Allegro USB 3.0 PCIe - Expansion card Sonnet - Free user manual and instructions

USER MANUAL Allegro USB 3.0 PCIe Sonnet

ALLEGRO™ USB 3.0 PCIe

SuperSpeed USB PCIe Adapter Card

Quick Start Guide for Allegro USB 3.0 PCIe

You Should Have

The following item should be included in your product package:

• One Allegro USB 3.0 PCIe adapter card
The following are required for installation:
• Medium Phillips screwdriver
- Internet connection (for driver download)

System Requirements

Allegro USB 3.0 PCIe requires the following in order to operate in your system:

• One available PCI Express slot
- Mac OS X Version 10.6 or later, Mac OS X Server Version 10.6 or later; Windows7, Windows VistaWindows XP with SP2 installed, Windows Server 2008, or Windows Server 2003

port Notes: We recommend you make a backup of important information on your system's current hard) prior to installing new hardware or software.

When handling computer products, you must take care to prevent components from being damaged by static electricity. Before opening your computer or removing parts from their packages, always ground yourself first by touching a metal part of the computer, such as a port access cover, and work in an area free of static electricity; avoid carpeted areas. Handle all electronic components by their edges, and avoid touching connector traces and component pins.

Close-up of a black electronic circuit board (PCB) with various components and connectors, no visible text or symbols.

Mac Users' Steps

Hardware Installation Steps

This section covers the installation of the Allegro USB 3.0 PCIe card into your Mac Pro computer.

1. Shut down your computer, and then open it to access the expansion card area (PCI Express slots); refer to your computer's user manual for specific information.

2. Locate an available PCI Express slot inside your computer and remove its access cover.

oport Note for Mac Users: Please install the

Allegro USB 3.0 PCIe card in a recommended slot:

Mac Pro (Mid 2010, Early 2009, Early 2008) - Use only slot 3 or 4 Pre-2008 Mac Pro - Use any available slot

1. Remove the Sonnet card from its packaging, and then install it into the PCI Express slot; make sure the card is firmly seated and secured.

2. Close your computer.

Software Download and Installation Steps

Before using the Allegro USB 3.0 PCIe card in your Mac Pro computer, you must download required software from the Sonnet Website.

1. Turn on your computer; if you installed the Tempo card into a Mac Pro (Early 2008), Mac Pro (Early 2009), or Mac Pro (Mid 2010), skip to the next step. If you installed the card into a pre-2008 Mac Pro, depending on which version of Mac OS X your computer is running, the Expansion Slot Utility application will open automatically. If it does not open by itself, you must do so manually (Expansion Slot Utility is located in the / System/Library/CoreServices folder). Select the configuration appropriate for your setup (your Sonnet card is an x4 card, and should be assigned at least an x4 slot), and then click Quit if the default configuration was appropriate, or click Save and Restart if you changed the configuration.

2. Log onto the Internet and go to http://www.sonnettech.com/support/kb/kb.php, click on the Computer Cards link, and then click on the PCIe Cards link.

3. Locate and click the Allegro USB 3.0 PCIe link, then click the Driver link, and then click the USB 3.0 Driver (Mac) link.

4. Click the Download Now button; the file will be downloaded.

5. Double-click the SonnetALLEGRO-MacOS106B.dmg file you just downloaded; a new window will open. Double-click the SonnetALLEGRO-MacOS10x-Tb.pkg file to launch the software installer; when the Welcome to the Sonnet Allegro USB 3.0 PCIe and ExpressCard/34 Installer window appears, click Continue.

6. When the Important Information window appears, click Continue.

7. When the Software License Agreement window appears, read the license, click Continue, and then click Agree.

8. When the Standard Install on... window appears, accept the default location or choose a new location, and then click Install.

9. When asked for a password, enter your password, and then click OK.

10. Click Continue Installation to install the USB 3.0 driver.

11. When the driver installation is complete, click Restart to restart your computer; the Allegro card is ready for use.

Known Limitations and Advice

USB peripherals have some limitations you should be aware of, and we have listed some additional advice here. Refer to the peripheral manufacturers' Websites and user's guides for more specific information.

- The Mac OS X driver for this card does not support USB 2.0 and USB 1.1 devices, including, but not limited to iPads, iPods or iPhones.

- The Mac OS X driver for this card supports USB 3.0 hard drives Sonnet's Diö' Pro Media Reader, and Lexar's USB 3.0 Compact Flash/SD reader, but not other non-storage USB devices or hubs.

