FirmTek SeriTek 1VE4 User manual

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SeriTek™/1VE4&SeriTek/1eVE4
Four Port External Serial ATA PCI-XHost Adapter
User Manual for Power Macintosh

FirmTek, LLC
www.firmtek.com
Copyright
Copyright © 1998-2005FirmTek, 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, Mac OS 9.XX, 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/1VE4, or SeriTek/1eVE4or 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/1VE4, or SeriTek/1eVE4.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Introduction...................................................................................1
II. Installing the SeriTek/1VE4, or SeriTek/1eVE4..................................5
III. Connecting and Formatting Hard Drives ...........................................7
IV. Using SeriTek/1VE4, or SeriTek/1eVE4 Hot-Swap Functionality........19
V. Troubleshooting...........................................................................23
VI. Product Support...........................................................................25
VII. Product Warranty and Disclaimers.................................................25
VIII. Regulatory Compliance Statements ...............................................26

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I. Introduction
Welcome
Congratulations and thank you for purchasing the SeriTek/1VE4, or SeriTek/1eVE4 Serial ATA
host adapter. This product is yet another innovative solution from the innovative folks at FirmTek.
About This User’s Manual
This User’s Manual was written with the assumption you are familiar with your Power Macintosh
computer, and are comfortable with opening its case. For further information, and to get
acquainted with your computer, please refer to your Power Macintosh User’s 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 smaller 7-pin connectors which results in
easier installation and improved airflow, compared to wider and shorter Parallel ATA cables.
Improved airflow translates into a cooler operating environment for your Power Macintosh.
About the SeriTek/1VE4, & SeriTek/1eVE4 Serial ATA PCI Host Adapters
The SeriTek/1VE4, & SeriTek/1eVE4 Host Adapters provide an easy and affordable way for
Macintosh users to add inexpensive,high-speed storage. Withfour external Serial ATA ports,
each offering 1.5Gbits/sec performance, the SeriTek/1VE4, &SeriTek/1eVE4 providethe high
bandwidth to meet the needs of performance-hungry applications. The SeriTek/1VE4, &
SeriTek/1eVE4 is PCI-X compatible, permitting Power Mac G5 users to take advantage of the
latest extended PCI technology while maintaining backward compatibility with older Power
Macintosh systems.
About PCI-X Technology
PCI-X (Peripheral Component Interconnect Extended) is a new PCI bus technology that
increases the speed data can move within the Power Mac G5 from 66 MHz to 133MHz. With
PCI-X, the amount of data exchangedbetween the CPU and expansion cards is increased from
532MB/sec to 1.06GB/sec. PCI-X is also backward-compatible, which allows users to install a
PCI-X card such as the SeriTek/1VE4, or SeriTek/1eVE4 host adapter into a standard PCI slot,
allowing the card to match the speed and performance characteristics of the slot it was inserted
into.
With four 1.5Gb/sec Serial ATA ports, the SeriTek/1VE4, or SeriTek/1eVE4 host adapter
maximizes the use of the PCI bus in older Power Macintosh computers, allowing the PCI bus to
run at its fullest potential.
Package Contents
•One SeriTek/1VE4, or One SeriTek/1eVE4 SATA host adapter board
•User’s manual on CD-ROM

