Sonnet - 'Echo II DV Rackmount'
Max DV PerformanceThe Sonnet Echo II DV Rackmount is a 2U, professional Thunderbolt™ to PCIe card expansion system that enables you to connect two up-to-full-length (12.28 inches long), single-width PCIe cards to any Mac®, Windows®, and Linux® computers with high-performance Thunderbolt™ 4 or Thunderbolt™ 3 ports that lack the space and PCIe expansions slots to install specialty cards that needed for video/audio inputs, transcoding data, and connecting to high-speed shared storage and networks.
Dual Thunderbolt Interfaces
Connect DV I/O or other Bandwidth-hungry PCIe Cards
Dual Thunderbolt Interfaces for Maximum Bandwidth
Full 2880 MB/s PCIe Bandwidth to Each Slot
Double the bandwidthConnect Echo II DV to Two Thunderbolt Ports on your Computer for Maximum DV Performance.
Designed to Support Maximum Performance
Two PCIE Card Slots, Dual Thunderbolt Interfaces for Double the BandwidthSome computers — such as the latest MacBook Pro®, Mac Studio®, Mac mini® and iMac® (plus some Windows PCs such as Dell XPS 9730)— have multiple Thunderbolt ports that are supported by separate 40Gbps Thunderbolt buses and provide up to 2880 MB/s of PCIe bandwidth to each port. Among multi-slot Thunderbolt to PCIe card expansion systems, the Sonnet Echo II DV Rackmount is unique. Instead of using one Thunderbolt interface for two or three slots — which dynamically allocates the PCIe bandwidth between them — Echo II DV employs one interface per slot. With each slot getting Thunderbolt’s full PCIe bandwidth, you can exploit two cards’ full potential when connected at the same time to separate Thunderbolt buses on the computer, ideal for cards with high bandwidth requirement such as DV I/O, NVMe SSD storage, and 10 and 25Gb Ethernet adapters.
It's All about the Bandwidth
Separate Thunderbolt Interface
for each card slotBy employing a separate Thunderbolt interface for each card slot, Echo II DV is designed to provide full PCIe bandwidth to each slot when connected to two computer Thunderbolt ports that also have independent PCIe bandwidth. Computers with independent PCIe bandwidth to two or more Thunderbolt ports include all Apple silicon (M series) Macs, and Intel Macs or PCs with three or four Thunderbolt ports. (A few Pro PC laptops with only two Thunderbolt ports support independent PCIe Bandwidth. Check your computer’s specifications.) Computers that share PCIe bandwidth between their Thunderbolt ports, that would provide only shared bandwidth to the two slots, include Intel Macs or PCs with only two Thunderbolt ports.
Dual Thunderbolt Port High Bandwidth
Dual Thunderbolt ports Connection
Option for Maximum PerformanceConnect Two DV I/O or Other High-Bandwidth cards directly to two Thunderbolt ports on your computer for full PCIe bandwidth to each card.
Full Bandwidthwith any M series Mac and a few Pro Thunderbolt 4 PCs
Full Bandwidthwith Intel Macs or PCs with 3 or 4 Thunderbolt Ports
Single Port Thunderbolt Daisy Chain
Single Thunderbolt ports Connection OptionAlso works with computers with only one available Thunderbolt port to support two cards.
Shared Bandwidthwith Intel Macs or PCs with only two Thunderbolt Ports
Thunderbolt 3 Connectivity
Thunderbolt ConnectedPlugged into one or two of your computer's Thunderbolt ports, the Echo II DV Rackmount system enables you to connect two up to full-height, single-width professional PCIe cards.
Versatile PCIe Card Support
Video
Audio
SAS/SATA
networking
SSD
Supports Every Thunderbolt Compatible, single-width, non-GPU CardEcho II DV Rackmount supports every Thunderbolt compatible, single-width, non-GPU PCIe 4.0, 3.1, 2.0, and 1.1 card available including video capture, streaming and transcoding; SSD storage; audio DSP; 10Gb or 25Gb Ethernet; SAS or SATA host bus adapter; and other specialty types to your system.
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.
PCIe Cards Compatibility PDF
Key Features
Adds Connectivity & CapabilitesConnects two high-performance non-GPU PCIe cards via one or two Thunderbolt cables to your computer lacking expansion slots.
Dual Thunderbolt InterfacesOne interface per slot supports full PCIe bandwidth to each installed card, enabling maximum performance at the same time.
Four Thunderbolt PortsTwo ports connect to computer for maximum performance; secondary ports support daisy-chaining of Thunderbolt interfaces to enable single-cable connection to computer.
Broad PCIe Card CompatibilityEvery Thunderbolt compatible, single-width, non-GPU card supported regardless of length or height.
Two PCIe 3.1 SlotsTwo x16 slots support two full-height, single-width cards.
Remarkably QuietDual temperature-controlled, variable-speed Noctua fans rated at 17dBA automatically and quietly cool the cards.
40Gbps Thunderbolt SystemSupports full PCIe bandwidth for each installed card.
Rugged Aluminum HousingProvides robust and secure protection.
Apple® M series CompatibleSupports M series Macs (with PCIe cards that have compatible drivers).
Intel® Mac CompatibleSupports Intel Macs with Thunderbolt 3 ports.
Windows CompatibleSupports Windows computers with Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 3 ports.
Linux CompatibleSupports Linux computers with Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 3 ports.
