |||||||
| Thunderbolt Hotplug with no Device Connected at Boot | YES | |||||||
| Sleep with Thunderbolt Device Connected | YES | |||||||
| Wake with Thunderbolt Device Connected | YES | |||||||
| Shut Down with Thunderbolt Device Connected | YES | |||||||
| Thunderbolt Auto Reconnect after Sleep | YES |
| USB Type-C |
|---|
| Function on macOS | Alpine Ridge with Original Firmware* | Alpine Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Alpine Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Alpine Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** | Single Titan Ridge with Original Firmware* | Single Titan Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Titan Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Titan Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Booting with USB Device Connected | YES | |||||||
| USB Hotplug with Cold Boot | YES | |||||||
| USB Hotplug with Warm Boot | YES | |||||||
| Sleep with USB Device Connected | YES | |||||||
| Wake with USB Device Connected | YES | |||||||
| Shut Down with USB Device Connected | YES | |||||||
| USB Type-C Auto Reconnect after Sleep | YES |
| Display |
|---|
| Function on macOS | Alpine Ridge with Original Firmware* | Alpine Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Alpine Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Alpine Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** | Single Titan Ridge with Original Firmware* | Single Titan Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Titan Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Titan Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Booting with Thunderbolt Device Connected | YES | |||||||
| Thunderbolt Display | YES | |||||||
| Type-C Display | YES | |||||||
| Type-C Display Cold Boot | YES | |||||||
| Type-C Display Hotplug | YES |
| Dock |
|---|
| Function on macOS | Alpine Ridge with Original Firmware* | Alpine Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Alpine Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Alpine Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** | Single Titan Ridge with Original Firmware* | Single Titan Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Titan Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Titan Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderbolt Dock | YES | |||||||
| Thunderbolt Dock Hotplug | YES | |||||||
| Thunderbolt Dock Ethernet | YES | |||||||
| Thunderbolt Dock Display Port | YES | |||||||
| Thunderbolt Dock HDMI | YES | |||||||
| Thunderbolt Dock USB | YES | |||||||
| Thunderbolt Dock Audio | YES |
| eGPU |
|---|
| Function on macOS | Alpine Ridge with Original Firmware* | Alpine Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Alpine Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Alpine Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** | Single Titan Ridge with Original Firmware* | Single Titan Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Titan Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Titan Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderbolt eGPU | YES | |||||||
| Thunderbolt eGPU Hotplug | YES | |||||||
| Thunderbolt eGPU Hotplug | YES |
| Audio |
|---|
| Function on macOS | Alpine Ridge with Original Firmware* | Alpine Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Alpine Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Alpine Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** | Single Titan Ridge with Original Firmware* | Single Titan Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Titan Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Titan Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderbolt Audio Interface | YES | |||||||
| Thunderbolt Audio Interface Hotplug | YES |
| Adapters |
|---|
| Function on macOS | Alpine Ridge with Original Firmware* | Alpine Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Alpine Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Alpine Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** | Single Titan Ridge with Original Firmware* | Single Titan Ridge with Custom Firmware* | Titan Ridge Cards with Original Firmware** | Titan Ridge Cards with Custom Firmware** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderbolt Ethernet Adapter | YES | |||||||
| Thunderbolt Ethernet Adapter Hotplug | YES | |||||||
| Thunderbolt 2 to Thunderbolt 3 | YES |
Notes:
- *Refers to Single Thunderbolt Card.
- **Refers to Multiple Thunderbolt Cards.
macOS Support
You can find the support table listed below for each particular macOS version with each setup.
| Controller | Family | macOS Sierra | macOS High Sierra | macOS Mojave | macOS Catalina | macOS Big Sur |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DSL3510L | Cactus Ridge | YES | ||||
| DSL6540 | Alpine Ridge | YES | YES | YES | YES | |
| JHL7540 | Titan Ridge | YES | YES | YES | YES | |
| JHL8540 | Maple Ridge | NO | NO | NO | NO | YES |
THB_C and TB Settings Support
You can find the support table listed below for each particular macOS version with each setup.
| Availability | Thunderbolt | USB Type-C |
|---|---|---|
| Motherboard with THB_C Header | YES | YES |
| Motherboard without THB_C Header | YES | NO |
| Motherboard with TB Settings | YES | YES |
| Motherboard without TB Settings | YES | YES |
SMBIOS Support
You can find the support table listed below for each particular macOS version with each setup.
Thunderbolt Firmware Configuration
There can be normally two firmware configuration for Thunderbolt 3. Original and Custom firmware Configuration. Both of them have been described below.
