HighPoint RocketU 114x User manual

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RocketU 114x Host Controller
USB 3.0 Host Adapters
User’s Guide
Revision: 1.01
Jul. 11, 2013
HighPoint Technologies, Inc.

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Copyright
Copyright © 2013 HighPoint Technologies, Inc. This document contains materials protected by
International Copyright Laws. All rights reserved. No part of this manual may be reproduced, transmitted
or transcribed in any form and for any purpose without the express written permission of HighPoint
Technologies, Inc.
Trademarks
Companies and products mentioned in this manual are for identification purpose only. Product names or
brand names appearing in this manual may or may not be registered trademarks or copyrights of their
respective owners. Backup your important data before using HighPoint's products and use at your own
risk. In no event shall HighPoint be liable for any loss of profits, or for direct, indirect, special, incidental or
consequential damages arising from any defect or error in HighPoint's products or manuals. Information
in this manual is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commi tmen t on th e pa rt of
HighPoint.
Notice
Reas onable effort has been made to ensure that the information in this manual is accurate. HighPoint
assumes no liability for technical inaccuracies, typographical, or other errors contained herein.

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Table of Contents
1 Features and Specifications .......................................................................................................................................4
2 Physical Spe cifications ................................................................................................................................................6
3 Kit Contents...................................................................................................................................................................7
4 Hardware Description and Installation ...................................................................................................................8
4.1 RocketU 114x Host Adapter Board Layout ....................................................................................................8
4.2 Installing the RocketU 114x Host Adapter.....................................................................................................8
4.3 Using the 19PIN USB 3.0 Front Panel Port of the RocketU 1142A............................................................9
5 RocketU Series Host Adapter Driver Inst allation ................................................................................................10
5.1 Driver Installation - Microsoft Windows ......................................................................................................10
5.2 Verify Installation of the Software - Micro soft Window s .........................................................................16
5.3 Driver installation -Linux .................................................................................................................................17
6 Connect Hard Disk to RocketU 114x Host Adapter.............................................................................................18
7 Firmware Update .......................................................................................................................................................19
8 Than k You ....................................................................................................................................................................20
9 Customer Support......................................................................................................................................................21

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HighPoint RocketU 114x
HighPoint USB 3.0 HBA’s – Dedicated 5Gb/s per-port Performance
HighPoint has capitalized on recent advances in USB 3.0 connectivity, and has made 5Gb/s per-port
performa nc e a r eal i ty. USB 3.0 is no longer limited to plug-and-play device hubs;RocketU HBA’s take
externa l USB 3.0 s tora ge to the next l evel .
HighPoint RocketU 1144C: Unleashing the Next-Levelof USB 3.0 Performance!
Powered by four dedicated 5Gb/s controllers, a PCI-E 2.0 x4 host interface and UAS, HighPoint's RocketU
1144C is the industry's fastestUSB 3.0 storagecontroller. The RocketU 1144C is optimized for today’s
fastest USB 3.0 devices, and is well suited for a wide-range of applications including portable/removable
storage, storage expansion, personal media libraries, and backup solutions.
New Compatibility Breakthrough: Supports all Industry Standard USB2/USB3 Devices!
The RocketU 1144C is an all-in-one,USB 3.0 connectivity solution for any PCIe capabledesktop and
workstation PC’s. In addition to high-performa nce s tora ge devi ces , the RocketU 1144C’s 3 rd gener ati on
USB 3.0 architecturesupports industry standard USB 2.0 and 3.0 peripherals, such as device hubs, card
readers and interface devi ces .
RocketU 1144C: USB 3.0 UAS Enabled Maximizing the Performance Capability of USB 3.0 devices
Roc ketU HBA’s ca n del i ver even hi gher l evel s of per forma nce when pa i red wi th UAS ca pa bl e s tora ge
devi ces , s uc h a s RocketStor USB 3.0 Stora ge Doc ks .
UAS (USB Attached SCSI) enables USB 3.0 devices to store and process multiplecommands in parallel;
significantly reducing wait time and streamlining data transfers. The RocketU 1144C’s UAS capabilities
allowitto fullyutilizethe PCI-E 2.0 x4 host bus interface and deliver uncompromised transfer bandwidth
for UAS capable devices such as USB 3.0 SSD’s, hard drives, and enclosures.
The speed and efficiency advantages provided by UAS capabledevices areideal for multi-tasking and
performance-hungry applicati ons.
HighPoint RocketU 1144E: 2x USB 3.0 & 2x eSATA 6Gb/s PCI-Express 2.0 x4 HBA
VersatileConnectivity- 5Gb/s USB3.0 & 6Gb/s eSATA on Single HBA!
The Roc ketU 1144 E ma xi mi zes the per forma nc e potenti a l of USB 3.0 a nd 6Gb/s SATA s tora ge devi c es . The
revolutionary, dedicated per-por t perfor mance ar chi tec ture a l l ows ea ch s tor age devi ce to ta ke ful l
advantage of the PCIe 2.0 x4 host interface. The dual 5Gb/s USB 3.0 ports support all industry standard
USB 3.0 devices while the dual 6Gb/s eSATA ports are optimized for today’s fastest SATA SSD’s and high-
capacity hard drives.
1 Features and Specifications
Host Adapter Architecture
•PCI-Express 2.0 x4
•Total Transfer Bandwidth up to 20Gb/s
•Four dedicated 5Gb/s USB 3.0 type-A ports (RocketU 1144C/1144B)
•Two USB 3.0 type-A ports and one 10Gb/s Internal USB 3.0 Front Panel Port (RocketU 1142A)
•Two USB 3.0 ports with type A connectors and two 6Gb/s eSATA ports (RocketU 1144E)
•Optimized for industry standard USB 3.0 devices
•Backwards compatible wi th USB 2.0 & 1.1
•Compli ant with xHCI (Extensible Hos t Contr ol l er I nterfa ce) s pec
•Compli ant with AHCI spec (RocketU 1144E only)

