ASUS ThunderboltEX II PCIe Expansion Card - Testing Thread

[skyegreen42]

Reset your TB cards to default settings and enable I/O in the BIOS settings. This got the FW upgrade to work for me.

Turned out my motherboard was bad; all except for one of the PCiE slots were bad.

 

[Mork_vom_Ork]

This question could seem strange for you...but why to put all those lines in config.plist? Are they important to use thunderbolt card under El Capitan?

No, it is not neccesary, but i inject my gfx card this way, once i tried to get multiple RADEON cards (with different IDs) injected with clover and this was the only way to do so before the coders of CLOVER made it possible w/o using the "Arbitrary"-function within config.plist.

Some more strange news for ThunderboltII EX experience: if i have THUNDERBOLT in BIOS enabled (no matter what security feature (LEGACY, USERID, ONE-TIME-SAVED-KEY or DP++ only) the card WON'T work either in WINDOWS, nor in OS X. In OS X it shows in Systemmonitor under Thunderbolt (as shown in my screenshot last post above) BUT non of the connected devices will work! Also in DPCIManager when i switch to "PCI List" tab, i just got ONE entry saying "8086, 156C, 2222, 1111, Intel Corporation, DSL5520 Thunderbolt 2 NHI [Falcon Ridge 4C 2013]" - but there must be TWO of these lines, cause ASUS THUNDERBOLT II EX DUAL is a dualport card!

Now the weird thing: if i reboot and DISABLE THUNDERBOLT in BIOS, open up the Systemmonitor, the card is also detected under THUNDERBOLT and ALL connected devices are properly functional! Also now i get TWO of these entries in DPCIManager:

see marked entry and the one down under the marked one.

After a complete shutdown of the maschine, i need to re-enable Thunderbolt once, restart and re-disble it to make it work again.
Also weird: with disabled BIOS setting, under WINDOWS all is functioning as well, except the INTEL Thunderbolt SOFTWARE won't detect the card or better say: it detects the card, but won't let me configure connected devices, cause it believes, there are no devices connected to any port of the card. But it can detect firmware of the card. If you ask me: VERY STRANGE and i could NOT explain, why it worx this way for me.

I will make some screenshots, cause pictures tell more than thousand words. Stay tuned...

Mork vom Ork

EDIT I: Here the promised screenshots

First my BIOS settings for Thunderbolt (AS ROCK EXTREME7+ V3.00):

Next: BIOS Thunderbolt enabled:

Next: availlable Security Level settings:

Next: different screenshots from WIN and OS X with TB (Thunderbolt) enabled in BIOS:

INTEL THUNDERBOLT SOFTWARE: connected devices

Next: INTEL THUNDERBOLT SOFTWARE: Firmwaredetection

Next: windows device manager

Next: windows device manager networkadapters

Next: windows similar software to DPCIManager in OS X to get PCI device IDs

Next: see the broken Device-ID 1549

Next: windows network change adapter settings

Next: OS X Systeminformation Thunderbolt (connected devices detected)

Next: Systeminformation Ethernet section

Next: Systeminformation PCI section

Next: DPCIManager PCI List

Next: now the same settings with TB (Thunderbolt) in BIOS disabled
INTEL THUNDERBOLT SOFTWARE: connected devices

Next: INTEL THUNDERBOLT SOFTWARE Firmware detection

Next: windows device manager

Next: windows device manager network adapters

Next: WINDOWS similar software for PCI-Detection

see the TWO device-ids 1549 - and this time BOTH fully working

Next: WINDOWS change ethernet adapter settings

the two built-in adapters PLUS two detected Thunderbolt adapters ! remember: TB in BIOS disabled !

Next: OS X Systeminformation Thunderbolt section

Next: Systeminformation Ethernet section

Next: Systeminformation all loaded AppleThunderbolt...kext

Next: DPCIManager PCI List

Next: detected TB-Devices in DPCIManager

Thats all. Sorry for spaming this thread - but i would like to provide as much information as possible.
Please forgive me...



EDIT II: and another big SORRY for misspelling of the majority of "adaptor". For explanation: i am GERMAN and we say "adapters".

