FirmTek SeriTek/1SM2 User Manual
Store and Share your Digital Creations
Two Port External Serial ATA CardBus Adapter
User Manual for Power Macintosh
SeriTek™/1SM2
For Notebook Computers
FirmTek, LLC
www.firmtek.com
Copyright
Copyright © 1998-2006 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, PowerBook, Mac OS 9.XX, Mac 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 SeriTek/1SM2 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 SeriTek/1SM2.
External Shielded Serial ATA Cables
The SeriTek family of external Serial ATA adapters (SeriTek/1SE2, SeriTek/1eSE2,
SeriTek/1VE2+2, SeriTek/1VE4, SeriTek/1eVE4, SeriTek/1SM2, and SeriTek/2SM2-E) use
specially shielded external Serial ATA cables to ensure integrity during data transfers. Use
caution and handle the cables carefully. Hold the connector at the ends (not the cable) When
inserting and removing the cable.
Note: The SeriTek/1eSE2, SeriTek/1eVE4, SeriTek/1SM2, and SeriTek/2SM2-E support the
newer style Serial ATA connectors, called “eSATA” connectors. These connectors provide
improved reliability with special metal shielding and retention springs for positive locking. See
“Connecting the Shielded Data Cables” section of this document for more details.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Introduction..............................................................................................1
II. SeriTek/1SM2 System Requirements.....................................................4
III. Installing the SeriTek/1SM2.....................................................................5
IV. Connecting and Formatting Hard Drives.................................................8
V. Using SeriTek/1SM2 Hot-Swap Functionality.......................................20
VI. Troubleshooting.....................................................................................24
VII. Product Support.....................................................................................26
VIII.Product Warranty and Disclaimers........................................................26
IX. Regulatory Compliance Statements......................................................27
I. Introduction
Welcome
Congratulations and thank you for purchasing the SeriTek/1SM2 Serial ATA CardBushost
adapter. This product is yet another innovative solution from the innovative folks at FirmTek.
About This User Manual
This User Manual was written with the assumption you are familiar with your PowerBook
computer, and are comfortable with inserting devices into its CardBus slot. For further
information, and to get acquainted with your computer, please refer to your PowerBook User
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 small 7-pin connectors that allow you to
reliability add fast external storage to your PowerBook computer which you cannot do with the
previous Parallel ATA technology.
About the SeriTek/1SM2 Serial ATA CardBus Host Adapter
The SeriTek/1SM2 CardBus adapter provides an easy and affordable way for Macintosh users to
add inexpensive high-speed storage to their PowerBook computer. With two external Serial ATA
ports, each offering 1.5Gbits/sec performance, the SeriTek/1SM2 provides the high bandwidth to
meet the needs of performance-hungry applications. The SeriTek/1SM2 is CardBus compatible
and should be used in systems that offer CardBus Compatible slots.
Note: The SeriTek/1SM2 is not compatible with PC Card slots with PCMCIA 16-bit interface
technology in early Macintosh notebooks. The SeriTek/1SM2 requires the newer 32-bit CardBus
interface. A list of tested PowerBook computers is provided in Section II below, “SeriTek/1SM2
System Requirements.” Please check your PowerBook specifications to determine if it offers 32-
bit CardBus interface support.
About CardBus Technology
CardBus 32 is a small form factor external expansion bus based on the standard PCI interface
bus and used by many notebook and some desktop computers today. CardBus 32 offers 32 bits
of address and data support and 33MHz busmaster operation. It is an enhancement to the
original PCMCIA 16-bit interface technology used in early notebook computers.
Package Contents
One SeriTek/1SM2 CardBusadapter board
User’s manual on CD-ROM
-1-
SeriTek/1SM2
Two eSATA external ports with exclusive hot-swap capability
Plug-and-Play ease of use
Boosts overall system performance with per-port data transfer rates of up to 150MBytes/sec
or 1.5Gbits/sec
Supports PowerBook CardBus 32 interface
Supports Mac OS 9 with limited functionality. Mac OS X version 10.3 or later is
recommended
Provides performance and protection: Supports native Mac OS X RAID 0/1; Mac OS 9 RAID
with 3rd party software
48-bit LBA support for drive sizes larger than 137GB
Perfect for upgrading and expanding PowerBook computers
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 Mac OS X RAID, Mac OS 9 Software RAID (third party software),
and other storage utilities
Reduced setting on storage devices (no master/slave) means easier installation and
replacement
Brings High Performance data storage to your PowerBook.
Advanced applications that would normally require a Power Macintosh can now be run on
your PowerBook: Desktop publishing, Audio/Video storage and editing, photo/graphics
storage and editing, serving files, etc.
