Lacie STFA4000400 User Manual

RUGGED RAID USER MANUAL

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INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the User Manual for the LaCie Rugged RAID. Your Rugged
RAID features two interfaces: Thunderbolt technology and SuperSpeed
USB 3.0. Both connections allow you to copy huge amounts of data at
fast transfer rates. Since it is bus powered, the Thunderbolt technology
cable gives you mobility while the USB 3.0 is backward compatible for
universal connectivity with USB 2.0 devices.

With options for RAID 0 or RAID 1, the Rugged RAID is ideal for videographers, photographers, and heavy data
users that demand extraordinary performance and protection both in the office and the field.

This manual guides you through the process of connecting your LaCie product. If you have questions, consult
the Getting Help page.

BOX CONTENT

■

LaCie Rugged RAID with integrated Thunderbolt cable

■

USB 3.0 cable (USB 2.0 compatible)

■

Removable cover and spare

■

Power supply (see note below)

■

Quick Install Guide

■

Complete software suite

Important info: Save your packaging. In the event that the drive should need to be repaired or serviced, it
must be returned in its original packaging.

MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

Your system must meet certain requirements in order for your LaCie product to function properly. For a list of
these requirements, please refer to the product packaging or consult the product support web page at

www.lacie.com/support/.

Notes on USB 3.0:

Your PC or Mac must have a USB 3.0 port to take advantage of USB 3.0 transfer rates.

The power cable must be connected to an active outlet when using the USB 3.0 port.

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Software suite

The software suite for your LaCie Rugged RAID is pre-loaded on the hard drive. The free suite of utilities includes:

■

LaCie Setup Assistant (easily format and create partitions for use on Mac®, PC, or both)

■

LaCie Private-Public (password protection with AES 256-bit software encryption)

■

LaCie Backup Assistant (PC/Mac)

■

LaCie Desktop Manager (monitor hard drive health and configure email alerts)

Software can also be found at LaCie support.

INGRESS PROTECTION RATING

The Ingress Protection (IP) rating is a standard for defining the types of protection supported by equipment and
devices. Users should review the IP two-digit code to understand the conditions that the device can withstand.
The two digits are independent, with each number representing a different level of protection.

Your LaCie Rugged RAID is rated IP 54.

■

5: Protection against dust from entering the device’s internal mechanism.

■

4: Protection against splashing water from any angle.

The LaCie Rugged RAID is also protected when it is dropped from heights up to 1.5 meters / 5 feet (in
non-operating mode).

Important info on IP 54 and the removable cover: The LaCie Rugged RAID’s IP 54 rating is valid when
the cover is securely fastened on the device. You can attach the cover when using the integrated
Thunderbolt cable. However, the cover cannot be attached when using the USB 3.0 port.

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VIEWS OF THE RUGGED RAID

PORT PROTECTOR

The removable cover on the LaCie Rugged RAID offers enhanced protection for the device’s ports. To remove
the cover, place your index finger on its left edge and gently pry it open. The Thunderbolt cable remains
attached to the cable fastener on the cap.

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Port protection

Fastens to the Thunderbolt cable during transport.1.
Protects the Thunderbolt cable end and the USB 3.0 port.2.

It is highly recommended to attach the cover when:

■

Transporting the LaCie Rugged RAID.

■

The integrated Thunderbolt cable is in use.

The removable cover cannot be fastened to the LaCie Rugged RAID when using the USB 3.0 port.

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INTERFACES

USB 3.01.
Power2.
Thunderbolt cable3.

Important info regarding USB 3.0: The power cable must be connected to an active outlet when using
the USB 3.0 port.

LEDS

Activity1.
RAID2.

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RAID BUTTONS

RAID select1.
RAID confirm2.

To maintain your Rugged RAID’s IP54 rating, the RAID select and confirm buttons are located within small
recesses. When checking or changing the RAID level, use the pointed end of a paperclip to push a button. For
details, see Manage RAID.

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LED AND POWER

LED STATES

Activity LED

The Activity LED provides indications on the state of the Rugged RAID’s health:

Behavior State

Solid white The device is ready.

Blinking white The device is being accessed.

Blinking red One or two drives are not ready or have failed.

Off

Contact LaCie technical support if:

■

The LED remains off but the device is connected to a power supply and to your computer. Confirm that the
Rugged RAID is not in sleep mode before contacting LaCie technical support.

■

The LED continues to blink red. One or both of your hard drives may have failed. Do not swap one or both
hard drives onsite or in the field. Doing so will void the LaCie Rugged RAID’s warranty.

Technical info on LED color: The Activity LED can appear orange due to the sleeve’s color.

The product is: turned off; in power saving mode; not receiving power; experiencing system
failure; or, experiencing electronic board failure.

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RAID LED

Use a thin, pointed object to push the RAID select and RAID confirm buttons. For example, use the pointed end
of a paperclip to access and push the buttons.

See Manage RAID for instructions on how to check or change the RAID level.

Action Behavior State

Push once on the RAID select button Solid white The device is set to RAID 0.

Push once on the RAID select button Blinking white The device is set to RAID 1.

Push twice on the RAID select button Solid white The device will be changed to RAID 0.

Push twice on the RAID select button Blinking white The device will be changed to RAID 1.

RECEIVING POWER

Thunderbolt connection

The LaCie Rugged RAID powers on automatically when it is connected to a computer that supports Thunderbolt
technology. Use the embedded Thunderbolt technology cable when connecting the Rugged RAID to a computer.

USB 3.0

The power cable must be connected to an active outlet when using the Rugged RAID’s USB 3.0 port.

