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THUNDERBOLT™ 3
Everything you need to know about Thunderbolt™ and Thunderbolt 3
Thunderbolt, developed by Intel, steps up USB port technology by supporting both high‐speed data and video. Harnessing Thunderbolt through a USB-C port created in partnership with USB-IF, Thunderbolt 3 is the fastest port available. It connects Thunderbolt devices, all HD and 4K displays, and billions of USB-C devices using one compact, reversible cable.
HISTORY OF THUNDERBOLT
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- 1995
- USB 1.0 consolidates and simplifies low‐speed data ports.
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- 2000
- USB 2.0 increases data speed (480 Mbps).
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- 2008
- USB 3.0 increases data speed (5 Gbps).
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- 2010–11
- Thunderbolt consolidates and simplifies high-speed data and video ports (10 Gbps). Notebooks featuring Mini DisplayPort are announced.
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- 2013
- Thunderbolt 2 increases data and video speed (20 Gbps). USB 3.1 increases data speed (10 Gbps). More devices featuring Mini DisplayPort are announced.
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- 2014
- Type-C (USB-C) connector introduces a new small, reversible connector.
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- 2015-19
- Thunderbolt 3 brings Thunderbolt and USB 3.1 (10 Gbps) to USB-C (40 Gbps).
The increasing mobility of the workforce coupled with the decreasing size of devices created a challenge within the tech sphere: How to support desktop speeds and applications—on mobile devices. Thunderbolt was developed as a solution to this challenge. Thunderbolt 3 supports the fastest data and most video bandwidth on a single cable.
1. Ethernet 2. Firewire 3. Thunderbolt 2
4. DisplayPort™ 5. HDMI® 6. USB-C 7. USB-A
MORE PROTOCOLS
Thunderbolt, DisplayPort, PCI Express, and USB
MORE SPEED
Up to 40 Gbps total bandwidth
MORE PIXELS
Supports dual 4K 60Hz displays
MORE POWER
Up to 85W power delivery
The new wave of Thunderbolt 3 Docks from Belkin brings fast data transfer, ultra-high definition monitor support and all the features you want from your ideal workstation.
DOCK PRO
USB-C port with Thunderbolt 3
Compatibility with Mac and Windows
Dual 4K 60Hz Thunderbolt + DisplayPort
40 Gbps data transfer rate
Connects 8 devices through a single cable
Gigabit ethernet for a fast, secure and reliable connection
UHS-II SD card reader
Up to 85W of power to your computer
Single-cable docking solution
Explore Belkin Thunderbolt 3 solutions
DOCK PLUS
USB-C port with Thunderbolt 3
Compatibility with Mac and Windows
Dual 4K 60Hz 2x DisplayPort
40 Gbps data transfer rate
Connects 8 devices through a single cable
Gigabit ethernet for a fast, secure and reliable connection
Up to 60W of power to your computer
Single-cable docking solution
Explore Belkin Thunderbolt 3 solutions
DOCK CORE
Tethered Thunderbolt 3 cable
Compatibility with Mac and Windows
Dual 4K 60Hz DisplayPort + HDMI
40 Gbps data transfer rate
Connects 6 devices through a single cable
Gigabit ethernet for a fast, secure and reliable connection
Up to 60W of power to your computer
Single-cable docking solution
DOCK MINI HD
Tethered Thunderbolt 3 cable
USB-C port with Thunderbolt 3
Compatibility with Mac and Windows
Dual 4K 60Hz 2x 2x HDMI
40 Gbps data transfer rate
Connects 4 devices through a single cable
Gigabit ethernet for a fast, secure and reliable connection
Single-cable docking solution
EXPRESS DOCK HD
USB-C port with Thunderbolt 3
Compatibility with Windows only
Dual 4K 60Hz Thunderbolt + DisplayPort
40 Gbps data transfer rate
Connects 8 devices through a single cable
Gigabit ethernet for a fast, secure and reliable connection
Up to 85W of power to your computer
Single-cable docking solution
Take full advantage of Thunderbolt technology with cables and accessories from Belkin.
Thunderbolt™ 3 Dock Pro
Ports
- USB-A 3.0 ports
- Gb Ethernet
- DisplayPort
- Thunderbolt™ 3 port
- Thunderbolt™ 3 port (powers up to 85W)
- DC in (170W)
- USB-A 3.1 Gen 2 port
- USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 port
- SD Card Reader
- Audio In/Out
Thunderbolt™ 3 Dock Plus
Ports
- Gb Ethernet
- USB-A 3.1 ports
- USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 ports
- DisplayPort
- DC in (125W)
- Thunderbolt™ 3 port
- Audio In/Out
- USB-A 3.1 Gen 2 port
Gbps (stands for gigabits per second)
A unit of data transfer rate measuring bandwidth speed by the billions of bits transferred per second.
Standard USB (stands for Standard Universal Serial Bus)
The most common universal connector on the “other end” of most current USB cables, Standard USB is often suitable for use with computers, car chargers, wall chargers, and many other devices.
USB port (stands for Universal Serial Bus port)
A port designed for use with an industry standard connector to communicate data and supply electric power between devices.
USB 3.1
USB 3.1 is the updated, Gen 2 version of USB 3.0. Gen 2 successfully doubled the transfer speed rate of Gen 1(USB 3.0), taking USB from 5 Gbps to 10 Gbps.
USB-C (also known as Type-C)
A new type of USB connector, hailed as the new standard. Smaller, faster, and more user-friendly than previous USB types, USB-C has widespread support from industry leaders, meaning USB-C will come to replace all other USB types.
USB-IF (stands for USB Implementers Forum)
A non-profit organization founded by the companies that developed the Universal Serial Bus (USB) specification. The USB-IF’s mission is to support and advance USB technology.
4K (short for 4,096 pixels of resolution)
Quickly becoming the new standard for high-quality digital video, 4K refers to a horizontal resolution of 4,096 pixels, or “4K” pixels.
Mini DisplayPort
A miniaturized version of the DisplayPort interface, Apple developed audio-visual digital interface Mini DisplayPort in 2008.
- Belkin Thunderbolt 3 Express Dock HD only.
- https://thunderbolttechnology.net/sites/default/files/Thunderbolt_3_Overview_Brief_FINAL.pdf
- Second display must be Thunderbolt enabled.
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