Thunderbolt ExpressCard Adaptor for ExpressCard-8360

[blipton]

I have a NI ExpressCard-8360 card (Pcie x1) that I'd like to use with an older laptop that is only capable of USB3.

It will be connected to a PXI Chassis/Module and the traffic to/from is small , just short bursts so no heavy bandwidth needed. 

Would using a $50 "PCIe to ExpressCard/54" Adapter to a $5 "USB3.0 PCI-E 1x To 16x Expansion Riser" work?

I don't have thunderbolt so I can't use the ideal solution of "Sonnet Echo Pro ExpressCard/34 Thunderbolt Adapter (PCIe 2.0) E"

And I assume the "MicroU2E USB 2.0 to USB 2.0 Mode ExpressCard 34|54 Host Adapter" would not work?

[Robert__R]

blipton,

That's not going to work.  The usb3_pcie_riser.png is a setup to run PCIe over a USB3 cable.  The picture only shows part of what those adapters are -- the other end of the cable needs to be plugged into an adapter to a PCIe slot or NVMe or mini-PCIe slot.  Something with PCI Express.

- Robert

[KiwiWires]

Hi

sorry I doubt you can get it to work over USB3 due to difference between USB and Thunderbolt. 

The MXI needs PCI access, which USB doesn't provide, but thunderbolt does. A desktop + PCIe cardbus adapter will work or see if you can pick up an ex lease / 2nd hand laptop with cardbus slot.

Nick

[blipton]

Sounds like buying a used laptop might be the cheapest way to get the the cardbus to work.. so will the 8360 work on any laptop that has a "PCMCIA" slot, or does it specifically have to say "Expresscard" compatible (either 34 or 54")?    I'm hesitating upgrading to a thunderbolt laptop, because I keep hearing how Intel and Usb are playing nice, so I rather wait for usb4. 

[Robert__R]

blipton,

It needs to be ExpressCard, but you'd have a hard time finding anything with the older Cardbus/PCMCIA slot.  ExpressCard is old, the other slot is really, really old.

- Robert

[petti]

You need Thunderbolt in combination with the sonnet card, which is a Thunderbolt 2 to ExpressCard adapter. If your laptop has Thunderbolt 3 you need an additional converter to Thunderbolt 2 as well. I'm using the same since some years with different notebooks and it works well with NI MXI chassis. And for sure you can't use it with USB. The NI ExpressCard needs direct PCI access to the computer with is provided by Thunderbolt only.

Another way is to use the PXIe-8301 Thunderbolt card in combination with a PXIe-1071 chassis, then you can connect the Thunderbolt cable from your notebook directly, which is a nice but expensive solution. I used this as well and it works.

To wait for USB 4 is another year at least for the first notebooks. To wait for NI to provide USB 4 takes much much longer, as they usually need many years to provide new interfaces. This is probably no option.

PCMCIA (since many years dead) or USB 3 doesn't work at all.

This time you have only 2 choices: A PC plus a PCIe MXI-Express interface card or a laptop equipped with Thunderbolt 3 plus Thunderbolt 2 converter plus Sonnet ExpressCard adapter plus MXI-Express Interface card. I never found another vendor except Sonnet for the ExpressCard adapter.

If someone knows another supplier please let me know.

Patrick