Connect a Low-profile PCIe Card to Computers with Thunderbolt 3 Ports
Shopping for a new computer? The latest ultra-light notebooks, small form factor and all-in-one Mac®, Windows®(1), and Linux® computers with Thunderbolt™ 3 ports are slender marvels of engineering that come with a cost—there’s nowhere to install PCIe cards that provide additional connectivity and processing capabilities. Sonnet’s Echo™ Express SEL (Thunderbolt 3 Edition) is a compact, desktop Thunderbolt™ 3 to PCIe card expansion system that enables you to connect a low-profile PCIe card to any computer with Thunderbolt 3 ports.
Through its x8 PCIe 3.0 slot, this little expansion system supports many low-profile PCIe cards (Thunderbolt-compatible 16Gb and 8Gb Fibre Channel, 40Gb and 10Gb Ethernet, video capture and processing, SAS and SATA host bus adapters, and RAID controllers) and connects it to your computer through a single Thunderbolt 3 cable.
Use high-performance PCIe cards with any computer with a Thunderbolt 3 port.
Supports one low-profile PCIe card.
Offers 2750 MB/s of PCIe bandwidth, doubling the performance of Thunderbolt 2.
Smallest Thunderbolt 3 to PCIe card expansion system available; supports the most popular low-profile, Thunderbolt-compatible PCIe cards at full performance.
One port connects to computer; second port supports daisy-chaining of up to five 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.
Sonnet was established in Irvine, California in 1986. Since then, we’ve pioneered and brought to market many innovative and award-winning products that enhance the performance and connectivity of Mac, Windows, and other industry-standard computers. Many of our employees (including engineers) have been with the company for more than 20 years (some have been here since the beginning). We have a wealth of knowledge about our current and past products. Should you ever need technical support on one of our products, contact us; we’ll be around to help you.
The Echo Express SEL accommodates a wide variety of PCIe cards. 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.
Echo Express SEL supports one half-length (up to 6.6 inches long), low-profile, single-width PCIe card; PCIe 1.1, PCIe 2.0, and PCIe 3.0 cards are supported. Many of the most popular Thunderbolt-compatible high-speed networking and storage controller cards are a perfect fit, and even the BlueFish 444 Epoch 4K Neutron video card can be accommodated.
1. PCIe 3.0 x8 slot
Sonnet includes a 0.7-meter Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps) cable that, unlike some other cables, transfers data at Thunderbolt 3’s full 2750 MB/s bandwidth, and supports up to 100W of Power Delivery (PD). Sonnet also provides a ThunderLok 3 Thunderbolt connector retainer clip(2) that prevents accidental cable disconnections—just slide it over one end of the cable, and then plug in the connector and secure it to the chassis by turning a thumbscrew. Because of its unique design, ThunderLok remains on the cable so it won’t get lost when not in use.
Echo Express SEL (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 SEL also includes 10Gbps USB 3.1 Gen 2 support, meaning you can connect a USB device to the second port using the proper cable or adapter. For 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(5), and support for a vast array of Thunderbolt(6) and USB(7) devices, Thunderbolt 3 is a leap forward in every way.
BLAZING PERFORMANCE
Up to Twice the Performance of Thunderbolt 2
