CalDigit T3 User manual

User Manual
For more information visit www.caldigit.com
with Thunderbolt™2

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Contents
1. Introduction 03
Package Contents 06
T3 Diagram 07
2. Using the T3 08
Connecting the T3 08
Create a RAID 09
Mac OS X 10
Windows 7 & 8 13
Create a RAID by CalDigit Drive Utility (Optional) 17
Replacing the T3 Drive Module 20
Turning o the T3 22
3. CalDigit Drive Utility (Optional) 23
4. Technical Support & Warranty Information 24

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1. Introduction
The CalDigit T3 is a compact 3-bay storage solution for users who not only require outstanding
performance, but also the ultimate protection for their important data. The T3 is a RAID 0, 1 &
JBOD device. Priced similarly to dual bay RAID solutions, the extra drive in the T3 adds additional
performance with a minimal footprint increase. The T3 is equipped with Thunderbolt 2 and is
compatible with both HDDs and SSDs, making it the ideal solution for 4K workows.

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Please read the T3 manual thoroughly and familiarize yourself with the product before use.
Only use the T3 in an area with sucient ventilation. Make sure that the fan is not obstructed
to ensure proper air ow, which is essential for heat dissipation. Do not leave or use the T3
near a heat source or direct sunlight.
Avoid using the T3 in extremely hot or cold environments as it will increase the likelihood of
premature drive failure. The safe operating temperature ranges from 40F - 95F (4.4C-35C).
Avoid using the T3 in humid environments. Moisture and condensation can accumulate in
the drive and damage the electrical components, resulting in unit failure and catastrophic
data loss.
Only use the power adapter that has been supplied with the T3. An excessive or inadequate
power supply can result in unstable performance, data corruption, or drive failure.
Make sure to transport your T3 with care. Hard drives are sensitive to shock and rough
handling, and can result in degrading performance or disk failure.
Keep the T3 away from liquids and moisture. Exposure to liquids on the T3 can result in
damaging the unit, electric shock, and result in a re hazard. If your T3 gets wet while it is
still o, do not turn it on.
In the case of any issues with the device, do not attempt to repair or open the T3 yourself.
Doing so can result in personal injury, damaging the device, and will void the warranty. If you
have any issues, please contact CalDigit technical support.
All electrical devices are susceptible to failure. In order to protect yourself against sudden
data loss, it is highly recommended that you create at least two backups of your data. If you
will be sending a drive back to CalDigit for service, please make sure you have backed up
your data beforehand. CalDigit cannot guarantee the integrity of data on drives that are
returned to us. CalDigit cannot make provisions for data recovery or be held liable for any
data loss.
General Use Warnings
Safety Warnings

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The T3 unit comes with a standard, 5 year limited warranty.
The HDDs come with a 3 year limited warranty.
Burst transfer rates will vary from one computer to another. Depending on the host conguration,
average speeds are usually lower.
Weight varies by conguration and manufacturing process.
The use of this product is subject to acceptance of the software license agreements
included. This product contains electronic documentation.
1TB (Terabyte) = 1000GB (Gigabyte) = 1,000,000,000 bytes. Total accessible capacity var-
ies depending on operating environment (typically 5-10% less).
IMPORTANT

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Package Contents
1
2
3
4
5
6
1 1 x T3 RAID
2 3 x CalDigit universal drive modules
3 1 x Drive module pin release key
4 1 x Drive module lock key
5 1 x Power supply
6 1 x AC cord

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T3 Diagram
Smart Fan
AC Power In
Dual Thunderbolt™ 2 Ports
Kensington Lock
Removable Drive Module
Power LED
LED Status Lights
Front Side Power Button
Drive Module Lock
PIN Release

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2. Using the T3
Connecting the T3
1Turn on the computer, make sure you have logged into the OS.
2Connect a Thunderbolt cable* from your computer to the T3.
3Connect the power supply to the T3.
4Press the T3’s power button and it will boot. You will see it mount and it will be ready for use.
PC users will need to format the T3 for Windows OS before the device mounts.
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*Thunderbolt cable sold separately.

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Create a RAID
Striped RAID Set - RAID 0 - distributes data evenly across all drives in RAID 0. Use this mode
for increased performance. RAID 0 provides no protection against drive failure. It is highly
recommended to have a backup when using the T3 in RAID 0.
Mirrored RAID Set - RAID 1 - creates identical copies of data across all drives in the RAID 1 volume.
RAID 1 is ideal for back up and archiving. This is the most secure form of RAID but does not oer
any performance increase.
Concatenated Disk Set - SPAN (non-RAID) - drives work together but data is not distributed
evenly. After the rst drive in the SPAN set is lled, data then gets saved to the following drive.
SPAN does not oer any performance gains but is useful when using drives of dierent capacities.
It is highly recommended to have a backup when using SPAN because it does not oer any form
of data protection.
NOTE
The T3 comes formatted as a software RAID 0 using Mac’s HFS + le system.
Windows users must recreate the RAID in the T3 using Window’s disk
management software using the NTFS format. Creating a RAID will delete
any information on the hard drives so make sure to back up all your data
before proceeding.