Note on the USB 3.0 connection: The Rugged RAID can be connected to a USB 2.0 port on your computer.
To take advantage of SuperSpeed USB 3.0 transfer rates, you must connect the Rugged RAID to a computer
with a USB 3.0 port.

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POWER-SAVING MODE

Your LaCie Rugged RAID can conserve energy by entering power-saving mode. Managed by your computer,
power-saving mode can extend the life of the hard drives by sparing them from working during extended
periods of inactivity.

Operating system

You can initiate power-saving mode on your computer by performing one of the following:

■

Place the host computer into sleep mode.

■

Mac OS: Go to System Preferences > Energy Saver to enable sleep mode for hard drives.

■

Windows 8: Go to Control Panel > Hardware > Power Options > Choose a power plan > Change
advanced power settings. Click on Hard disk and Turn off the hard disk after. Choose the time to spin

down USB hard drives.

To exit power-saving mode, review the table below:

Entering power-saving mode Exiting power-saving mode

The host computer placed the product into
power-saving mode due to inactivity.

Access the Rugged RAID’s volume on the host
computer. For example, copy files to its volume.

The computer is in sleep mode. Wake up the computer.

Note on ejecting the volume and power-saving mode: The Rugged RAID enters power-saving mode
when its volumes are ejected and the device remains connected to the computer. To access the Rugged
RAID’s volumes, unplug the interface cable from the computer and reconnect it.

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CABLES AND CONNECTORS

THUNDERBOLT

Your LaCie product features Thunderbolt technology, the most flexible interface ever created. This exciting new
high-speed cable technology connects your computers and electronic devices together like never before.
Thunderbolt technology supports two 10Gb/s bi-directional channels from a single port, the fastest data
connection available on a personal computer. At 10Gb/s, a full-length HD movie can be transferred in less than
30 seconds.

Thanks to support for both data streams and mini DisplayPort video, you can connect either a storage peripheral
or a display to a Thunderbolt port. However, it's not possible to use a mini DisplayPort cable to connect a
storage peripheral to a Thunderbolt port. You must use a Thunderbolt cable.

For more information, see www.lacie.com

Connector Face
(to computer)

Cable End
(to computer)

Integrated cable

For ease of access, the Thunderbolt cable is integrated on your LaCie Rugged RAID. Remove the interface cover
and gently unwind the Thunderbolt cable before attaching it to your Mac or PC.

Holding, dangling, or transporting the Rugged RAID by its integrated cable is strongly discouraged. Doing so can
invalidate the product warranty.

Thunderbolt technology and Windows

Windows users must connect the product via USB to configure the Rugged RAID for PC. See Getting Connected
for details.

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USB 3.0

USB is a serial input/output technology for connecting peripheral devices to a computer. SuperSpeed USB 3.0 is
the latest implementation of this standard, and it provides higher bandwidth and new power management
features.

Transfer rates can attain up to 5 Gbits/s as opposed to USB 2.0's 480 Mbits/s. This means USB 3.0 is
theoretically up to ten times faster than its predecessor.

Your LaCie drive is shipped with a SuperSpeed USB 3.0 cable to ensure maximum data transfer performance
when connected to a compatible USB 3.0 port. The cable will also work when connected to a USB 2.0 or 1.1 port,
but drive performance will be limited to their respective transfer rates.

Connector Face
(to Computer)

Note on USB 3.0:

Your PC or Mac must have a USB 3.0 port to take advantage of USB 3.0 transfer rates.

The included power cable must be connected to an active outlet when using the Rugged RAID’s USB 3.0 port.

Cable End
(to Computer)

Cable End
(to Hard Drive)

Connector Face
(to Hard Drive)

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GETTING CONNECTED

Setting up the LaCie Rugged RAID is easy thanks to LaCie Setup Assistant. Follow the steps in the order they are
given to ensure that your LaCie Rugged RAID’s volume mounts correctly on your computer.

THUNDERBOLT AND WINDOWS

Important info: Thunderbolt technology is compatible with Windows 7 and Windows 8.

Windows requires a driver to use the Thunderbolt port. For the initial setup, connect the product to a host
computer via USB and run LaCie Setup Assistant (see Step 2 - Launch LaCie Setup Assistant). You can connect
via the Thunderbolt interface once LaCie Setup Assistant has successfully formatted your device and the
Thunderbolt driver is installed.

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STEP 1 - CONNECT THE INTERFACE CABLE

First connection

Mac: The LaCie Rugged RAID can be connected to your Mac using the integrated Thunderbolt cable or the
included USB 3.0 cable. However, it is not possible to use both interfaces at the same time.

Windows: For the initial setup, you must use the USB 3.0 cable. If your PC has a Thunderbolt port, make certain
to install the Thunderbolt driver when prompted by LaCie Setup Assistant. Once the driver is installed, you can
connect the Rugged RAID to your PC via Thunderbolt.

Important info on USB 3.0: The power cable must be connected to an active outlet when using the
Rugged RAID’s USB 3.0 port.

Thunderbolt

Remove the cover by placing your index finger on its left edge and gently prying it open. Use caution since1.
the Thunderbolt cable is held by a fastener on the removable cover.

Gently remove the Thunderbolt connector from the cover.2.
Unwind the integrated Thunderbolt cable as needed and connect it to your computer.3.

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The drive mounts on your desktop (Mac).4.
Replace the cover on the LaCie Rugged. Doing so maintains the LaCie Rugged’s IP 54 rating.5.

If the Rugged RAID’s Setup volume does not mount on your computer, see troubleshooting topics at Getting

Help.

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