Sonnet Technologies is the leading provider of Thunderbolt-to-PCle card expansion systems; pro media readers; and storage, network and other interface cards for pro users in the audio, video, and broadcast industries. Sonnet has announced that their Echo Express III-D and their Echo Express III-R are now available with Thunderbolt 3.
Sonnet’s Echo Express III-D (desktop) and Echo Express III-R (rackmount) Thunderbolt-to-Ple Express (PCle) three-slot expansion chassis are now shipping with full support for Thunderbolt 3. With the new interface, both systems enable users of Mac computers equipped with 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports, such as the new MacBook Pro, to take advantage of Thunderbolt 3’s 2750 MB/s of PCl Express bandwidth to support more fully even the most demanding, highest performance adapter cards.
Echo Express III-D and Echo Express-R Thunderbolt 3 Editions provide one x16and two x8 PCle 3.0 slots to support three full-length, full-height, single-width PCle cards. The III-D and the III-R Thunderbolt 3 editions support the use of every Thunderbolt 3 – and macOS compatible PCle card available, including professional video capture, audio interface, 16Gb and 8Gb Fibre Channel (FC), 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE), SAS and SATA HBA, and RAID controller cards.
A dual-port 40Gpbs Thunderbolt 3 interface, which offers double the bandwidth and connectivity of Thunderbolt 2, enables the Sonnet systems to support 4K video I/O cards at high frame rates, as well as other bandwidth-hungry cards. In addition to support for the most demanding, highest performance PCle cards, the III-D and III-R Thunderbolt 3 editions offer support for connecting two 4K displays or one 5K display. For connected devices requiring extra power, 15 watts is provided to connected bus-powered devices through the Thunderbolt cable.
Both chassis feature a built-in universal 300-watt power supply with a 75-watt auxiliary power connector to support PCle cards with higher power requirements. Also, the systems integrate two large ultra-quiet, temperature-controlled cooling fans to enable their use in noise-sensitive environments. In addition to providing extra space to install two 5.25-inch mobile rack devices within the same enclosure using one of Sonnet’s Mobile Rack Device Mounting Kits, the III-R also features captive thumbscrews for easy card installation.
The Echo Express III-D – Thunderbolt 3 Edition is expected to be available May 22, 2017, at a suggested retail price of $899. The Echo Express III-R – Thunderbolt 3 Edition is expected to be available May 22, 2017, at a suggested retail price of $999.
Visit Sonnet Technologies at the NAB 2017 in Booth #SL9927.