Sonnet’s Echo™ Express III-D and Echo Express III-R Now Available With Thunderbolt™ 3

Both Desktop and Rackmount Versions of Three-Slot Expansion Chassis Now Provide 2750 MB/s of PCI Express® Bandwidth via Thunderbolt 3 Interface

IRVINE, CA—April 19, 2017—SSonnet Technologies today announced that its Echo™ Express III-D (desktop) and Echo Express III-R (rackmount) Thunderbolt™-to-PCI Express® (PCIe®) 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 PCI Express bandwidth to support more fully even the most demanding, highest-performance adapter cards.

“Our Echo Express III-D and Echo Express III-R have become the industry standard for power users needing to connect up to three full-size PCIe cards to their Thunderbolt-enabled computers,” said Robert Farnsworth, CEO of Sonnet Technologies. “We’re pleased to add these two models to our growing roster of Thunderbolt 3 expansion systems that deliver blazing-fast 40Gbps performance — double the performance of Thunderbolt 2.”

Echo Express III-D and Echo Express III-R Thunderbolt 3 Editions provide one x16 and two x8 PCIe 3.0 slots to support three full-length, full-height, single-width PCIe cards. The III-D and III-R Thunderbolt 3 editions support the use of every Thunderbolt 3- and macOS-compatible PCIe 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 40Gbps 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 PCIe 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 PCIe 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 (part number ECHO-EXP3FD-TB3) is expected to be available May 22, 2017, at a suggested retail price of $899. More information is available at www.sonnettech.com/product/echoexpress3dtb3.html.  

The Echo Express III-R — Thunderbolt 3 Edition (part number ECHO-EXP3FR-TB3) is expected to be available May 22, 2017, at a suggested retail price of $999. More information is available at www.sonnettech.com/product/echoexpress3rtb3.html.

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About Sonnet Technologies
Sonnet Technologies Inc. is a leading provider of Thunderbolt™ 2-to-PCIe® card expansion systems; pro media readers; RAID storage systems; and storage, network, and other interface cards for pro users in the audio, video, and broadcast industries. Sonnet’s Thunderbolt expansion products enable the use of pro audio I/O and DSP cards, pro video capture and transcoding cards, network and storage interface cards, and other high-performance PCIe cards with Thunderbolt technology-enabled computers. For nearly 30 years Sonnet has pioneered and brought to market innovative and award-winning products that enhance the performance and connectivity of Mac®, Windows®, and other industry-standard computers. More information is available at www.sonnettech.com.

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