 

[thenightflyer]

I had the same problems when i installed the first time El Capitan on my X99-E-WS...at first adapter was recognized in windows10 and not in OSX...then yes win10 and osx but my raid didn't appear in Finder. I reset system, pulled out the thunderboltex card and reinstalled again and...voilà everything worked!
I think that there is something with new version of bios or something related to have both windows10 and osx in the same machine.
Anyway I attach here my TBEXII bios settings

Thunderbolt 1-2

• thenightflyer
• Jun 9, 2016

Thunderbolt 2-2

• thenightflyer
• Jun 9, 2016

 

[r2tincan]

No, it is not neccesary, but i inject my gfx card this way, once i tried to get multiple RADEON cards (with different IDs) injected with clover and this was the only way to do so before the coders of CLOVER made it possible w/o using the "Arbitrary"-function within config.plist.

Some more strange news for ThunderboltII EX experience: if i have THUNDERBOLT in BIOS enabled (no matter what security feature (LEGACY, USERID, ONE-TIME-SAVED-KEY or DP++ only) the card WON'T work either in WINDOWS, nor in OS X. In OS X it shows in Systemmonitor under Thunderbolt (as shown in my screenshot last post above) BUT non of the connected devices will work! Also in DPCIManager when i switch to "PCI List" tab, i just got ONE entry saying "8086, 156C, 2222, 1111, Intel Corporation, DSL5520 Thunderbolt 2 NHI [Falcon Ridge 4C 2013]" - but there must be TWO of these lines, cause ASUS THUNDERBOLT II EX DUAL is a dualport card!

Now the weird thing: if i reboot and DISABLE THUNDERBOLT in BIOS, open up the Systemmonitor, the card is also detected under THUNDERBOLT and ALL connected devices are properly functional! Also now i get TWO of these entries in DPCIManager:

see marked entry and the one down under the marked one.

After a complete shutdown of the maschine, i need to re-enable Thunderbolt once, restart and re-disble it to make it work again.
Also weird: with disabled BIOS setting, under WINDOWS all is functioning as well, except the INTEL Thunderbolt SOFTWARE won't detect the card or better say: it detects the card, but won't let me configure connected devices, cause it believes, there are no devices connected to any port of the card. But it can detect firmware of the card. If you ask me: VERY STRANGE and i could NOT explain, why it worx this way for me.

I will make some screenshots, cause pictures tell more than thousand words. Stay tuned...

Mork vom Ork

EDIT I: Here the promised screenshots

First my BIOS settings for Thunderbolt (AS ROCK EXTREME7+ V3.00):

Next: BIOS Thunderbolt enabled:

Next: availlable Security Level settings:

Next: different screenshots from WIN and OS X with TB (Thunderbolt) enabled in BIOS:

INTEL THUNDERBOLT SOFTWARE: connected devices

Next: INTEL THUNDERBOLT SOFTWARE: Firmwaredetection

Next: windows device manager

Next: windows device manager networkadapters

Next: windows similar software to DPCIManager in OS X to get PCI device IDs

Next: see the broken Device-ID 1549

Next: windows network change adapter settings

Next: OS X Systeminformation Thunderbolt (connected devices detected)

Next: Systeminformation Ethernet section

Next: Systeminformation PCI section

Next: DPCIManager PCI List

Next: now the same settings with TB (Thunderbolt) in BIOS disabled
INTEL THUNDERBOLT SOFTWARE: connected devices

Next: INTEL THUNDERBOLT SOFTWARE Firmware detection

Next: windows device manager

Next: windows device manager network adapters

Next: WINDOWS similar software for PCI-Detection

see the TWO device-ids 1549 - and this time BOTH fully working

Next: WINDOWS change ethernet adapter settings

the two built-in adapters PLUS two detected Thunderbolt adapters ! remember: TB in BIOS disabled !

Next: OS X Systeminformation Thunderbolt section

Next: Systeminformation Ethernet section

Next: Systeminformation all loaded AppleThunderbolt...kext

Next: DPCIManager PCI List

Next: detected TB-Devices in DPCIManager

Thats all. Sorry for spaming this thread - but i would like to provide as much information as possible.
Please forgive me...



EDIT II: and another big SORRY for misspelling of the majority of "adaptor". For explanation: i am GERMAN and we say "adapters".

