Sonnet: Thunderbolt 3-to-PCIe Card Expansion Systems for Mac and Windows

Sonnet Technologies, Inc. launched Thunderbolt 3-to-PCIe card expansion systems, the Echo Express SEL – Thunderbolt 3 Edition and the Echo Express SE I – Thunderbolt 3 Edition.

Like the other members of the Echo Express family, the SEL and SE I enable the use of a variety of PCIe cards with computers equipped with Thunderbolt ports.

Both the SEL and SE I are compact and lightweight single-slot Thunderbolt 3 expansion systems, differing only in size, that are for use in situations in which users only need to connect a single PCIe card.

With this interface, both systems enable users of computers equipped with 40Gb/s Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports, such as the MacBook Pro, to take advantage of Thunderbolt 3’s 2,750MB/s of PCIe bandwidth to support the demanding, performance adapter cards.

The company is also making available Thunderbolt 3 upgrade cards for existing Thunderbolt 2 Echo Express SEL and SE I expansion systems, enabling those models with all the capabilities of the Thunderbolt 3 Editions

“We are delighted to begin shipping the Echo Express SEL and SE I, the first Thunderbolt 3-to-PCIe card expansion chassis to ship with both macOS and Windows compatibility,” said Robert Farnsworth, CEO, Sonnet. “We are also proud to be delivering on our promise of upgradability by offering our customers a Thunderbolt 3 upgrade cards for their current Thunderbolt 2-based Echo Express SEL and SE I expansion chassis.“

Echo Express SE I – Thunderbolt 3 Edition

The Echo Express SE I – Thunderbolt 3 Edition weighs 2.6 pounds and measures 5.6 inches wide by 8.6 inches deep by 3.5 inches tall, accommodating one-half length (up to 7.75 inches long), full-height, single-width PCIe 3.0 card with additional mounting space for a daughter card.

With its Thunderbolt 3 interface, the SE I delivers ample bandwidth for the majority of Thunderbolt-compatible PCIe cards including pro video capture, digital audio interface, 6Gb or 12Gb SAS or SATA HBAs, 16Gb or 8Gb FC, 10 GbE, and RAID controller PCIe cards.

Echo Express SEL – Thunderbolt 3 Edition

The Echo Express SEL – Thunderbolt 3 Edition is a small and quiet Thunderbolt 3 chassis, measuring four inches wide by 8.25 inches long by 2.8 inches tall and weighing 1.75 pounds. The SEL houses one low-profile, single-width PCIe 3.0 card, including the majority of the Thunderbolt-compatible 16Gb and 8Gb FC, 40 and 10 GbE, 6Gb or 12Gb SAS and SATA HBAs, RAID controller cards, and low-profile pro video capture cards like the BlueFish 444 Epoch 4K Neutron.

The Echo Express SE I and Express SEL Thunderbolt 3 Editions feature dual 40Gb/s Thunderbolt 3 ports that support the daisy chaining of up to five additional Thunderbolt peripheral devices. Both models support backward compatibility for 20Gb/s Thunderbolt 2- and 10Gb/s Thunderbolt-equipped devices when connected via the Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter. As an added benefit, the second Thunderbolt 3 port also supports a variety of displays and a multitude of USB 3.1, USB 3.0, and USB 2.0 devices when connected with the proper cable, and also fully support the DisplayPort 1.2 protocol, which enables streaming to one 4K display at 120Hz, or two 4K displays at 60Hz, or one 5K display at 60Hz.

Both the Echo Express SE I – Thunderbolt 3 Edition and the Echo Express SEL – Thunderbolt 3 Edition are housed in rugged aluminum enclosures and each features a quiet, temperature-controlled fan that automatically speeds up and slows down as necessary to cool the installed card quietly and efficiently. Each Echo Express Thunderbolt 3 Edition chassis also includes a 0.5 meter Thunderbolt 3 (40Gb/s) cable as well as firm’s ThunderLok 3 Thunderbolt connector retainer clip to secure the cable to the chassis and prevent accidental cable disconnects.

Like the other models in the Echo Express family, the Thunderbolt 3 Editions of the Echo Express SE I and Echo Express SEL were designed, engineered, and built by the company in California.

The list of compatible PCIe cards is available on company’s website, and is continually expanding as more cards are tested and certified.

The Echo Express SEL – Thunderbolt 3 Edition (part number ECHO-EXP-SEL-T3) and the Echo Express SE I – Thunderbolt 3 Edition (part number ECHO-EXP-SE1-T3) will begin shipping on Januart 23, 2017, and each will have an MSRP of $269.

The Thunderbolt 3 Upgrade cards (part number BRD-UPGRTB3-SEL and BRD-UPGRTB3-SE1) will begin shipping on January 23, 2017, at an MSRP of $149.