Echo II DV T5 Module Support Library

Description: This is the quick start guide for the Sonnet Echo II DV T5 Module Thunderbolt 5 to PCIe card expansion system. This is revision A of this document.

The problems can be very different (some ports fail, multiple cards in the same chassis have issue, video distortion, video/audio lag, etc.)

Update the firmware on the BMD card to the current version, and the issue in the Echo Express will be resolved on both Windows and macOS.

The problems can be very different (some ports fail, multiple cards in the same chassis have issue, video distortion, video/audio lag, etc.)

Update the firmware on the BMD card to the current version, and the issue in the Echo will be resolved on both Windows and macOS.

• Issue: Launching Activity Monitor app on an M1 or M2 Mac while recording in a Pro Tools session will cause a Pro Tools error AAE-9093.

• Solution: Do not run Activity Monitor while recording a Pro Tools session.

• Issue: When recording a 128 track session, setting Playback Engine HW Buffer Size to less than 2048 will cause Pro Tools error AAE-9093.

• Solution: Set Playback Engine HW Buffer Size to 2048.

• Issue: Pro Tools error AAE-9093 error is immediately is displayed after selecting record or play for a .ptx session that has associated clips if the last actions from the prior time Pro Tools run was to stop recording and then immediately quit and select "Don't Save" while quitting Pro Tools.

• Solution: This error condition can be removed by first attempting to record a clip, observing and clicking through the AAE-9093 dialog box, then selecting File-Save to save the .ptx file and then quitting Pro Tools. Now restart Pro Tools, open the session .ptx and confirm that play and record function normally.

Conditions for error: Mac Studio or MacBook Pro2021 with HD Native (does not occur with M1 Mac mini, Intel Macs or HDX). Cold start works fine, but restarting and opening a session results in an immediate Error AAE-9093 (or -9129 if at 2048 buffer).

Solution: Quit Pro Tools, shut down your Mac, unplug the power cable from the Echo chassis, wait a few seconds, replug the power cable and start. Everything should work fine (until the next warm restart).

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What is the BlackMagic Decklink 8K Pro capable of in Thunderbolt PCIe expansion chassis.

These cards are PCIe 3.0x8 cards and may not achieve maximum bandwidth or number of video channels over Thunderbolt 3, which provides PCIe 3.0x4. Thunderbolt 4 does not help with this since it has PCIE 3.0x1. Thunderbolt 5 is PCIE 4.0x4, and because there is more bandwidth available back to the computer, it does improve the performance. There is not a Thunderbolt chassis available that can give you a PCIe 3.0x8 connection. Here is some independent real world testing data.

Thunderbolt 3

4K60-Up to 2 Streams

4K50-Up to 3 Streams

1080p60-Up to 6 Streams

Thunderbolt 5

4K60-Up to 3 Streams

4K50-Up to 4 Streams

1080p60-Up to 6 Streams

My Black Magic Card is not working.

Can you confirm that only your BlackMagic card is not working? Are other cards working without issue?

If so, make sure that the power cable is connected to the 8K Pro card, and the firmware of the card is updated.
See our tech notes here for more information.

Other customers have claimed that BlackMagic cards may require a firmware update to function well in newer operating systems and with newer computers like M-series Mac computers in Thunderbolt chassis.

These firmware updates may need to be installed sequentially:
Uninstall current desktop video software... Install version 10.10, install driver/firmware, then uninstall.
Install version 11.7, install driver/firmware, then uninstall.
Then install version 12.x, install driver/firmware…
We have seen that this may help with unusual issues like this.

See our tech notes above for more information.

BlackMagic may have more details regarding this than we are aware of.

A customer of ours reported the following:
"Sure enough the fix required plugging in the mini USB port on the side of the decklink card into my computer with the pci card removed from the Sonnet frame. BMD Desktop Video immediately recognized the device as needing a firmware update. Update was completed after a minute and the card functioned properly and was recognized by the software after plugging into the Sonnet enclosure again."

Is my setup with my computer, OS, HDX card compatible with your PCIE expansion TB chassis?

kb.avid.com/pkb/articles/compatibility/Pro-Tools-Thunderbolt-Chassis-Compatibility?_gl=1*fr2iqx*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTE1MzY4NDU0NS4xNzYyOTgxOTk2*_ga_PROD*czE3NjI5ODE5OTUkbzEkZzAkdDE3NjI5ODE5OTUkajYwJGwwJGg2NzA0MjUyODM

In a single slot Thunderbolt 5 Chassis you can expect up to the following bandwidths (will be dependent on number of monitors or if other TB devices are connected).

PCIe Gen 3.0 x4, PCIe Gen 3.0 x8, PCIe Gen 3.0 x16 - 3400 MB/s

PCIe Gen 4.0 x4, PCIe Gen 4.0 x8, PCIe Gen 4.0 x16 - 6300 MB/s

TB5TB3Improvement
ControllerBW
(MB/s)ControllerBW
(MB/s)AIC PCIe
InterfaceMinMax
Expansion Enclosure w/o PCIe Switch
SE-I, SEL,IIDVBR3400AR2700Gen3 x 40%26%
TR300013%
BR6300AR2700Gen4 x 426%133%
TR300013%110%

In a Thunderbolt 5 chassis, for a resolution 4k60, you can expect around 3 streams for the Deltacast or BlackMagic 8K card. In Thunderbolt 3, the BM8K card was 2 streams.

In a Thunderbolt 5 chassis, for a resolution 4k50, you can expect around 4 streams for the Deltacast or BlackMagic 8K card. In Thunderbolt 3, the BM8K card was 3 streams.

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