FirmTek SeriTek/1SE2, SeriTek/1eSE2 User Manual

SeriTek™/1SE2 & SeriTek/1eSE2

Two External Port Hot-Swap Serial ATA PCI Host Adapter

User Manual for Power Macintosh

FirmTek, LLC
www.firmtek.com

Copyright

Copyright © 1999-2006 FirmTek, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this manual may be
reproduced, translated by any means, photocopied, or transmitted in any form without the prior
written permission of FirmTek.

Trademarks

FirmTek, UltraTek, AV-Tek, SeriTek names and logotypes are trademarks of FirmTek, LLC.
Apple, Macintosh, Power Macintosh, Mac OS 9.XX, OS X, and the Mac logo are registered
trademarks of Apple Computer, Incorporated. The "Built for OS X" graphic is a registered
trademark of Apple Computer, Incorporated, and used under license.
All other manufacturer product names mentioned in this manual are for identification purposes
only and are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Changes

FirmTek reserves the right to make any changes to product design, specifications, or details
without notice. Actual product photos or screenshots may look different from those provided.

Notice

The material content of this manual is for informational purposes only. It is possible the content
of this manual may contain technical inaccuracies, typographical, or other errors. FirmTek
assumes no liability for any errors, omissions, or from the use of this manual that may result from
such errors, including, but not limited to loss of data or profits.

Before installing the SeriTek/1SE2 or SeriTek/1eSE2 or any other hardware or software, you are
responsible for backing up data contained on any storage devices. After hardware or software
installation, you are responsible for backing up data on any storage devices at frequent intervals.
FirmTek, LLC is not liable for any loss of data or damage to equipment resulting from the use of
the SeriTek/1SE2 and SeriTek/1eSE2 host adapters.

External Shielded Serial ATA Cable

The SeriTek/1SE2 and SeriTek/1eSE2 host adapters use specially shielded external Serial ATA
cables to ensure integrity during data transfers. Please use caution and handle the cables
carefully. When inserting and removing cables, hold the connector at the ends (not the cable
itself) when inserting and removing the cable from the SeriTek/1SE2 or SeriTek/1eSE2, and
external enclosure. To maintain peak performance keep the number of cable insertions and
removals to a minimum.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Introduction..............................................................................................1

II. Installing the SeriTek/1SE2 or SeriTek/1eSE2........................................5

III. Connecting External Enclosure(s)...........................................................7

IV. Using SeriTek/1SE2 and SeriTek/1eSE2 Hot-Swap Functionality.......18

V. Troubleshooting.....................................................................................22

VI. Product Support.....................................................................................24

VII. Product Warranty and Disclaimers........................................................25

VIII.Regulatory Compliance Statements......................................................26

I. Introduction

Welcome

Congratulations and thank you for purchasing the SeriTek/1SE2 or SeriTek/1eSE2Serial ATA
host adapter. This product is yet another innovative solution from the innovative folks at FirmTek.

About This User’s Manual

This User’s Manual was written with the assumption you are familiar with your Power Macintosh
computer, and are comfortable with opening its case. For further information, and to get
acquainted with your computer, please refer to your Power Macintosh User’s Manual.

About Serial ATA Technology

An evolutionary replacement for Parallel ATA, Serial ATA (Advanced Technology Architecture) is
an interface that allows you to add hard drives and peripherals to your Macintosh. Serial ATA
offers insulated cables that are thinner and longer with smaller 7-pin connectors which results in
easier installation and improved airflow, compared to wider and shorter Parallel ATA cables.
Improved airflow translates into a cooler operating environment for your Power Macintosh.

About the SeriTek/1SE2 and SeriTek/1eSE2 Serial ATA PCI Host Adapters

Both the SeriTek/1SE2 and SeriTek/1eSE2 host adapters extend Serial ATA's 1.5Gbits/sec
performance to the outside of the Macintosh computer chassis, enabling users to take advantage
of external Serial ATA enclosures. With two external ports, the SeriTek/1SE2 and SeriTek/1eSE2
host adapters provide the high bandwidth necessary to meet the needs of performance-hungry
applications while offering hot-swap flexibility similar to that of Universal Serial Bus (USB) and
FireWire.

