Sonnet Will Unveil RackMac Pro Rackmount Solution

At IBC2014, Sonnet Technologies Inc. will unveil its RackMac Pro rackmount solution for the Mac Pro computer.

Tailored for IT and transportable rack applications as well as use in the office, the unit supports the rackmount installation of one or two new Mac Pros.

It provides a front panel power switch and USB 3.0 port for each computer, while panel-mounted cables connect each Mac Pro’s GbE, USB 3.0, HDMI, and power ports to ports on the back of the RackMac Pro for external cable connection. The device’s heavy-duty steel outer enclosure provides secure mounting and protection for each Mac Pro, with an open-back design that allows for proper airflow and optimal cooling. 7 inches tall by 16 inches deep, it is tailored for use in a range of mobile racks, carts, and rack cases, as well as in a server room.

Thunderbolt Pro P2 Card Reader
Making its IBC debut, the Thunderbolt Pro P2 Card Reader is a P2 single-slot memory card reader.

Based on 10Gb/s Thunderbolt technology, the device has the ability to ingest footage from individual P2 memory cards at up to 70MB/s. It is bus-powered and connects to any Mac computer with a Thunderbolt port, or at the end of a Thunderbolt device chain with an included Thunderbolt cable. The device supports all P2 memory cards and frame rates at maximum speed, and also reads micro P2 cards with an optional adapter.

xMac Pro Server
At IBC2014, Sonnet will feature the xMac Pro Server, its rackmount solution with built-in Thunderbolt 2-to-PCIe expansion for the Mac Pro.

It mounts the computer horizontally inside a specially designed 4U modular enclosure, connects three PCIe 2.0 slots via Thunderbolt 2 technology, and provides space to install additional equipment in two 5.25-inch mobile rack bays. By supporting every Thunderbolt-compatible PCIe card available, it enables audio-video professionals to use the high-performance PCIe cards they need with the latest Mac Pro, which lacks its own PCIe expansion slots. Through the installation of optional Mobile Rack Device Mounting Kits into it, users may connect storage expansion devices such as HDDs and SSDs to the Mac Pro.

xMac mini Server
Sonnet’s xMac mini Server mounts a Mac mini inside a 1U rackmount enclosure and connects two PCIe 2.0 slots via a Thunderbolt port, enabling users to harness the power of pro video capture and processing, digital audio interface.

DSP accelerator, FireWire, and RAID controller cards. It combines the best of the previous models, adds a 75W auxiliary power connector for cards like the AVID HDX and is the quietest model yet.

Echo Express Thunderbolt 2-to-PCIe Cards (PCIe) Expansion Systems
The Echo Express family of Thunderbolt 2-to-PCIe expansion chassis facilitates mobile and on-location workflows by enabling any Mac computer equipped with Thunderbolt 2 or Thunderbolt ports to interface with PCIe cards, originally designed only for use in desktop computers.

Supported cards include a range of Thunderbolt-compatible 16Gb and 8Gb FC, 10GbE, SAS and SATA HBAs and RAID controller cards. At IBC2014, the company will feature the Echo Express III-D (desktop) and Echo Express III-R (rackmount) chassis, which ship with 20Gb/s Thunderbolt 2 interfaces.

Echo Express III-D (desktop) // Echo Express III-R (rackmount)

Both chassis support up to three full-length, full-height, single-width PCIe 2.0 cards with one x16 and two x8 PCIe slots. Also on display will be the Echo Express SE II, a compact and lightweight desktop chassis accommodating two half-length (up to 7.75 inches long), full-height, single-width PCIe expansion cards with space to mount an adjacent daughter card; and the Echo Express SEL, a portable and value-priced product that offers 20Gb/s Thunderbolt performance and supports a single low-profile, half-length PCIe expansion card up to 6.6 inches long.