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Mac OS X
1Open “Disk Utility” (Macintosh HD > Applications > Utilities) and select the RAID tab.
2Enter the name you would like for your RAID volume.
3Select the format you would like to use, Mac OS Extended (Journaled) is recommended.
2 3

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4Select the RAID type you would like to use.
Striped RAID Set - RAID 0 - distributes data evenly across all drives in RAID 0. Use this mode
for increased performance. RAID 0 provides no protection against drive failure. It is highly
recommended to have a backup when using the T3 in RAID 0.
Mirrored RAID Set - RAID 1 - creates identical copies of data across all drives in the RAID 1 volume.
RAID 1 is ideal for back up and archiving. This is the most secure form of RAID but does not oer
any performance increase.
Concatenated Disk Set - SPAN (non-RAID) - drives work together but data is not distributed
evenly. After the rst drive in the SPAN set is lled, data then gets saved to the following drive.
SPAN does not oer any performance gains but is useful when using drives of dierent capacities.
It is highly recommended to have a backup when using SPAN because it does not oer any form
of data protection.

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5Locate the three CalDigit disks on the left panel. Drag and drop each one onto the list on the right.
6Select the “create” button and Disk Utility will create the RAID.
7The volume will mount on your desktop and it will be ready for use.
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Windows 7 & 8
1Click on the start button, right click on “Computer” to bring down the drop down menu
and select manage.
2After the “computer management” window opens, select “disk management” on the left side.

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3
4
If the T3 drives have existing volumes on them, they must be deleted prior to setting up the
RAID. All of the current volumes will be listed in the top portion of disk management. You
can delete the volumes by right clicking on the corresponding T3 drives and selecting “Delete
Volume...”
The drives should be showing on the bottom portion of the disk management window with
their space as unallocated.

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5Right click on the rst T3 disk that you want included in your RAID. You will be presented with
several options on how to congure your drives.
New Simple Volume - JBOD mode, non-RAID - creates a normal volume. Use this mode if you
wish to use your T3 as a JBOD (just a bunch of disks) storage device, letting you create individual
partitions on each of the drives. You can create a new simple volume on one of the drives and RAID
the remaining two if you wish.
New Spanned Volume - SPAN (non-RAID) - drives work together but data is not distributed
evenly. After the rst drive in the SPAN set is lled, data then gets saved to the following drive.
SPAN does not oer any performance gains but is useful when using drives of dierent capacities.
It is highly recommended to have a backup when using SPAN because it does not oer any form
of data protection.
New Striped Volume - RAID 0 - distributes data evenly across all drives in the RAID 0. Use this
mode for increased performance. However, there is no protection against drive failure. It is highly
recommended to have a backup when using the T3 in RAID 0.
New Mirrored Volume - RAID 1 - creates identical copies of data across all drives in the RAID 1
volume. RAID 1 is ideal for back up and archiving. This is the most secure form of RAID but does
not oer any performance increase.

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6
7
Once you select which RAID you want to use, select the drives that you want and add them to
the list on the right.
Assign a mount letter and name the new volume. Select the settings you would like to format
the volume with and select next. The RAID will be created and your volume will mount and
be ready for use.

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1Launch the CalDigit Drive Utility Software
WARNING Deleting the RAID set will delete all data on the T3.
Back-up your data before proceeding.
2Click on the “Disk Utility” button on the left hand side of the window.
3Click the “RAID Management” button and then click on “Delete RAID Sets”. Then click on “Yes”
to proceed and the current RAID set will be deleted.
If the T3 is currently in a RAID set, users will need to delete the current RAID before creating a new
RAID set. If your T3 is not congured into a RAID set you can skip to step 4.
Create a RAID by CalDigit Drive Utility (Optional)

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5Check all of the drives that you would like to include in the RAID set and select “create”.
Drives are numbered from top to bottom (A0 top, A1 middle, A2 bottom).
4Go back into the“Disk Utility” tab and select “Create New RAID Set”. Select the RAID mode you
would like to create.

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6The RAID will be created and the T3 will mount on your computer.
CalDigit Drive Utility
Device 1 Device 2 Device 3
Device List
Disk Utility
Preferences
Notification
Events
Disk Benchmark
Quit
Drive in formation
GUID
Model CalDigit T3
RAID
- Type
- Volume Size
- Status
Slot A0 Information
Healthy
Online
003D000700000040
RAID
3.00 TB
A0, A1, A2
A0123456789
Description
...... ...... ......
- Disk s
......
- Disk Status
......
- Serial Number
......
0

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1
2
Insert the drive key into the lock on the front of the drive module and turn clockwise to unlock it.
Insert the drive pin into the pin release until the handle of the drive module pops open.
Replacing the T3 Drive Module