Original Firmware:
A original firmware is provided and is already flashed on the Thunderbolt Card. When you setup multiple Thunderbolt Cards, only one Card will work in a desired way and the other cards will not work due to limitation of different device address.
Custom Firmware:
A custom firmware is modified some of the experts from this community which eliminates the limitation of Thunderbolt Cards with different device addresses and also provides additional function such as Thunderbolt Bus configuration, visibility under System Report>Thunderbolt.
Thunderbolt Configuration
There can be normally two configuration for Thunderbolt 3. Single Card and Multiple Card Configuration. Where, single card offers up to "two" thunderbolt 3 ports and multiple card can offer up to "twelve" thunderbolt 3 ports depending on the PCIe slots available where one slot is always reserved for the GPU. These can be further categorized into four more configuration which are outlined below.
Single Card with Original Firmware:
A single Card with original firmware can offer up to "two" Thunderbolt 3 ports which doesn't requires flashing of a custom firmware for macOS.
Single Card with Custom Firmware:
A single card with original firmware can offer up to "two" Thunderbolt 3 ports which requires flashing of a custom firmware for macOS. With a custom firmware, it can provide additional function, visibility and additional information of Thunderbolt under System Report>Thunderbolt section.
Multiple Card with Original Firmware:
Multiple cards with original firmware can range between two (minimum) or more (up to 6, maximum) Thunderbolt card installed. HEDT and Workstation motherboards can offer up to 7 PCIe slots. However, one slot is reserved for GPU. Hence, the maximum capacity is six Thunderbolt 3 Cards. The drawback of using multiple cards with original firmware is that other than the reserved slot for Thunderbolt or small peripherals where the device address is usually PXSX, will be initialized and fully work, more likely like a single card with custom firmware. The rest of the cards installed will not function in any way. This is because, unless the card is flashed with a custom firmware, the Thunderbolt cannot be driven due to having different address such as BR1A, BR3A, PEGP, SL01, SL09.
Multiple Card with Custom Firmware:
Multiple cards with custom firmware can be best suited to professional music producers, video editors, motion and VFX artists. This option offers the maximum expandability of Thunderbolt 3. Offering up to 12 ports when 6 Thunderbolt Card is installed which is a maximum configuration as of now. Note that one slot is always reserved for GPU. With a custom firmware flashed on multiple Thunderbolt Card, it removes the limitation of utilizing multiple Thunderbolt cards. It also offers functionality such as Hotplug which can be achieved very easily.
Selecting Thunderbolt Configuration
Depending on your need for Thunderbolt, where the key factor can be the requirement of each individual Thunderbolt 3 ports, select your configuration and start the preparation for Thunderbolt 3 Hotplug. If you're looking for a simple Thunderbolt with Hotplug functionality and don't want to flash a custom firmware due to the complexity of the guide or not willing to take risk, the best choice would be to go for single card with original firmware. However, even if you don't want to flash your Thunderbolt with a custom firmware, you may need to flash it for some devices which requires Thunderbolt Bus to utilize a particular Thunderbolt device.
Flashing Custom Firmware
If you're planning to flash the custom firmware depending on your Thunderbolt needs, @mooseknuckleboi has written a very well guide explaining flashing Thunderbolt Cards for macOS. You can find more information for his thread linked below.
GUIDE - How to Flash Custom Firmware on Thunderbolt Card for macOS
How to Flash Custom Firmware on Thunderbolt Card for macOS not filled Flashing Custom Firmware ⚠️ WARNING: The following method described below is risky and it may brick your Thunderbolt Card during this process. The card may be damaged and you may require a programmer to flash the original...
www.elitemacx86.com
Enabling Thunderbolt 3 Hotplug
Now, you have enough information about Thunderbolt configuration, firmware, and the limitations and the next step is to enable Thunderbolt Hotplug To enable Hotplug, follow the steps outlined below.
Getting ACPI path
Before you start preparing the SSDT, it's recommended to find the ACPI path of the Thunderbolt Card.
For Single Card and Onboard Thunderbolt:
Connect any TB device and boot the system in order to get the ACPI path for the Thunderbolt Card on your Motherboard.
Now once the system is up, the next step is to get the ACPI path. To check the ACPI path, just open IOReg and type Thunderbolt in the search bar.
You should see something similar like in the attached screenshot.