The SeriTek/1SE2 and SeriTek/1eSE2 host adapters are functionally equivalent to each other
and provide advanced external storage capabilities. The difference between the two adapters is
the external connector types each one offers. The SeriTek/1SE2 provides original L-shaped
Serial ATA connectors, while the SeriTek/1eSE2 provides the latest I-shaped eSATA connectors.

Original L-shaped

Serial ATA connector

Newer rectangular

eSATA I-shaped

connector

SeriTek/1SE2 Package Contents

 SeriTek/1SE2 SATA host adaptor board
 “Made for Macintosh” External Shielded Serial ATA Data Cable, 1 Meter Length
 CD-ROM Containing Power Macintosh and PC User Manuals for SeriTek/1SE2

SeriTek/1eSE2 Package Contents

 SeriTek/1eSE2 SATA host adaptor board
 CD-ROM Containing Power Macintosh and PC User Manuals for SeriTek/1eSE2

SeriTek/1SE2 and SeriTek/1eSE2 Key Features and Benefits

 Two external ports with hot-swap capability
 Plug-and-Play ease of use, completely self-contained booting functionality, no driver installation

necessary

 Boosts overall system performance with per-port data transfer rates of up to 150MBytes/sec or

1.5Gbits/sec

 Compatible with all PCI-based Power PC Macintosh computers
 Supports Mac OS 9.XX, and OS X version 10.1.5 or later
 Provides performance and protection: Supports native OS X RAID 0/1; OS 9 RAID with 3rd party

software

 Ideal for multimedia-intensive applications: audio/video capture and editing, and graphics

manipulation/publishing

 User-upgradeable firmware
 48-bit LBA support for drive sizes larger than 137GB
 Includes a “made for Macintosh” one-meter, fully shielded, thin and flexible 1-meter Serial ATA cable

with 7-pin connector (SeriTek/1SE2 only; SeriTek/1eSE2 eSATA cables are available separately)

 Perfect for upgrading and expanding legacy and G5 Macintosh computers
 32-bit, 33 or 66 MHz PCI bus support
 Compliant with 32-bit PCI bus version 2.2
 Bus master operation enhances multitasking during disk transfers and increases CPU efficiency: The

CPU is free to handle other tasks during data transfers between the PCI Bus and system memory

 Data protection: Supports OS X RAID, OS 9 Software RAID (third party software), and other storage

utilities

 Reduced setting on storage devices (no master/slave) means easier installation and replacement
 Ideal for a variety of Power Macintosh applications: Desktop publishing, Audio/Video storage and

editing, photo storage and editing, servers, and gaming.

SeriTek/1SE2 and SeriTek/1eSE2 Specifications

General System
Hardware
Requirements

Operating Systems
Supported

Bus Type

External
Connectors

Drive Types
Supported

ATAPI Device
Support
Data Transfer
Rates

Drive Modes
Supported

Advanced Data
Features

Onboard Flash
ROM
Cables Supported

Warranty
Physical

Dimensions
Power

Requirements
Environmental

EMC Compliance

* IDE to Serial ATA converter module required for Parallel ATA and Ultra ATA133/100/66 drives

PCI based Power Macintosh with available PCI

expansion slot

Compliant 32-bit PCI bus version 2.2
Mac OS 9.xx
Mac OS X version 10.1.5 or later (works best with

10.2 or later)

32 bit, 33/66MHz PCI
Compliant 32-bit PCI bus version 2.2
2-port external Serial ATA (SATA) interface

connectors support up to 2 external hard drives or
peripherals (eSATA type connectors with
SeriTek/1eSE2 adapter)

Serial ATA hard drive
Backward compatible with Ultra DMA 133/100/66

hard drives*

Yes*
Up to 150 MBytes/second or 1.5Gbits/second burst

data transfer rate

Serial ATA
UltraDMA modes 6/5/4/3/2/1/0, PIO modes 4/3/2/1/0*
Fully compliant with Serial ATA 1.0a specification
Bus Mastering off-loads data I/O handling from CPU
Complete 32-bit CRC error checking, for all bits

transmitted (command, data, and status), offers
enhanced data protection for high-speed Serial ATA
drives

