Sonnet Technologies has introduced its Qio CF4 professional CompactFlash (CF) media reader. The latest member of the Sonnet Qio series of professional media readers offers a high-speed, cost-effective alternative to conventional card readers. The four-slot CF memory card reader supports concurrent file ingest from all four slots and features an integrated two-port 6Gb/s eSATA interface for connecting external storage systems.
With Sonnet's Qio CF4, users can transfer data concurrently from four CF memory cards used by professional HD camcorders from RED and Canon, as well as DSLR cameras from Canon and Nikon, thereby dramatically increasing efficiency by reducing ingest times. The unit's fast PCIe 2.0 interface delivers an aggregate ingest speed of up to 400MB/s with four CF cards, enabling users to copy files rapidly among cards, attached storage and computers. Designed for both in-studio and on-location use, the CF4 features a compact, rugged aluminum case with the same 5.9in by 6.2in footprint as the original Qio, but with a thinner profile, yielding a lightweight and highly portable ingest device.
The Qio CF4 is compatible with Thunderbolt technology and performs at maximum speed when connected with Sonnet's Echo ExpressCard Pro Thunderbolt Adapter, xMac mini Server, Echo Express or Echo Express Pro Thunderbolt Expansion Chassis. Two eSATA connectors on the back of the Qio CF4 enable the user to connect two Sonnet Fusion F2QR or F3 portable two-drive hardware RAID SATA storage systems or other SATA storage. These fast SATA connections accelerate card ingest when an eSATA interface is not otherwise available on a computer.