400W Power Supply
Two PCIe 3.1 Slots and Power to SpareEcho II DV Rackmount features two x16 PCIe slots, enabling it to support a wide variety of cards. To support power-hungry cards, it integrates a universal 400W power supply and includes dual 75W auxiliary power connectors (one for each card slot) for non-GPU cards that require extra power, including AJA® Kona® 5, Blackmagic DeckLink 8K Pro, Bluefish444 Epoch and KRONOS SDI cards, and Avid Pro Tools | HDX. Designed without a power switch, Echo II DV powers on and off automatically with the connected computer, saving energy in the long run. With no power switch, you can’t forget to turn off the system.
2U Form Factor
Built for Cool, Rackable ExpansionEcho II DV Rackmount mounts in a rack space 2U tall, and is only 16.5 inches deep, making it ideal for use in a wide range of popular mobile racks, carts, and rack cases, and in server rooms as well. Its enclosure is formed of heavy-duty steel to provide secure mounting for the Echo II DV module and protection for the PCIe cards installed inside, and to support maximum airflow for cooling, regardless of where you install it in a rack.
Dual Module Mounting
Extra Space, Extra Expansion PossibilitiesEcho II DV Module—the heart of Echo II DV Rackmount—occupies one half of the rackmount enclosure, leaving space for an additional Echo module (and even a Mac mini mounting module/Thunderbolt dock). Does your computer have four Thunderbolt buses like Mac Studio and M2 Pro Mac mini? Add an additional Echo II DV Module to exploit your computer’s full potential, connecting four bandwidth-hungry PCIe cards at full performance. Add an Echo III Module instead to connect three full-height, full-length cards through a single Thunderbolt cable. Do you need to secure a Mac mini in a rack? Consider the DuoModo xMac mini Module to mount your mini and connect the Echo II DV Module plus a Thunderbolt storage dock, all in a 2U rack space.
Rack SteadyEcho II DV Rackmount includeds adjustable rackmount extension rails to enable the 2U enclosure to be installed securely in a variety of racks from 16 to 24 inches deep.
Quiet Noctua Cooling
Dual Noctua FansFeaturing dual Noctua fans, Echo II DV is designed to deliver ultra-quiet operation so that it can be comfortably used in noise-sensitive environments. Rated at 17.1dBA — below the 20dBA ceiling prescribed for use in recording and broadcast studios — the fans spread the spectrum of their noise to minimize the impact at any single frequency. To further ensure negligible noise levels, the fans are temperature-controlled, automatically speeding up and slowing down smoothly as needed, and the enclosure is engineered to optimize airflow over the installed cards to effectively and efficiently cool the system.
Secure Connections for High Performance
40Gbps Thunderbolt Cables
and Thunderlok 3 Clips includedSonnet includes two Thunderbolt cables that support Thunderbolt’s full 40Gbps bandwidth and are fully compatible with Thunderbolt 4 and Thunderbolt 3 computers. Sonnet also provides two ThunderLok™ 3 Thunderbolt connector retainer clips that prevent accidental cable disconnections — just slide one 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.
40Gbps Thunderbolt
Fastest External interface AvailableEcho II DV Rackmount features dual 40Gbps Thunderbolt interfaces – one for each slot – that deliver up to 2880 MB/s of PCIe bandwidth, enabling each slot to support 4K video capture and processing cards at high frame rates, audio DSPs, and 25GbE and dual-port 10GbE network cards at full performance.
Four 40Gbps Thunderbolt PortsTwo ports are reserved for the connections to your Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 3 computer (one for each PCIe slot); the other two ports enable expansion of up to five additional Thunderbolt peripheral devices each in daisy chains.
10Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2 Support10Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2 support allows you to connect a USB device to the secondary Thunderbolt ports using the proper cables or adapters.
Provide 15W of PowerFor peripherals requiring extra power, 15 watts is provided to bus-powered devices through each secondary Thunderbolt port.
Supports Connecting One 5K 60Hz DisplayMaximize the utilization of one computer Thunderbolt port.
Compatible with Apple M series Macs
Compatible with Thunderbolt 4 Computers and Apple M series MacsEcho II DV Rackmount is fully compatible with Thunderbolt 4 computers, including Apple M series Macs. Sonnet Thunderbolt expansion systems are purposely designed with a Thunderbolt 3 controller and its four lanes of PCIe (not available in a Thunderbolt 4 peripheral) to achieve maximum potential performance.
Complementary Echo II DV Products
Rackmount Version AvailableChoose between Echo II DV Rackmount and Echo II DV Rackmount to suit your workflow needs. Echo II DV Rackmount mounts in a rack space 2U tall, and is only 16.5 inches deep, making it ideal for use in a wide range of popular mobile racks, carts, and rack cases, and in server rooms as well. Echo II DV Rackmount even offers space for an optional expansion module.
xMac Studio CompanionEcho II DV Module – the heart of the Echo II DV Rackmount and Echo II DV Rackmount – is also available as part of xMac™ Studio, the Sonnet 3U rackmount enclosure with Thunderbolt to PCIe card expansion system for Mac Studio computers. Combine the power of an Echo II DV Rackmount with an xMac Studio/Echo II DV to connect four bandwidth-hungry PCIe cards to a Mac Studio, each to a separate Thunderbolt port for maximum bandwidth to each card.
Compatible with Sonnet DuoModo
Compatible with DuoModo EnclosuresEcho II DV Module is compatible with our DuoModo™ family of modular Thunderbolt expansion systems, comprised of interchangeable modules for PCIe cards, a Mac mini mounting system (with integrated 40Gbps Thunderbolt storage dock), and desktop and rackmount enclosures so you can quickly and easily interchange modules depending on your workflow.