- USB 3.0 devices require USB 3.0 cables to support USB 3.0 (SuperSpeed) transfer speeds (up to 5 Gb/s). Use of USB 2.0 cables between USB 3.0 devices and Allegro USB 3.0 PCIe is supported, but data transfers are limited to USB 2.0 speeds (up to 480 Mb/s).

- Always "eject" any drive before disconnecting it from its cable or the Sonnet card.

- Always "eject" any memory card before removing it from the card reader, or disconnecting the card reader (with the card inserted in it) from its cable or the Sonnet card.

- Many peripherals require additional drivers and application software to operate or have full functionality. Software should be included with the device, or available to download from the manufacturer's Website. Check the peripheral's user's manual for information about necessary software.

- Disconnecting drives while they are transferring or receiving data, may result in damage to the file(s) being transferred or cause your system to hang.

- Although many peripherals may draw power directly from the Sonnet card, other devices require an external power source. Remember to use external power supplies when necessary.

Windows Users' Steps

Software Download

Before installing the Allegro USB 3.0 PCIe card into your Windows PC, you must download required software from the Sonnet Website.

1. Log onto the Internet.
2. Go to http://www.sonnettech.com/support/kb/kb.php, click on the Computer Cards link, and then click on the PCIe Cards link.
3. Locate and click the Allegro USB 3.0 PCIe link, then click the Driver link, and then click the USB 3.0 Driver (Windows) link. Click the Download Now link; depending on the OS and how your computer is configured, a new window may appear asking you what to do with the file; click Open. If another window appears asking for permission to open the file, click Allow.
4. When the window showing the contents of the .zip file appears, locate and click the Extract Files button (7 or Vista), or select File > Extract All... from the menu (XP); proceed to Card Installation Steps.

Installation Preparation

Sonnet strongly recommends that you read the section in your computer's user manual that addresses PCI Express card installation, prior to installing the Allegro USB 3.0 PCIe into your system.

Card Installation Steps

1. Shut down your computer, and then open it to access the expansion card area (PCI Express slots); refer to your computer's user manual for specific information.
2. Locate an available PCI Express slot inside your computer and remove its access cover.
3. Remove the Sonnet card from its packaging, and then install it into the PCI Express slot; make sure the card is firmly seated and secured.
4. Close your computer.

Software Installation Steps—Windows 7

1. Log in. During startup, Installing Device Driver pop-ups will appear, followed by a Device driver software was not successfully installed; close the last pop-up.
2. Navigate to the location where you extracted the .zip file, locate and open the NEC uPD720200 folder, and then double-click Setup to launch the driver installer.

3. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the driver installation.

4. After the installer finishes, pop-ups indicating the drivers were successfully installed will appear; the Allegro card is ready for use.

Software Installation Steps—Windows Vista and XP

1. Log in. During startup, a Found New Hardware Wizard window will appear; click Cancel.
2. Navigate to the location where you extracted the .zip file, locate and open the NEC uPD720200 folder, and then double-click Setup to launch the driver installer.
3. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the driver installation.
4. After the installer finishes, pop-ups indicating the drivers were successfully installed will appear; the Allegro card is ready for use.

Known Limitations and Advice

USB peripherals have some limitations you should be aware of, and we have listed some additional advice here. Refer to the peripheral manufacturers' Websites and user's guides for more specific information.

• USB 3.0 devices require USB 3.0 cables to support USB 3.0 (SuperSpeed) transfer speeds (up to 5 Gb/s). Use of USB 2.0 cables between USB 3.0 devices and Allegro USB 3.0 PCIe is supported, but data transfers are limited to USB 2.0 speeds (up to 480 Mb/s).
• Always "stop", "unplug", "eject", or "put away" any drive (hard drive, memory card, iPod, etc.) before disconnecting it from its cable or the Sonnet card.
• Many peripherals require additional drivers and application software to operate or have full functionality. Software should be included with the device, or available to download from the manufacturer's Website. Check the peripheral's user's manual for information about necessary software.
• Disconnecting peripherals (including external drives, cameras, memory card readers, printers, etc.) while they are transferring or receiving data, may result in damage to the file(s) being transferred or cause your system to hang.
• Although many peripherals may draw power directly from the Sonnet card, other devices require an external power source. Remember to use external power supplies when necessary.