Dual independent data channels allows for separate

device timings

Automatically identifies and configures drive types*
Automatically detects and supports devices utilizing

many transfer modes including UltraDMA
6/5/43/2/1/0, PIO 4/3/2/1/0*

Allows easy upgrades to the latest firmware
7-pin shielded SATA cable, up to 1 meter in length

(eSATA cable with SeriTek/1eSE2 adapter)

Two year limited parts & labor
120mm(L) x 1.6mm(W) x 64.4mm(H) (not including

bracket)

5V ± 5%
Temperature:

Operating: +5°C to +55°C

Non-Operating: -25°C to +70°C

Relative humidity:

Operating: 20% to 80%
Non-Operating: 15% to 90%

EN55022/1998, EN55024/1998 (European

Community)

FCC Part 15 Class B (US)

SeriTek/1SE2 and SeriTek/1eSE2 System Requirements

Operating System

 Macintosh OS 9.XX
 Macintosh OS X version 10.1.5 or later

Hardware Requirements

 PCI based Power Macintosh with available PCI expansion slot
 External powered enclosure equipped with Serial ATAhard drive(s) or Parallel ATA hard

drives (Parallel ATA hard drives require compatible Serial ATA to Parallel ATA converters
contained within the enclosure)

Materials Required

 Standard medium-sized Phillips screwdriver

II. Installing the SeriTek/1SE2 or SeriTek/1eSE2

Caution:

Prior to installing the SeriTek/1SE2 or SeriTek/1eSE2 host adapter and hard drive(s) or

peripheral(s), please make sure your data is backed up.
The SeriTek/1SE2 and SeriTek/1eSE2 host adapters and your Macintosh contain sensitive

components that can be permanently damaged by Static Electric Discharge. Be sure you’re
working in an area free of static electricity to prevent them from being damaged. Use a wrist
grounding strap if you have one or regularly touch a metal part of the computer chassis such
as the power supply case or a port access cover to discharge any built-up static electricity
from your body. Make sure to handle the SeriTek/1SE2 or SeriTek/1eSE2 host adapter by
its bracket or around its edges to avoid damage to the card by static electricity.

Introduction

This section describes the proper method of installing your SeriTek/1SE2 or SeriTek/1eSE2.

SeriTek PCI Host Adapter Installation:

1. Properly shut down your Macintosh and disconnect the AC power cord.

2. Depending on the model of your Macintosh, open the side panel or top cover. On some
models, you may need to open a plastic cover to access the PCI slots. Please refer to
your Macintosh user’s manual for more information about gaining access to PCI slots and
hard drive or peripheral bays.

3. Choose an empty PCI expansion slot where you will install the SeriTek/1SE2 or
SeriTek/1eSE2 host adapter.

4. Remove the screw and detach the PCI expansion port access cover secured to the
computer case.

5. Remove the SeriTek/1SE2 or SeriTek/1eSE2 from its protective materials. Make sure to
hold the card around by its bracket or around its edges to avoid touching components
which might be damaged by static electricity.

6. Position the PCI card bracket by facing it towards the rear of the computer. Align the
gold connectors of the SeriTek/1SE2 or SeriTek/1eSE2 over the PCI slot and gently
press it into the PCI slot until the card is firmly seated. If the card is properly seated, the
upper ear of the PCI card bracket should line up with the screw mounting location.

7. Using the same screw that was removed earlier; secure the card to the Power Macintosh
computer case (see Figure 1).

Caution: The SeriTek/1SE2 and SeriTek/1eSE2 host adapters support external cables

that may be plugged in to one of their two external receptacles. If the SeriTek/1SE2 or
SeriTek/1eSE2 is not properly secured when a cable is inserted into one of the receptacles, it
may become loose from the PCI slot and damage the computer.

Figure 1: Inserting and securing the SeriTek/1SE2 or SeriTek/1eSE2

8. Close your Power Macintosh computer case and re-attach the AC power cord.

Ready for Use

Your SeriTek/1SE2 or SeriTek/1eSE2 host adapter is now installed. The SeriTek/1SE2 and
SeriTek/1eSE2 host adapters feature fully self-contained Macintosh booting functionality and
will be recognized by your Macintosh computer when you power it on.

