• DaVinci Resolve

  DaVinci 2008 MacPro Compatibility

  Posted by Dave Barnard on June 12, 2011 at 1:50 pm

  I’m setting up Da Vinci Resolve on a 2008 Mac Pro system and seem to have run into a compatibility issue.

  I am using Fibre Channel RAID storage connected to an Apple/LSI 4Gb Fibre Channel card.
  When the machine boots up, mouse & keyboard clicks are not recognised.

  Apart from this, everything works fine! Cards in the slots are:

  1 NVidia GTX 285
  2 NVidia GT120
  3 Blackmagic Multibridge
  4 Apple 4Gb Fibre Channel card

  I have a feeling that the problem is caused by the Apple Fibre Channel card.
  Although it will operate at full speed in a 4 lane PCIe slot, the board is physically 8 lane.
  8 lanes would exceed the total bandwidth available on the PCIe bus, even though the extra bandwidth is not needed.

  If I put a 4 lane Highpoint eSATA card into slot 4, no problem.

  Has anyone else seen this problem, or used an Atto Fibre Channel card successfully with a 2008 Mac Pro?

  Thanks All
  Dave

  Dave Barnard replied 14 years, 9 months ago 3 Members · 5 Replies
• 5 Replies

• 

  Mikhail Puzyrev

  June 12, 2011 at 2:40 pm

  Try to Insert the USB keyboard plug into the USB slot on the MacPro, not in the Apple Cinema Display or any other kind of USB hub.
• 

  Dave Barnard

  June 12, 2011 at 4:21 pm

  I’m using an Apple Bluetooth Keyboard & Mighty Mouse, but I get the same thing happening with an Apple USB keyboard and mouse plugged into the front port
• 

  Jason Myres

  June 13, 2011 at 5:49 pm

  [Dave Barnard] ”
  I have a feeling that the problem is caused by the Apple Fibre Channel card.
  Although it will operate at full speed in a 4 lane PCIe slot, the board is physically 8 lane.
  8 lanes would exceed the total bandwidth available on the PCIe bus, even though the extra bandwidth is not needed.”

  You’re fine. Your slot assignments are perfect. The Apple/ LSI fibre card works in 4x and 8x, but operates at full bandwidth in 4x.

  JM
• 

  Dave Barnard

  June 13, 2011 at 11:40 pm

  I’ve tested it with another 4Gb Apple Fibre Channel card and it does exactly the same thing.
  The mouse pointer moves, but no clicks are detected and no keyboard input.

  If I leave the machine for some time after booting, both start working again but the Fibre Channel card is not detected in System Profiler.

  If I substitute the 4 lane Blackmagic Multibridge card for a 1 lane Intensity Pro card, the system works but of course has no dual link SDI.

  It should work with the Multibridge & Apple Fibre Channel card, but clearly does not!

  Does anyone have a similar system working or can test with a 2008 MacPro and Apple Fibre Channel card?

  Thanks!
  Dave
• 

  Dave Barnard

  July 22, 2011 at 4:30 pm

  Just swapped out the Apple Fibre Channel card for an Atto FC42-ES and now everything works fine!

  Clearly there is a problem using the Apple card for Da Vinci on this machine

  It looks like the 8x/4x PCIe design of the card is the root of the problem

  Hope this is helpful to someone

  Dave

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