Page 1
Taurus Super-S Combo
Dual-Bay Storage Enclosure for
3.5” Serial ATA Hard Drives
User Manual
May 11, 2009 - v1.1
EN
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Taurus Super-S Combo User Guide
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION 1
ICON KEY 1
THE TAURUS SUPER-S COMBO 1
OTHER AVAILABLE INTERFACES 1
DETAILED VIEW 2
FRONT VIEW 2
LED INDICATION 2
SMART FAN 2
REAR VIEW 3
RAID JUMPERS 3
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS 4
PC REQUIREMENTS 4
MAC REQUIREMENTS 4
PACKAGE CONTENTS 4
ABOUT DATA BACKUP 4
CHAPTER 3 - SYSTEM SET UP 7
CONNECTION TO YOUR COMPUTER 7
HARD DISK MODE 7
RAID SETUP 7
RAID 0 - SPANNING 7
RAID 0 - STRIPING 7
RAID 1 - MIRRORING 8
INSTALLATION ON A PC 9
REMOVE PROCEDURE 9
INSTALLATION ON A MACINTOSH 10
REMOVE PROCEDURE 10
PARTITIONING & FORMATTING 11
PC RUNNING WINDOWS 11
MAC OS 12
CHAPTER 4 - APPENDIX 13
CHAPTER 2 - HARD DRIVE ASSEMBLY 5
TECHNICAL QUESTIONS 13
FAQ 13
ABOUT THIS MANUAL 13
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Taurus Super-S Combo User Guide
Chapter 1 - Introduction
Icon Key
Features mentioned
in this manual may
vary between
different mode
ls.
Throughout this manual you will see icons on the left margin
that denote either notes or special remarks as outlined below:
General notes and tips.
Important information.
The T
When it comes to raw power there is noth
dual-bay Taurus. Available in the classic Pleiades design, the
Taurus is built strong and rugged, offering more than enough
capacity to store all your digital media files. Not only that, the
Taurus can also back up and secure all of your data thanks to
RAID protection.
roduct Dimensions: 24.5cm x 13.3cm x 7.6cm
P
9.65in x 5.23in x 3in
aurus Super-S Combo
ing to beat the new
Other A
FireWire 400/800 & USB 2.0 (R
FireWire 400/800 & USB 2.0 & eSATA
Gigabit Ethernet
USB 2.0
eSATA
S-DOS, Microsoft, Windows 2000/XP/Vista are trademarks of Microsoft
M
Corporation. Apple Macintosh and Mac are trademarks of Apple Computer.
All other third party brands and names are the property of their respective
owners.
Page 1 / Chapter 1 - Introduction
vailable Interfaces
AID 0&1)
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Taurus Super-S Combo User Guide
Detailed View
Front View
To turn on the
power, press th
ON/OFF switch fo
3 seconds and
release it. To tur
off, press the
ON/OFF switc
hold it for 5 secon
and then release it
again.
e
n it
h,
r
ds
1. ON/OFF switch (blue when ON)
2. LED indication
3. Ventilation holes
3
LED Indication
LED HDD Status
1
2
The HDD LED will
turn red if there is
is not recognised.
OFF = Power off
HDD1 CN2
an error or the HDD
HDD2 CN3
Rebuild N/A
Smart Fan
The smart fan automatically regulates the fan speed according
to the internal temperature. It will use low speed from 0-35
Green = HDD connected and ready
Red = Error or no HDD connected
OFF = Power off
Green = HDD connected and ready
Red = Error or no HDD connected
OFF = Everything is working as expected
Green = Rebuilding data from HDD1 to
HDD2
Yellow = Rebuilding data from HDD2 to
HDD1
degrees, half speed from 36-45 degrees and full speed above
46 degrees Celsius.
