Sonnet Technologies USB 3.0 ExpressCard 34 User Manual

USB 3.0 ExpressCard

SuperSpeed USB ExpressCard

Quick Start Guide for USB 3.0 ExpressCard/34

You Should Have

The following item should be included in your product package:

• One USB 3.0 ExpressCard/34 adapter

The following is required for installation:

• Internet connection (for driver download)

System Requirements

Sonnet’s USB 3.0 ExpressCard/34 requires the following in order
to operate in your system:

• ExpressCard/34 or ExpressCard/54 slot

• Mac OS

®

or Windows XP with SP2 or later installed

Support Note: We recommend you make a backup of

drive(s) prior to installing new hardware or software.

X Version 10.6 or later; Windows® 7, Windows Vista®,

important information on your system’s current hard

®

Adapter

|

34

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 Website 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]

©2011 Sonnet Technologies, All rights reserved. Dio, Sonnet, the Sonnet logotype, Simply Fast and the Simply Fast logotype are trademarks of Sonnet Technologies, Inc. iPad, iPod, iPhone, Mac , the Mac logo, MacBook,
and Mac OS 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.
QS-USB3-2PM-E34-E-C-100711

Mac Users’ Steps

Software Download and Installation Steps

Before using the Sonnet USB 3.0 ExpressCard/34 adapter in your
MacBook® Pro computer, you must install required software you
download 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
ExpressCard/34 Cards link.

3. Locate and click the USB 3.0 ExpressCard/34 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_macos10x_tb.dmg file you
just downloaded; a new window will open. Double-click
the SonnetALLEGRO-MacOS106B.dmg 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.

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 Dio
Flash/SD reader, but not other non-storage USB devices or hubs.

• Before inserting the Sonnet card, connect the USB cable(s) to it.
This will help to prevent the card from popping out accidentally;
ExpressCard/34 is a push-to-eject design.

• 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.

™

Pro Media Reader, and Lexar’s USB 3.0 Compact

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 Sonnet USB 3.0 ExpressCard/34
adapter is ready for use.

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

• Sonnet’s USB 3.0 ExpressCard/34 accepts +5V input through
its 3.5mm auxiliary power connector, and supplies 2.5W
maximum power (500mA@5V) to an attached drive.

2

Windows User’s Steps

Software Download

Before inserting the Sonnet USB 3.0 ExpressCard/34 adapter into
your computer, you must install required software you download
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
ExpressCard/34 Cards link.

3. Locate and click the USB 3.0 ExpressCard/34 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
Software Installation Steps.

Software Installation Steps—Windows 7

1. Start Windows, and log in. Insert the USB 3.0
ExpressCard/34 card into your computer’s ExpressCard slot;
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 Sonnet card is
ready for use.

Software Installation Steps—Windows Vista and XP

1. Start Windows, and log in. Insert the USB 3.0 ExpressCard/34
card into your computer’s ExpressCard slot; a Found New
Hardware Wizard window will appear; click Cancel.

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.

• Before inserting the Sonnet card, connect the USB cable(s) to it.
This will help to prevent the card from popping out accidentally;
ExpressCard/34 is a push-to-eject design.

• 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 Sonnet USB 3.0
ExpressCard/34 adapter 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.

• Before removing the Sonnet card from the computer, or
disconnecting the cable from the Sonnet card or attached USB
device, move the cursor over the icons in the taskbar until
“Safely Remove Hardware” appears, click the icon, and then
click the “Safely remove NEC USB 3.0 Root Hub” message.
Once “Safe to Remove Hardware” appears, you may remove 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.

• Sonnet’s USB 3.0 ExpressCard/34 accepts +5V input through
its 3.5mm auxiliary power connector, and supplies 2.5W
maximum power (500mA@5V) to an attached drive.

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 Sonnet card is
ready for use.

3