Question

Difficulty: MediumNetwork and Peripheral Cables and Connectors

A field technician is deploying high-performance docking stations for a creative media workstation. The deployment requires connecting an external storage array utilizing PCIe signaling alongside dual 4K video displays using a single interface cable. Which of the following cabling standards natively support both PCIe data tunneling and DisplayPort alternate mode video output over a USB Type-C physical connector? (Select TWO.)

  1. Thunderbolt 3 cableAnswer
  2. Thunderbolt 4 cableAnswer
  3. C
    USB 2.0 Type-C charge cable
  4. D
    Single-link DVI-D cable

Answer

The Thunderbolt 3 cable and Thunderbolt 4 cable are the correct choices.
Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 cable specifications utilize the physical USB Type-C connector to tunnel both PCIe data (for high-speed peripheral storage) and DisplayPort video signals simultaneously across high-speed data lanes.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the required data and video protocol requirements from the scenario.
The workstation connection requires both PCIe data tunneling for high-speed storage and DisplayPort alternate mode for video.
Connecting PCIe-based external storage arrays and high-resolution displays through a single port necessitates a technology capable of multi-protocol tunneling.
2
Evaluate cable specifications using the USB Type-C physical connector.
Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 both mandate support for PCIe tunneling and DisplayPort video output over USB Type-C.
Both Thunderbolt standards multiplex PCIe traffic and DisplayPort video streams over the high-speed data lanes of a USB-C cable.
3
Eliminate incompatible cable options.
USB 2.0 Type-C charge cables and single-link DVI-D cables are excluded.
Basic USB 2.0 charge cables lack high-speed data wiring, and DVI-D is a legacy display-only standard incapable of carrying PCIe data.

Key Concept

Thunderbolt Cable Protocol Capabilities and USB Type-C Multiplexing
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