-2-
SeriTek/1SM2 Specifications
General System
Hardware
Requirements
Operating Systems
Supported
Bus Type
External
Connectors
Drive Types
Supported
Data Transfer
Rates
Drive Modes
Supported
Advanced Data
Features
Cables Supported
Warranty
Physical
Dimensions
Power
Requirements
Environmental
EMC Compliance
PowerBook, or Power Macintosh with available 32-
bit CardBus expansion slot
Limited Mac OS 9.xx support: File Transfer only
Mac OS X version 10.3 or later
32-bit CardBus
2-port external Serial ATA (SATA) shielded interface
eSATA connectors
Serial ATA hard drive
Up to 150 MBytes/second or 1.5Gbits/second burst
data transfer rate
Serial ATA
Fully compliant with Serial ATA 2.5 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
Two independent data channels allows for separate
device timings
Automatically identifies and configures drive types
7-pin external Serial ATA shielded cables/eSATA
One year limited parts and labor
CardBus Compliant
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)
-3-
II. SeriTek/1SM2 System Requirements
Operating System
Mac OS X version 10.3 or later
Mac OS 9.XX drivers are included but support is limited to transferring data from a Mac
OS 9.XX system to a Mac OS 10.3 or later system.
Hardware Requirements
Compatible PowerBook notebook computers with available 32-bit CardBus expansion
slot. See the PowerBook compatibility list below for a list of PowerBooks that have been
tested for compatibility with the SeriTek/1SM2 adapter.
External powered enclosure equipped with Serial ATA hard drive(s) or Parallel ATA hard
drive(s). Parallel ATA hard drives require compatible Serial ATA to Parallel ATA
converters contained within the enclosure.
The SeriTek/1SM2 requires a PowerBook with at least one available 32-bit CardBus slot.
PowerBook Compatibility List
As of this writing, the following list of Apple PowerBooks notebook computers have been
tested to work with the SeriTek/1SM2 adapter. Other PowerBook computers with
CardBus 32-bit PC Card slots not specifically listed are expected to work with the
SeriTek/1SM2 adapter. Please check your PowerBook specifications to ensure it offers
CardBus 32-bit PC Card support.
o Titanium G4 400MHz and 500MHz: Product code M7952LL/A, M7710LL/A
o Titanium G4 550MHz: DVD reader product code M8362LL/A and with DVD/CD-
writer product code M8622LL/A
o Titanium G4 667MHz: Product code: M8363LL/A (DVD-ROM), M8623LL/A
(Combo)
o Titanium G4 667 and 800MHz: DVI product code M8591LL/A (667 MHz),
M8592LL/A (800 MHz)
o Titanium G4 867MHz and 1GHz: Product code M8858LL/A (867 MHz),
M8859LL/A (1.00 GHz)
o 15" Aluminum G4 1GHz and 1.25GHz: Product code M8980LL/A (1.00 GHz),
M8981LL/A (1.25 GHz)
o 15" Aluminum G4 1.33GHz and 1.5GHz: Product code M9421LL/A (1.33GHz),
M9422LL/A (800 MHz)
o 15" Aluminum G4 1.5GHz and 1.67GHz: Product code M9676LL/A (1.5 GHz,
Combo), M9677LL/A (1.67 GHz SuperDrive)
o 15" Aluminum G4 1.67GHz with HR screen: Product code M9969LL/A
o 17" Aluminum G4 1GHz: Product code M8793LL/A
o 17" Aluminum G4 1.33GHz: Product code M9110LL/A
o 17" Aluminum G4 1.5GHz: Product code M9462LL/A
o 17" Aluminum G4 1.67GHz: Product code M9689LL/A
o 17" Aluminum G4 1.67GHz with HR screen: Product code M9970LL/A
o PowerBook G3 "Pismo:" Family member M7572
-4-
III. Installing the SeriTek/1SM2
Introduction
This section describes the proper method of installing your SeriTek/1SM2.
Caution: Please make sure your data is backed up prior to installing the SeriTek/1SM2
CardBus adapter and hard drive(s) or peripheral(s).
The SeriTek/1SM2 CardBus adapter and your Macintosh contain sensitive components that
can be permanently damaged by Static Electric Discharge. To minimize the chance of
Electro-Static Discharge avoid touching the CardBus connector, handle only the edges of the
card (do not touch the interface connector) and work in an area free of static electricity.
Note: Prior to using you SeriTek/1SM2 disable Sleep Mode by adjusting the Energy Saver to
never allow the sleep function on the system when the SeriTek/1SM2 is installed, if you need
to sleep the system first un-mount drives attached to the SeriTek/1SM2 and unplug the
adapter.
Figure 1: Disabling Sleep Mode When Using the SeriTek/1SM2
-5-
SeriTek/1SM2 CardBus adapter Installation on systems running Mac OS X 10.3 or
later
1. Before inserting the SeriTek/1SM2 into your PowerBook computer, install the appropriate
driver that is located on your SeriTek/1SM2 CD by installing the drivers on the CD.
2. The CD contains two installer applications, one for systems running Mac OS X 10.4.0 or
later, and another for systems running Mac OS X versions prior to 10.4.0. Insert the CD
and click on the appropriate “installer application” for your particular operating system.
3. Insert the SeriTek/1SM2 adapter into an available CardBus slot (see Figure 2). Be sure
the card fully seats. If the metal part of the card is not fully inserted, try turning the card
over and insert again.
Figure 2: Inserting the SeriTek/1SM2
4. Find the Icon that looks like a CardBus card; it should appear next to your other system
status indicators.
Figure 3: CardBus Icon
5. Click on the CardBus Icon ( ), you should see that the system identifies the card as a
storage controller, the SeriTek/1SM2 (see Figure 4). In some circumstances the card
may be identified as Unknown Vendor Mass Storage Controller.
-6-
Loading...