Could the Thunderbolt interface be used to provide power to the PCIe host device? In this case, this would be a battery-powered mobile device, connecting to a range of peripherals. Thunderbolt here would serve as the extension connector, basically obviating the need for a dedicated docking solution, but the big question is whether the power can flow back to the mobile device without using a separate microUSB plug for that purpose. I'd be extremely grateful for some (preferably sourced) explanation of whether that is possible or not, as my own reading on both Thunderbolt and PCIe failed to give a definitive answer either way.
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1\$\begingroup\$ @OlinLathrop: electronics.stackexchange.com/faq#etiquette \$\endgroup\$– Chris LaplanteCommented Apr 21, 2012 at 1:51
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3\$\begingroup\$ @OlinLathrop Zeus was in charge of thunderbolts, according to ancient Greek. Poseidon is in charge of the seas. Intel is in charge of Thunderbolt interface. \$\endgroup\$– Nick AlexeevCommented Apr 21, 2012 at 1:55
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\$\begingroup\$ My understanding is that the controllers, and thus the ports, are one way from the host to the peripherals, and the host ports are not designed to accept power, but they are supposed to support just under 10W of power to peripherals at 18V. \$\endgroup\$– Adam DavisCommented May 23, 2014 at 20:02
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2 Answers
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It's pretty much impossible to answer this question, since Intel has not put forward a single page of information about the controllers. I've been registered with them since mid-January and it's been dead air since.
answered Apr 21, 2012 at 16:20
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\$\begingroup\$ Ouch, that's a shame, it was my step two in the whole thing. But, is there anything in PCIe itself that would answer my question in absence of Thunderbolt? I'm terribly new to the whole thing, so I'm pretty much groping in the dark here. \$\endgroup\$– mathrickCommented Apr 21, 2012 at 22:25
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With thunderbolt over USB C (thunderbolt 3 and newer) the answer is very much yes. The negotiation protocol can negotiate a thunderbolt data connection, with the laptop as host, while simultaneously negotiating a power feed with the dock/monitor as the power source.
For earlier versions of thunderbolt I'm not finding a clear answer but it seems that even if reverse power was possible in theory it was not done in practice. Perhaps because the power levels supported by thunderbolt were not considered sufficient to be useful for charging a laptop.
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\$\begingroup\$ Thanks for the clarification. The original project has been dead for over a decade, but it's good to have some clarity on it finally :) \$\endgroup\$– mathrickCommented Jun 15 at 23:19