X2100 Display Port via USB-C alternate mode

[9R]

Hi,

I am struggling to get display port via usb-c to work (again) on my X2100.

It was working a while back (to make sure I checked my syslog and can still find it there)

Code: Select all

(II) intel(0): switch to mode 3840x2160@60.0 on DP2 using pipe 1, position (0, 0), rotation normal, reflection none

Now, if I connect the monitor it used to work with via usb-c my x2100 only recognizes the usb peripherals that are attached to the monitor as well as the ethernet connection the monitor provides. The monitor is not recognized at all. Nothing in dmesg or the journal.

VIdeo output with a usb-c to hdmi adapter also still works on the x2100s type-c port.

Currently I have 2 theories why the usb-c display port alternate mode does not work anymore:
A. I did some changes to BIOS settings a while back and I suspect that this may be the cause. I have been tinkering with BIOS settings but am not able to figure out the correct parameters to reactivate udb-c display port
B. hardware fault (either on the monitor or the X2100)

Does anyone here use the type c alternate mode display port? And if so, could you share the your bios setting so I can solve/eliminate option A as a cause?

[greatzot]

When I first tried using the USB-C port for display, I had a lot of trouble getting consistent results. Later it more or less settled into sort of reliable, but what I've found is one monitor (Philips brand) generally works fine, but another (I-O data) often says no signal, or goes blank, and this happens especially when a browser or other window is maximized. All of this boils down to me thinking it is a Microsoft problem, whether with Windows 10 itself or the generic Microsoft driver. (The Philips monitor has its own driver provided with the monitor, the other does not.) Of course there were a few times when I found the cable connection was just not solid on one end, and jiggling or reinserting the cable fixed it. But mostly it seems to be a Windows/driver thing.

[9R]

Thanks for your response. I think my situation is different to what you describe.
I'm pretty sure I can rule out a driver issue since I do not use use Windows but Linux. The monitor I use (DELL U2723QE) was recognized consistently a while back without any "maximized windows" shenanigans.
I did not use use the monitor for a while with Type-C and I might have reset the Bios to defaults in between.
When I now tried to connect to the monitor via Type-C alt mode it does not work any more, even if I restore the system to the exact kernel version with which it used to work.

Can you check the settings in your bios? Especially the ones pertaining USB?

[atagunov]

Currently I have 2 theories why the usb-c display port alternate mode does not work anymore:
A. I did some changes to BIOS settings a while back and I suspect that this may be the cause. I have been tinkering with BIOS settings but am not able to figure out the correct parameters to reactivate udb-c display port
B. hardware fault (either on the monitor or the X2100)

Hey, have broken my head going over BIOS but don't see anything else I can try. It's just not working. My X2100 should have rather low hours and I'm on Jan 17 2022 bios now. Can't get DP USB-C alt mode working at all, never could even once Ubuntu 24.04.1

I have tried with Cable Matters dock, I have tried with a direct USB-C to DP cable running from X2100 to some kind of large Dell monitor that I got, I have tried flipping "type c" support in X2100 bios to all 3 possible values and also disabling "xhci" hand off and usb storage device support, tried fillding with "legacy usb" support in BIOS, tried some other options in BIOS which looked possibly remotely related, switched from "dual pci-express" to the more regular BIOS from Xue Yao's github page - both Jan 17 2022 dated, and nothing worked. Not a hint in Ubuntu logs that it was aware of the presence of the external monitor.

I don't personally have Windows on this machine - nor do I want it there, I got my W530 for Windows - but it seems that both ppl using Windows and ppl using Linux are having same kind of trouble Is there indeed no way to get an external minotor connected to X2100?.... Do I have to give up like others did?...

[atagunov]

Update: I'm waiting for a Lenvo 40AF docking station to arrive, it should be able to supply 100Wt via a USB-C cable to my X2100 and provide DisplayLink connectivity to a display. I'd much rather prefer DP alt-mode but alas that doesn't work on my X2100. There is still a slim chance that HDMI alt-mode works, but I don't have any hardware to test that. And I'd still want power delivery and keyboard mouse on that USB-C cable.

BTW somehow I wasn't able to boot X2100 with a supposedly 100Wt USB-C PSU from Xye Yao and without X2100's battery when the PSU was connected yesterday directly via USB-C port. Surprisingly today when the same PSU was connected via that tiny USB-C to round power plug adaptor to the normal round yellow power socket on X2100 it did boot without battery. Go figure. Well maybe with that 135Wt PSU connected to 40AF dock the problem will go away. Since I got a King Sener battery - I think that's why - I cannot use TLP to limit battery charging to 75% so I figured I can instead remove battery when at home.

Or I could upgrade TLP from version 6 to 7 and install extra kernel modules - like in the old days.. Hmm.. not sure if that will make limits settable on that 9-cell KingSener batt attached to my X2100? No, it didn't tp-smapi-dkms did not help, smartmontools did not help either, version 7 from ppa:linrunner/tlp did not help. It is just not possible to set charging limit on X2100 on this battery, oh well.

[atagunov]

40AF dock works completely on X2100 under Ubuntu 24.04.1 - with additional DisplayLink drivers loaded. Power, keyboard/mouse and display connectivity are all delivered via a single 80cm USB-C cable. Unfortunately location of USB-C port on X2100 is a bit inconvenient, I keep bumping the cable because it is so close to the front of the machine.