[SUCCESS] Gigabyte Designare Z390 (Thunderbolt 3) + i7-9700K + AMD RX 580

[CaseySJ]

Hello CaseySJ,

Thank you very much for the excellent guides for the Designare Z390! I have been running mine for some while without any issues! I am also using a Samsung LC34J791 display with thunderbolt 3 connection, which is working great!

My QNAP TVS-472XT won't connect using Thunderbolt, since it is using Thunderbolt Networking. So I have been following your investigation in modifying the Thunderbolt firmware. I tried reading my onboard Thunderbolt chip with a RPi 4, but I can't manage to read the chip, not even with your customized schematics.

I did however come across the following website:

Page 2 | Blackmagic eGPU/Pro Firmware Update Tool on macOS

Page 2 | Blackmagic Design released a firmware update package for the Blackmagic eGPU/Pro. What interests me the most is that it's for macOS. I downlo...

egpu.io

In that tread they have been patching the macOS built in Thunderbolt firmware updater. In this case to update EGPU firmware. But on page two they are discussing that it should also be possible to use it to flash the built in controllers/read built in firmware. Do you think this would be a viable option for a software solution?

Hello @Gottgenk,

I've briefly looked at the egpu.io link, but since I'm most familiar with the external-flasher method, let's see if we can look into that first:

• Can you describe or photograph the circuit you used?
• Are you using a 47uF or 100uF polarized capacitor and connecting the long leg to + and the short leg to -?
• Are you using a 2K Ohm resistor before Pin 3 of the SOIC clip? I've tried 1K and 10K Ohm resistors, but neither of those works. A 2.5K or 5K Ohm resistor may work, but let's stay with 2K Ohm.
• Have you physically pulled the plug from the computer's power supply?
• Are you securely attaching the SOIC clip to the Designare chip before powering on the Raspberry Pi?
• When you power on the Raspberry Pi with the clip connected to Designare, what is the color of the array of LEDs on the back of the motherboard?
• Are the LEDs stable or blinking?
• Have you tried momentarily disconnecting pin 3 with everything else connected, and re-inserting pin 3?

 

[Oggy]

Hi!
@NorthAmTransAm
Does the TB add-in card work in Windows after flash?
Fantastic work everyone!!!

 

[faithie999]

I don't want to cause thread drift but Elias64Fr encouraged me to post the results, for research purposes (!) with my NUC8i3BEH. thanks to dgsga for modding and posting the NUC8 thunderbolt firmware (post 16,584) and of course to Osy for the original NUC TB firmware work. and to Elias64Fr (via PM) for his help in determining which of the ROM chips on the NUC was the TB chip and his encouragement along the way.

I flashed the NUC firmware with my RPi2B, and because there is a component very close to the Winbond chip I had to sand down one edge of the clip to provide clearance for it to attach.

I used CaseySJ's Alpine Ridge DROM SSDT and changed the UID and recalculated the CRC8.

result: I only have a TB1 seagate HD dock to test, but it works properly, including hot plug. there is only a single TB port on the NUC so I had to eject the HD and remove the dock cable to test USB2 and USB3 via a USB-C to USB-A dongle. both usb2 and 3 work properly including ejecting and reattaching.

so, another success thanks to those above and all the others here who have helped develop and test the firmware and SSDT's.

I'll also note that I have achieved similar results as above with a flashed GC-Alpine Ridge installed in my Z390 Aorus Pro.

 

[cylsfar]

If you install macOS on the Designare Z390 by following either the Mojave or Catalina build guide in this thread, then Thunderbolt will work in a "90%" mode. For most people, this is good enough. To go beyond 90%, we have to use an external flasher to change the Thunderbolt firmware on a dedicated chip located on the back of the motherboard.

So to determine if your board is working, just connect a Thunderbolt 3 device. If the device work, then your board is good.

Are you a idea for me ?

What is the good configuration in Thunderbolt BIOS?

My external SSD works on USB-c.

 

[Elias64Fr]

I don't want to cause thread drift but Elias64Fr encouraged me to post the results, for research purposes (!) with my NUC8i3BEH. thanks to dgsga for modding and posting the NUC8 thunderbolt firmware (post 16,584) and of course to Osy for the original NUC TB firmware work. and to Elias64Fr (via PM) for his help in determining which of the ROM chips on the NUC was the TB chip and his encouragement along the way.

I flashed the NUC firmware with my RPi2B, and because there is a component very close to the Winbond chip I had to sand down one edge of the clip to provide clearance for it to attach.

I used CaseySJ's Alpine Ridge DROM SSDT and changed the UID and recalculated the CRC8.

result: I only have a TB1 seagate HD dock to test, but it works properly, including hot plug. there is only a single TB port on the NUC so I had to eject the HD and remove the dock cable to test USB2 and USB3 via a USB-C to USB-A dongle. both usb2 and 3 work properly including ejecting and reattaching.

so, another success thanks to those above and all the others here who have helped develop and test the firmware and SSDT's.

I'll also note that I have achieved similar results as above with a flashed GC-Alpine Ridge installed in my Z390 Aorus Pro.

@faithie999
Thanks for report

@CaseySJ
You can add this model to repository: Intel NUC8i3BEH with dgsga/Osy86 patched firmware

 

[Elias64Fr]

@Elias64Fr: I tested all three files. All have a same result: RP05 is empty (with Alpine ssd, without Alpine ssdt, with and without connected device). No info in SysInfo => PCI/Thunderbolt. Other RPxx do not have the TB too.

I'm ready for the next tests Thank you!

No more test for now, Really strange that you have nothing : Have you enabled GPIO3FrPwr on BIOS ?
If that is the case, for your Alpine Ridge model, SSDT only would be a better solution but not the simplified model related to patched Firmware, another that could reconfigure registers.

 

[scottkendall]

No more test for now, Really strange that you have nothing : Have you enabled GPIO3FrPwr on BIOS ?
If that is the case, for your Alpine Ridge model, SSDT only would be a better solution but not the simplified model related to patched Firmware, another that could reconfigure registers.

@Elias64Fr: I tested all three files. All have a same result: RP05 is empty (with Alpine ssd, without Alpine ssdt, with and without connected device). No info in SysInfo => PCI/Thunderbolt. Other RPxx do not have the TB too.

I'm ready for the next tests Thank you!

I have found that with my motherboard and AIC both the Alpine ridge and the Titian ridge both work better if I use 3-5 pin jumper to force power. SSDT required for Hotplug.

 

[Elias64Fr]

Hi!
@NorthAmTransAm
Does the TB add-in card work in Windows after flash?
Fantastic work everyone!!!

@Oggy,
on my Z390 Designare that include patched firmware, it work well on Windows but I have to boot to macOS with thunderbolt device connected then reboot to Windows (without shutdown). I have tried with eGPU. Unfortunately, I don't have Hotplug feature.

 

[scottkendall]

Hi!
@NorthAmTransAm
Does the TB add-in card work in Windows after flash?

You might need the Boot Camp Thunderbolt driver if there is one for it work in Windows.

 

[Elias64Fr]

I have found that with my motherboard and AIC both the Alpine ridge and the Titian ridge both work better if I use 3-5 pin jumper to force power. SSDT required for Hotplug.

@scottkendall
Of course, but Losinka's motherboard include an onboard thunderbolt controller.