New Blackmagic Multidock 10G - Problem! Not detected by Mac

Hi guys,

I just purchased the brand new Blackmagic Multidock 10 G. I also have a new iMac Pro (2017 model), running OS X 10.14.5 Mojave. I connected the iMac Pro with the Multidock via USB-C cable (the cable was bought at OWC Macsales, for what it's worth). In the Multidock, I have 2 SSD drives, OWC Mercury Extreme Pro 6G, inserted in the first 2 slots of the Multidock. On the back of the Multidock, I have the switch in the "4" position (to use all 4 slots on the same A bus). And my USB-C cable is plugged into the "A" connector.

With everything connected and plugged in, when I power up my Imac Pro, it does not detect the SSD drives. They don't show up on the desktop, nor do they show up in Disc Utility. However, when I tried to unplug the USB-C cable (from the back of the iMac Pro) and then plugged it back in, suddenly, the SSD drives appear.

I have repeated this process countless times and it's the same problem each time. The SSD drives only are detected if I unplug and re-plug the USB-C cable from the back of the iMac Pro, while the iMac Pro is up and running.

Today, I took my Multidock down to the local Apple store. I plugged it into the iMac Pro that was there on display (which was running OS X 10.4.6 Mojave), and the same thing happened.

I should also mention that a friend of mine has an almost identical setup. Except that his iMac Pro is running the previous OS X High Sierra. And his Blackmagic Multidock is the older version, with the Thunderbolt 2 connectors. So he had to buy an Apple adaptor cable (Thunderbolt 2 to USB-C). Otherwise, he has the same identical SSD drives as I do (OWC Mercury Extreme Pro 6G). Anyway, he does not have any such problem with his system. When he powers up his computer, the SSD drives are detected immediately as normal.

I also tried to reset PRAM and SMC, just for a what if... but no luck.

Has anybody come across this problem? Can anyone make any suggestions? I hope I don't have to return the Blackmagic Multidock and find something else...

Thanks guys!

Could it simply be that the macOS does not allow usb entities to be access and read when connected to a Mac when the screen saver is active or user is not logged in?
I believe that’s one of the security features in macOS since a while back.

Thanks for your input. But I'm not 100% sure about that, primarily because this problem does not seem to happen with the previous model - Blackmagic Multidock 2 (thunderbolt 2), like in my friend's setup which I mentioned.

Does anyone else on this forum have the new Multidock 10 G and is using a Mac?

Thanks.

Still stuck with this problem. I was even sent a 2nd Blackmagic 10G to try (in case the 1st one was defective), but same problem.

Does anyone have any experience with Kext utility on a Mac? This is just a guess, but if I can add a line of code to my OS X, to force it to switch the USB-C port off and back on, during start up, maybe that would simulate the physical act of unplugging and replugging the USB-C cable from the Mac?

Thoughts anyone? Thanks again.

Latest update. Problem solved. I was using a Thunderbolt 3 cable, instead of a USB-C cable. Same type of connectors, but not the same functionality. Lesson learned.

Cheers

I have the same issue but confused about the right cable i need to buy?

Can you please post a link to the cable you bought that works please?

Thank you.

Sorry further to my previous post. I am using a 2013 mac pro which has 4xUSB (traditional), six original thunderbolt inputs and one HDMI one.

Can I use the Multidock with this MAC?

I know I could use a USB A to USB C cable but would lose all of the speed. Is there a fast version of such a cable?

Hello. Here's the link to the cable I bought https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MLL8 ... -cable-2-m

Having said that, your situation is a bit different, because you have a different computer, with different ports than mine. So I think your best bet would be to buy a Thunderbolt to USB-C adapter from Apple, and use one of your Thunderbolt ports on your computer. Make sure you find out if you have Thunderbolt or Thunderbolt 2.

Another option is for you to find the older model of the Blackmagic Multidock 2 which has Thunderbolt ports. That way, you won't need to buy any converter cables at all.

Best of luck.

I just got the multidock 10g and i dont see any software with the unit. I got a sd card but only a pdf manual on it. I tried to hook up to my 2019 imac and it only sees the 3rd drive. Is there a place i can download the software?

[Tony Rivera]

There is no software for the MultiDock to be used with the computer. If you connect SSD media to the dock, it will show up on the computer. You can refer to the manual for configuration information.

Sorry about resurrecting this thread, but I just bought a new Multidock V2 with the usb-c port and I'm trying to configure a new Samsung EVO 860 2.5 SATA III SSD with my late 2013 Apple Mac Pro. I have the Apple branded usb-c to thunderbolt adapter (in my case thunderbolt 2) and a thunderbolt 2 cable running from the adapter to my computer. Everything is new but nothing works. The multi-dock is powered on, but the drives don't light up like they should when the SSD is inserted and my Disk Utility can't find the drives. I assumed this was because the new SSD is unformatted, but my computer won't recognize the drive to format it. Talk about a catch 22. There are so many components it's impossible to troubleshoot where the failure is. It could be my adapter, it could be my cable, it could be the multi-dock or it could be the drive. All of which are new. I feel like I've spent almost a thousand dollars on something that was supposed to be plug and play but nothing's working.

PLANTHEALTHGUY - you seem to have the exact same setup as me, were you able to get anything to work? I really don't want to have to send everything back, this seemed like such a sweet setup.

I know this is old but just to explain why this doesn't work - you can't use/need an expensive thunderbolt adaptor to talk to the newer Multidock 10G - it's USB. They are different things.
A simple USB-C to USB-A cable is required.

Hello. Here's the link to the cable I bought https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MLL8 ... -cable-2-m

Having said that, your situation is a bit different, because you have a different computer, with different ports than mine. So I think your best bet would be to buy a Thunderbolt to USB-C adapter from Apple, and use one of your Thunderbolt ports on your computer. Make sure you find out if you have Thunderbolt or Thunderbolt 2.

Another option is for you to find the older model of the Blackmagic Multidock 2 which has Thunderbolt ports. That way, you won't need to buy any converter cables at all.

Best of luck.

Also this is a USB2.0 cable - not USB3.0 so you'll be limited to 480 Mbps. You need to find a USB 3.0/3.1 USB-C cable if you want proper speeds.

Something like this - https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/ ... m_c_m.html