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•Low Profile (RocketU 1142A only)
•Hot-Swap and Hot-Plug
•UAS Enabled (RU1144C only)
•Thunderbolt™ Enabled (RU1144E/RU1144C )
•RoHS complaint
Operating System Support
•Windows Server 2012, 2008,Windows 8, 7 Vista (32 and 64-bit versions)
•Linux OS support with xHCI driver of Kernel v2.6.31 or later
Note:xHCI is a computer interface specification that defines a register-level description of a Host
Controller for Universal Serial bus (USB), which is capable of interfacing to USB 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0
compatible devices. The specification is also referred to as the USB 3.0 Host Controller specification.
RocketU 114x Series HBA Family:
RocketU 1144E - 2 USB 3.0 Ports and 2 e S ATA 6Gb/s Ports
RocketU 1144C - 4 USB 3.0 Type-A Ports
RocketU 1144B - 4 USB 3.0 Type-A Ports
RocketU 1142A - 2 external USB 3.0 Type-A Ports and 1 19pin Ports

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2 Physical Specifications
Host Adapter Dimensions:
RocketU 1144E: 120mm x 115mm x 19 mm (4.72” x 4.52” x 0.06”)
RocketU 1144C/1144B: 96mm x 95mm x 19mm (3.78” x 3.74” x 0.06”)
RocketU 1142A: 130mm x 69mm x 19mm (5.12” x 2.70” x 0.06”)
EMI:
FCC Part 15 Class B and CE
Thermal and Atmospheric Characteristics:
Work Temperature Ra nge: +5~ +55 °C
Rel a ti ve Humi di ty Ra nge: 5% ~ 60 % non-condensing
Stora ge Temperature: -20 ~ +80 °C
MTBF: 920,585 Hours
Electrical Characteristics:
PCI-E
3.3V
12V
Power
3.3W
15W

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3 Kit Contents
•RocketU 1144E USB 3.0 HBA / RocketU 1144C USB 3.0 HBA / RocketU 1144B USB 3.0 HBA / RocketU
1142A USB 3.0 HBA
•Low Profi l e Bra cket (Roc ketU 1142A onl y)
•CD (Driver Software)
•Quick Installation Guide

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4Hardware Description and Installation
4.1 RocketU 114x Host Adapter Board Layout
4.2 Installing the RocketU 114x Host Adapter
Note: Make sure the system is powered-off before installing the RocketU host adapter.
1. Open the system chassis.
2. Locate an unused PCI-Expres s ×4 (×8, ×16) s l ot.
3. Remove the PCI -Express slotcover.
4. Gentl y i ns ert the RU s eri es i nto the PCI -Express slot,and secure the bracket to the system chassis.
5. After installing theadapter, attach the hard disks or disk enclosureto the RU series card using the USB
ca bl es .
6. Closeand securethe system chassis.
RocketU 1144C/1144B
PORT1
PORT2
PORT
3
PORT
4
PORT1, PORT2
eS ATA P o r t
PORT3, PORT4
USB 3.0 Port

