LENOVO THINKSTATION P520c, P520, P720, P920, P350/P360 Tiny Thunderbolt Setup and Configuration
Table of Contents Thunderbolt overview ......................................................................................................... 2 Front Thunderbolt 3 solution .............................................................................................. 3 Installation instructions (front port solution) ........................................................................ 5 Rear Thunderbolt 3 solution ........................................................................................
Thunderbolt overview Thunderbolt is one of the fastest input/output (I/O) protocols for connecting peripheral devices to your workstation. Your ThinkStation supports two different solutions for adding Thunderbolt 3 (P520, P520c, P720, P920) or Thunderbolt 4 (P350/P360 Tiny) ports: a two port front panel accessible solution and a rear single port solution.
Front Thunderbolt 3 solution The front Thunderbolt 3 solution provides two ports on the front of your ThinkStation. Parts list The following parts are needed for the installation of the front Thunderbolt 3 solution: • • • • • 5.
Front panel IO circuit board, bracket, and bezel Cable connector details (total cable length) GPIO (600mm) Mini-SAS (650mm) Internal DP to DP (650mm) 4
Installation instructions (front port solution) Note: Due to differences in chassis design, portions of this installation procedure will vary depending on the type of workstation you have (P520c, P520, P720, or P920). Where necessary, the installation procedure differences are noted below. FLEX module preparation 1. The FLEX module is designed with the removable access cover on the bottom. Invert the FLEX module so that the removable cover is facing up and then place it on a flat work surface.
5. Install the Thunderbolt I/O adapter card onto the retaining bracket by aligning the four locator holes with the corresponding mounting posts on the bracket. Press down on the card until the four retaining clips snap into place, securely mating the two parts into a single assembly. 6. Install the retaining bracket/adapter card assembly into the FLEX module by reversing the procedure performed in step 4. Slide the assembly forward until the retention clip snaps into place. 7.
. Route the three cables through the cutout on the rear of the FLEX module and replace the cover. Starting from the rear of the module, engage the cover and slide it forward until it clicks into place. FLEX module and adapter card installation Prepare the workstation for FLEX module installation by removing the side access cover. Though not necessary, the rest of the installation will be easiest if the workstation is laid on its side at this point. 1.
There is an optical drive retainer on the side of the ODD/FLEX bay cage – remove this retainer and install it on the left side of the FLEX module as shown here: P520, P720, P920 Press the release button to remove the plastic cover from the front of the FLEX bay, and then remove the EMI shield. 2. Insert the FLEX module, cover down, into the 5.25” FLEX bay that you have just prepared.
P520 Slide the FLEX module into the bay until it stops, then press tab 1 as shown below and push the module further until it latches into place. P720 Press the tabs toward each other as shown below and slide the module halfway into the bay. Release the tabs and continue sliding the module in until it latches into place. P920 Remove the large air baffle from the chassis to gain full access to the inside of the workstation. Insert the FLEX module into the bay and push it until it latches into place.
3. Connect the SATA signal and power cables to the connector on the rear of the FLEX module. 4. Install the Thunderbolt 3 PCIe x4 card in the appropriate slot, as designated by the following table: P520c: PCIe slot 4 P520: PCIe slot 6 P720: Primary choice: PCIe slot 2; Secondary choice: slot 1 P920: Primary choice: PCIe slot 2; Secondary choice: slot 4 5.
- DP to DP and mini-SAS cables: connected to the front of the PCIe x4 card as indicated below: 6. Installation of internal components is now complete, so replace the workstation’s side access cover. Note – if you are working with a P920, don’t forget to first replace the air baffle and then replace the side cover. 7. The PCIe x4 card must now be connected to your graphics adapter with the external DP to DP cable.
8. Reconnect all peripheral devices, connect the power cable, and power on the workstation. Enter the BIOS Setup utility by pressing the F1 key while the Lenovo splash screen is displayed. Refer to the BIOS Configuration section at the end of this document for instructions on enabling and configuring Thunderbolt 3 in BIOS.
Rear Thunderbolt 3 solution The rear Thunderbolt 3 solution provides one port on the rear of your ThinkStation.
Installation instructions (rear port solution) Note: Due to differences in chassis design, portions of this installation procedure will vary depending on the type of workstation you have (P520c, P520, P720, or P920). Where necessary, the installation procedure differences are noted below. 1. Lay the workstation down on its side and remove the side access cover – this will facilitate access to the motherboard. If you are working with a P920, remove the air baffle from the middle of the chassis. 2.
5. The PCIe x4 card must now be connected to your graphics adapter with the external DP to DP cable. If your graphics adapter only has miniDP ports, you will need a miniDP to DP adapter to complete this connection. 6. Reconnect all peripheral devices, connect the power cable, and power on the workstation. Enter the BIOS Setup utility by pressing the F1 key while the Lenovo splash screen is displayed.
P350/P360 Tiny Thunderbolt solution This section will show you how to set up the Thunderbolt cards in P350 Tiny Workstations. The P350/P360 Tiny Thunderbolt 4 solution provides one port on the rear of your ThinkStation.
• P350 PCIe Riser (FRU 5C50W00876) o P360 Tiny equivalent card (FRU 5C50W00909) • External DP to miniDP cable (FRU 5C11C97936) 17
Installation instructions (P350/P360 Tiny) 1. Remove computer cover 2.
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5. Install the BTB card into the computer and tighten the Phillips head screw 6. Install the miniDP to miniDP cable 7.
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BIOS configuration In order to begin using the Thunderbolt ports that you have just installed, they need to be enabled in BIOS. The last step of the installation guides above should have led you to the main menu of the BIOS setup screen: Press F1 on this screen to proceed to the Main window of the Setup utility.
When you first arrive at the Thunderbolt Configuration page, it will show that the Thunderbolt card is Disabled: Click on the pulldown menu to enable the Thunderbolt card.
Once the Card Location option has been enabled, the following additional configuration options will be made available. You can change the configuration to work best with your Thunderbolt environment. When configuration is complete, press F10 to save all settings, exit the BIOS Setup utility and reboot the system.
Revision History Version 1.1 Date 10/10/2022 Author Jim Pfaltzgraff Changes/Updates Added Tiny installation instructions Updated with TBT 4 info Updated BIOS screen captures 1.
