Echo Express SE I

Use a Low-Profile
PCIe Card with Computers Lacking Expansion Slots

Today’s ultra-light notebooks, mini, and all-in-one desktop computers have tremendous processing power—power once found in only full-size workstation or large desktop computers. Smaller in size and more portable, they’re very desirable, but lack internal expansion capabilities. The Mac Pro is loaded with Thunderbolt 2 and USB 3.0 ports, but it lacks the PCIe expansion slots necessary for you to install specialty audio, video, networking, and storage controller interface cards.

With the Echo Express SE I, Sonnet has created a solution that leverages the paradigm shift enabled by Thunderbolt technology, allowing PCIe expansion slots to be connected outside a computer. This desktop Thunderbolt 2-to-PCIe card expansion system is ideal for connecting one professional video capture, audio interface, SAS or SATA HBA, 16Gb or 8Gb Fibre Channel, 10Gigabit Ethernet, or RAID controller PCIe card to any Mac® or Windows® PC⁽¹⁾ with a Thunderbolt port.

20 Gbps Thunderbolt 2 Interface

The Echo Express SE I features 20Gbps Thunderbolt 2 which provides ample bandwidth for many of the most demanding, highest performance PCIe cards, and incorporates support for the DisplayPort 1.2 protocol which enables video streaming to a 4K video monitor. While the SE I delivers maximum performance when connected to a computer with Thunderbolt 2 ports, it is also fully compatible with computers with 10Gbps Thunderbolt, supporting most cards at full-performance.

Now Available—Thunderbolt 3 Upgrade Card, and Thunderbolt 3 Edition

If you already purchased an Echo Express SE I, and have been waiting to upgrade it to 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3, your wait is over—the Thunderbolt 3 upgrade card for Echo Express SE I is now available! Installing the upgrade is as simple as switching a PCIe card in the chassis. If you’re in the market for a Thunderbolt 3-to-PCIe card expansion system, the Echo Express SE I – Thunderbolt 3 Edition is also available.

Full Performance In a Small and
Light Package

The Echo Express SE I is small, light, and perfect for use in situations where connecting only a single PCIe card is needed. Measuring a compact 5.6 inches wide by 8.6 inches long by 3.5 inches tall, the SE I was designed to have a small footprint, yet large enough to support the vast majority of Thunderbolt-compatible PCIe cards.

The SE I’s small size doesn’t limit its performance; installed in this system, a card will perform the same as when installed in an Echo Express SE II, Echo Express III-D, or Echo Express III-R. And like the other Echo Express models, the SE I includes two Thunderbolt ports to support daisy chaining of up to six devices from a single port on your computer.

Smart Design Inside and Out

Constructed of rugged and lightweight aluminum, the outer shell of the Echo Express SE I securely protects the installed PCIe card. The card is protected inside, too. Instead of using a fixed speed fan that may not reliably cool a hot-running card, or a fan with a switch that leaves it up to you to guess the correct speed, the SE I employs a variable-speed, temperature-controlled fan to ensure the card and chassis’ components remain reliably cool. The SE I’s fan automatically speeds up as necessary to cool the installed card when it’s hot, and slows down when it’s cool. Since Echo Express products automatically power on and off with your computer, there is no power switch on the chassis, ensuring you don’t waste energy by forgetting to turn it off.

Quiet, Please

The Echo Express SE I was designed to be ultra-quiet so that it can be comfortably used in noise-sensitive environments. The airflow path within the chassis has been specially designed to enable the temperature-controlled, variable speed fan to quietly and efficiently cool the installed card at all times, even during peak operation.

One PCIe 2.0 Slot Plus Space for a Daughter Card

The Echo Express SE I’s PCIe 2.0 slot supports one half-length+, full-height, single- or double-width PCIe card. Double-width? Some specialty cards, such as RME’s HDSPe MADI FX card, Blackmagic Design’s DeckLink 4K Extreme, and the Lynx AES16e 50, 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.

Nearly Every Thunderbolt-Compatible PCIe Card Supported

Able to accommodate cards up to 7.75 inches long, Sonnet’s Echo Express SE I supports nearly every Thunderbolt-compatible card available. PCIe 1.1, PCIe 2.0, and PCIe 3.0 cards are supported. Do you have a card in mind but aren’t sure it’s compatible? We’ve worked closely with PCIe card manufacturers to provide a list of compatible cards on our supporting PCIe Card Thunderbolt Compatibility Chart. The chart provides an up-to-date list of cards that have been tested to be recognized over a Thunderbolt connection and compatible with Thunderbolt technology requirements.

Strong Link in the Chain

This Sonnet solution supports daisy chaining of additional Thunderbolt technology-enabled peripherals such as an additional Echo Express chassis, the Apple® Thunderbolt Display, video capture devices, and data storage devices. For connected devices requiring extra power, 10 watts is provided through the daisy chain port to peripherals.

Thunderbolt Cable and ThunderLok™ Included

Sonnet includes a Thunderbolt cable to connect the Echo Express SE I to your computer, and a ThunderLok Thunderbolt connector retainer clip⁽⁴⁾ to secure the cable to the Echo chassis. Thunderbolt connectors are held in place by friction, which works well in situations where equipment remains undisturbed while operating. But when there’s a chance of movement nearby, there’s a chance the Thunderbolt cable can be unintentionally unplugged, possibly leading to loss of your work or data. Sonnet’s ThunderLok prevents accidental cable disconnections from the Echo chassis, and is easy to install and use—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 does not attach to the connector, but remains on the cable so it won’t get lost when not in use.