Aleratec PortaCruiser 350108 User manual

USER GUIDE
Aleratec®
HDD PortaCruiser™
Part No. 350108

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Copyright/Model Identification
The content of this manual is for informational purposes only and is subject to
change without notice.
This manual is copyright with all rights reserved. Under copyright laws, this manual
and the software described within may not be copied, except in the normal use of the
product(s) described within or to make a backup copy.
Copyright© 2009
Aleratec, Inc.
9851 Owensmouth Avenue
Chatsworth, CA 91311 U.S.A.
www.aleratec.com
Aleratec®is a registered trademark, and HDD PortaCruiser™ is a trademark of
Aleratec, Inc.
Please record the following information to help expedite any warranty claim:
Model No. _________________________ Serial No.________________________
Date Purchased _______________________________________________________
Place of Purchase _____________________________________________________

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Radio/TV Interference Statement
The equipment described in this guide emits radio frequency energy. If it is
not installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, it may cause
interference with radio or television reception.
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. If not
installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, this equipment may
cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee
that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does
cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be veried
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 the equipment and the receiver.•
Connect the equipment to an electrical outlet on a circuit that is different from•
the circuit to which the receiver is connected.
Consult your dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.•
This equipment has been certied to comply with the limits for a Class B computing
device, pursuant to FCC Rules. In order to maintain compliance with FCC
regulations, shielded cables must be used with this equipment. Operation with non-
approved equipment or unshielded cables is likely to result in interference to radio
and TV reception. The user is cautioned that changes and/or modications made to
this equipment, without the approval of manufacturer, could void the user’s authority
to operate this equipment.

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Safety Regulations
WARNING
To prevent re or shock hazard, do not expose the unit
to rain or moisture.
To avoid electrical shock, do not open the housing.
Refer servicing to authorized personnel only.

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Table of Contents
Introduction...................................................................................................1
Product Features...................................................................................................1
Key Items.............................................................................................................2
HDD PortaCruiser Display Panel and Buttons ....................................................3
Precautions...................................................................................................4
Installation............................................................................................................4
Choose a Good Location......................................................................................4
Operation..............................................................................................................4
Transportation ......................................................................................................4
Overview........................................................................................................5
Power Up Sequence .............................................................................................5
Understanding RAID ...........................................................................................6
RAID 0 (Striping) ........................................................................................6
RAID 1 (Mirroring) .....................................................................................6
JBOD (Just a Bunch of Disks or Spanning).................................................6
Duplicator Main Menu.........................................................................................7
Duplicator Subfunctions ......................................................................................8
Dual Disk RAID (USB) Mode Main Menu.......................................................10
Normal Mode.............................................................................................10
JBOD Mode ...............................................................................................10
RAID0 Mode .............................................................................................11
RAID1 Mode .............................................................................................11
Using the HDD PortaCruiser .....................................................................12
Loading the Hard Drives....................................................................................12
IDE Drives ................................................................................................12
SATA Drives .............................................................................................12
Removing Hard Drives ......................................................................................13
Duplicator Mode ...............................................................................................14
Main Menu: Copy HDD ............................................................................14
Main Menu: Compare HDD ......................................................................15
Main Menu: PreScan Source .....................................................................16
Main Menu: ReScan Bus ...........................................................................17
Main Menu: Source HDD Size..................................................................18
Main Menu: USB RAID Mode..................................................................19
Duplicator Mode ................................................................................................20
Setup Menu ................................................................................................20
Setup Menu: 6-01 Language......................................................................21
Setup Menu: 6-02 DMA Mode ..................................................................22
Setup Menu: 6-03 Copy Size .....................................................................23
Setup Menu: 6-04 Startup Menu................................................................24
Setup Menu: 6-05 Auto Compare ..............................................................25
Setup Menu: 6-06 Copy with Detect .........................................................26
Setup Menu: 6-07 Button Sound................................................................27
Setup Menu: 6-08 Device Info...................................................................28
Setup Menu: 6-09 System Info ..................................................................29

