I have the Late 2013 Macbook Pro, which has two USB 3.0 ports and two Thunderbolt 2 ports. I currently use both USB 3.0 ports and one TB2 port. I want to connect a third USB 3.0 device to the machine, but I don't want to use a USB splitter on one USB port as I'm concerned the devices would draw too much power from the bus. I have no current use for the second TB2 port and I would love to be able to use it for this purpose.
Browsing extensively online, I've found numerous docks, such as Belkin's Thunderbolt Express, that connect via a Thunderbolt cable. This would work, but it's an expensive, 'bulkier' solution (and not the one I'm looking for).
I'm aware that a USB 3.0 device wouldn't be able to take advantage of Thunderbolt's I/O speeds, but it's certainly compatible, which is all I'd need. After all, Apple even sells a Thunderbolt to Firewire Adapter. I also know that Thunderbolt is not only used for digital video purposes (along with the TB > Firewire option, there exists Thunderbolt External Hard Drives).
There are almost no Thunderbolt to USB 3.0 cables/adapters on the market. I'd think this hardware would be more prevalent given the prominence of USB devices out there. What adapters are available for OS X?
Best Answer
Thunderbolt and USB are quite different protocols, so you can't just use a cable -- it would need to have active electronics in it to convert between the protocols. And that means it would cost a lot more than a cheap commodity USB hub and so no one would buy it -- they'd just get a hub instead. If you're concerned about the power drain, get a powered USB hub.