Sonnet ECHO-EXP-SE2 Echo Express SE II Thunderbolt 2 Expansion Chassis for PCIe Cards

Sonnet's Echo Express SE II enables you to connect two high-performance, professional pro video capture and processing, digital audio interface, DSP accelerator, FireWire, RAID controller, 10 Gigabit Ethernet, eSATA, and other PCIe cards to any Mac® with a Thunderbolt port. Accommodating cards up to 7.75" long, this compact Thunderbolt 2-to-PCIe card expansion chassis supports nearly every Thunderbolt-compatible PCIe card on the market, including double-width (PCIe card + daughter card) cards. Measuring just 6.5" wide by 4.6" tall by 11" long, the Echo Express SE II takes up little space wherever you work, be it in the studio, on location, at your desk, or in the edit suite. Like all Echo Express chassis, the SE II has two Thunderbolt ports that support daisy chaining of up to six devices to a single port on your computer.

Thunderbolt 2 technology-equipped computers are here. The original 10Gbps Thunderbolt interface provided breakthrough bandwidth for external expansion, more than sufficient to support the maximum performance of most PCIe cards. However, some high bandwidth cards such as 16Gb Fibre channel, multi-port 10 Gigabit Ethernet cards, or multiple bandwidth-hungry cards require more than 10Gbps. Thunderbolt 2 removes this barrier by providing more bandwidth for demanding applications. The Echo Express SE II's Thunderbolt 2 interface takes full advantage of this increased bandwidth to ensure optimum performance from installed cards when the chassis is connected to a Thunderbolt 2-equipped computer. Need to connect to a computer equipped with 10Gbps Thunderbolt? No problem, the SE II is fully compatible with earlier generation Thunderbolt computers as well.

The Echo Express SE II's PCIe 2.0 x8 slots support two half-length+, full-height, single-width PCIe cards, or one single-width card plus one double-width card. Double-width? 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 daughter card occupies the adjacent PCIe card space without filling a slot. The Echo Express SE II accommodates a daughter card's installation without wasting a slot.

The Echo Express SE II's aluminum outer shell securely protects the cards inside and helps transfer heat away from them. The large and quiet, temperature-controlled fan automatically speeds up and slows down smoothly as needed, so there's no guesswork in deciding which switch position to select. The enclosure is ventilated front, back, and bottom to facilitate airflow over the cards.

With its ability to accommodate cards up to 7.75" long, The Echo Express SE II supports nearly every Thunderbolt-compatible card available. PCIe 1.1, PCIe 2.0, and PCIe 3.0 cards are supported.

Sonnet includes a lock that secures Thunderbolt connectors(3) plugged into the Echo chassis. It is easy to install and prevents accidental cable disconnections.

These Sonnet solutions support daisy chaining of additional Thunderbolt technology-enabled peripherals such as an additional Echo Express, the Apple® Thunderbolt Display, video capture devices, and data storage devices. For connected devices requiring extra power, 10 watts is provided through the daisy chain port to peripherals.

Sonnet Echo Express SE II Includes:

• Echo Express SE II chassis (1)
• Universal power adapter
• Power cord
• Thunderbolt cable lock (3)
• User's guide

Sonnet Echo Express SE II Features:

• Provides PCIe Card Expansion—Use high-performance PCIe card with Thunderbolt-equipped computers
• Thunderbolt 2 Interface—Maximum performance with computers with 20Gbps Thunderbolt 2 technology, backward compatible with10 Gbps Thunderbolt technology
• Two PCIe Slots—Support two half-length+ (up to 7.75"l ong), full-height, single-width cards
• Two Thunderbolt Ports—Daisy chain up to six devices to a single port on the host computer
• Temperature-Controlled, Fan—Automatically operates slowly and quietly with cooler cards, provides better cooling for hot cards
• Energy Saver Mode—Powers on/off automatically with the computer
• Sufficient Power—80W power supply handles any combination of cards
• Aluminum Housing—Portable protection for any environment

Sonnet Echo Express SE II Specifications:

• Warranty: 1-year
• Dimensions (WxDxH): 6.5" x 11" x 4.6" (16.5 x 27.9 x11.7 cm)
• Weight: 3.7 lbs (1.7 kg)
• Form Factor: Desktop
• External Connectors:
  • Two Thunderbolt
  • 12V power
• Expansion Slot: Two x8 PCIe 2.0
• PCIe Cards Supported(1): Two half-length (up to 7.75" long), single-width, full-height x8 PCIe 2.0 cards plus one daughter card
• Compatible PCIe Cards(2): Up-to-date PCIe cards listed on Sonnet's website.
• PCIe Card Minimum Guaranteed Power: 25W
• Power Adapter:
  • Input: 100-240V AC 1.6A, 50-60 Hz
  • Output: 12V @ 7.0A (80W)
• Operating Temperature: 32º F to 95º F (0º C to 35º C)
• RoHS Compliant: Yes
• Mac Compatibility:
  • Mac with a Thunderbolt or Thunderbolt 2 port
  • OS X 10.8.5+
• PC Compatibility
  • PC with a Thunderbolt or Thunderbolt 2 port(4)
  • Windows® 8, 7

Note

NOTE: PCIe cards and Thunderbolt cable sold separately

NOTES:

1. PCIe cards sold separately; requires Thunderbolt cable.

2. Compatibility requires the installation of Thunderbolt technology-aware drivers, available from the manufacturer.

3. Thunderbolt cable lock is compatible with Apple and Sonnet Thunderbolt cables.

4. Windows requires a Thunderbolt 2 interface in the computer and in the expansion chassis to support more than two PCIe controllers. Note that some PCIe cards have a bridge to multiple controllers, so it is possible for a single dual-controller PCIe card to reach the limit if not connected via Thunderbolt 2. Not all Mac-compatible PCIe cards are also compatible with Windows.