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SeriTek/1VE4 -SeriTek/1eVE4 Key Features and Benefits
•Four external ports with exclusive hot-swap capability
•Plug-and-Play ease of use
•Completely self-contained booting functionality, no driver installation necessary
•Boosts overall system performance with per-port data transfer rates of up to 150MBytes/sec or
1.5Gbits/sec
•Supports Power Mac G5 PCI-X (Peripheral Component Interconnect Extended) bus
•Compatible with all PCI-based Power PC Macintosh computers
•Supports Mac OS 9, and OS X version 10.1.5 or later
•Provides performance and protection: Supports native OS X RAID 0/1; OS 9 RAID with 3rd party
software
•User-upgradeable firmware
•48-bit LBA support for drive sizes larger than 137GB
•Perfect for upgrading and expanding legacy and G5 Macintosh computers
•PCI-X 1.0a compliant 64-bit at 133/100/ 66MHz bus speeds
•Backward compatible with standard 32/64-bit PCI at 33MHz and 66MHz bus speeds
•Direct Port Access: Enhanced performance by allowing data transfer to all four drives simultaneously
•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 OS X RAID, OS 9 Software RAID (third party software), and other storage
utilities
•Reduced setting on storage devices (no master/slave) means easier installation and replacement
•Ideal for a variety of Power Macintosh applications: Desktop publishing, Audio/Video storage and
editing, photo/graphics storage and editing, servers, and gaming.
Serial ATA Hard Drive Compatibility
Note: Early Hitachi Serial ATA hard drives are incompatible with the SeriTek/1VE4, or
SeriTek/1eVE4 Host Adapters. This is due to a seldom-used Serial ATA feature called SSC,
which is enabled on these hard drives. The SeriTek/1VE4, or SeriTek/1eVE4 do not support this
feature. Newer model Hitachi Serial ATA hard drives should be compatible with SeriTek/1VE4, or
SeriTek/1eVE4. Check FirmTek’s website at www.firmtek.com for the latest compatibility
information.
At the time this manual was written, the following Hitachi Deskstar hard drives have the SSC
feature disabled, and are compatible withthe SeriTek/1VE4, or SeriTek/1eVE4 host adapters:
Model 7K500 (500GB) -Part Number HDS725050KLA360
Model 7K400 (400GB) –Part Numbers 0A30984 and 0A30985, HDS724040KLSA80
Model 7K250 (250GB) –Part Number 0A30340
Model T7K250 (250GB) -Part Number HDT722525DLA380
Model 7K250 (160GB) –Part Number 0A30339
Model T7K250 (160GB) -Part Number HDT722516DLA380
Model 7K250 (120GB) –Part Number 0A30338
Model 7K250 (80GB) –Part Number 0A30337
Model 7K80 (80GB) -Part Number HDS728080PLA380
Model 7K80 (40GB) -Part Number HDS728040PLA320
Other Serial ATA hard drives from manufacturers such as Maxtor, Seagate, and Western Digital
do not have this feature enabled by default and are therefore compatible.

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SeriTek/1VE4, & SeriTek/1eVE4 Specifications
General System
Hardware
Requirements
•PCI based Power Macintosh with available PCI
expansion slot
•PCI-X 1.0a compliant 64-bit at 133/100/ 66MHz bus
speeds. Backw ard compatible with standard 32/64-
bit PCI at 33MHz and 66MHz bus speeds.
Operating Systems
Supported
•Mac OS 9.xx
•Mac OS X version 10.1.5 or later (works best with
10.2 or later)
Bus Types
•32/64 bit, 33/66MHz PCI
•133/100/66MHz PCI-X
•Compliant with PCI bus version 2.2
•Compliant with PCI-X bus version 1.0a
External
Connectors
•SeriTek/1VE4: 4-port external Serial ATA (SATA)
shielded interfaceconnectorswith “Lshaped” key
•SeriTek/1eVE4: 4-port external Serial ATA (SATA)
shielded interface eSATA connectors
Drive Types
Supported •Serial ATA hard drive
•Backward compatible with Ultra DMA 133/100/66
hard drives*
Data Transfer
Rates •Up to 300 MBytes/second or 3.0Gbits/second burst
data transfer rate
Drive Modes
Supported •Serial ATA
•UltraDMA modes 6/5/4/3/2/1/0
Advanced Data
Features
•Fully compliant with Serial ATA 1.0a 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 protectionfor high-speed Serial ATA
drives
•Four independent data channels allows for separate
device timings
•Automatically identifies and configures drive types*
•Automatically detects and supports devices utilizing
many transfer modes including UltraDMA
6/5/4/3/2/1/0
Onboard Flash
ROM •Allows easy upgrades to the latest firmware
Cables Supported
•SeriTek/1VE4: 7-pin external Serial ATA (SATA)
shielded cableswith“Lshaped”key on Host Adapter.
•SeriTek/1eVE4: 7-pin external Serial ATA (SATA)
shielded cables eSATA.
Warranty •Two year limited parts & labor
Physical
Dimensions •163mm(L) x 1.6mm(W) x 64.4mm(H) (not including
bracket)
Power
Requirements •5V ± 5%
Environmental
•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%
EMC Compliance •EN55022/1998, EN55024/1998 (European Community)
•FCC Part 15 Class B (US)
* IDE to Serial ATA converter module required for Parallel ATA and Ultra ATA133/100/66 drives