Once you have located Thunderbolt node, you can clear the search to get the complete node info.
If you check, in the above screenshot, we have some Thunderbolt and USB connectors listed. You need to locate your current connector which is driving the connection to the Thunderbolt. A simple way to find this out is to just find the connector having Thunderbolt properties with AppleThunderboltHAL. In our case, it is RP21@1B,4. Your system can have a different one. Make sure to locate the right one.
For Multiple Cards:
Getting ACPI path is bit complex than single and onboard Thunderbolt. Follow the steps below.
You can install all the Thunderbolt Cards and get multiple ACPI path or can also use one card in each particular slot and then get the ACPI path.
To check the ACPI path, just open IOReg and type Thunderbolt in the search bar.
In our case, here are the following ACPI path
For Slot #2
For Slot #3
For Slot #5
However, this is the first phase of the ACPI path. To complete the second phase, you'll need to use a Thunderbolt SSDT and adapt for the every slot except PXSX and note down the new ACPI path. Note that normally it's PEGP. However, we recommend you to go through the second phase and confirm the ACPI path to make sure there is no fluke.
For Slot #3
For Slot #5
Obtaining Sample Thunderbolt SSDT
To get the sample Thunderbolt SSDT, follow the steps below.
1. Open HackinDROM website in your web browser.
2. Select your Thunderbolt Controller from the drop-down list.
3. You'll see the list of available Motherboards and AIC like the screenshot attached below. The list is subject to change.
For Single Card and Onboard Thunderbolt:
If you're having an onboard Thunderbolt chip or a single Thunderbolt Card, just select the appropriate model from the list.
For Multiple Thunderbolt Card:
If you're having multiple Thunderbolt Card, the process will be bit different from the onboard and single Thunderbolt card.
1. Select the appropriate AIC model from the list.
Configuring TB Bus ID
For each Thunderbolt Card, you'll need to configure the TB Bus ID. This is necessary for multiple Thunderbolt Controllers installed in the system. Each unique Bus ID represents each unique Thunderbolt Controller. To configure the Bus ID, follow the steps below.
1. After selecting the AIC model from the list, click on Customize.
2. Under TB Bus ID, change the Bus ID. You can use Bus ID from 0 or 1, where the 0 or 1 belongs to the first Thunderbolt Card. For example, if you have 3 Thunderbolt Cards and you would like to use the TB Bus from 0, it would 0, 1 and 2 respectively and if you would like to use the TB Bus from 1, it would be simply 1, 2 and 3 respectively.
3. Once you've selected the TB Bus ID, click on COMPILE button.
4. Click on Download button and the SSDT will be downloaded/saved to your system's configured download location in your browser.
Note:
- To activate Thunderbolt Bus, you'll need to flash a custom firmware onto your Thunderbolt Card.
- For multiple Thunderbolt Cards, it's strongly recommended that you refresh the website and configure the TB Bus ID for each card to generate random Unique ID (UID) respectively.
- The Slot having PXSX address, is recommended to have TB Bus ID as 0. The rest should have 1, 2, 3 and so on.
Now, we have got the ACPI path of the Thunderbolt. To enable the hotplug, you must change the ACPI path to match yours.
1. Open the downloaded SSDT
For Single Card and Onboard Thunderbolt:
For single card and onboard Thunderbolt, the steps are very simple.
If we consider our first Thunderbolt Card, which is installed on Slot #2 as the Slot #1 is reserved for GPU, the changed to the SSDT, would be the following.
1. To change that, press Command+F on your Keyboard.
2. Click on Replace checkbox in the right corner.
3. Type PCI0 in the first search box and type PC00 in the second search box.
4. Click on All and the changes would be like the screenshot attached below.
Notes:
- The rest of the path will not be changed as per the IOReg, the ACPI path for the very first Card, for Slot #2, was PC00.RP21.PXSX.
- For the Slot having PXSX as a path in IOReg, no further SSDT modification is required.
For Multiple Thunderbolt Cards:
For Multiple Thunderbolt Cards, you'll need to perform some additional steps.
If we consider our second Thunderbolt SSDT, here would be the changes.
