Sonnet Technologies Echo Express III-R - Manual (Page 13)

Using Expansion Cards Without Drivers
Some Thunderbolt-compatible expansion cards, like
Sonnet’s Allegro
™ FW800 PCIe FireWire ® adapter and
Sonnet’s Tempo ™ SATA Pro 6Gb eSATA cards, use drivers
built into the OS.
Replacing Cards or Adding Cards After Initial
Installation
If you decide to replace or add a card to Echo Express
after the initial setup, shut down the computer, and then
disconnect the power cord and Thunderbolt cables before
installing a card.
KNOWN ISSUES
Not all PCIe Cards Will Perform at 100%
Thunderbolt’s PCIe bandwidth is limited to 10Gbps.
While many cards will operate at full performance, some
may not due to the fact they require more bandwidth
than Thunderbolt is capable of delivering.
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
cards’ manufacturers to verify that the existing drivers
work with the new OS version. 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.
PCIe CARDS ARE NOT HOT-PLUGGABLE!
Never install a PCIe card into Echo Express while it is
connected to a computer or power outlet! If you do, you
risk injury, and damage to the card, chassis, and computer.
TIPS, GENERAL INFORMATION
Keeping the Cards Cool
With its optimized airflow design and temperature-
controlled fans providing cooling at all times, Echo
Express III-R provides adequate cooling for the installed
cards. Do not operate the Echo Express III-R with the inner
assembly removed, and do not block any of the vents!
Otherwise, the installed cards and Echo Express’
components may overheat.
Hot Plugging the Echo Express Expansion Chassis
When certified Thunderbolt-compatible cards (used with
Thunderbolt-compatible drivers) are installed in Echo
Express III-R, you may connect and disconnect the chassis
while the computer is on. Of course, if you have anything
connected to the cards, such as storage devices, cameras,
etc., follow proper procedures for disconnecting those
devices before unplugging the Echo Express chassis.
There’s No Need to Unplug the Power Cable
Because Echo Express 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 LED Operation
Because Echo Express automatically powers on and off with
the computer to which it’s connected, the power indicator
LED only turns on when the computer is on, and turns off
when the computer is sleeping or powered off.
Connecting Additional Thunderbolt Devices
You may connect up to six Thunderbolt devices total in a
daisy chain, including the Apple Thunderbolt Display.
Chapter 5 – Tips, General Information, and Known Issues
9