Sonnet Echo Express SEL, User Manual

Chapter 5 – Tips, General Information, and Known Issues

KNOWN ISSUES

Not all PCIe Cards Will Perform at 100%

Thunderbolt 2’s PCIe bandwidth is limited to 20Gbps. While 
most cards will operate at full performance, some may not due 
to the fact they require more bandwidth than Thunderbolt 2 is 
capable of supporting.

OS X Updates May Break Compatibility

Specific device drivers that work under one version of OS X 
may not work under a later version

. Before updating to the 

latest OS, we recommend that you contact your PCIe card’s 
manufacturer to verify that the existing drivers work. Note 
that other software updates for the computer may also break 
compatibility.

Some Devices’ Performance May be Affected by Where They 
Are Connected in a Thunderbolt Chain 

However small, Thunderbolt introduces latency to a device chain. 
If you expand with additional Thunderbolt expansion chassis, 
you may need to experiment with which cards work better in 
chassis closer to or farther from the computer in the chain 

Thunderbolt Support Under Windows is Incomplete

At the time of this writing, Intel and Microsoft have not settled 
on a certification standard for Thunderbolt devices under 
Windows. The main unresolved issues are how hot-plugging 
support and Sleep mode support for Thunderbolt devices are 
handled. Support for these features exists under OS X, but is still 
in development under Windows. While Thunderbolt-compatible 
cards will function in your Echo expansion chassis when 
attached to your computer at boot, we cannot guarantee how the 
Windows driver will respond to hot-plugging of the Thunderbolt 
cable after boot or how it will operate when returning from sleep. 
While we do expect these issues to be resolved in the future, at 
the present they are not.

TIPS, GENERAL INFORMATION

Keeping the Card Cool

With its optimized airflow design and temperature-controlled 
fan providing cooling at all times, Echo Express SEL provides 
adequate cooling for the installed card. Do not operate the Echo 
Express SEL with its cover off, and do not block any of the vents! 
Otherwise, the installed card and Echo Express SEL’s components 
may overheat.

Hot Plugging the Echo Express SEL – Mac Users

When a certified Thunderbolt-compatible card (used with 
Thunderbolt-compatible drivers) is installed in the Echo Express 
SEL, you may connect and disconnect the chassis while the 
computer is on. Of course, if you have anything connected to 
the card, such as storage devices, cameras, etc., follow proper 
procedures for disconnecting those devices before unplugging the 
Echo Express SEL chassis.

There’s No Need to Unplug the Power Adapter

Because Echo Express SEL automatically powers on and off with 
the computer to which it’s connected, there’s no power switch, 
nor is there any need to disconnect the power cable under 
normal use.

Power Indicator Operation

Because the Echo Express SEL chassis automatically powers on 
and off with the computer to which it’s connected, its power 
indicator only lights when the computer is on, and turns off 
when the computer is sleeping or powered off. Note that the 
power adapter’s power indicator remains lit as long as it is 
connected to a live power outlet.

Connecting Additional Thunderbolt Devices

You may connect up to six Thunderbolt devices total in a daisy 
chain, including the Apple Thunderbolt Display. 

Using Expansion Cards Without Drivers

Some Thunderbolt-compatible expansion cards, like Sonnet’s 
Presto

™

 Gigabit Pro PCIe and Sonnet’s Tempo

™

 SATA Pro 6Gb 

PCIe 2.0 eSATA card, use drivers built into the OS. 

Some PCIe Cards May Not Fit in Echo Express SEL

Cards installed into Echo Express SEL must be no more than 6.6 
inches (16.76 cm) long, and must have a low-profile PCIe card 
bracket attached.

Replacing a Card After Initial Installation

Shut down the computer, and then disconnect the power adapter 
and Thunderbolt cables from the Echo Express SEL before 
disassembling the chassis and replacing the card.

PCIe CARDS ARE NOT HOT-PLUGGABLE!

Never install a PCIe card into Echo Express SEL while it is 
connected to a computer or power outlet! If you do, you risk 
injury, and damage to the card, chassis, and computer.

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