User Manual
Thank you for choosing Xcellon. The Xcellon Little Brother PCIe expansion chassis harnesses the power of Thunderbolt™ 3 to improve your workflow with data transfer speeds up to 40 Gb/s. It’s an indispensable addition that gives your Thunderbolt-equipped computer extra muscle for data-intensive operations like video and photo editing, graphics, audio production, or other applications that require an additional PCIe card.
Precautions »» Please read and follow these instructions, and keep this manual in a safe place. »» Back up your data before using this product in order to prevent loss of important data. Xcellon will not be responsible for any data loss. »» Speed and performance may vary based on configuration and setup. »» Do not attempt to modify or repair the unit. Doing so will void the warranty, and Xcellon will not be responsible for any damage.
Overview Front 1 Power LED 2 Rubber feet 2 1 Back 3 PCIe slot cover 4 Chassis thumbscrews 5 DC power input 6 DisplayPort 7 Thunderbolt 3 ports 3 4 5 4 6 7
Inside 8 Fan 9 PCIe 3.
Installing a PCIe Card The Little Brother supports half-length, full-height, and double-width PCIe cards with a maximum length of 220 mm. Before You Begin Static electricity discharge can damage the Little Brother and other electronic components. Always wear an antistatic wrist strap when working inside the unit. Important! Handle PCIe cards by their edges, and do not touch the connector pins. Preparing Your Computer The Little Brother doesn’t need its own drivers.
Installing the Card PCIe cards are not hot-pluggable. To avoid damaging your card, the chassis, and your computer, do not install a PCIe card into the Little Brother, or swap cards, while the Little Brother is connected to your computer or a power outlet. The Little Brother is not designed for use with graphics cards. 1 2 Loosen the thumbscrews until they pop out. Note that the thumbscrews cannot be removed from the chassis.
3 4 5 8 Place the chassis on its side so the PCIe card slot is facing up. Remove the securing screw. (For double-width cards, remove the second securing screw and the slot cover. Align the connectors on the card with the card slot. Press the card down until it’s fully seated. ··Important! The PCIe card should fit easily into the card slot. Don’t use excessive force to press the card down into the slot.
6 7 Align the metal tab with the securing screw hole, and replace the screw. The PCIe card is now installed. Slide the chassis back into the housing. Press in the thumbscrews, and tighten until secure.
Connecting the Little Brother to a Computer Use the included Thunderbolt 3 cable to connect one of the Little Brother’s Thunderbolt 3 ports to a Thunderbolt port on your computer. Important! The Little Brother is equipped with a full-featured 4-lane Thunderbolt 3 interface. Some computers use a 2-lane, 20 Gbps connection for their Thunderbolt 3 ports. Check your computer’s documentation to determine the capability of its ports.
Connecting Monitors The Little Brother can be used to connect one or two displays to your computer. In the following examples, the highest supported resolution is listed for each configuration. However, max resolutions supported are still subject to the capabilities of your computer’s GPU. Additionally, the Thunderbolt 3 connection has a finite amount of bandwidth, and using displays at higher resolutions may severely limit how much of that bandwidth is available for the PCIe card.
Figure C Two displays can be connected through a combination of the dedicated DisplayPort and the 2nd Thunderbolt 3 port. Up to 4K @ 60 Hz Up to 4K @ 60 Hz Figure D Two displays can be connected to the 2nd Thunderbolt 3 port with a Thunderbolt 3 to dual-display adapter.
Specifications Design Heat-dissipating aluminum housing Can be used in vertical or horizontal orientation Interface Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) (×2) DisplayPort 1.2 1 PCIe 3.0 (Internal) PCIe Slot PCIe 3.0 ×16 @ ×4 Supports half-length, full-height, double-width cards (max length: 220 mm) Supplies up to 25 W of power 2 Data Transfer Rate Up to 40 Gb/s AC Power Adapter Input: 100–240 V AC, 50–60 Hz Output: 12 V DC / 5.
One-Year Limited Warranty This XCELLON product is warranted to the original purchaser to be free from defects in materials and workmanship under normal consumer use for a period of one (1) year from the original purchase date or thirty (30) days after replacement, whichever occurs later.
To obtain warranty coverage, contact the Xcellon Customer Service Department to obtain a return merchandise authorization (“RMA”) number, and return the defective product to Xcellon along with the RMA number and proof of purchase. Shipment of the defective product is at the purchaser’s own risk and expense. For more information or to arrange service, visit www.xcellongear.com or call Customer Service at 212-594-2353. Product warranty provided by the Gradus Group. www.gradusgroup.
GG2
