【Sonnet Technologies】Allegro Pro USB-C 8-Port PCIe Card

Even in computers with multiple expansion card slots, every slot is valuable — there may not be space to install two 4-port adapter cards. Sonnet’s Allegro™ Pro USB-C® 8-Port PCIe Card is the first adapter card ever to feature eight high performance USB-C ports, fitting them neatly on a standard full-height PCIe card bracket. Ports are spaced to enable connection of eight cables (and even USB-C male to USB-A female adapters).

Why Sonnet? Many multi-port USB cards split a single USB controller’s bandwidth among their ports, limiting performance when two or more devices are connected and operating. When installed in a computer’s PCIe 3.0 or 4.0 slot, Sonnet’s card provides full 10Gbps bandwidth to every one of its eight ports, ensuring maximum performance from each one.

• Eight USB-C 10Gbps Ports - Ports are spaced to enable connection of eight cables (and even USB-C to USB-A adapters)
• Four USB 3.2 Gen 2 Controllers + PCIe 3.0 Bridge Chip - x8 PCIe 3.0 bridge chip, four independent USB 3.2 controllers controlling a pair of ports each, can concurrently deliver full 10Gbps bandwidth through each port
• Intelligent Power Delivery & Management - Independent, per-port power regulation – prevents power glitches that cause auto-disconnects of already-connected drives

Equipped with NVMe SSDs, the fastest USB 3.2 Gen 2 drives available can transfer data at incredible speeds. Chances are your computer has few ports capable of supporting their full performance. Upgrade your workflow in a major way by installing Sonnet’s Allegro Pro USB-C 8-Port PCIe Card in your Mac Pro®, Windows, or Linux computer; or Echo™ III Thunderbolt™ to PCIe card expansion system to support up to eight NVMe USB drives at maximum performance(1), no power adapters needed.

Many multi-port USB cards are simple hubs that split a single USB controller’s bandwidth between all its ports, which limits their performance when two or more devices are connected and operating. When installed in a computer’s PCIe 3.0 or 4.0 slot, Allegro Pro USB-C 8-Port PCIe Card supports eight simultaneous 10Gbps transfers. It is ideal for transferring data from multiple drives to the computer (and from drive to drive) — data transfers from a single USB 3.2 NVMe SSD device at up to 1000 MB/s. Compared to using a USB 3.1 Gen 1 or USB 3.0 adapter card, transfers complete in half the time!

With its advanced architecture, the Allegro Pro USB-C 8-Port PCIe Card can deliver full 10Gbps bandwidth to each of its ports. This is accomplished by providing each USB controller access to two lanes of PCIe 3.0 via an x8 PCIe 3.0 bridge chip, plus by implementing advanced data traffic management to eliminate bandwidth congestion. By providing full-bandwidth PCIe bridging to four controllers and by eliminating bandwidth congestion, this Sonnet card is the highest-performing USB 3.2 Gen 2 PCIe card ever made.

Sonnet designed the Allegro Pro USB-C 8-Port PCIe Card with a focus on intelligent power delivery and management for attached drives powered through its ports — unlike ordinary USB adapter cards designed without attention to detail.

• 7.5W of Power Provided Through Each Port Simultaneously - This Allegro card supports eight USB bus-powered SSDs or hard drives.
• No Auxiliary Power Required - Ordinary USB cards need a separate power connection. Sonnet’s Allegro card draws all the power necessary to operate connected drives from the slot it’s installed in. This enables you to install the Sonnet card in any compatible computer or Thunderbolt expansion system regardless of it having extra power connectors available.
• Independent, Per-Port Power Regulation - The Allegro card protects each port from power glitches on neighboring ports to prevent auto-disconnects of already-connected drives. Ordinary USB cards can deliver poor power regulation, allowing a connected drive to be forced off (auto-disconnected) when an additional drive is connected or disconnected.
• Resettable Fuses - Unlike ordinary USB cards, the Allegro card features a resettable fuse on each port that protects both the card and computer should a cable or peripheral fail. Resetting a tripped fuse is simple — just shut down and then restart your computer.

The Allegro Pro USB-C 8-Port PCIe Card’s four independent USB 3.2 controllers control a pair of ports each. If your VM software supports direct physical connections, then each of these four controllers can be independently attached to a separate virtual machine. 

The Allegro Pro USB-C 8-Port PCIe Card offers hot-pluggable and hot-swappable device connection support with automatic device configuration and works with all USB-IF compliant USB peripherals. This full-height Sonnet card installs easily into a PCIe x16 slot and does not require a driver installation.

Does your computer have a Thunderbolt connection, but no PCIe card slot? The Allegro Pro USB-C 8-Port PCIe Card provides great performance, and is ideal for use in a Sonnet Echo III Desktop, Echo III Rackmount, or a DuoModo Echo III Module Thunderbolt expansion system. The combo enables you to connect eight USB devices to any Mac, Windows, or Linux computer with Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 3 ports, supporting aggregate transfers up to 2800 MB/s.