Long, optical Thunderbolt 3 cables are coming soon

AppleInsider

Sonnet is teaming up with Archiware to demonstrate the first in a line of optical Thunderbolt 3 cables, allowing for high-speed data transfers across the protocol at long range.

Optical Thunderbolt 2 cable, presently available

Sonnet will be demonstrating the new cable connected to a Mac mini with Archiware software running in Sonnet's stand. The Mac mini will be controlled from Archiware's stand over 50 meters of as-yet unreleased Corning optical Thunderbolt 3 cable.

The computer will be running Archiware's P5 media asset management software suite, with P5 Backup, and P5 Archive. Archiware staff will control the system, mounted in a xMac mini Server Thunderbolt 3 enclosure from their stand with a keyboard, mouse, and display connected to a Sonnet Echo 11 Thunderbolt 3 dock.

Prior to the release of the Corning cable, Thunderbolt 3 cable lengths have been limited to about two meters. Sonnet says that varying lengths of the Corning cables will be available, with lengths up to that 50 meters that will be demonstrated at the IBC conference.

Pricing on the optical Thunderbolt 3 cables is not yet available. At present, a 18-foot optical Thunderbolt 2 cable retails for $215, and a 200-foot run retails for $999.

lkrupp

Wondering if these cables could also be USB 4 compatible. Tech reports seem to indicate USB 4 is basically Thunderbolt 3 with USB 2, 3, and 3.1 backward compatibility. 

alanwynn

lkrupp said:

Wondering if these cables could also be USB 4 compatible. Tech reports seem to indicate USB 4 is basically Thunderbolt 3 with USB 2, 3, and 3.1 backward compatibility. 

When I spoke to the Corning representative at NAB, I was told these would not support USB. USB 4 had not been ratified, so this may change in the future.

netrox

Just curious.. why does it matter what kind of cable materials are used to transmit data as long as a protocol is used? Fiber optics has the advantage of transmitting data over longer ranges but is there a reason why we cannot use it for USB protocol? Can't the microchip be embedded in each receptable to do the real time translation?

onehunglow

netrox said:

Just curious.. why does it matter what kind of cable materials are used to transmit data as long as a protocol is used? Fiber optics has the advantage of transmitting data over longer ranges but is there a reason why we cannot use it for USB protocol? Can't the microchip be embedded in each receptable to do the real time translation?

It doesn’t matter that it’s optical it only matters what their transceivers support, and yes it could be used for USB if they want it to.

onehunglow

Optical fibres for data transmission are very cheap. Their pricing for 200 feet is a joke. If the user could supply their own fibre - that’d be very interesting.

sflocal

onehunglow said:

Optical fibres for data transmission are very cheap. Their pricing for 200 feet is a joke. If the user could supply their own fibre - that’d be very interesting.

Not necessarily.  I deal with fiber optic cables often.  "Cheap" fiber cable usually has the core made of plastic and the quality of the fiber varies greatly, particularly when dealing with fiber made in China.  High-quality cable has the core made from glass which provides a very high quality signal with minimal to no loss over crazy distances.  For these thunderbolt cables to work at those distances must mean they're using a very high quality glass fiber core, in addition to some serious optical transceivers to maintain that kind of bandwidth and reliability.

It's pricey stuff.  Even for Thundrbolt2, I would seriously consider these cables if it means I could move my noisy TB2 RAID somewhere else in my house, maybe even the basement.

anome

I take it this is different from an actual Light Peak connection, in that it's not using a native optical signal, just transmitting the Thunderbolt signal over an optic connection.

Shame Light Peak didn't really get any traction on its own - Thunderbolt was supposed to just be a placeholder while they got the cost of the hardware down. Then again, I was always a bit hazy about how power transmission was supposed to work without the copper. (I mean, it's possible, but it would make the hardware even more expensive and complicated.)

Come to think of it, do the Corning cables support Power Delivery? Or is that specifically a part of the USB spec they don't support?

filemakerfeller

anome said:

I take it this is different from an actual Light Peak connection, in that it's not using a native optical signal, just transmitting the Thunderbolt signal over an optic connection.

Shame Light Peak didn't really get any traction on its own - Thunderbolt was supposed to just be a placeholder while they got the cost of the hardware down. Then again, I was always a bit hazy about how power transmission was supposed to work without the copper. (I mean, it's possible, but it would make the hardware even more expensive and complicated.)

