This approval comes shortly after supporting certification of the world’s first Thunderbolt™ 5 monitor from LG at GRL Taipei, which provides certification testing services for the latest standard alongside Dongguan and Shanghai labs.
Granite River Labs (“GRL”), a global leader in engineering services, automated test solutions for digital connectivity and charging technologies, and professional market access services, announced that its USB4® Version 2.0 PHY Microcontroller (GRL-USB4V2-Controller) has been approved by the Thunderbolt™ test program to conduct electrical compliance testing on Thunderbolt™ 5 products. The solution can now be found listed on the official USB-IF compliance tools page.
First unveiled at CES 2024, Thunderbolt™ 5 drew attention through early product demonstrations from J5create, Hyper, and Razer. From dual 8K60 display docks and multi-port hubs to high-performance laptops like Razer’s Blade 18, these products highlight the technology’s role in shaping interconnectivity within a growing ecosystem of devices.
With 80 Gbps of bi-directional bandwidth—double that of Thunderbolt™ 4—and up to 120 Gbps using Thunderbolt™ Bandwidth Boost, Thunderbolt™ 5 is designed to meet the increasing demands of high-resolution displays, content creation workflows, and ultra-fast data transfers. This leap in performance ensures that next-generation PCs and peripherals deliver new levels of flexibility and user experience.
Long at the forefront of Thunderbolt™ testing, GRL is already approved for Thunderbolt™ 5 Host and Device Product Certification Testing at its Taipei, Shanghai, and Dongguan laboratories. In addition, GRL also supported the world’s first certification of a Thunderbolt™ 5 monitor from LG earlier this year.
“The approval of our PHY Microcontroller as an official compliance tool represents another significant step in supporting the industry’s transition to Thunderbolt™ 5,” said Sandy Chang, Engineering Fellow & Technical Director, GRL Taiwan. “With Thunderbolt™ 5 setting new benchmarks for bandwidth and versatility, GRL is committed to working closely with OEMs, device makers, and ecosystem partners to ensure product interoperability, reliability, and time-to-market success.”
“This achievement validates the technical rigor we have built into this tool,” said Swee Guan Chua, Senior Director – EV Solutions and High-volume Solutions, GRL Penang. “With the PHY Microcontroller, our customers can enjoy deterministic control over test conditions by placing devices under precise states required by the Thunderbolt™ 5 compliance test specification. This simplifies complex PHY-layer validation but also reduces calibration cycles and measurement variability, which are critical when testing at 80 to 120 Gbps signaling rates. Combining automation with accuracy ensures that development teams can accelerate debug and validation while maintaining confidence in interoperability results.”
“Intel is excited to see the rapid growth of Thunderbolt™ 5 based computers and accessories,” said Ben Hacker, Client Connectivity Division General Manager at Intel. “As companies bring new products to market to address growing demand for Thunderbolt 5 based products, the accessibility of high-end test facilities such as GRL becomes even more important. Companies can quickly complete performance and interoperability testing according to Thunderbolt certification program standards, delivering quality and reliability that has become synonymous with the Thunderbolt brand.”
USB4®, USB Type-C® and USB-C® are registered trademarks of USB Implementers Forum. USB 2.0 Type-C™ is a trademark of the USB Implementers Forum.
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