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SeriTek/1VE4, & SeriTek/1eVE4 System Requirements
Operating System
•Macintosh OS 9.XX
•Macintosh OS X version 10.1.5 or later
Hardware Requirements
•Power Macintosh with available PCI or PCI-X expansion slot
•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)
Materials Required
•Standard medium-sized Phillips screwdriver

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II. Installing the SeriTek/1VE4, or SeriTek/1eVE4
Caution:
Prior to installing the SeriTek/1VE4, or SeriTek/1eVE4host adapter and hard drive(s) or
peripheral(s), please make sure your data is backed up.
The SeriTek/1VE4, & SeriTek/1eVE4 host adaptersand your Macintosh contain sensitive
components that can be permanently damaged by Static Electric Discharge. Be sure you’re
working in an area free of static electricity to prevent them from being damaged. Use a wrist
grounding strap if you have one or regularly touch a metal part of the computer chassis such
as the power supply case or a port access cover to discharge any built-up static electricity
from your body. Make sure to handle the SeriTek/1VE4, or SeriTek/1eVE4host adapter by
its bracket or around its edges (away from components & edge connector) to avoid damage
to the card by static electricity.
Introduction
This section describes the proper method of installing your SeriTek/1VE4, or SeriTek/1eVE4.
SeriTek PCI Host Adapter Installation:
1. Properly shut down your Macintosh and disconnect the AC power cord.
2. Depending on the model of your Macintosh, open the side panel or top cover. On some
models, you may need to open an additional metal or plastic cover to access the PCI
slots. Please refer to your Macintosh user’s manual for more information about gaining
access to PCI slots and hard drive or peripheral bays.
3. Choose an empty PCI or PCI-Xexpansion slot where you will install the SeriTek/1VE4, or
SeriTek/1eVE4 host adapter.
NOTE: For maximum performance in a Power Mac G5 with PCI-X slots, use slot 4, the
top slot. Slot 4 is a 133 MHZPCI-X slot; the other slots in the G5 are 100 MHZ.
4. Remove the screw and detach the PCI expansion port access cover secured to the
computer case.
5. Remove the SeriTek/1VE4, or SeriTek/1eVE4from its protective materials. Make sure to
hold the card by its metal bracket or around the card’s edges;avoid touching electronic
components & the edge connector, or the card might be damaged by static electricity.
6. Position the PCI card bracket by facing it towards the rear of the computer. Align the
gold connectors of the SeriTek/1VE4, or SeriTek/1eVE4 over the PCI slot and gently
press it into the slot until the card is firmly seated. If the card is properly seated, the
upper ear of the PCI card bracket should line up with the screw mounting location.
7. Using the same screw that was removed earlier; secure the card to the Power Macintosh
computer case (see Figure 1).

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Caution: The SeriTek/1VE4, &SeriTek/1eVE4 support external cables that may be
plugged into one of its four external connectors. If the SeriTek/1VE4, or SeriTek/1eVE4
is not properly secured when a cable is inserted into one of the card’s connectors it may
become loose from the PCI slot and damage the computer.
Figure 1: Inserting and securing the SeriTek/1VE4, or SeriTek/1eVE4
8. Close your Power Macintosh computer case and re-attach the AC power cord.
Ready for Use
Your SeriTek/1VE4, or SeriTek/1eVE4 host adapter is now installed. The SeriTek/1VE4, or
SeriTek/1eVE4 host adapter features fully self-contained Macintosh booting functionality and
will be recognized by your Macintosh computer when you power it on.
Note: Refer to section III Connecting and Formatting Hard Drives below before connecting SATA
cables to you SeriTek/1VE4 or SeriTek/1eVE4 host adapter as this section describes important
differences in Serial ATA connectors.