III. Connecting External Enclosure(s)

Introduction

This section describes how to connect external hard drive enclosure(s) and a method of
formatting your Serial ATA hard drive(s) using Apple’s Drive Setup utility (OS 9.XX) or
Apple’s Disk Utility (OS X). If you decide to use a third party drive setup utility, please refer to
the documentation provided with the utility.

Connecting the SeriTek/1SE2 or SeriTek/1eSE2 to an External Enclosure

1. The SeriTek/1SE2 and SeriTek/1eSE2 host adapters are compatible with a wide range of

external enclosures. Enclosures must meet basic requirements which include:

Adequate power to support the hard drives (internal power supply),
7-pin shielded receptacles compatible with FirmTek’s shielded Serial ATA cable (see

below)

Support for Serial ATA Version 1.0
Serial ATA hard drives or Parallel ATA hard drives with compatible Serial ATA to

Parallel ATA converter

2. Install hard drives into the external enclosure according to the instructions included with

the enclosure.

3. Attach one end of FirmTek’s shielded Serial ATA cable(s) to the Serial ATA receptacle(s)

on the SeriTek/1SE2 or SeriTek/1eSE2, and connect the other end(s) to the external
enclosure.

4. Power on the external enclosure.

Note: Macintosh computers require unique external shielded Serial ATA cables for maximum
reliability. FirmTek Serial ATA cables were specially designed to be compatible with both PC and
Macintosh computers. Please use only FirmTek external shielded Serial ATA cables with the
SeriTek/1SE2 or SeriTek/1eSE2.

Caution: The SeriTek/1SE2 and SeriTek/1eSE2 host adapters require different types

Serial ATA cables/connectors. The SeriTek/1SE2 provides original L-shaped SATA
connectors, while the SeriTek/1eSE2 provides the latest I-shaped eSATA connectors. eSATA is
a new cable/connector specification from the ATA Committee that defines a new “external” SATA
connector, called eSATA.

 The original Serial ATA (Type A SATA) connectors have an L shaped opening
 The newer “eSATA” connectors have a rectangular opening

Using the SeriTek/1SE2 host adapter with the SeriTek/2EN2 external enclosure
requires cables which offer an L-shaped connector on one end, and a rectangular I­shaped eSATA connector on the other end.

Original L-shaped

Serial ATA connector

Newer rectangular

eSATA I-shaped

connector

Using the SeriTek/1eSE2 host adapter with the SeriTek/2EN2 external enclosure
requires cables which have rectangular I-shaped eSATA connectors on both ends.

Making the SATA Connections:

Caution: Be sure to connect the cable using the proper orientation to your SeriTek host

adapter and external enclosure. It should easily snap into place. Please do not force the

cable connector onto the host adapter and hard drive or peripheral interface.
Remember that male and female connectors must be of the same type for them to fit:

L-shaped female to L-shaped male or eSATA female to eSATA male.

 First check that you are connecting the correct type of connectors to each other
 If your connectors still do not fit, rotate the cable and try again

Formatting Serial ATA Hard Drives with Macintosh OS 9.XX

Caution:

Please make sure your data is backed up before attempting to format or change the

partition layout of your hard drives.

1. Turn on your Power Macintosh computer.

2. Open Apple’s Drive Setup.
To find and open this application:
a) Hold down the Command key and press the “F” key simultaneously.
b) Type in “Drive Setup” in the field with the blinking cursor
c) Press Return key (See Figure 2).

Figure 2: Finding Apple's Drive Setup Utility

3. Locate and double click on the Drive Setup “application program” utility (see Figure 3).

Figure 3: Running Apple's Drive Setup Utility

4. When the list of hard drives appears, carefully select the drive you wish to format by

clicking on it (See Figure 4). If this is a new, unformatted drive, it may show up as <not
initialized>. Note: For ideal performance and compatibility, SeriTek/1SE2 and
SeriTek/1eSE2 use SCSI emulation which allows your Serial ATA drive to appear as a
SCSI drive.

Figure 4: Example of selecting a drive to format

5. Click the Initialize button to format the hard drive (see Figure 5). As an alternative, you may use

the Custom Setup option if you are comfortable with customizing the hard drive’s partition layout.
For more details on the Custom Setup option, please refer to your Power Macintosh User’s Manual.

