Manual

How to Identify Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps) Cables
Look for the Thunderbolt icon (
) AND the number 3
on the connector housings to identify these cables. Cables
with USB-C connectors that only have the Thunderbolt
icon without the number 3 support 20Gbps speeds, and
are not recommended for PCIe cards with high bandwidth
requirements. Cables marked with the USB icon (
) are
NOT compatible for use connecting your computer to the
xMac mini Server T3E.
KNOWN ISSUES
Not all PCIe Cards Will Perform at 100%
xMac mini Server’s bandwidth is limited to PCIe 2.0 x4.
While many cards will operate at full performance, some
may not due to the fact they require more bandwidth
than PCIe 2.0 x4 is capable of delivering.
OS Updates May Break Compatibility
Specific device drivers that work under one operating system
version may not work under a later version. It is even possible
that an OS update may break compatibility. Before updating
to the latest drivers or OS version, we recommend that you
contact your PCIe cards’ manufacturers to verify that the
existing drivers work, and check online forums for reports
of issues with the latest OS update.
Some Devices’ Performance May be Affected by Where
They Are Connected in a Thunderbolt Chain
However small, Thunderbolt introduces latency to a
device chain. If you expand with additional Thunderbolt
expansion chassis, you may need to experiment with
which cards work better in chassis closer or farther to the
Mac mini in the chain.
TIPS
Cooling xMac mini Server and Everything Inside It
With its optimized airflow design and temperature-
controlled fans providing adequate cooling at all times,
xMac mini server may be installed anywhere in a rack.
Do not block any of the vents! Otherwise, the Mac mini,
installed cards, and xMac mini Server’s components may
overheat.
Connecting Additional Thunderbolt 3 Peripheral
Devices
The xMac mini Server T3E includes two Thunderbolt 3
ports; the first is reserved for connection to your computer,
while the second supports daisy-chaining of up to five
additional Thunderbolt peripheral devices.
Using Expansion Cards Without Drivers
Some Thunderbolt-compatible expansion cards, like
Sonnet’s Allegro™ Pro USB 3.1 PCIe and Solo10G™ PCIe
card, use drivers built into the OS, and are ready to use out
of the box. Cards listed as Thunderbolt-compatible, but
stating “no drivers required” fall into this category.
Replacing Cards or Adding Cards After Initial
Installation
If you decide to replace or add a card to xMac mini server
after the initial setup installation, shut down the system
and disconnect power to it before installing a card.
xMac mini Server T3E Provides Upstream Power
For connected peripheral devices requiring extra power,
the xMac mini Server T3E provides up to 15 watts of
power to bus-powered devices through its secondary
Thunderbolt 3 port.
Chapter 5 – Tips and Known Issues
12