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Table of Contents
Using the HDD PortaCruiser .....................................................................30
Duplicator Mode ................................................................................................30
Advanced Setup Menu...............................................................................30
Advanced Setup Menu: 8-01 ReScan Bus Delay ......................................31
Advanced Setup Menu: 8-02 Read Error Skip ..........................................32
Advanced Setup Menu: 8-03 Quick Erase HDD .......................................33
Advanced Setup Menu: 8-04 H/W Diagnostic ..........................................34
Advanced Setup Menu: 8-05 Load Default ...............................................35
Advanced Setup Menu: 8-06 Link Option.................................................36
Advanced Setup Menu: 8-07 USB Auto-Link...........................................37
Advanced Setup Menu: 8-08 Copy HPA ...................................................38
Dual Disk RAID Controller (USB) Mode .........................................................39
Main Menu: Duplicator Mode Option ......................................................39
Main Menu: Information Option ...............................................................40
Main Menu: Change RAID Mode Option .................................................41
Dual Disk RAID Controller (USB) Mode – Normal Only................................45
Main Menu: D1 Drive Select Mode Option ..............................................45
D2 Drive Select Mode Option ...................................................................45
Dual Disk RAID Controller (USB) Mode – JBOD Only ..................................46
Main Menu: Initial JBOD Option..............................................................46
Dual Disk RAID Controller (USB) Mode – RAID0 Only ................................47
Main Menu: Initial RAID0 Option ............................................................47
Dual Disk RAID Controller (USB) Mode – RAID1 Only ................................48
Main Menu: Initial RAID1 Option ............................................................48
Specifications .............................................................................................49
Troubleshooting .........................................................................................49
Technical Support ......................................................................................50
Service and Support...................................................................................51
Technical Support FAX Back Form...........................................................54

www.aleratec.com 1
Introduction
Thank you for purchasing the HDD PortaCruiser. Please read this User Guide
thoroughly before using this product.
Product Features
The HDD PortaCruiser is a Hard Disk Drive Duplicator and Dual Disk RAID
Controller.
Duplicator Features•
1 to 1 SATA/IDE to SATA/IDE HDD duplicator▪
Stand alone, no computer needed▪
Complete cloning of partitions, boot sectors, and unallocated sectors▪
LCD display shows full menu items and progress▪
Supports SATA-to-SATA, SATA-to-IDE, IDE-to-SATA and IDE-to-IDE▪
duplication
Dual Disk RAID Controller Features•
RAID 0 mode (Striping)▪
RAID 1 mode (Mirroring)▪
JBOD (Spanning mode) – combines two hard disk drives into one virtual drive▪
Normal Mode – access your dual drives separately▪
NOTE: In either mode, you must reset the unit when attaching/removing hard
drives so that the system can re-scan the drives.

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2
Introduction
Key Items
Display Panel
(see page 3)
Power Switch
Controller Buttons
SATA Target Drive
Connector
SATA Source Drive
Connector
IDE Target Drive Port
IDE Target Power Port
IDE Source Drive Port
IDE Source Power Port
Power Connector
USB Connector
Drive Status
Indicator Lights (4)

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Introduction
HDD PortaCruiser Display Panel and Buttons
(Actual display may vary from illustration)
LCD display shows all functions and messages1.
UP2. arrow is used to scroll backward through functions or menus
DOWN3. arrow is used to scroll forward through functions or menus
ENT4. button is used to execute a selected function, or enter a menu
ESC5. button is used to cancel a selected function, or exit a menu
RESET6. button is used to restart the unit
MUTE7. button is used to mute audible alarms
ENT

HDD Cruiser
1-1 ver:
14
ESC

RESET
MUTE
6
5 7
2
3

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4
Precautions
Before installing your HDD PortaCruiser, please read the following.
Installation
Avoid placing the HDD PortaCruiser in a location subject to:
High humidity•
High temperature•
Excessive dust•
Mechanical vibration•
Direct sunlight•
Electromagnetic radiation•
Choose a Good Location
Allow adequate clearance for moving parts.1.
Do not place near heat sources such as radiators or air ducts, or in a place2.
subject to direct sunlight, excessive dust, mechanical vibration or shock.
Disconnect the AC adapter from the outlet if the product is not used for an3.
extended period of time.
Proper care will help assure maximum product life. Improper operating4.
environment and misuse may void the warranty.
Operation
Do not move the HDD PortaCruiser during operation. This may cause a malfunction
or other undesirable results.
Avoid exposing the unit to sudden changes in temperature as condensation may
form inside the HDD PortaCruiser. Should the surrounding temperature suddenly
rise while the HDD PortaCruiser is on, wait at least one hour before turning off the
power. Operating the duplicator immediately after a sudden increase in temperature
may result in a malfunction.
Transportation
Keep the original packing materials for future moving or shipping of the HDD
PortaCruiser.

