Asus ThunderboltEX II User manual

ThunderboltEX II
15060-35300000
User Guide

2
E8613
First Edition
February 2014
Copyright © 2014 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved.
No part of this manual, including the products and software described in it, may be reproduced,
transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form or by any
means, except documentation kept by the purchaser for backup purposes, without the express written
permission of ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. (“ASUS”).
ASUS provides this manual “as is” without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including but not
limited to the implied warranties or conditions of merchantability or tness for a particular purpose. In no
event shall ASUS, its directors, ofcers, employees, or agents be liable for any indirect, special, incidental,
or consequential damages (including damages for loss of prots, loss of business, loss of use or data,
interruption of business and the like), even if ASUS has been advised of the possibility of such damages
arising from any defect or error in this manual or product.
Specications and information contained in this manual ae furnished for informational use only, and are
subject to change at any time without notice, and should not be construed as a commitment by ASUS.
ASUS assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or inaccuracies that may appear in this manual,
including the products and software described in it.
Product warranty or service will not be extended if: (1) the product is repaired, modied or altered, unless
such repair, modication of alteration is authorized in writing by ASUS; or (2) the serial number of the
product is defaced or missing.
Products and corporate names appearing in this manual may or may not be registered trademarks or
copyrights of their respective companies, and are used only for identication or explanation and to the
owners’ benet, without intent to infringe.

3
Package contents
Check your package for the following items:
• 1 x ThunderboltEX II card
• 1 x DisplayPort cable
• 1 x mini DisplayPort cable
• 1 x ASUS TB_Header cable
• 1 x User guide
• 1 x Support CD
Compatible ASUS motherboard models
The ThunderboltEX II card is compatible with the following ASUS motherboards with TB
Headers that passed Intel®validation:
• MAXIMUS VI EXTREME
• SABERTOOTH Z87
• Z87-PRO
• Z87-PRO (V EDITION)
• Z87-PLUS
• Z87-PLUS (VivoMouse EDITION)
• Z87-A
• Z87-A (NFC EXPRESS EDITION)
If any of the above items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer.
Welcome!
Congratulations and thank you for buying an ASUS ThunderboltEX II card!
The ASUS ThunderboltEX II card provides Thunderbolt™ connection to other Thunderbolt-
enabled devices. Use this card to quickly transfer native PCIe and DisplayPort protocols
between a PC and Thunderbolt™ devices.
Features
Your ASUS ThunderboltEX II card features a Thunderbolt™ 2 port that supports
Thunderbolt™ 2 technology and a DisplayPort that supports DisplayPort 1.2 specications.
The Thunderbolt™ 2 port provides 20 Gb/s bi-directional bandwidth and incorporates
DisplayPort 1.2 support enabling transfer and display of 4K video les simultaneously. The
Thunderbolt™ 2 port also allows you to connect up to six Thunderbolt-enabled devices in a
daisy-chain conguration using Thunderbolt™ cables.

4
ThunderboltEX II specications summary
Chipset Intel® DSL5320 Thunderbolt™2 controller
External Connectors
1 x Thunderbolt™ 2 port (up to 20 Gb/s bandwidth)
1 x DisplayPort 1.2 IN port
1 x 9-pin TB_Header
VGA
Supports Thunderbolt™2 interface* with maximum resolution
of 4096 x 2160 @ 24 Hz / 3840 x 2160 @ 60 Hz
DisplayPort 1.2 Multi-Stream Transport (MST) compliant;
supports up to three displays of DisplayPort 1.2 monitors.**
* Use the Thunderbolt™ cable to link Thunderbolt™ monitors and
Thunderbolt-enabled devices in a daisy chain connection.
** Use the mini DisplayPort cable to link up to three DisplayPort 1.2
monitors in a daisy chain connection.
Data Rate Thunderbolt™ 2 port for 2 channels, 20 Gb/s bidirectional per
channel
Accessories
1 x DisplayPort cable*
1 x mini DisplayPort cable*
1 x ASUS TB_Header cable**
1 x Support CD***
* Provides link from the motherboard’s DisplayPort or mini DisplayPort to
the DisplayPort 1.2 IN port on the ThunderboltEX II card. Use the bundled
DisplayPort or mini DIsplayPort cable depending on the available
DisplayPort connector on your motherboard.
** Provides link from TB_Header of the motherboard to the
ThunderboltEX II card’s TB header.
*** Contains the Thunderbolt™ 2 driver.
Operating Systems
Supported Windows® 7 / Windows® 8 / Windows®8.1
Form Factor 3.35 in. x 3.94 in. (8.5 cm x 10 cm)
* Specications are subject to change without notice.
• Use only Thunderbolt™ technology-enabled devices that passed Intel®
validation to ensure optimum performance and compatibility with your
ThunderboltEX II card.
• Ensure your monitor complies with DisplayPort 1.2 specications if
you want to connect them in a daisy-chain conguration using the
Thunderbolt™ 2 port.

5
ThunderboltEX II card layout
Thunderbolt™ 2 port
DisplayPort IN port
PCIE 2.0 interface
LED indicator
TB_Header
To install the driver, place the Support DVD into the optical drive then follow on-screen
instructions to nish the installation.
Installing the ThunderboltEX II driver
We highly recommend that you install the Thunderbolt™ 2 driver rst before
installing the ThunderboltEX II card.