Come to think of it, do the Corning cables support Power Delivery? Or is that specifically a part of the USB spec they don't support?

They might do it with a copper sheath around the optical core. I have no idea how effective that would be, though.

jimthing

anome said:

I take it this is different from an actual Light Peak connection, in that it's not using a native optical signal, just transmitting the Thunderbolt signal over an optic connection.

Shame Light Peak didn't really get any traction on its own - Thunderbolt was supposed to just be a placeholder while they got the cost of the hardware down. Then again, I was always a bit hazy about how power transmission was supposed to work without the copper. (I mean, it's possible, but it would make the hardware even more expensive and complicated.)

Come to think of it, do the Corning cables support Power Delivery? Or is that specifically a part of the USB spec they don't support?

This is highly doubtful for a few fairly obvious reasons: 

1. You can run power extension cables to virtually anywhere, making the need to have the optical data cable offer power as well, largely pointless. 
2. Adding copper to a cable’s optical data core makes it thick/heavy. Current TB1/2 optical cables only have a ~2mm gauge, v.light, & can bend around obstacles easily. 
3. It’s possible that the copper interferes with the optical signal unless shielding is between them both; all making the cable's gauge super-thick thus less manoeuvrable. 
4. Adding copper to cables (especially 10/60/100m very long ones) is likely to add cost, and pricing is key to decent enough sales even in pro markets. 
5. Power over copper is also likely not enough for many applications. Current Power Delivery is max 100W; many pro things need much more wattage. 
6. AFAIUI, power over copper using long distance non-dedicated power cables may deteriorate, meaning power is inconsistent at long distance (not sure?). 

If they’re like the TB1/2 optical cables I have, then I highly doubt copper is going to be on these. I really hope they’re not priced as high as the previous TB1/2 ones are, as a shed load of users would and could make great use of these, especially the perennial problem in current users;  simply wanting to run loud storage boxes away from ones' desk. 

AppleInsider said:

Sonnet is teaming up with Archiware to demonstrate the first in a line of optical Thunderbolt 3 cables, allowing for high-speed data transfers across the protocol at long range.

Optical Thunderbolt 2 cable, presently available

Sonnet will be demonstrating the new cable connected to a Mac mini with Archiware software running in Sonnet's stand. The Mac mini will be controlled from Archiware's stand over 50 meters of as-yet unreleased Corning optical Thunderbolt 3 cable.

The computer will be running Archiware's P5 media asset management software suite, with P5 Backup, and P5 Archive. Archiware staff will control the system, mounted in a xMac mini Server Thunderbolt 3 enclosure from their stand with a keyboard, mouse, and display connected to a Sonnet Echo 11 Thunderbolt 3 dock.

Prior to the release of the Corning cable, Thunderbolt 3 cable lengths have been limited to about two meters. Sonnet says that varying lengths of the Corning cables will be available, with lengths up to that 50 meters that will be demonstrated at the IBC conference.

Pricing on the optical Thunderbolt 3 cables is not yet available. At present, a 18-foot optical Thunderbolt 2 cable retails for $215, and a 200-foot run retails for $999.

So did this event actually happen? This was a press release saying it will be happening, but I’ve seen no photos, videos, or text saying it actually did happen? 
(also, where are the release dates / pricing...? ) 

See here for Linus...just 2 weeks ago (14.Oct.2019), time: from 16:17: 

edited October 2019

mattinoz

Bonus points for doubling as "Cute Cat" video.

kier

Still no official word from Corning - not even a tiny 'coming soon' notice on their website. Very frustrating.

joeljrichards

The reason these are so expensive isn't the optical cable it is the transceivers that are built into each end. I agree it would be great if those were sold separately and we could purchase optical runs according the length we need for less. That would also help for future proofing semi-permanent installs like mine.

edited March 2020

dasnavy

It's pricey stuff.  Even for Thundrbolt2, I would seriously consider these cables if it means I could move my noisy TB2 RAID somewhere else in my house, maybe even the basemen

or Id considering buying these if you could put all the computers in the basement or on top of the roof and only connect the monitor with everything attached via one thunderbolt cable.