Sonnet Technologies Echo Express SE I (Thunderbolt 3 Desktop Edition with 1 PCIe Slot)

Connect One Full-height, Half-length+ PCIe Card (Plus Daughter Card) to Computers with Thunderbolt 3 Ports

Are you in the market for a new computer? It’s amazing how much processing power the latest Mac® and Windows®, and Linux® computers with Thunderbolt™ 3 ports offer, but thinness comes with a cost—there’s nowhere for you to install PCIe cards for the additional connectivity and processing capabilities beyond what’s offered by a computer’s standard ports. Sonnet’s Echo™ Express SE I (Thunderbolt 3 Edition) is a compact, desktop Thunderbolt™ 3 to PCIe card expansion system that enables you to connect a single PCIe card to any computer with Thunderbolt 3 ports.

The Thunderbolt 3 Connection

This compact desktop expansion system supports one professional PCIe card (video capture, audio interface, 6Gb or 12Gb SAS or SATA host bus adapter, 8Gb or 16Gb Fibre Channel, 10Gb or 40Gb Ethernet, or RAID controller) and connects it to your computer through a single Thunderbolt 3 cable.

Nearly Every Thunderbolt-Compatible, Non-GPU PCIe Card Supported

Designed to accommodate cards up to 7.75 inches long and measuring a compact 5.6 inches wide by 8.6 inches long by 3.5 inches tall, the Echo Express SE I has a small footprint, yet it is large enough to support nearly every Thunderbolt 3-compatible PCIe 3.0, PCIe 2.0, and PCIe 1.1 card available. Do you have a card in mind but aren’t sure it’s compatible? We’ve put together a list in our supporting PCIe Card Thunderbolt Compatibility Chart (PDF). There you’ll find cards identified as conforming to Thunderbolt technology requirements, and organized by fit and power compatibility with specific expansion system.

All Around Smart Design

Aluminum Enclosure. Auto Power On/Off.

Echo Express SE I's lightweight, yet rugged aluminum outer shell securely houses the installed PCIe card. Since Echo Express products automatically power on and off with your computer, there is no power switch on the chassis, ensuring you don’t waste energy by forgetting to turn it off.

One PCIe 3.0 Slot and Space for a Daughter Card

Echo Express SE I features an x8 PCIe slot, and supports one half-length+, full-height, single- or double-width PCIe card. Double-width? Some pro video and audio interface cards, such as Blackmagic Design’s DeckLink 4K Extreme, and RME’s HDSPe MADI FX card, include a daughter card that mates with and provides additional external connections to the main card. The daughter card occupies the adjacent space without filling a PCIe slot.

Quiet Please

Echo Express SE I is designed to be ultra-quiet so that it can be comfortably used in noise-sensitive environments. The airflow path within the chassis has been specially designed to enable the temperature-controlled, variable speed fan to quietly and efficiently cool the installed card at all times, even during peak operation.

Fastest External Interface Available

Echo Express SE I (Thunderbolt 3 Edition) features a 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3 interface, which offers double the PCIe bandwidth and connectivity of Thunderbolt 2, and yields up to 2750 MB/s of bandwidth, enabling it to support 4K video capture and processing cards at high frame rates, and 16Gb FC cards and dual-port 10GbE cards at full performance.

Thunderbolt 3 – The USB-C That Does It All

Echo Express SE I (Thunderbolt 3 Edition) includes two Thunderbolt 3 ports; the first connects it to your computer, while the second supports daisy chaining of up to five additional Thunderbolt peripheral devices to a single port on your computer. The SE I also includes 10Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2 support, meaning you can connect a USB device to the second port using the proper cable or adapter. For your connected peripherals requiring extra power, 15 watts is provided to connected bus-powered devices. With the ability to handle multiple demanding, high performance PCIe cards, support for connecting two 4K displays @ 60Hz or one 5K display @ 60Hz, and support for a vast array of Thunderbolt and USB devices, Thunderbolt 3 is a leap forward in every way.

Compatibility

Mac Compatibility

- Mac (Intel®) with Thunderbolt 3 ports

- Mac (M1) with PCIe cards that have M1 compatible drivers

- Mac with a Thunderbolt 2 or Thunderbolt port with an Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter plus a Thunderbolt 2 cable (both sold separately)

- macOS® 10.12.6+

- macOS Big Sur compatible

Windows Compatibility

- PC with Thunderbolt 3 ports

- Windows 10 (64-bit Edition Version 1809 or greater)

- Important Note: Windows computers require the latest BIOS and Thunderbolt drivers to support this product. Check with your computer manufacturer for update information.

Linux Compatibility

- Linux® computer with Thunderbolt 3 ports

- Linux Kernel 5.0+

Hardware

Warranty

2-year

Form Factor

Desktop expansion system

External Connectors

- Two Thunderbolt 3 ports

- 12V power port

Expansion Slot

One PCIe 3.0 slot x8 mechanical; x4 electrical (Thunderbolt 3 spec)

PCIe Cards Supported

- One half-length (up to 7.75 inches long), single-width, full-height x8 PCIe card

- One daughter card

Power Adapter

- Universal 60W, 100-240V, 50-60 Hz

- NRTL Certified

Operating Temperature

0ºC to 35ºC (32ºF to 95ºF)

Dimensions (WxDxH)

5.63 x 8.63 x 3.5 in. (14.29 x 22.01 x 8.85 cm)

Weight

2.6 lbs. (1.18 kg)

RoHS Compliant

Yes

- Echo Express SE I (Thunderbolt 3 Edition)
- Universal power adapter
- Power cord
- 0.7-meter Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps) cable
- ThunderLok 3 Thunderbolt Connector Retainer Clip
- Documentation