6
• Before installing the ThunderboltEX II card in your motherboard, ensure
that you have an available PCIE 2.0 x16 slot connected to the platform
controller hub (PCH). For more information on the correct PCIE 2.0
slot to use, refer to the section ThunderboltEX II card recommended
configuration of this user guide.
• The following illustrations are for reference only. The motherboard layout
may vary with models, but the installation steps remain the same.
Installing the ThunderboltEX II card
To install the ThunderboltEX II card:
Ensure that no cables or
peripherals are blocking the
PCIE 2.0 slot.
When the red LED on the
ThunderboltEX II card is on,
it indicates that a cable is
disconnected. Refer to the
section ThunderboltEX II card
layout of this user guide for the
location of the LED indicator.
1. Shut down your PC.
2. Open the chassis.
3. Align and insert the ThunderboltEX
II card into a PCIE 2.0 slot until it is
securely seated in place.
4. Connect the ASUS TB_Header cable
to the ThunderboltEX II card (A)
and to the TB_Header port on the
motherboard (B).

7
Thunderbolt™ 2 connector
DisplayPort
DisplayPort IN port
5. Connect the DisplayPort cable to the
ThunderboltEX II card’s DisplayPort IN
port (A) and to the DisplayPort or mini
DisplayPort on the motherboard’s I/O
port (B).
6. Close the chassis.
7. Turn on the PC.
8. Connect the Thunderbolt™ cable from your Thunderbolt-enabled device to the
Thunderbolt™ 2 port on the ThunderboltEX II card.
• The Thunderbolt™ cable is not bundled with the ThunderboltEX II package.
Use the Thunderbolt™ cable that came with your Thunderbolt-enabled
device when connecting to the Thunderbolt™ 2 port on your ThunderboltEX
II card.
• The Thunderbolt™ 2 port of the ThunderboltEX II card is backward
compatible with the previous Thunderbolt™ technology.
• For the recommended daisy-chain congurations or connections, refer to
the section Connecting to external devices of this user guide.

8
ThunderboltEX II card recommended configuration
Compatible ASUS
motherboard models
PCIE 2.0 port on
the motherboard
(color)
PCIE 2.0 mode
(D = Default;
M = Maximum;
D/M = Default &
Maximum)
Maximum
bandwidth
Supported
BIOS
version*
MAXIMUS VI EXTREME PCIe 2.0/1.1 x4_1
(Black) D/M: x4 mode 20 Gb/s 1702 or later
SABERTOOTH Z87 PCIe 2.0 x16_3
(Black) D/M: x4 mode 20 Gb/s 1702 or later
Z87-PRO PCIe 2.0 x16_3
(Dark Brown)
D: x1 mode**
M: x4 mode 20 Gb/s 1702 or later
Z87-PRO (V EDITION) PCIe 2.0 x16_3
(Dark Brown)
D: x1 mode**
M: x4 mode 20 Gb/s 1702 or later
Z87-PLUS PCIe 2.0 x16_3
(Dark Brown) D/M: x2 mode*** 10 Gb/s 1702 or later
Z87-PLUS (VivoMouse
EDITION)
PCIe 2.0 x16_3
(Dark Brown) D/M: x2 mode*** 10 Gb/s 1702 or later
Z87-A PCIe 2.0 x16_3
(Dark Brown) D/M: x2 mode*** 10 Gb/s 1702 or later
Z87-A (NFC EXPRESS
EDITION)
PCIe 2.0 x16_3
(Dark Brown) D/M: x2 mode*** 10 Gb/s 1702 or later
* Update the BIOS of your motherboard and the VGA driver to the latest
version. Go to www.asus.com for more information.
** Set the mode of your motherboard’s PCIe 2.0 x16_3 from x1 to x4 to
maximize the performance of your ThunderboltEX II card. When you
adjust the mode from x1 to x4, the PCIEX1_2, PCIEX1_3, PCIEX1_4,
and SATA6G_E12 are disabled. Refer to the chapter BIOS setup of your
motherboard’s user guide for more information.
*** The maximum bandwidth of the PCIe 2.0 x16_3 slot on these supported
motherboards is up to x2 mode only. The maximum bandwidth in x2 mode
is 10 Gb/s.
If you install an add-on VGA card, ensure to set the BIOS item iGPU Multi
Monitor to Enable. Refer to the chapter BIOS setup of your motherboard’s
user guide for more information.

9
You can refer to the following illustrations for the recommended daisy-chain connections:
Connecting to external devices
Before connecting any Thunderbolt-enabled devices in a daisy-chain
conguration, ensure that it is equipped with one Thunderbolt™ IN port
and one Thunderbolt™ OUT port.
Six Thunderbolt™ devices
Six Thunderbolt™ devices + three DisplayPort 1.2 displays
Five Thunderbolt™ devices + one native Thunderbolt™ monitor

10
Notices
Federal Communications Commission Statement
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions:
• This device may not cause harmful interference.
• This device must accept any interference received including interference that may cause
undesired operation.
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital
device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide
reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This
equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed
and used in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions, may cause harmful interference
to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur
in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or
television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user
is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is
connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
The use of shielded cables for connection of the monitor to the graphics card
is required to assure compliance with FCC regulations. Changes or modications to this
unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user’s
authority to operate this equipment.
IC: Canadian Compliance Statement
Complies with the Canadian ICES-003 Class B specications. This device complies with RSS
210 of Industry Canada. This Class B device meets all the requirements of the Canadian
interference-causing equipment regulations.
This device complies with Industry Canada license exempt RSS standard(s). Operation is
subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause interference, and (2)
this device must accept any interference, including interference that may cause undesired
operation of the device.
Cut appareil numérique de la Classe B est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.
Cet appareil numérique de la Classe B respecte toutes les exigences du Règlement sur le
matériel brouilleur du Canada.
Cet appareil est conforme aux normes CNR exemptes de licence d’Industrie Canada. Le
fonctionnement est soumis aux deux conditions suivantes :
(1) cet appareil ne doit pas provoquer d’interférences et
(2) cet appareil doit accepter toute interférence, y compris celles susceptibles de provoquer
un fonctionnement non souhaité de l’appareil.