Have you got hot-plug or TB bridge working? I noticed that OSX is detecting your Caldigit Thunderbolt HUB... I have the same one and it has never been detected by OSX! When I have it connected via thunderbolt, all the components of this device act as if they were attached via PCI.

 

[thenightflyer]

@mork
I would like to know which files did you put in Clover EFI/driver64efi folder...with Elcapitan i've different memory issues with thunderbolt card and expecially when i use my raid. SOmetimes at first boot i've to reset 2 or 3 times the system to log in OSX, and when i log in if i use my raid it disconnects after 1 process of read/writing files.
In my efi/driver64efi folder i tried test2.efi, osxaptio modded by rbbunmc (this one works perfectly in Yosemite) or OsxAptioFix2Drv-free2000.efi.....i'm not able to work with thunderbolt and elcapita.
SO i would like to know your files and if you deleted thunderbolt kext in El Capita

 

[Mork_vom_Ork]

@mork
I would like to know which files did you put in Clover EFI/driver64efi folder...with Elcapitan i've different memory issues with thunderbolt card and expecially when i use my raid. SOmetimes at first boot i've to reset 2 or 3 times the system to log in OSX, and when i log in if i use my raid it disconnects after 1 process of read/writing files.
In my efi/driver64efi folder i tried test2.efi, osxaptio modded by rbbunmc (this one works perfectly in Yosemite) or OsxAptioFix2Drv-free2000.efi.....i'm not able to work with thunderbolt and elcapita.
SO i would like to know your files and if you deleted thunderbolt kext in El Capita

I just use CLOVERS osxaptiofix X64 driver, which will be installed by default clover installation.
And NO: i don't delete any thunderbolt kexts from S/L/E. BUT, and this is very important: i have to switch THUNDERBOLT on in BIOS, boot the machine, than restart, back to BIOS to DISABLE Thunderbolt, reboot System and only than THUNDERBOLT works as expected (within WIN10 and EL CAPITAN) - so once again: with ENABLED Thunderbolt in BIOS, the ASUS CARD gets recognized as a Thunderbolt card, but NONE of connected devices will work! Don't ask me why. Only with DISABLED Thunderbolt in BIOS all my connected Thunderbolt devices work as they should. This is all i can say about. Don't know why it works this way - i just use it this way ;-)

Regards...

 

[koitsu]

Can the system definition be related to this behavior?

I am curious why the DSL2210 (TB1) controller is showing up in your devices, unless it has something to do with reverse compatibility with the DSL5520 chipset in your Asus add-in card.

I also did not see your system definition, but I am assuming it the same as one of the Apple computers that actually has the DSL5520 chipset in it.

Maybe a false lead, but worth investigating if it has not been. I have an ASRock add-in card (DSL5320), but there is only one Apple model with that chipset -- Macbook Air 13", 2015+. I will try changing my definition later today.

 

[Mork_vom_Ork]

I also did not see your system definition, but I am assuming it the same as one of the Apple computers that actually has the DSL5520 chipset in it.

tried my experiences with the following systemdefinitions: iMac14, iMac17 and MacBook10
but ALLWAYS same behavior. Also tested it with an ASRock Thunderbolt 2 AIC card. This card have just one TB connector and one DP connector, but here also the behavior is the same: have to turn on TB in BIOS, boot, reboot, disable TB in BIOS, reboot and ThunderBolt works as expected or better say as discribed above.

i think in my case it has something to to with ASRock BIOS, so i asked the support for a new BIOS release wich will include more BIOS options for ThunderBolt (like ASUS Boards have) - but did not get an reply right now.

 

[koitsu]

I see. Then it sounds like you're right, maybe something BIOS-related. I have a Z97M Pro4 and the ASRock Thunderbolt 2 AIC. I also have the ThunderboltEX II Dual, but I cannot get that card working in OS X or in Windows, even if I match your BIOS settings or try TB on/off, etc.

However, the ASRock AIC does actually work in OS X with my Focusrite Clarett (TB audio interface). It does not show up in System Report, but I have full functionality of the audio interface. Another odd situation. Very difficult to find any patterns between cases...

 

[muchmore]

@mork, I'm surprised you got the Asus card to work on your Asrock motherboard. I thought you could only use it on specific Asus motherboards.....