1. To change that, press Command+F on your Keyboard.
2. Click on Replace checkbox in the right corner.
3. Type PCI0 in the first search box and type PC01 in the second search box.
4. Click on All and the changes would be like the screenshot attached below.
5. Type RP21 in the first search box and type BR1A in the second search box.
6. Click on All and the changes would be like the screenshot attached below.
7. Type PXSX in the first search box and type PEGP in the second search box.
8. Click on All and the changes would be like the screenshot attached below.
Adding additional External Definition Block
If you remember the step of "Getting ACPI Path", you may have noticed that for second Thunderbolt Card, the path was PC01.BR1A.SL01 but here we have been using PEGP. Hence, we need to add PC01.BR1A.SL01 and also define SL01. To do that, follow the steps below.
1. Copy the following External method.
Code:
External (_SB_.PC01.BR1A.SL01, DeviceObj) // (from opcode)Once changed, the SSDT should look like the screenshot attached below.
3. Copy the following Scope
Code:
Scope (SL01)
{
Name (_STA, Zero) // _STA: Status
}Once changed, the SSDT should look the screenshot attached below.
Click on Compile button and save the SSDT.
Note:
- You must replace the ACPI path with yours for each Thunderbolt Card installed in your system.
Slot Configuration
The slot configuration is purely cosmetic but is helpful when debugging and makes the Thunderbolt nearly perfect. The slot counts will be from the very slot present on the Motherboard, regardless of the slot type. There can be three slot configuration for Thunderbolt 3. Onboard and Single/Multiple Thunderbolt
Onboard Thunderbolt:
For onboard Thunderbolt, the slot will be configured as "built-in" due to onboard chip directly soldered on the Motherboard. For onboard Thunderbolt configuration, the sample SSDT should be good to go as it's already configured as built-in.
Singe/Multiple Thunderbolt Card:
For single or multiple Thunderbolt, the slot will be configured as Slot-1, Slot-2 and so on. To change the Slot configuration, follow the steps below.
If we consider our first sample SSDT, which refers to the very first Thunderbolt Card installed in Slot #2, the changes would be the following.
The sample SSDT has Slot-4 as a configuration and the changes would be the following.
1. Type Slot-4 in the first search box and type Slot-2 in the second search box and click on All.
Note:
- When having a multiple Thunderbolt Card, the same steps will be applied as above to the rest of the SSDTs.
Renaming SSDT
If you're using multiple Thunderbolt Card, it's strongly recommended to rename the SSDTs as SSDT-TB3-SLOT1, SSDT-TB3-SLOT2 and so on.
Installing the SSDT
Now, the SSDT has our ACPI path. The next step is to install the SSDT.
1. Mount the EFI partition of the system
2. Open the EFI folder.
For OpenCore:
1. Navigate to EFI/OC/ACPI/patched directory.
2. Place the SSDT-DTGP and the related SSDT-TB3-SLOT-X.
For Clover:
1. Navigate to EFI/Clover/ACPI/patched directory.
2. Place the SSDT-DTGP and the related SSDT-TB3-SLOT-X.
Notes:
- For OpenCore, you'll need to add the SSDTs entry in the ACPI section of your config.plist.
- The SSDTs must be added in a sorted order. It's recommended to load the SSDT with "PXSX" first and then the rest and the TB Bus ID will be also start from PXSX SSDT, regardless of the Slot order.
Installing kext and driver
1. Download the following kext and driver.
ThunderboltReset
TbtForcePower.efi
2. After downloading the drivers, extract it.
3. Copy ThunderboltReset.kext to EFI/Kext/Other directory.
4. Copy the TbtForcePower.efi to EFI/Drivers/UEFI
Restart your System
After performing all the above steps, restart your system for the applied changes to take effect.
Connect any TB Device and you're good to go!
Test Results
Following are the test results for various motherboards and Thunderbolt Devices.
TEST HARDWARE:
Motherboard: GIGABYTE Z370 AORUS Elite
CPU: Intel Core i9 10900F
GPU: NVIDIA GTX 1080Ti
Thunderbolt: GIGABYTE GC-Titan Ridge, original firmware
macOS: macOS Big High Sierra 10.13.6
Thunderbolt Devices:
The screenshot below is with no any Thunderbolt Device connected.
The screenshot below is with the Thunderbolt Drive connected using TB2 adapter to the Motherboard.
Once the TB device is connected, the PCI looks like the following.
The Storage looks like the following.
Once the Element 88 is connected via Thunderbolt using a TB2 Adapter, the Audio looks like the following. As you can see, the transport method is TB
The screenshot below is with the Thunderbolt Audio Interface (Element 88) connected using TB2 adapter to the Motherboard.