Page 2 / Chapter 1 - Introduction
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Taurus Super-S Combo User Guide
Two hard drives of
identical capacity
are recommended
If the capacity is
different, the total
amount of the
space that can
used will depend o
the drive with the
smallest capacity.
be
.
n
Rear View
1. Slot for security lock 5. FireWire 800 ports
2. Smart fan for ventilation 6. USB 2.0 port
3. eSATA port 7. Power receptacle
4. FireWire 400 port
1
3
4 6 7
5
2
Changing the RAID
setup will require
you to re-format th
drive. Make sure
you backup all dat
before doing so.
This device is
designed for tw
hard drives and
does not work wh
only one is installed.
e
a
o
en
RAID Jumpers
To change the RAID mode, modify the jumpers at J2 on the
bridge board inside the enclosure.
Jumper Mode Explanation
N/A
RAID 0
RAID 0
Remove all jumpers when the RAID
mode is controlled via software utility.
RAID 0 spanning. The drives appear
as one large volume.
RAID 0 striping, ideal where speed is
the primary objective.
RAID 1
Page 3 / Chapter 1 - Introduction
RAID 1 mirroring, creates an exact
copy of all data for safety.
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Taurus Super-S Combo User Guide
System Requirements
PC Requirements
Minimum Intel Pentium III CPU 500MHz, 128MB RAM
eSATA equipped PC; Windows XP/Vista
FireWire equipped PC; Windows XP/Vista
USB 2.0 (USB 1.1) equipped PC; Windows XP/Vista
eSATA Plug and Play support required for host controller
Mac Requirements
Minimum Apple G4 processor, 128MB RAM
eSATA equipped Mac; Mac OS 10.4 or above
FireWire equipped Mac; Mac OS 10.2 or above
USB 2.0 (USB 1.1) equipped Mac; Mac OS 10.2 or above
eSATA Plug and Play support required for host controller
Package Contents
Package Content
depending
vendor & versio
on
n.
Taurus Super-S Combo (hard drives not included)
External power adapter;
Input 100-240V, Output +12V/3A, +5V/4.2A may vary,
Interface cables
Manual
About Data Backup
To protect your files and help prevent the loss of your data, we
strongly recommend that you keep two copies of your data, one
copy on your Taurus and a second copy either on your internal
drive or another storage media such as CD, DVD, Tape or an
additional external drive.
Any loss or corruption of data while using the Taurus is the sole
responsibility of the user, and under no circumstances will the
manufacturer be held liable for compensation or the recovery of
this data.
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Taurus Super-S Combo User Guide
Your unit may come
with pre-installed
hard drives. Before
opening such an
enclosure, please
read the warranty
from your vendor
carefully, as this
could void your
warranty.
Chapter 2 - Hard Drive Assembly
1. Remove the four screws at the bottom of the case.
2. Push the inner enclosure out, and remove the outer chassis.
The aluminium
stand does not
have to be remo
for drive assembly.
Drives with identical
capacities are
recommended.
ved
3. Install the first hard drive and mount it with two screws on
each side.
Do not bend the
thermal sensor!
4. Attach the thermal probe with the tape provided to the first
HDD. Choose a place in between the two drives but without
damaging the probe when installing the second drive.
Page 5 / Chapter 2 - HDD Assembly
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Taurus Super-S Combo User Guide
5. Install the second hard drive and mount it with two screws
on each side.
Be careful not to
damage any cables
or component
make sure the
cables are
connected firmly.
for HDD1 is
referring to th
drive connected to
CN2, wher
is referring to CN3.
s, and
e hard
e HDD2
Connect the SATA and power cables to your hard drives. Be
6.
careful not to damage any components and confirm that the
cables are connected firmly.
Slide the inner enclosure back into the outer chassis. The LED indication
7.
Upon initial st rt up
of the device and
when changing the
RAID mode, any
existing data on th
installed hard drives
will be erased.
Make sure to
backup all data prior
to installing the
drives and befor
changing the RAID
mode!
a
e
e
Fasten the four screws to finish the assembly.
8.
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Taurus Super-S Combo User Guide
Chapter 3 - System Set Up
Only one interface
can be used at any
given time.
Always connect the
power adapter to
your device before
you plug it into the
wall socket.
