Technical Specifications

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 (sold separately) plus a Thunderbolt 2 cable
macOS® 10.12.6+
macOS® Big Sur compatible

Windows Compatibility

PC with Thunderbolt 3 ports
Windows 10 (64-bit Edition Version 1809 or greater, see note)
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+

PCIe Card Compatibility

For a list of compatible PCIe cards, view the PDF of Sonnet's PCIe Card Thunderbolt Compatibility Chart

Hardware

Part Number

ECHO-EXP3FR-TB3

Warranty

2-year

Form Factor

Rackmount expansion system

External Connectors

Two Thunderbolt 3 ports

Internal Connector

6-pin Mini-Fit Jr (same type as on legacy Mac Pro motherboard; provides up to 75W of power for PCIe cards that require supplemental power)

Expansion Slots (Facing Rear, Top to Bottom)

One x8 mechanical (x4 electrical) PCIe 3.0
One x16 mechanical (x8 electrical) PCIe 3.0
One x8 mechanical (x4 electrical) PCIe 3.0

PCIe Cards Supported

One full-length, full-height, double-width PCIe card, plus one single-width card or
Three full-length, full-height, single-width PCIe cards

Power Supply

Universal 300W, 115-230V AC, 50-60 Hz(6)

Operating Temperature

0ºC to 35ºC (32ºF to 95ºF)

Dimensions (WxDxH)

19 x 16 x 3.48 in. (48.26 x 40.6 x 8.85 cm)

Weight

19 lbs (8.6 kg)

RoHS Compliant

Package Contents

Echo Express III-R (Thunderbolt 3 Edition)
Power cord
0.7-meter Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps) cable
ThunderLok 3 Thunderbolt Connector Retainer Clip(7)
Documentation

Support Links

Support Knowledge Base

Drivers, Documentation, FAQs

Product Manual

Technical Notes

While the Echo Express III-R (Thunderbolt 3 Edition) features a 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3 interface, some computers equipped with Thunderbolt 3 use an implementation of Thunderbolt 3 technology that limits PCIe performance to 20Gbps. The MacBook Pro (13-inch, Late 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports) has this limitation in the two right-hand Thunderbolt 3 ports, while offering full performance from the left-hand ports.
Full performance requires the use of the included Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps) cable, or comparable Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps) cables; look for the Thunderbolt icon AND the number 3 on the connector housings to identify these cables.
Assuming that a 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3 connection is established, all Thunderbolt 3 computers support one 4K monitor directly attached to the pass-through Thunderbolt 3 port, without affecting PCIe bandwidth to the device. Using two 4K monitors or a single 5K monitor attached to the pass-through Thunderbolt 3 port reduces available PCIe bandwidth to the device. Two 4K monitors requires either: 1) for Thunderbolt 3 Macs or for Windows Thunderbolt 3 PCs that support two monitors—a Thunderbolt 3 to Dual DisplayPort adapter; or 2) for Windows Thunderbolt 3 PCs that support two monitors—a 4K monitor with multi-stream transport support (DP out).
Second Thunderbolt 3 port supports Thunderbolt and Thunderbolt 2 peripheral devices on Macs used with the Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter (sold separately).
Second Thunderbolt 3 port supports USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5Gb) or Gen 2 (10Gb) devices when connected with proper cable or adapter (sold separately).
Power supply will operate as low as 90VAC, with linear power deration from 300W @ 115VAC to 240W @ 90VAC.
ThunderLok 3 compatible specifically with Sonnet 0.5- and 0.7-meter Thunderbolt 3 cables; Sonnet 1- and 2-meter Thunderbolt 3 cables require ThunderLok 3L.

Accessories

Thunderbolt 3 Cable (0.7-meter)

Part No. TCB-TB3-07M

0.7-meter Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps) cable
Delivers full 40Gb/s bandwidth
Supports 100W of Power Delivery (PD)
Compatible with Sonnet ThunderLok 3

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ThunderLok 3L

Part No. TB3-LOK2L

Secures Sonnet 1- and 2-meter Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps) active cables with ThunderLok 3L-compatible products.

Not compatible with Sonnet 0.5- or 0.7-meter Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps) passive cables.

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ThunderLok 3

Part No. TB3-LOK2

Secures Sonnet 0.5- or 0.7-meter Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps) passive cables with ThunderLok 3-compatible products.

Not compatible with Sonnet 1- or 2-meter Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps) active cables.

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Power Cable (OWC Mercury Accelsior Pro Q)

Part No. TCB-EXCEL

Power cable to connect OWC Mercury Accelsior Pro Q in Echo, Echo Express, xMac mini Server and xMac Pro Server expansion systems with auxiliary power connectors.

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