In the System Preferences>Sound
The IOReg for the Thunderbolt Drive. As you can see, the TB Device is connected to RP21 and the Drive is connected to DSB4 node.
The IOReg for the Audio Interface (Element 88). As you can see, the TB Device is connected to RP21 and the Drive is connected to DSB4 node.
Motherboard: GIGABYTE Z370 AORUS Elite
CPU: Intel Core i9 10900F
GPU: NVIDIA GTX 1080Ti
Thunderbolt: GIGABYTE GC-Titan Ridge, original firmware
macOS: macOS Big High Sierra 10.13.6
Thunderbolt Devices:
- Element88
- G-Technology
The screenshot below is with no any Thunderbolt Device connected.
The screenshot below is with the Thunderbolt Drive connected using TB2 adapter to the Motherboard.
Once the TB device is connected, the PCI looks like the following.
The Storage looks like the following.
Once the Element 88 is connected via Thunderbolt using a TB2 Adapter, the Audio looks like the following. As you can see, the transport method is TB
The screenshot below is with the Thunderbolt Audio Interface (Element 88) connected using TB2 adapter to the Motherboard.
In the System Preferences>Sound
The IOReg for the Thunderbolt Drive. As you can see, the TB Device is connected to RP21 and the Drive is connected to DSB4 node.
The IOReg for the Audio Interface (Element 88). As you can see, the TB Device is connected to RP21 and the Drive is connected to DSB4 node.
TEST HARDWARE:
Motherboard: GIGABYTE X299X Designare 10G
CPU: Intel Core i9 10980XE
GPU: AMD 5700XT
Thunderbolt: Built-in JHL7540, original firmware
macOS: macOS Catalina 10.15.7
Thunderbolt Devices:
Apollo Twin X Duo Connected.
System Preferences>Sound
IOReg with Apollo Twin X Connected.
Lacie Rugged 2TB Connected.
System Report>SATA/SATA Express.
DaisyChain with Port 1
UAD-2 Satellite - OCTO
Apollo Twin X - DUO Connected.
System Report>Audio
IOReg with UAD-2 Satellite - OCTO and Apollo Twin X - DUO
DaisyChain with Port 2
UAD connected to Port 1 and DSP to Port 2
UAD Connected to Port 2 and DSP to Port 1
Motherboard: GIGABYTE X299X Designare 10G
CPU: Intel Core i9 10980XE
GPU: AMD 5700XT
Thunderbolt: Built-in JHL7540, original firmware
macOS: macOS Catalina 10.15.7
Thunderbolt Devices:
- Apple Ethernet Adapter
- Lacie Rugged 2TB
- UAD Apollo Twin X - Duo
- UAD-2 Satellite Thunderbolt 3 - Octo
Apollo Twin X Duo Connected.
System Preferences>Sound
IOReg with Apollo Twin X Connected.
Lacie Rugged 2TB Connected.
System Report>SATA/SATA Express.
DaisyChain with Port 1
UAD-2 Satellite - OCTO
Apollo Twin X - DUO Connected.
System Report>Audio
IOReg with UAD-2 Satellite - OCTO and Apollo Twin X - DUO
DaisyChain with Port 2
UAD connected to Port 1 and DSP to Port 2
UAD Connected to Port 2 and DSP to Port 1
TEST HARDWARE:
Motherboard: MSI X299 RAIDER
CPU: Intel Core i9 10940X
GPU: AMD 5700XT
Thunderbolt: 3xGIGABYTE GC-Titan Ridge, custom firmware
macOS: macOS Catalina 10.15.7
Thunderbolt Devices:
Thunderbolt Bus
Motherboard: MSI X299 RAIDER
CPU: Intel Core i9 10940X
GPU: AMD 5700XT
Thunderbolt: 3xGIGABYTE GC-Titan Ridge, custom firmware
macOS: macOS Catalina 10.15.7
Thunderbolt Devices:
- TBT3 SSD 480
- Ash Creek
- Belkin Thunderbolt 3 Mini Dock with 4K Dual HDMI
- eGPU
Thunderbolt Bus
TEST HARDWARE:
Motherboard: GIGABYTE Z370 Aorus Gaming 3
CPU: Intel Core i9 10940X
GPU: AMD RX 580
Thunderbolt: GIGABYTE GC-Titan Ridge, Original Firmware
macOS: macOS Big Sur
Type-C Devices:
Motherboard: GIGABYTE Z370 Aorus Gaming 3
CPU: Intel Core i9 10940X
GPU: AMD RX 580
Thunderbolt: GIGABYTE GC-Titan Ridge, Original Firmware
macOS: macOS Big Sur
Type-C Devices:
- LG 38WK95C-W
TEST HARDWARE:
Motherboard: GIGABYTE Z370 Aorus Gaming 3
