LinuxMusicians

Hello.

Have you seen all this amazing miniPc we can have for less than 200€? Like Intel Alder Lake N95 Quad Core 3.4GHz, 16 Go DDR4.
https://fr.geekbuying.com/item/OUVIS-GK ... 20830.html
Little, transportable, powerful, absolutely silent, economic, cannot overheat because don't consume energy ... really perfect for MAO !
I've tested it, perfect ... if a descent audio card can be link to it !?

The only missing feature is about connection/extension.
(In short we always have usb 2/3, hdmi, DP etc for video.. and that's all)

I see only 2 idea:

1 - USB audio card? Damn, as I know, usb audio cards for GNU are quite limited, I wish 8I/O real time. As we easily have with firewire. (that's why I've a PCI-e/firewire adapter for my focusrite)

2 - So, convert firewire to USB 3 ? Is that possible? Please say yes ! I need to connect my firewire interface to this hardware!!

PS: Ow, maybe another option with thunderbolt ?

Best.

Firewire is old tech which is going to die, don't go with it. Linux kernel has one maintainer for firewire code, and he is going to stop maintaining that code after few years.

USB audio interfaces work great, and even manufacturers don't say a word about linux compatibility, nearly all work ok. Googling reveals in most cases if particular interface works. At least Focusrite Scalerts and Behringer interfaces are commonly used. For scarlets you need to install program for internal mixer, but that is all.

Firewire is old tech which is going to die, don't go with it.

Sorry, I understand but it's really not the question. The question is how to use firewire on a miniPC.

Saffire pro 40 is amazing, really. I will never stop to use it.

This link is relevant :

https://support.focusrite.com/hc/en-gb/ ... lt-3-ports

You can't use Firewire with USB.

You can use Firewire with Thunderbolt and adapters.

Unfortunately Thunderbolt is more of a Mac thing, and I doubt the mini PC has Thunderbolt. It's not the sort of thing that can be added easily. On a AMD or Intel motherboard there must be a Thunderbolt header which connects to a Thunderbolt PCIe card to be able to use it. Most motherboards don't have that header.

It's possible with the right hardware, but you'll have to research that carefully.

Is there any difference between thunderbolt and usb-C ?
Sorry, no time to search infos, I think I need an update!

EDIT: apparently, a mini pc with usb-c thunderbolt 1/2 or 3 should do the trick, with adaptors without performance issue (from focusrite site).
I have to ask them for other (thunderbolt 4 and then).
But the price is (really) not the same.
Also, apple don't sell thunderbolt or any firewire things any more.

Anyway, thanks for info guys!

Xzu Rukneg wrote: ↑Thu Oct 19, 2023 5:32 pm

Is there any difference between thunderbolt and usb-C ? ...

Yes.

USB C is a connector. Thunderbolt is a protocol. A USB C connector can be used for different protocols -- USB 3.1, Thunderbolt, Display Port over USB, even on audio interfaces USB 2.0.

Usually Thunderbolt ports have a lightning flash symbol beside the port. If they don't have that the port is probably USB 3.1.

It all seems a bit crazy, but this is an effort to simplify connectors. It's also possible to do high power charging with a USB C connector and that's called PD -- power delivery. The aim seems to be to only have one connector -- USB C -- that does everything, and although it's confusing at the moment, hopefully this will lead to simplified connectors in the future.

I have a verry litle Minis Forum EM680 with USB4 (Thunderbolt 3 compatible) and a Motu 869 HD with Firewire 400. An It is working.

You need following Adapters:

1. Firewire 400 to Firewire 800 Adapter (10€/$)
2. Apple Firewire 800 to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter used 25 €/$)
3. Startech TB3TBTADAP :Thunderbolt 2 to Thunderbolt 3 (used 35 €/$)
4. Thunderbolt 3 dockingstation with powersupply (used ca. 50 €/$)

First it doesnt working because the Mini PC have not enought power for the Thunderbolt Adapters. I has bought a aktiv Thunderbolt Dockingstation with USB4/TB3-PD USB-C input (I have the CalDigit TS3+). Now I can use the MiniPC without the original Powersupply and the firewire to Thunderbolt 3 Adapters working as expected. The Motu 896 HD working out of the box with the in build libffado driver under Opensuse Tumbleweed. If you want to use the Motu Soundcardmixer then you can use the FFADO-Mixer.

(sorry for my english , I am from Germany)

(sorry for my english , I am from Germany)

Thanks a lot, don't worry, I know that.
I think people here understood that english is not the native language of everyone.
Your testimony is relevant.

Good thing if some motu are supported!

Xzu Rukneg wrote: ↑Thu Oct 19, 2023 5:32 pm

EDIT: apparently, a mini pc with usb-c thunderbolt 1/2 or 3 should do the trick, with adaptors without performance issue (from focusrite site).
I have to ask them for other (thunderbolt 4 and then).
But the price is (really) not the same.
Also, apple don't sell thunderbolt or any firewire things any more.

Anyway, thanks for info guys!

USB-C is a connector used by Thunderbolt and USB peripherals. TB requires specific TB circuitry, it's not the same as USB.

If you plan to use a mini-PC, what should work is an on-board Thunderbolt 3 port. Then attach Apple TB3 to TB2 and TB2 to Firewire adapters. This arrangement works on Linux and Windows 10.

TB4 may not work (backward compatibility claims are not always accurate). The previous comment about using a TB3 dock mentions that there was "not enough power for TB" which is why he got a TB3 dock, but the more likely reason is that TB4 just isn't fully compatible with the TB3 to TB2 adapter.

With the dock being TB3, it can talk to the Apple TB3 adapter.

On a PC with a TB3 port the Apple TB3 adapter will work without a TB3 dock.