Figure 5: Initializing the Hard Drive

6. After the hard drive is successfully initialized, it should appear on the desktop as

“untitled.”

7. The hard drive may be renamed by selecting the word “untitled” and typing your own

name or description for your new drive.

8. Repeat steps 4 through 7 if you wish to format a second hard drive connected to the

SeriTek/1SE2 or SeriTek/1eSE2.

9. Select the File pull-down menu within Apple’s Drive Setup utility and choose Quit to exit

the application.

Formatting Serial ATA Drives Using Macintosh OS X Version 10.1.5 or Later

1. Turn on your Macintosh computer.

2. Open Apple’s Disk Utility which is located in the Utilities folder of the Macintosh OS X

start-up volume.

To open this application:

a) Double click the Mac OS X startup volume
b) Double click the Applications folder
c) Double click the Utilities folder
d) Double click the Disk Utility icon (See Figures 6 and 7 for examples)

Figure 6: Locating Apple’s Disk Utility

Figure 7: Alternate method for locating Apple’s Disk Utility

3. Review the list of hard drives show within Disk Utility (see Figure 8). Drives currently in

use should have a list of volume names below it. New, unformatted drives typically have
no volume names listed. Carefully select the drive you wish to format. Note: Some
versions of Apple Disk Utility incorrectly display Serial ATA hard drives as having the
Connection Type of “Slave.” Serial ATA hard drives are all in fact “Master” drives. Later
versions of Apple Disk Utility correctly display Serial ATA hard drives as “Master.” If your
Serial ATA hard disk is listed as “Slave,” don’t worry, its performance will not be affected.

Figure 8: Example hard drive listing

4. After carefully selecting the hard drive you wish to format, select the Erase tab in Apple’s

Disk Utility (see Figure 9).

Figure 9: Selecting the Erase tab in Apple’s Disk Utility

`

5. For Volume Format, the most common choice is “Mac OS Extended.”

6. In the Name field, you may type a name of description for your new hard drive.

7. If you wish to have your new hard drive be recognized by Mac OS 9.XX, select the Install

Mac OS 9 Drivers checkbox. Users who dual-boot both Mac OS 9.XX and Mac OS X

10.2 and later may want to select this option. This will allow the formatted volume to be
recognized by both Mac OS versions.

8. Click the Erase button to format the hard drive.

9. Once the hard drive is initialized, it will be depicted as an icon on your Mac OS X

desktop.

Creating a RAID Volume with Serial ATA Hard Drives Using Macintosh OS X version 10.2
or Later

The Mac OS X 10.2 or later RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks) capability allows
you to increase volume sizes, provide data redundancy in case of a hard drive failure, or
increase performance by allowing you to join multiple drives into a single volume.

Two RAID types are supported, Stripe and Mirror. A volume that is striped (also known as
RAID 0) has its data broken up and spread across multiple hard drives. Read/write
performance, especially for sequential access, is improved when the data is read and written
across multiple drives simultaneously. No data integrity is provided with striping however,
and since data is spread across multiple drives, if one of the hard drives fails, all of the
volume’s data will be lost.

A volume that is mirrored (also known as RAID 1) has its data duplicated from one hard drive
onto another. A mirrored volume offers data integrity and immediate access to data in the
event one hard drive fails. Because data is mirrored and duplicated across two hard drives,
only half of the combined capacity of the two drives is available.

1. Turn on your Macintosh computer.

2. Open Apple’s Disk Utility which is located in the Utilities folder of the Macintosh OS X

start-up volume.

To open this application:

a) Double click the Mac OS X startup volume
b) Double click the Applications folder
c) Double click the Utilities folder
d) Double click the Disk Utility icon (See Figures 6 and 7 for examples)

3. Review the list of hard drives show within Disk Utility (see Figure 8). Drives currently in

use should have a list of volume names below it. New, unformatted drives typically have
no volume names listed.

4. Select the RAID tab in Apple’s Disk Utility (see Figure 10).

Figure 10: Selecting the RAID tab in Apple’s Disk Utility

5. Carefully select and drag a hard drive to add as a member of the new RAID volume onto

the Disk status window.