CPU: Intel Core i9 10940X
GPU: AMD RX 580
Thunderbolt: GIGABYTE GC-Titan Ridge, Original Firmware
macOS: macOS Big Sur
Type-C Devices:
Motherboard: GIGABYTE Z370 Aorus Gaming 3
CPU: Intel Core i9 10940X
GPU: AMD RX 580
Thunderbolt: GIGABYTE GC-Titan Ridge, Original Firmware
macOS: macOS Big Sur
Type-C Devices:
- LG 38WK95C-W
TEST HARDWARE:
Motherboard: EVGA X299 Micro
CPU: Intel Core i9 10940X
GPU: AMD 5700XT
Thunderbolt: 3xGIGABYTE GC-Titan Ridge, custom firmware
macOS: macOS Catalina 10.15.7
Thunderbolt Devices:
Motherboard: EVGA X299 Micro
CPU: Intel Core i9 10940X
GPU: AMD 5700XT
Thunderbolt: 3xGIGABYTE GC-Titan Ridge, custom firmware
macOS: macOS Catalina 10.15.7
Thunderbolt Devices:
- TBT3 SSD 480
- Ash Creek
- Belkin Thunderbolt 3 Mini Dock with 4K Dual HDMI
- eGPU
FAQ [Frequently Asked Questions]
Q. Is my Thunderbolt Compatible?
A. All the Thunderbolt models and Family listed above, at the starting of this guide are compatible and has been tested. If you have any other model and Family, feel free to post or create a separate thread.
Q. I don't see Thunderbolt information under System Report>Thunderbolt. I only see "No Drivers are loaded". Is that normal?
A. It may be possible. But as of now, no information available yet. Yes, it's very normal. The reason you don't see the Thunderbolt information is due to the card not flashed with a custom firmware which activates Thunderbolt Bus.
Q. Is it necessary to Flash Thunderbolt Card?
A. Yes, it's necessary if you want to use any special device which requires Bus Activation and networking capability and when using multiple Thunderbolt cards on one motherboard.
Q. I've flashed my Thunderbolt Card with a custom firmware. Do i still need to use SSDT?
A. Yes, you'll need to use the SSDT regardless of the case. The SSDT is what provides PCI Device, Hotplug and Bus ID.
Q. Can i activate TB Bus ID without the need of flashing the custom firmware on Alpine Ridge?
A. Yes, you can.
Q. Can i activate TB Bus ID without the need of flashing the custom firmware on Titan Ridge?
A. It may be possible. But as of now, no information available yet.
Q. I cannot use the Audio Interface from Antelope, Presonus, Slate Digital, Focusrite and Apogee Digital?
A. Yes, that's a well known issue. For more information, refer to the news linked below.
News - Now you can use Antelope, Presonus Quantum, Slate Digital, Focusrite and Apogee Thunderbolt Audio Interface on Custom PC Builds and Laptops with macOS
Now you can use Antelope, Presonus Quantum, Slate Digital, Focusrite and Apogee Digital Thunderbolt Audio Interface on Custom PC Builds and Laptops with macOS Overview It has been so long since few Audio Interface from the brands like Antelope, Presonus Quantum, Slate Digital, Focusrite and...
elitemacx86.com
Problem Reporting
Details:
- Thunderbolt Chip and Family
- Thunderbolt Vendor/Manufacturer
- Thunderbolt Type (Onboard or AIC)
- Thunderbolt AIC PCI Slot Location
- THB_C header Availability
- TB BIOS Settings Availability
- Motherboard Model
- CPU Model
- macOS version
- Copy of IOReg
- Kextcache output
- Hackintool>PCIe
- System Report>PCI
- For Clover, compress EFI/Clover, exclude the themes folder.
- For OpenCore, compress EFI/OC.
- Do not include complete EFI folder.
- Put all files in a folder with your name, compress files as Zip and attach files using site attachments only.
- Do not use any external links.
Credits :
KGP
DSM2
CaseySJ
Elias64Fr
Mooseknuckleboi
Ferz
Sample Attachment
The ACPI files are attached below which has been used as an example in this guide.
Attachments
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