The processing power offered by Mac, Windows, and Linux computers with Thunderbolt™ ports is truly impressive for today's creative professionals. However, these sleek, thin devices come with a drawback: they lack PCIe expansion slots for adding cards that boost connectivity and processing capabilities. Sonnet offers the ideal solution with Echo™ Express SE I Thunderbolt Expansion System. This compact, one-slot system allows you to easily connect a single PCIe card to your computer. Using a single Thunderbolt cable, it’s compatible with Apple M series or Intel Macs with Thunderbolt 3 ports, and Windows or Linux computers with Thunderbolt 5, 4, or USB4 ports.
Professional Desktop PCIe Card Expansion – when connected to one of your computer’s Thunderbolt ports, Echo Express SE I allows you to connect a single professional PCIe card — such as a video capture device, audio interface, SAS or SATA host bus adapter, Fibre Channel, Ethernet, or RAID controller — along with a daughter card.
Use high-performance PCIe cards with any computer with Thunderbolt ports.
Supports one half-length+ (up to 7.75 inches long), full-height, single-width PCIe card (plus one daughter card).
Offers full PCIe bandwidth to the installed card.
Takes up little space on the desktop, but large enough to support nearly every Thunderbolt-compatible PCIe card, at full performance.
One port connects to computer; second port supports daisy-chaining additional Thunderbolt peripheral devices.
Temperature-controlled, variable-speed fan automatically and quietly cools the card.
Powers on/off automatically with the computer.
Provides robust and secure protection.
Daisy chain port provides up to 15W of power to connected peripherals.
Supports M series Macs and Intel Macs with Thunderbolt 3 ports.
Supports Windows computers with Thunderbolt 5, 4, or USB4 ports.
Supports Linux computers with Thunderbolt 5, 4, or USB4 ports.
Founded in 1986 in Orange County, Southern California — long recognized as a vibrant hub of technology and engineering — Sonnet has been at the forefront of innovation for nearly four decades. We’ve introduced award-winning products that expand performance and connectivity for Mac, Windows, and other industry-standard computers. Many of our team members have been with us for more than 20 years, bringing unmatched expertise across both current and legacy products. Should you ever need technical support, you can count on our knowledgeable staff to provide the help you need.
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, Echo Express SE I has a small footprint, yet it is large enough to support nearly every Thunderbolt compatible PCIe 4.0, 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 compatibility list that identifies cards conforming to Thunderbolt technology requirements, and organized by fit and power compatibility with specific expansion systems.
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.
1. Space for a daughter card
2. PCIe 3.0 x8 slot
Many Sonnet Thunderbolt products featuring Thunderbolt ports come equipped with threaded mounting holes to securely attach a Sonnet ThunderLok connector lock, preventing Thunderbolt cables from accidentally disconnecting.
Sonnet Thunderbolt products feature a high-speed Thunderbolt interface that delivers PCIe bandwidth needed to support data transfers at full speed.