6. Repeat step 5 for each member for the RAID volume.

7. Choose a RAID Scheme: Stripe or Mirror.

8. Name the new RAID volume.

9. For Volume Format, the most common choice is “Mac OS Extended” (See Figure 11).

Figure 11: Example drives and options for a RAID volume

10. After reviewing the options you selected, click on the Create button to initialize the new

RAID volume (see Figure 12).

Figure 12: Creating a new RAID volume

11. After the RAID volume is successfully initialized, it should appear on the desktop.

IV. Using SeriTek/1SE2 and SeriTek/1eSE2 Hot-Swap Functionality

Introduction

The SeriTek/1SE2 and SeriTek/1eSE2 host adapters provide advanced hot-swap
functionality which provides flexibility similar to that of Universal Serial Bus (USB) and
FireWire without the burden of having to power down your system when adding or removing
hard drives. Using a unique patent-pending method SeriTek/1SE2 and SeriTek/1eSE2 host
adapters support RAID hot-swap disks under both Mac OS 9 and OS X.

Hot-Swap Guidelines

Do not disconnect or remove hard drives while transferring data.
Save your work and close associated applications before removing the external hard drive

(applications need to be closed since they may keep temporary working files open on the
external hard drive).

Always unmount the volumes (eject or drag the volumes to trash) associated with an

external hard drive before removing it.

As a general rule, power down the external hard drives after powering down the Macintosh

computer. Power on the external enclosure before powering on the Macintosh computer.

The SeriTek/1SE2 and SeriTek/1eSE2 hot-swap functionality is designed to provide RAID-

based volume spanning among two hard drives connected to one SeriTek/1SE2 or
SeriTek/1eSE2 host adapter.

If RAID volumes span internal and external hard drives, do not attempt to remove and

insert external hard drives that partially support the RAID volume or data loss may occur.
An example is a RAID volume that spans hard drives plugged into an internal SeriTek/1S2
or SeriTek/1eSE2 host adapter within the Macintosh chassis and hard drives plugged into
an external SeriTek/1SE2 or SeriTek/1eSE2 host adapter and external enclosure.

Hot-Swap Procedure

The hot-swap procedure is the same for both Macintosh OS 9.XX and 10.1.5 and later. The
example dialog boxes below are from OS X. OS 9.XX dialog boxes are similar.

Connecting External Hard Drive(s)

If your Macintosh computer is not yet powered on, power on the external enclosure then
power on the computer. If the Macintosh computer is already powered on, you may connect
the external hard drive(s). When you connect the first hard drive, you will see a “SATA
Configuration Changed” window (See Figure 13). If this is the only hard drive you connect,
you may select “OK” in the dialog box. If you have an additional hard drive to connect,
connect it and then select “OK” in the dialog box.

Figure 13: Connecting External Hard Drive(s)

1.

Verifying Hard Drive Connections

Once you have connected the external hard drive(s) a dialog box will appear which verifies
how many devices were added to the system (See Figure 14). There are two Serial ATA
channels, 0 and 1. One or two dialog boxes will appear verifying which drive was attached to
which channel (See Figures 15 and 16).

Figure 14: Device(s) Attached to Channel(s) 0 and/or 1

Figure 15: Example Serial ATA hard drive connected to channel 0

Figure 16: Example Serial ATA hard drive connected to channel 1

Removing External Hard Drive(s)

Caution: To prevent loss of data, save your work and close associated applications

before removing the external hard drive (applications need to be closed since they may
keep temporary working files open on the external hard drive). Always unmount the volumes
(eject or drag the volumes to trash) associated with an external hard drive before removing it.

Eject or drag all of the volumes associated with the hard drive(s) before disconnecting or
removing them. When removing a hard drive you will see a “SATA Configuration Changed”
window (See Figure 17). If this is the only hard drive you remove, you may select “OK” in the
dialog box. If you have an additional hard drive to remove, remove it and then select “OK” in
the dialog box.