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Overview
Power Up Sequence
During the normal power-up sequence of the HDD PortaCruiser, the following
information will be displayed.
Figure 1 shows the rmware version•
Figure 2 shows the memory initialization•
Figure 3 shows the scanning of the drives•
Figure 4 shows the number of drives loaded.•
Figure 5 shows the rst function. The HDD PortaCruiser will initialize in either •
Duplicator Mode or Dual Disk RAID (USB) Mode depending on its last state.
Duplicator Mode
ENT

HDD Duplicator
1-1 ver: 0.92C
ESC
RESET
MUTE

ENT

Initialize SDRAM
ESC
RESET
MUTE

ENT

Detect Drives
ESC
RESET
MUTE

ENT

Initialize SDRAM
ESC
RESET
MUTE

ENT

Detect Drives
Found 0 Devices
ESC
RESET
MUTE

ENT

1. Copy HDD
ESC
RESET
MUTE

USB Mode
ENT

USB Mode: Normal
D1: HDD D2: HDD
ESC
RESET
MUTE


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6
Overview
Understanding RAID
RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) is a system composed of many hard
drives; that is, multiple physical drives form a single virtual drive to be recognized
by the system. Different RAID modes have different advantages and disadvantages.
RAID 0 (Striping)
RAID 0 must be composed of a pair of hard drives at least. When data is written into
the whole hard drive, it will be equally striped and written into each hard drive of the
array. Thus the access speed becomes quicker. The effect of RAID 0 is to proportion
the data to a number of hard drives. More hard drives mean more read/write heads,
and therefore higher speed. Though RAID 0 is quick in read/write speed, it has no
data redundancy, and accordingly has no fault tolerance. It is suggested to compose
RAID 0 with hard drives of the same capacity. Because the capacity of striped disk
array is the multiplication of the smallest hard drive capacity with the number of
hard drives. For example, a 100GB hard drive and a 120GB hard drive unite into
RAID 0. The total capacity is 200GB (100GB×2).
RAID 1 (Mirroring)
RAID 1 must be composed of hard drives in even numbers. The RAID controller
willdivide the hard drives into a pair, and write data simultaneously into the two hard
drives. The two hard drives contain the same data. When one hard drive’s data are
damaged, you can replace the failed hard drive, and the RAID controller will restore
the data by the backup on the other hard drive. RAID 1 provides fault tolerance. It
is suggested to compose RAID 1with hard drives of the same capacity. Because the
capacity of mirrored disk array is that of the smallest hard drive. For example, a
100GB hard drive and a 120GB one unite into RAID 1. The total capacity is 100GB.
JBOD (Just a Bunch of Disks or Spanning)
JBOD is not a real RAID setting. It simply combines a bunch of disks into a single
virtual drive. It doesn’t have the functions of quick read/write speed and error
tolerance. However, compared with RAID 0, JBOD doesn’t waste any hard drive
capacity. Its capacity is the total of all hard drive capacities. For example, set a
100GB hard drive and a 120GB one as JBOD. The total capacity is 220GB.

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Overview
Duplicator Main Menu
In Duplicator mode, there are eight main menu items that can be seen in the HDD
PortaCruiser Copy Controller Display Panel. These are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Note: The Advanced Setup function is a hidden menu. To access this menu,
press ESC for 3 seconds. After you have completed any desired adjustments,
press ESC to exit Advanced Setup.
1. Copy HDD ENT

ESC
RESET
MUTE

2. Compare HDD ENT

ESC
RESET
MUTE

3. PreScan Source ENT

ESC
RESET
MUTE

4. ReScan Bus ENT

ESC
RESET
MUTE

3. PreScan Source ENT

ESC
RESET
MUTE

5. Source Size ENT

ESC
RESET
MUTE

6. Setup ENT

ESC
RESET
MUTE

7. USB RAID Mode ENT

ESC
RESET
MUTE

8. Adv Setup ENT

ESC
RESET
MUTE


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8
Overview
Duplicator Subfunctions
The “Setup” menu has eight (8) subfunctions. These are:
6-01 Language
6. Setup ENT

ESC
RESET
MUTE

6-02 DMA Mode
6-03 Copy Size
6-04 Startup Menu
6-05 Auto Compare
6-06 Copy with Detect
6-07 Button Sound
6-08 Device Info
6-09 System Info