Changing the RAID
setup will require
you to re-format th
drives. Make sure
you backup all data
before doing so!
e
Connection to your Computer
A few precautions when using your external storage enclosure:
Check the cables for visible damage before turning it on
Do not expose the product to water or humid conditions
Do not cover the enclosure’s ventilation holes
Hard Disk Mode
When using your Taurus, the USB connection always has the
priority. To use a different interface, make sure to disconnect
any of the other cables first, before connecting the new one.
When the Operating System goes into stand-by mode, the hard
drives will also spin down but when not in use for a longer
period of time, we recommend turning off the power.
RAID Setup
To change the RAID mode, turn off the power and modify the
jumpers at J2 on the bridge board inside the enclosure.
RAID 0 - Spanning: The total capacity is twice the size of the drive with the smallest capacity. Spanning is an array (not RAID) that is written sequentially across the two drives. By itself, it does not provide any performance or redundancy benefits. If
To control the RAID
mode via soft are w
utility, remove all
the jumpers at J2.
one drive becomes damaged, the whole array becomes
corrupted.
RAID 0 - Striping: Used where speed is the primary objective, RAID 0 striping is not redundant. This form of array splits each piece of data across both of the drives in segments; since data is written without any form of parity data-checking, it allows for the fastest data transfer of the other modes. However, if one drive becomes damaged, the whole array becomes corrupted.
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Taurus Super-S Combo User Guide
The data can be
accessed even
during the rebuil
process.
The Rebuild LED
will light up during
the rebuild process
Green when the
data is copied from
d
RAID 1 - Mirroring: This mode requires 2 identical drives to implement, otherwise the total amount of the space that can be used will depend on the drive with the smallest capacity. RAID 1 creates an exact copy of a set of data on the second drive.
This is useful when reliability and backup are more important
than data capacity. The available capacity to the user will only
be as large as a single drive but when one of the hard drives
fails, it can be replaced and the data rebuilt automatically.
When a drive fails, the corresponding LED (HDD1 or HDD2)
will become red instead of green. To replace the faulty drive, do
the following:
.
1. Turn off the Taurus and remove both the power supply and
the interface cable.
HDD1 and yellow
when the data is
copied from HDD2
.
2. Open the enclosure and replace the faulty hard drive with a
new one.
3. Finish the assembly and connect the power supply.
4. Turn on the power and it will automatically start to rebuild
the data.
5. The rebuild LED will light up during the rebuild process to
indicate that it is restoring all the data. This process will take
several hours, depending on the capacity of your hard
drives.
6. When all the data is backed up, the rebuild LED will turn off
and both HDD1 and HDD2 should be green again.
Note: The LED indication for HDD1 is referring to the hard drive
connected to CN2. The LED at HDD2 is referring to the drive at
CN3.
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Taurus Super-S Combo User Guide
Installation on a PC
Before connecting the device, setup the RAID mode using the
If the system
doesn’t recogn
the drive, turn on
the power first,
before connectin
the interface cable
or connect the
device before
booting your
Operating Sys
ise
g
tem.
selector switch at the back of the enclosure.
If the drives have been pre-installed and setup already, you do
not need to change anything, unless you prefer a different
setup.
Turn on your Computer and start Windows.
Connect the Taurus and turn it on.
Let Windows search and install the driver automatically.
Open “My Computer” to see your external hard drive.
Note: For more info about formatting, see “Partitioning &
Formatting”.
Remove Procedure
For the safe removal of your drive and to assure that no data is
lost, always follow the correct unplug procedure. Otherwise, an
error message will appear.
Click on the taskbar icon for external hardware
Choose your external hard drive and confirm to remove it
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Taurus Super-S Combo User Guide
Installation on a Macintosh
Before connecting the device, setup the RAID mode using the
If the system
doesn’t recogn
the drive, turn on
the power first,
before connectin
the interface cable
or connect the
device before
booting your
Operating Sys
ise
g
tem.
selector switch at the back of the enclosure.
If the drives have been pre-installed and setup already, you do
not need to change anything, unless you prefer a different
setup.
Turn on your computer and start Mac OS.
