Sonnet Technologies Allegro USB 2.0 PCI Adapter Card User Manual

Quick Start Guide for Allegro USB 2.0

Compatibility

At this printing, the Allegro USB 2.0 may be used with any Mac® or Windows®
computer with an available PCI slot that meets the following requirements:

• Macintosh Computer Requirements:

Power Macintosh

®

G3 Blue & White, Power Mac® G4 (all
models except Cube) or Power Mac G5 (with PCI or PCI-X
slots) computer running Mac OS

®

OS X Version 10.3–10.5.

• PC Requirements:

IBM PC/AT or compatible desktop computer with Pentium® II
(or equivalent) or better running Windows XP with SP1 installed,
Windows Vista, or Windows 7.

You Should Have

The following item should be included in your product package:

• One Allegro USB 2.0 PCI adapter card

The following item is required for installation

• Medium Phillips screwdriver

You may need the following items to connect peripherals to the Allegro
card:

• One or more USB cables (sold separately)

• One or more USB 2.0 hubs (sold separately)

• One or more high-speed USB 2.0 hubs (sold separately)

Support Notes: We recommend you make a backup of important

information on your system’s current hard drive(s) 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.

Remember to register your product online at http://registration.sonnettech.com to be informed of future upgrades and product releases.
Software updates and links are available from the Sonnet web site at www.sonnettech.com. • Online support form available at http://supportform.sonnettech.com.
Sonnet Technologies Customer Service hours are Mon.-Fri., 7 a.m.–4 p.m. Pacific Time • Customer Service Phone: [phone] • E-mail: [e-mail]
Sonnet Technologies, Inc., California USA • Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone]

©2010 Sonnet Technologies, All rights reserved. Sonnet, the Sonnet logotype, Simply Fast, the Simply Fast logotype, and Allegro are trademarks of Sonnet Technologies, Inc. Macintosh and Mac are trademarks of Apple Inc.,
registered in the United States and other countries. Other product names are trademarks of their respective owners. Product specifications subject to change without notice. Country of origin: China. QS-USB2-E-E-031810

Installation Steps for the Allegro USB 2.0

Using Devices with the Allegro USB 2.0 Card

Hardware Installation Preparation

Sonnet strongly recommends that you read the section in your
computer’s user manual that address PCI card installation, prior
to installing the Allegro USB 2.0 card.

Allegro USB 2.0 Card Installation Steps

1. Shut down your computer.

2. Open your computer to access the expansion card area (PCI
slots); refer to your computer’s user manual for specific infor­mation.

3. Locate an available PCI slot inside your computer and
remove its access cover, if present.

4. Remove the Allegro USB 2.0 card from its packaging.

5. Install the Allegro USB 2.0 into the PCI slot; make sure the
card is firmly seated and secured.

6. Close your computer and carefully replace its cover.

USB Driver Information—Mac OS X Version 10.3–10.5

The drivers that enable the Allegro USB 2.0 to support USB 2.0
high-speed devices are installed automatically when you install
Mac OS X Version 10.3–10.5; the Allegro card is ready to use
when you power on your computer.

USB 2.0 Driver Information—Windows

The drivers that enable the Allegro USB 2.0 to operate in your sys­tem and support high-speed USB devices are installed automati­cally during the first startup after you install the card. During the
first startup, a Found New Hardware popup will appear, and infor-
mation regarding the process of identifying the card, searching
for and installing the appropriate software will appear. Finally,
the message “Your new hardware is installed and ready to use”
will be displayed, and then the popup will disappear.

Known Issues and Advice

There are some limitations you should be aware of when using
USB devices, and we have listed additional advice here. Refer
to the peripheral manufacturers’ web sites and user’s guides for
more specific information.

• Many peripherals require additional drivers and applica-
tion 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.

• Mac Users: Always unmount a drive from the desktop (“eject” it
or drag it to the trash) before disconnecting it from its cable or
the Allegro USB 2.0 card.

• Windows Users: Always “stop”, “unplug”, or “eject” any drive
or storage device before disconnecting it from its cable or the
Allegro USB 2.0 card.

• Disconnecting USB peripherals (including external storage
devices, 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.

• Remember to connect external power supplies to the peripher­als that require them. Although many peripherals may draw
power directly from the Allegro USB 2.0 card, other devices
require an external power source.

• When a high-speed USB 2.0 peripheral is connected to a USB

1.1 peripheral, which is in turn connected directly to the
Allegro USB 2.0, the USB 2.0 peripheral will operate at USB 1.1
speeds. Keep USB 2.0 and USB 1.1 devices connected separately.

• Should you need to connect USB 2.0 peripherals to a hub, be
sure to use a high-speed USB 2.0 hub; USB 2.0 peripherals con­nected to a standard USB hub will operate at USB 1.1 speed.

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