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Overview
The Duplicator “Advanced Setup” menu has eight (8) subfunctions. These are:
8-01 ReScan Bus Delay
8-02 Read Error Skip
8-03 Quick Erase HDD
8-04 H/W Diagnostic
8-05 Load Default
8-06 Link Option (for USB Mode)
8-07 USB Auto Link
8-08 Copy HPA
8. Adv Setup ENT

ESC
RESET
MUTE


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10
Overview
Dual Disk RAID (USB) Mode Main Menu
In USB mode, the options seen in the HDD PortaCruiser Display Panel depend on
the RAID mode of the system. These are:
Normal Mode
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
JBOD Mode
1.
2.
3.
4.
1. Duplicator Mode ENT

ESC
RESET
MUTE

2. Information ENT

ESC
RESET
MUTE

4. D1 Drive Select ENT

ESC
RESET
MUTE

3. Change RAID Mode ENT

ESC
RESET
MUTE

5. D2 Drive Select ENT

ESC
RESET
MUTE

1. Duplicator Mode ENT

ESC
RESET
MUTE

2. Information ENT

ESC
RESET
MUTE

4. Initial JBOD ENT

ESC
RESET
MUTE

3. Change RAID Mode ENT

ESC
RESET
MUTE


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Overview
RAID0 Mode
1.
2.
3.
4.
RAID1 Mode
1.
2.
3.
4.
1. Duplicator Mode ENT

ESC
RESET
MUTE

2. Information ENT

ESC
RESET
MUTE

4. Initial RAID0 ENT

ESC
RESET
MUTE

3. Change RAID Mode ENT

ESC
RESET
MUTE

1. Duplicator Mode ENT

ESC
RESET
MUTE

2. Information ENT

ESC
RESET
MUTE

4. Initial RAID1 ENT

ESC
RESET
MUTE

3. Change RAID Mode ENT

ESC
RESET
MUTE


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12
Using the HDD PortaCruiser
Loading the Hard Drives
IDE Drives
Use an IDE cable (not included) to connect the source/target hard drive’s IDE1.
port to the HDD PortaCruiser’s Source/Target IDE port.
Use an IDE cable (not included) to connect the source/target hard drive’s power2.
port to the HDD PortaCruiser’s Source/Target port.
SATA Drives
Position the HDD PortaCruiser on a at surface with enough area around it to 1.
place the source/target hard drive.
Align the source/target hard drive’s SATA port with the HDD PortaCruiser’s2.
SATA connector.
Slide the source/target hard drive against the HDD PorrtaCruiser so that the3.
SATA connection is made.
Note: If you are duplicating, the hard disk drive you are copying goes on the side
labeled “Source”, and the hard disk drive you are copying to goes on the side
labeled “Target”.
Note: When both the IDE and SATA connectors on the Target (or Source) side are
connected to hard drives, the HDD PortaCruiser will only recognize the SATA drive.

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Using the HDD PortaCruiser
Removing Hard Drives
Remove the IDE and power cables (for IDE drives) or slide the hard drive away1.
from the HDD PortaCruiser unit (for SATA drives).
Note: Do not attempt to remove the hard drive if the drive activity LED is on or
the unit is in the middle of a process.

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14
Using the HDD PortaCruiser
Duplicator Mode
Main Menu: Copy HDD
The “Copy HDD” function performs an actual copy from the source HDD to the target
HDD. The target HDD must be at least as large as the source. The HDD PortaCruiser
will copy every block of capacity on the source HDD.
Load the source HDD and the target HDD into the HDD PortaCruiser. The system1.
will auto-detect the hard drives. After the drives have been detected, a screen
similar to the one below will be displayed.
Note: Before copying be sure that the capacity of the target HDD is equal to or
larger than the source hard drive.
Press2. ENT to start copying. The system will auto-detect the hard drives. The
following information will be displayed.
During the copy process the HDD PortaCruiser will display progress information.3.
The amount of data remaining to be transferred (shown in gigabytes), and time
will be displayed in decreasing increments as the percentage of completion
increases.
Note: The copying speed, capacity and duration may vary from one source hard
drive to another.
Once duplication is complete, a job status screen will be displayed.4.
ENT

1. Copy HDD
149.1GB
ESC
RESET
MUTE

ENT

Detect Drives
Please wait...
ESC
RESET
MUTE

ENT

Copy - 36MB/s 0%
235.7GB 1:48
ESC
RESET
MUTE

ENT

1. HDD
OK:1 Fail: 0
ESC
RESET
MUTE