Connect the Taurus and turn it on.
No driver installation required.
The external drive will mount and show up on your desktop.
Note: For more info about formatting, see “Partitioning &
Formatting”.
Remove Procedure
For the safe removal of your drive and to assure that no data is
lost, always follow the correct unplug procedure.
Drag the external hard drive icon into the trash bin
Turn off your device
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Taurus Super-S Combo User Guide
Partitioning & Formatting
Be aware that this will destroy all your existing data on the drive,
If the drive does not
appear, make sure
the drivers are
installed proper
and the power is o
Only one single
volume will be
visible instead of
two separate dr
ly
n.
ives.
so make sure you have a backup! This step is usually only
required the first time you install a factory new hard drive, if you
change the RAID mode or want to erase all data on your drive.
PC running Windows
For Windows, use the disk management program:
Right click on “My Computer” and choose “Manage”
Select “Disk Management”
Choose the drive you want to format and right click on it for
further commands (Choose New Partition)
Follow the Partition Wizard to setup the drive
In order for the
computer to access
volumes larger t
2TB, both the
hardware and OS
need to have th
capacity to support
large volumes (e.g
WinVista 32bit/64bit
or Mac OS 10.4 and
above).
han
e
.:
For WinXP and Windows Vista, we recommend formatting the
drive using the NTFS file system.
If you are using the FAT32 file system to format the drive on
WinXP or Windows Vista, the biggest single partition you can
create will be 32GB. To create larger partitions, you need to
use a 3rd party application or change to NTFS format.
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Taurus Super-S Combo User Guide
If the drive does not
appear on the
desktop, make
there are no
extension con
and the power is
turned on!
Only one single
volume will be
visible instead of
sure
flicts
Mac OS
For Mac OS X, use the disk utility to format and create
partitions on your external disk.
Select “Disk Utility” in the utilities folder
Choose your external drive and format it according to your
requirements
two separate dr
In order for the
computer to access
volumes larger t
2TB, both the
hardware and OS
need to have th
capacity to support
large volumes (e.g
WinVista 32bit/64bit
or Mac OS 10.4 and
above).
ives.
han
e
.:
For Mac OS X, we recommend formatting the drive using the
native Mac file system HFS+ also known as Mac OS Extended.
If you want to use your drive on a PC running Microsoft
Windows as well as on your Mac, we recommend you to use
the FAT32 file system. On your Mac, select MS-DOS when
formatting it. Note: The file size for a single file on FAT32 is
limited to 4GB.
Page 12 / Chapter 3 - System Set Up
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Taurus Super-S Combo User Guide
Chapter 4 - Appendix
Please read your
warranty carefully,
as this may vary
between different
vendors!
Technical Questions
For RMA and other questions, please contact your vendor or
check out their online support area!
FAQ
Q: What file system should I choose to format my drive?
A: This will depend on how you want to use the drive but in
general, here is what we recommend:
Windows XP/Vista NTFS
Mac OS X HFS+ (Mac OS Extended)
To use it on both PC and Mac FAT32
Q: Can I install only one hard drive?
A: No, the Taurus Super-S Combo requires two hard drives.
Q: Can I install drives with existing data and access it?
A: No, the drives will have to be formatted the first time they
are installed in the Taurus. Any existing data will be lost as
soon as the device is turned on.
About this Manual
This manual covers the Taurus Super-S Combo model.
Firmware, images and descriptions may slightly vary between
this manual and the actual product you have.
© Copyright 2009 by Macpower & Tytech Technology Co., Ltd. all Rights Reserved
The information contained in this manual is believed to be accurate and reliable. Macpower & Tytech
Technology assumes no responsibility for any errors contained in this manual. Macpower & Tytech
Technology reserves the right to make changes in the specifications and/or design of this product without
prior notice. The diagrams contained in this manual may also not fully represent the product that you are
using and are there for illustration purposes only. Macpower & Tytech Technology assumes no responsibility
for any differences between the product mentioned in this manual and the product you may have.
Page 13 / Chapter 4 - Appendix
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