Expanding Beyond the Box

Thunderbolt technology is amazing—the speed (up to 10Gb/s) and versatility (supporting high-resolution displays plus high-performance data devices through a single, compact port) make it clear that this is the next generation I/O technology, available today. But what about connecting existing FireWire® and eSATA peripherals, as well as high speed memory cards? Sonnet’s Echo ExpressCard/34 Thunderbolt Adapters expand Thunderbolt connectivity to support more than just storage systems and monitors. This Sonnet adapter adds an ExpressCard/34 slot to any computer to which it’s connected, enabling you to use a wide variety of ExpressCard/34 cards to add a range of interfaces and capabilities to your system. Plus, it’s the fastest, least expensive SxS™ memory card reader available!

Imagine adding more FireWire ports or an eSATA interface through a single Thunderbolt adapter. These card adapters allow you to choose your connections and add more to your setup. Because these adapters support hot-swapping, you can select and change the ExpressCard to use as needed—they supports most Sonnet ExpressCard/34 cards (with a PCI Express interface), such as our FireWire interfaces, CompactFlash® and SDXC™ card readers, select eSATA controllers, and interface cards for our Qio™ CF4 and Qio E3 pro media readers. They also support specialty adapters like RME’s HDSPe ExpressCard, plus interface cards for the AJA® io Express and the Matrox® MX02 family. Support for Sony® SxS memory cards simply requires the installation of Sony’s latest SxS driver*.

Set up for these Sonnet adapters is simple—just connect one directly to your computer or at the end of a Thunderbolt device chain with a Thunderbolt cable (not included, sold at the Apple Store)—that’s it. There’s no software to install and no power supply to plug in. Plug the ExpressCard/34 card or SxS memory card into the Echo ExpressCard/34 Thunderbolt Adapter as you would into a notebook computer’s ExpressCard slot, install software for the adapter if necessary, and you are ready to work.

Pro Model Supports Ultimate Performance with PCIe 2.0 Interface for ExpressCard 2.0 Cards

Available in two versions, the original Echo ExpressCard Thunderbolt Adapter is suitable for most applications; the Pro version supports ExpressCard 2.0 cards at full bandwidth for the ultimate performance (for example, Sonnet’s newest super-fast Pro eSATA cards yield read/write speeds as high as 375 MB/s.) Both models ingest footage from SxS memory cards at up to 100 MB/s. The Echo Express Pro also includes a 5-year warranty. Sonnet’s Echo ExpressCard/34 Thunderbolt Adapters give you the additional connectivity you need, today.

Compatible Products

The following products have been tested and are compatible with Sonnet's Echo ExpressCard/34 Thunderbolt Adapter. Additional products will be added to the list as they add support for Thunderbolt technology.

1. When used with other compatible products on this page.
2. Requires restart.
3. When used with PCIe card compatible with Thunderbolt technology.
4. Tested with Mac OS X 10.6.8 and RME HDSPe ExpressCard.
5. When used with Sonnet FireWire 800 Pro ExpressCard/34.
6. Compatible with only ECHO-E34. Not compatible with ECHOPRO-E34.