Figure 17: Removing External Hard Drive(s)

One or two dialog boxes will appear verifying which drive was attached to which channel (See
Figures 18)

Figure 18: Example Serial ATA hard drive removed from channel 0

Improperly Removing External Hard Drive(s)

Caution: To prevent loss of data, save your work and close associated applications

before removing the external hard drive (applications need to be closed since they may
keep temporary working files open on the external hard drive). Always unmount the volumes
(eject or drag the volumes to trash) associated with an external hard drive before removing it.

If you do not properly unmount volumes before removing the associated hard drive(s), a
“Device Removal” dialog box will appear (See Figure 19). This dialog box shows up as a
reminder to unmount volumes properly before disconnecting or removing external hard
drives. Failure to properly unmount volumes before disconnecting external hard drives may
result in lost data.

Figure 19: Improperly removing External Hard Drive(s)

Connecting and Immediately Removing External Hard Drive(s)

If you connect an external hard drive, then remove it without acknowledging it has been
added to the system, a dialog box will appear that explains no new hard drive(s) were
detected (See Figure 19).

Figure 20: Connecting External Hard Drive(s)

V. Troubleshooting

The SeriTek/1SE2 or SeriTek/1eSE2 host adapter does not seem to be

recognized

Check the SeriTek/1SE2 or SeriTek/1eSE2 adapter by ensuring it is properly seated in the

PCI slot on the Macintosh motherboard.

My hard drive or peripheral won’t work

Check cables and connections. Ensure the 7-pin Serial ATA cable is properly oriented to
the connectors on the SeriTek/1SE2 or SeriTek/1eSE2 host adapter and the external
enclosure. Ensure the hard drives in the enclosure are properly powered.

Apple’s Drive Setup utility (OS 9.XX) or Disk Utility (OS X) does not display the

Serial ATA hard drive or peripheral

After checking the cables, connections, and the external enclosure power advanced users
may use the Apple System Profiler to determine whether your Macintosh computer
recognizes if the SeriTek/1SE2 or SeriTek/1eSE2 is properly seated in a PCI slot and
operating properly.

Apple System Profiler under Mac OS 9

1. Open the Apple System Profiler by clicking on the Apple icon to pull down the Apple

menu and selecting Apple System Profiler.

2. Select the Devices and Volumes tab (See Figure 13).

Figure 21: Selecting Devices and Volumes tab

3. In the PCI section, SeriTek/1SE2 or SeriTek/1eSE2 should show up as a “SCSI card”

(see Figure 22).

Figure 22: Example SeriTek/1SE2 or SeriTek/1eSE2 depicted in Apple System Profiler

4. If SeriTek/1SE2 or SeriTek/1eSE2 is not listed, shut down your Macintosh computer

and try re-seating it in the PCI slot by removing and reinserting it. Repeat steps 1
through 3. If the SeriTek/1SE2 or SeriTek/1eSE2 still doesn’t show up in the Apple
System Profiler, try moving it to another PCI slot.

Apple System Profiler under Mac OS X

1. Open the Apple System Profiler by clicking opening the Finder, clicking Applications at
the top, opening the Utilities folder and double clicking on Apple System Profiler.

2. Select the Devices and Volumes tab (See Figure 23).

Figure 23: SeriTek/1SE2 or SeriTek/1eSE2 listed under Devices and Volumes tab

3. In the PCI section, SeriTek/1SE2 or SeriTek/1eSE2 should show up as an “ata” Card
Type.

4. If SeriTek/1SE2 or SeriTek/1eSE2 is not listed, shut down your Macintosh computer and
try re-seating it in the PCI slot by removing and reinserting it. Repeat steps 1 through 3.
If the SeriTek/1SE2 or SeriTek/1eSE2 still doesn’t show up in the Apple System Profiler,
try moving it to another PCI slot.

The transfer rate on my Power Macintosh 8500 seems less than the Serial ATA

specified maximum of 150Mbytes/sec.

Early Power Macintosh computers, typically built before the “beige G3” was available, have
limited hardware resources. These limited resources severely limit data transfer rates of
many storage technologies, including Serial ATA.

Does the SeriTek/1SE2 or SeriTek/1eSE2 work with all Power Macintosh

computers?

No, SeriTek/1SE2 or SeriTek/1eSE2 only works with Power Macintosh computers with at
least one PCI slot available. If your system lacks PCI slots you cannot use SeriTek/1SE2
or SeriTek/1eSE2.

