Sonnet Technologies has introduced its first SATA Revision 3.0 host controller cards — the Tempo SATA 6Gb/s PCIe 2.0 for desktop computers, and Tempo SATA 6Gb/s ExpressCard/34 and Tempo edge SATA 6Gb/s ExpressCard/34 for notebook computers.
These new additions to Sonnet’s selection of PCI Express (PCIe) and ExpressCard/34 adapters deliver fast performance, especially when used with storage products equipped with the SATA 6Gb/s interface, yet offer backward compatibility with 3Gb/s SATA devices, according to the folks at Sonnet.
SATA Revision 3.0, the next-generation Serial ATA drive interface, offers a 6Gb/s transfer rate, twice that of the previous version. It’s well suited for use with solid state drives (SSD), which can saturate a 3Gb/s host controller interface. Tempo SATA 6Gb/s cards are compatible with SSDs, standard hard disk drives, and optical drives with an eSATA interface. These Sonnet host controller cards can support up to four drives per port to enclosures equipped with integrated hardware RAID controllers.
All three host controllers support booting from external drives in most current configurations, and are compatible with Mac OS X 10.5 and later. These Sonnet cards are compliant with the Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI) industry standard, and deliver a plug-and-play experience with no software installation required.
The Tempo SATA 6Gb/s PCIe 2.0 desktop computer card features two eSATA ports, a PCIe 2.0 interface and Sonnet-exclusive locking eSATA connectors for secure data cable connections. The Tempo SATA 6Gb/s ExpressCard/34 features two eSATA ports, while the Tempo edge SATA 6Gb/s ExpressCard/34 features a single eSATA port and a slim design. Both adapters plug into a notebook computers’ ExpressCard/34 or ExpressCard/54 slot.
All three cards are available immediately. Tempo SATA 6Gb/s PCIe 2.0, Tempo SATA 6Gb/s ExpressCard/34 and Tempo Edge SATA 6Gb/s ExpressCard/34 have a suggested retail price of US$79.95 each. For more info go to http://www.sonnettech.com/product/temposataiii6gbpcie.html .