PCIe Card Expansion Chassis With Thunderbolt 2 From Sonnet

Sonnet Technologies Inc. announced that its Echo Express III-D (desktop), Echo Express III-R (rackmount), and Echo Express SE II (desktop) Thunderbolt-to-PCIe card expansion chassis are devices shipping with 20Gb/s Thunderbolt 2 interfaces.

Echo Express SE II Thunderbolt 2 Expansion Chassis

These models are the newest members of Sonnet’s Echo Express family of expansion products that enable any Mac computer equipped with Thunderbolt 2 or Thunderbolt ports to interface with a variety of high-performance PCIe cards, originally designed only for use in desktop computers.

The III-D, III-R, and SE II incorporate Thunderbolt 2 technology, which delivers twice the throughput of 10Gb/s Thunderbolt and provides sufficient bandwidth to support many of the most demanding PCIe cards. The new expansion chassis support every kind of Thunderbolt-compatible PCIe card available – enabling the use of professional video capture, audio interface, 16Gb and 8Gb FC, 10GbE, SAS and SATA HBA, and RAID controller cards with Thunderbolt-enabled iMac, Mac mini, Mac Pro, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro computers.

Plus, the Sonnet systems’ dual Thunderbolt 2 ports support bandwidth connectivity with Thunderbolt 2-equipped host computers, backward compatibility with 10Gb/s Thunderbolt-equipped computers and devices, and daisy-chaining of other Thunderbolt 2 and Thunderbolt devices.

Designed for users needing a solution for connecting three PCIe cards to their computers, both the III-D and III-R provide one x16 and two x8 PCIe slots to support three full-length, full-height, single-width PCIe cards.

Both chassis feature a built-in universal 300W power supply with a 75W auxiliary power connector to support PCIe cards with higher power requirements.

In addition, both systems integrate two large, quiet, temperature-controlled cooling fans to enable their use in noise-sensitive environments.

The companion III-R Mobile Rack Kit enables users to install one or two mobile rack form factor devices inside III-R chassis. Peripherals such as LTO tape drives, 2.5″ SSD or HDD drives, 3.5″ drives, Blu-ray burners, and memory card readers can be installed into the kit, and connected to the PCIe cards installed in the chassis, saving rack space for other equipment.

The SE II was designed for users needing a simple way to connect two adapter cards to their computers, and it supports all but long Thunderbolt-compatible PCIe cards. Weighing 3.7 pounds and measuring only 6.5″ wide by 11″ long by 4.6″ tall, the SE II is compact and lightweight, and its rugged aluminum case provides protection for the cards. The new chassis supports two half-length (up to 7.75″ long), full-height, PCIe 2.0 x8 cards, and provides an additional space for a daughter card. Some specialty cards, such as RME’s HDSPe MADI FX card, Blackmagic Design’s DeckLink 4K Extreme, and the Lynx AES16e-50 include a daughter card that mates with and provides additional external connections to the main card. The SE II provides the slot space and mounting support for an adjacent daughter card without sacrificing an entire PCIe slot.

“Sonnet has consistently led the way in delivering high-performance and reliable Thunderbolt-enabled products, beginning with the first-ever suite of Thunderbolt-to-PCIe expansion chassis and now continuing with the only Thunderbolt 2-to-PCIe solutions available,” said Robert Farnsworth, CEO, Sonnet. “Our new Echo Express III-D, Echo Express III-R, and Echo Express SE II not only deliver amazingly fast 20Gb/s performance when connected to Thunderbolt 2-equipped computers such as the new Mac Pro, but also are our quietest models yet, and are fully compatible with even the earliest Thunderbolt-enabled Macs.”

Until now, the III-D, III-R, and SE II have been equipped with 10Gb/s Thunderbolt technology. Customers who have purchased these Echo Express systems received an in-box coupon for a free upgrade to Thunderbolt 2. These customers will be able to claimhttp://www.sonnettech.com/thunderbolt2upgrade their Thunderbolt 2 upgrade Feb.1-March 31.

The III-D (part number ECHO-EXP3F-D) has a suggested retail price of $979. The III-R (part number ECHO-EXP3F-R) has a suggested retail price of $1,199. The III-R Mobile Rack Kit (part number ECHO-EXP3F-R-MR) has a suggested retail price of $199. The SE II (part number ECHO-EXP-SE2) has a suggested retail price of $499.