Sonnet Allegro Pro User Manual

Allegro™ Pro USB

Professional 4-Port 10Gb USB-A

®

Card With Charging Capability

PCIe

Quick Start Guide

3.1

PCIe

®

You Should Have

The following items should be included in your product package:

• One Allegro Pro USB 3.1 PCIe card

• Quick Start Guide

The following items may be required for installation:

• Medium Phillips screwdriver

Computer Compatibility

• Mac Pro® (Early 2008 or newer) or other computer with full-height
PCIe x4 (mechanical) slot

OS Compatibility

• macOS® 10.10.5, 10.12.6+; not compatible with macOS 10.11

• Windows

• Windows

• Linux

®

10, 8, 7

Server 2016, 2012, 2008 (64-bit editions)

®

Kernel 5.0+

Thunderbolt™ Compatibility

• Mac®, Windows, or Linux computer via a Thunderbolt 2 or
Thunderbolt 3 PCIe card expansion system

• macOS 10.12.6+

• Windows 10 (64-bit Edition Version 1809 or newer)

©2019 Sonnet Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved. Sonnet, the Sonnet logotype, and Allegro are trademarks of Sonnet
Technologies, Inc. iOS, Mac, the Mac logo, Mac Pro, and macOS are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the United States and
other countries. Thunderbolt and the Thunderbolt logo are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.
Other product names are trademarks of their respective owners. Product specifications subject to change without notice.
QS-USB3-PRO-4P10-E-E-C-082019

Installation Preparation

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

Support Notes: 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.

Card Installation Steps

1. Shut down your computer or Thunderbolt-to-PCIe card
expansion chassis, and then open it to access the expansion
card area (PCIe slots); refer to the user’s manual for specific
information.

2. Locate an available PCIe slot 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 the computer or Thunderbolt-to-PCIe card expansion

chassis.

Driver Information

For Mac users, the standard drivers that enable the Allegro card
to work in your computer or Thunderbolt expansion chassis are
installed as part of macOS 10.10.5, and 10.12.6 and later; the Allegro
card is ready to use when you power on your computer.

For Windows users, the drivers that enable the Allegro card to work
in your computer running supported versions of Windows except
Windows 7 (32- and 64-bit versions) are installed automatically. For
Windows 7 users, please go to www.sonnettech.com/support/kb/
kb.php, click the Computer Cards link, and then the PCIe Cards link.
Locate and click Allegro Pro USB 3.1 PCIe link, and then click the
Driver link. Locate, download, and install the appropriate drivers. For
all other users, update Windows to the latest version to ensure full
support and performance.

For Linux users, the drivers that enable the Allegro card to work in
your computer running Linux Kernel 5.0 and later are installed
automatically; the Allegro card is ready to use when you power on
your computer

Important Note for Mac Users

In order for this product to support full iOS® device charging
capabilities in systems running macOS, and have the power required
to operate the Apple SuperDrive and bus-powered peripherals plugged
into the Apple wired USB keyboard, you must download and install a
Sonnet driver. Go to www.sonnettech.com/support/kb/kb.php and
click the Computer Cards link, and then click the PCIe Cards link.
Click the Allegro Pro USB 3.1 PCIe link, and then click the Driver
link. Download and install the USB 3.0 Power Kernel Extension.

USB Port Usage Information

The Allegro Pro USB 3.1 PCIe
card features two USB 3.1 Gen 2
controllers, with each controller
offering 10Gbps bandwidth shared
across two ports. One controller
supports the top two ports, and
the other controller supporting the
bottom two ports.

For the fastest drive-to-drive file
transfers when using USB 3.1 Gen 2
drives, Sonnet recommends that you
connect the source drive to one of the
top two ports, and the destination
drive to one of the bottom two ports.

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’ Web sites for more information.

• USB 3.1 Gen 2 devices require USB 3.1 Gen 2 cables to support 10
Gb/s transfer speeds Use of USB 3.0 cables between USB 3.1 Gen 2
devices and Allegro Pro USB 3.1 PCIe card is supported, but data
transfers are limited to USB 3.0 speeds (5 Gb/s).

• The use of USB-A to USB-C cables is supported, but data transfer
speeds are limited by the cable type (USB 3.1 Gen 2, USB 3.0, or
USB 2.0), as well as the speeds supported by the device.

• 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 Web site. Check the peripheral’s user’s manual for
information about necessary software.

• While your computer is on, always “eject”, “stop”, “unplug”, or “put
away” any drive (hard drive, SSD, etc.) before disconnecting it from
its cable or the Sonnet card.

• While your computer is on, always “eject” any memory card from
the operating system before removing it from an attached card
reader, or disconnecting the reader (with the card inserted in it)
from its cable or the Sonnet card.

Known Limitations and Advice (continued)

• 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.

• 1-meter or longer Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps) cables DO NOT support
USB 3.0 & 3.1 by design, only Thunderbolt 3 & USB 2.0.

• The Allegro Pro USB 3.1 PCIe card is not compatible with
Thunderbolt 1 PCIe card expansion systems.

Support Note: This document was up to date at the time

of printing. However, changes to the hardware or software
may have occurred since then. Please check the Sonnet Web site for
the latest documentation.

1. Go to www.sonnettech.com/support/kb/kb.php

2. Click the Computer Cards link.

3. Click the PCIe Cards link.

4. Click the Allegro Pro USB 3.1 PCIe link, and then click the Manual

link.

5. Click the Allegro Pro USB 3.1 PCIe Quick Start Guide [English] link,

and then check the Document Version information. If the version
listed is later than this document (revision C ), click the Download
Now button for the latest version.

• 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.

Contacting Customer Service

The Sonnet Web site located at www.sonnettech.com has the
most current support information and technical updates. Before
contacting Customer Service, please check our Web site for the latest
updates and online support files, and check this Quick Start Guide
for helpful information.

Email support requests generally receive the fastest responses, and are
usually processed within a 24-hour period during normal business
hours, excluding holidays. When you contact Customer Service,
have the following information available so the customer service
staff can better assist you:

Product name • Date and place of purchase • Computer model

• OS version • A System Report (macOS), or a Microsoft System

Information MSINFO32 (Windows) report (Windows), along with a
description of the issue(s) you are encountering with your device

If further assistance is needed, please contact us at:
USA, Canada, or Mexico Customers
Please contact Sonnet Customer Service at:

E-mail: [e-mail]
Tel : [phone]

(Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Pacific Time)

For Customers Outside North America

For support on this product, contact your reseller or local distributor.

Visit Our Web Site

For the most current product information and online support files,
visit the Sonnet Web site at www.sonnettech.com. Remember to
register your product online at https://registration.sonnettech.com to
be informed of future upgrades and product releases.