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III. Connecting and Formatting Hard Drives
Introduction
This section describes how to connect external hard drive enclosures and a method of
formatting your Serial ATA hard drive(s) using Apple’s Drive Setup utility (OS 9.XX) or
Apple’s Disk Utility (OS X). If you decide to use a third party drive setup utility, please refer to
the documentation provided with the utility.
Connecting the SeriTek/1VE4, or SeriTek/1eVE4 to an External Enclosure
1. The SeriTek/1VE4, or SeriTek/1eVE4 is compatible with a wide range of external
enclosures. Enclosures must meet basic requirements which include:
•Adequate power to support the hard drives (dedicated power supply),
•7-pin shielded receptacles compatible with FirmTek’s shielded Serial ATA cable;
See Below:
•Support for Serial ATA Version 1.0
•Serial ATA hard drives or Parallel ATA hard drives with compatible Serial ATA to
Parallel ATA converter
2. Install hard drives into the external enclosure according to the instructions included with
the enclosure.
3. Attach one end of FirmTek’s shielded Serial ATA cable(s) to the Serial ATA receptacle(s)
on the SeriTek/1VE4, or SeriTek/1eVE4, and connect the other end(s) to the external
enclosure.
4. Power on the external enclosure.
Note: Macintosh computers require unique external shielded Serial ATA cables for maximum
reliability. FirmTek Serial ATA cables were specially designed to be compatible with both PC and
Macintosh computers. Please use only FirmTek external shielded Serial ATA cables with the
SeriTek/1VE4, or SeriTek/1eVE4.
Caution: The SeriTek/1VE4 & the SeriTek/1eVE4 require different Serial ATA
cables/connectors: This is because of a new external SATA cable/connector specification
from the ATA Committee that defines a new “external” SATA connector, called eSATA
connectors.
•The original Serial ATA (Type A SATA) connectors have an L shaped opening, See
Figure 2A.
•The newer “eSATA” connectors have a rectangular opening, See Figure 2B..
Using SeriTek/1VE4 with SeriTek/2eEN4 requires cableshave one “L shaped”
connector, and one rectangular “I shaped” eSATA connector, just like the 2
connectors shown in below Figure 2.
Figure 2: Serial ATA Connector Types: Original “L shaped” & newer eSATA “I shaped”
Figure 2A: Original
“L shaped” connector
Figure 2B: newer
rectangular eSATA
“I shaped”connector

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Using SeriTek/1eVE4 with SeriTek/2eEN4requirescableshave two rectangular “I
shaped” eSATA connectors, just like the two connectors shown below in Figure 3.
Figure 3:Using SeriTek/1eVE4 with SeriTek/2eEN4, Serial ATA Cable Connectors both are
eSATA “I shaped”
Making the SATA Connections:
Caution: Be sure to connect the cable using the proper orientation to your SeriTek host
adapter and external enclosure. It should easily snap into place. Please do not force the
cable connector onto the host adapter and hard drive or peripheral interface.
Remember that male and female connectors must be of the same type for them to fit:
(L shaped female to L shaped male) or (eSATA female to eSATA male).
•First check that you are connecting the correct type of connectors to each other
•If your connectors still do not fit, rotate the cable and try again

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Formatting Serial AT A Hard Drives with Macintosh OS 9.XX
Caution:
Please make sure your data is backed up before attempting to format or change the
partition layout of your hard drives.
1. Turn on your Power Macintosh computer.
2. Open Apple’s Drive Setup.
To find and open this application:
a) Hold down the Command key and press the “F” key simultaneously.
b) Type in “Drive Setup” in the field with the blinking cursor
c) Press Return key (See Figure 4).
Figure 4: Finding Apple's Drive Setup Utility

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3. Locate and double click on the Drive Setup “application program” utility (see Figure 5).
Figure 5: Running Apple's Drive Setup Utility

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4. When the list of hard drives appears, carefully select the drive you wish to format by
clicking on it (See Figure 6). If this is a new, unformatted drive, it may show up as <not
initialized>. Note: For ideal performance and compatibility, SeriTek/1VE4 &
SeriTek/1eVE4 useSCSI emulation that allows your Serial ATA drive to appear as a
SCSI drive.
Figure 6: Example of selecting a drive to format

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5. Click the Initialize button to format the hard drive (see Figure 7). As an alternative, you
may use the Custom Setup option if you are comfortable with customizing the hard
drive’s partition layout. For more details on the Custom Setup option, please refer to your
Power Macintosh User’s Manual.
Figure 7: Initializing the Hard Drive
6. After the hard drive is successfully initialized, it should appear on the desktop as
“untitled.”
7. The hard drive may be renamed by selecting the word “untitled” and typing your own
name or description for your new drive.
8. Repeat steps 4 through 7 if you wish to format additional hard drivesconnected to your
SeriTek/1VE4, or SeriTek/1eVE4.
9. Select the File pull-down menu within Apple’s Drive Setup utility and choose Quit to exit
the application

