Sonnet to Enable Thunderbolt 2-to-PCIe Expansion at the 2014 NAB Show

LAS VEGAS—At this year’s NAB Show, Sonnet will unveil the xMac Pro Server Thunderbolt 2-to-PCI Express (PCIe) expansion system and 4U rack-mount enclosure for new Mac Pro computers. It securely mounts the Mac Pro horizontally inside a specially designed modular enclosure that connects three PCIe 2.0 slots to the computer via Thunderbolt 2 technology, and provides space to install additional equipment in two 5.25-inch mobile rack bays.

Among the high-performance PCIe cards the solution supports are pro audio, Ethernet, and Fibre Channel, as well as SAS/SATA RAID controllers, and video capture and editing cards.

The xMac Pro Server's PCIe card expansion system incorporates ultrafast 20 Gb/sec Thunderbolt 2 technology, providing sufficient throughput to support many of the highest-performing PCIe cards. The expansion system supports up to three full-length PCIe cards with one x16 and two x8 PCIe slots. Along with an integrated 300-watt power supply, the system includes a 75-watt PCIe power connector for cards that require supplementary power, like Avid Pro Tools/HDX or Red Rocket-X cards.

The 2014 NAB Show takes place in Las Vegas, April 5-10.

Sonnet will be in booth SL10824.

Claudia Kienzle