My older Parallel ATA hard drives and peripherals have jumper settings.

However I can’t find jumper settings on my new Serial ATA hard drive or
peripheral. How can I set it to Master or Slave; is there any way to set the
SCSI ID?

Serial ATA hard drives and peripherals are internally configured as Master drives. Only
one drive can be attached to each Serial ATA bus/connector. There is no need to change
settings on either the drive or the controller.

I have an old Parallel ATA drive which I am trying to use with a Parallel ATA to

Serial ATA converter, but it doesn’t seem to work.

Some older Parallel ATA drives do not comply with current ATA standards. Parallel ATA to
Serial ATA converters cannot recognize such drives.

VI. Product Support

Technical Support

For additional information on how to use SeriTek/1SE2 or SeriTek/1eSE2, download the latest
firmware updates, or for technical assistance, please visit us at www.firmtek.com, or email us at
[e-mail].

Please provide the following information when contacting us:

Product model and serial number
Firmware version (You may use the Apple System Profiler as described in the

troubleshooting section to determine the firmware version. Look for ROM# and Revision #)

Macintosh model
Macintosh OS type and version (example: Mac OS X, version 10.2)
Hardware and software installed on your system
Contact information including daytime telephone number and email address
A detailed description of the question or problem

Return Merchandise Authorization

If FirmTek technical support determines the product needs to be repaired or replaced, a Return
Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number and shipping address will be provided. Please pack in
the original shipping container all of the original packaging - including the static bag, all hardware,
software, cables, and other accessories that came with the original product. You are responsible
for shipping and insurance costs, and any damage incurred due to improper packaging or
transport.

FirmTek reserves the right to determine whether the product is to be repaired or replaced with
new or refurbished parts, or with a new or refurbished product. Standard United States return
shipping charges will be paid by FirmTek. Foreign and other shipping methods such as express
shipping are available for an additional charge.

Write down the RMA number on the outside of the shipping container, and include the following
information with the shipment:

A description of the problem
A copy of the original purchase invoice
Return shipping address
Contact information including daytime telephone number and email address

FirmTek, LLC reserves the right to refuse shipments missing a valid RMA number.

VII. Product Warranty and Disclaimers

FirmTek warrants to the original buyer only that this product shall be free from defects in material
and workmanship for a period of 2 years from the original date of purchase. This warranty is valid
only when the original purchase invoice is provided. This warranty shall not apply to any defects
resulting from improper handling, misuse, misapplication, abuse, or unauthorized modification(s)
which are performed by end user.

FirmTek, LLC reserves the right to make changes to any products described in this manual at any
time without notice. FirmTek, LLC assumes no responsibility for the use or reliability of hardware
or software that is not supplied by FirmTek, LLC or its affiliated companies. FirmTek, LLC does
not assume any responsibility or liability arising out of the application or use of any product
described in this document, except as expressly agreed to in writing by FirmTek, LLC; nor does
the purchase or use of a product from FirmTek, LLC convey a license under any patent rights,
copyrights, trademark rights, or any other intellectual property rights of FirmTek, LLC or third
parties.

VIII. Regulatory Compliance Statements

Federal Communications Commission Radio Frequency Interference Statement

WARNING: Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for
compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to
Part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful
interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency
energy, and if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful
interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a
particular installation. However, if this equipment does cause interference to radio or television equipment
reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to
correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

 Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
 Increase the separation between equipment and receiver.
 Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
 Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/television technician for help.
 Use a shielded and properly grounded I/O cable and power cable to ensure compliance of this unit to the

specified limits of the rules.

This device complies with part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1)
this device may not cause harmful interference and (2) this device must accept any interference received,
including interference that may cause undesired operation.

CE European Union Compliance Statement

EMC compliance:
Emissions: EN55022: 1998, Class B
Immunity: EN55024: 1998

EN61000-4-2: 1995+A1: 1998
EN61000-4-3: 1995+A1: 1998
EN61000-4-4: 1995
EN61000-4-6: 1996
EN61000-4-8: 1993

SeriTek/1SE2 and SeriTek/1eSE2 TSLKC2KE0528