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Formatting Serial ATA Drives Using Macintosh OS X Version 10.1.5 or Later
1. Turn on your Macintosh computer.
2. Open Apple’s Disk Utility which is located in the Utilities folder of the Macintosh OS X
start-up volume.
To open this application:
a) Double click the Mac OS X startup volume
b) Double click the Applications folder
c) Double click the Utilities folder
d) Double click the Disk Utility icon (See Figures 8and 9for examples)
Figure 8: Locating Apple’s Disk Utility
Figure 9: Alternate method for locating Apple’s Disk Utility

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3. Review the list of hard drives show within Disk Utility(see Figure 10). Drives currently in
use should have a list of volume names below it. New, unformatted drives typically have
no volume names listed. Carefully select the drive you wish to format. Note:Some
versions of Apple Disk Utility incorrectly display Serial ATA hard drives as having the
Connection Type of “Slave.” Serial ATA hard drives are all in fact “Master” drives. Later
versions of Apple Disk Utility correctly display Serial ATA hard drives as “Master.” If your
Serial ATA hard disk is listed as “Slave,” don’t worry, its performance will not be affected.
Figure 10: Example hard drive listing

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4. After carefully selecting the hard drive you wish to format, select the Erase tab in Apple’s
Disk Utility(see Figure 11).
Figure 11: Selecting the Erase tab in Apple’s Disk Utility
5. For Volume Format, the most common choice is “Mac OS Extended.”
6. In the Name field, you may type a name of description for your new hard drive.
7. If you wish to have your new hard drive be recognized by Mac OS 9.XX, select the Install
Mac OS 9 Drivers checkbox. Users who dual-boot both Mac OS 9.XX and Mac OS X
10.2 and later may want to select this option. This will allow the formatted volume to be
recognized by both Mac OS versions.
8. Click the Erase button to format the hard drive.
9. Once the hard drive is initialized, it will be depicted as an icon on your Mac OS X
desktop.

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Creating a RAID Volume with Serial ATA Hard Drives Using Macintosh OS X version 10.2
or Later
The Mac OS X 10.2 or later RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks) capability allows
you to increase volume sizes, provide data redundancy in case of a hard drive failure, or
increase performance by allowing you to join multiple drives into a single volume.
Two RAID types are supported, Stripe and Mirror. A volume that is striped (also known as
RAID 0) has its data broken up and spread across multiple hard drives. Read/write
performance, especially for sequential access, is improved when the data is read and written
across multiple drives simultaneously. No data integrity is provided with striping however,
and since data is spread across multiple drives, if one of the hard drives fails, all of the
volume’s data will be lost.
A volume that is mirrored (also known as RAID 1) has its data duplicated from one hard drive
onto another. A mirrored volume offers data integrity and immediate access to data in the
event of a single hard drive failure. Because data is mirrored (duplicated)across two hard
drives, only half of the combined capacity of the two drives is available.
1. Turn on your Macintosh computer.
2. Open Apple’s Disk Utility which is located in the Utilities folder of the Macintosh OS X
start-up volume.
To open this application:
a) Double click the Mac OS X startup volume
b) Double click the Applications folder
c) Double click the Utilities folder
d) Double click the Disk Utility icon (See Figures 8and 9for examples)
3. Review the list of hard drives show within Disk Utility(see Figure 10). Drives currently in
use should have a list of volume names below it. New, unformatted drives typically have
no volume names listed.
4. Select the RAID tab in Apple’s Disk Utility(see Figure 12).
Figure 12: Selecting the RAID tab in Apple’s Disk Utility

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5. Carefully select and drag a hard drive to add as a member of the new RAID volume onto
the Disk status window.
6. Repeat step 5 for each member for the RAID volume.
7. Choose a RAID Scheme: Stripe or Mirror.
8. Name the new RAID volume.
9. For Volume Format, the most common choice is “Mac OS Extended” (See Figure 13).
Figure 13: Example drives and options for a RAID volume