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4.3 Using the 19PIN USB 3.0 Front Panel Port of the RocketU 1142A
The RocketU 1142A provides standardized USB 3.0 front panel support.It is compatible with any standard
USB 3.0 front panel device such as the RocketPanel Series USB 3.0 front panel adapter or the USB 3.0 all in
one card reader front panel adapters.
Note: Make sure the system is powered-off before installing the USB 3.0 Front Panel device.

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5 RocketU Series Host Adapter Driver Installation
5.1 Driver Installation -Microsoft Windows
1. Insert the HighPoi nt Software CD into the CD/DVD drive.
2. Windows should automatically start theSoftware CD, and display the following window:
3. Or you can browse the s oftwa re CD fol der:
\RocketU\RU1022x_112x_114x\Windows
Double click the “setup.exe” and follow the InstallShield Wizard to i ns tall the ASMedia ASM1042x USB
3.0 Host controller driver.

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4. Click Finish to exit the wizard when you has successfully installed driver.
Note: The ASMedia ASM1042x driver is embedded into Windows 8. Windows 8 will automatically
use this driver when the RocketU HBA is installed.

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5. You can also install theRocketU 114x driver manually, using Device Manager. Device Manager will
display the RocketU 114x HBA under “Other” devices, with a yellow “!” mark.

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6. Right-click the “Universal SerialBus Controller” entry a nd s el ect “Upda te Dri ver Softwa re”.

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7. Sel ect “Browse my computer for driver software” in the popup window.
8. Browse to the following Software CD folder:
\RU1022x_112x_114x\Windows\Dri ver

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9. Followthe InstallShieldWizard’s prompts to install the RocketU 114x driver.Click“Close”to exit the
Wizard and reboot once the driver has been successfully installed.

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5.2 Verify Installation of the Software -Microsoft Windows
1. On the Start menu, select 'Control Panel'.
2. Open the 'Sys tem' applet (you may firs t have to s elect 'Swi tch to Cl ass ic Vi ew').
3. Sel ect the 'Ha rdwa re' ta b.
4. Sel ect the 'Devi ce Ma na ger ' button.
5. Expand the 'Universal Serial Bus Controllers' entry. You should see four 'ASMedia xHCI Controller'
entri es .

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5.3 Driver installation -Linux
1. The RocketU 114x HBA’s support the xHCI specification. Linux distributions that utilize Kernel v2.6.31
or later will automaticallyrecognizetheseHBA’s.
2. When USB SSD’s, flash drives or hard drives are attached to the RocketU 114x HBA, the system will
recogni ze them a s “s db” devi c es:

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6 Connect Hard Disk to RocketU 114x Host Adapter
RocketU HBA’s utilizeindustry Standard USB Type-A ports o r e S ATA ports. The Type-A ports are compatible
with all standardized USB hard drives, USB SSDs, and USB enclosures including RocketStor s eri es USB 3.0
Storage Docks.
1. Make sure the RocketU 114x has been installed into your PC.
2. Connect the enclosureor hard disk to the RocketU 114x HBA with USB 3.0 cables.
3. Allow the drives/enclosure to spin up for a few moments. Once the devices areready, they will be
recognized by the operating system and can be accessed as needed.
RocketU 114x

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7 Firmware Update
The firmwareupdate utility must be run while the system is operating in a pure DOS environment. The
update utility cannot be run from a DOS-prompt window.
1. Vis it the www.highpoint-tech.com webs i te to downl oa d the l a tes t fi r mwa re.
2. Extract the download to a bootable DOS USB drive.
3. Boot the system using the bootable USB drive.
4. At the command prompt, access the firmware update’s directory:
5. The followingcommand lineis used to launch the flash utility:
104xfwdl.exe /u 1222_0E.bin
or use the BatchFiles:
u.bat
6. After the firmware has been successfully updated, the following information will be displayed:

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8 Thank You
Thank you for purchasing the RocketU 114x Host adapter. We appreciate your support, and welcome any
questions, comments or product suggestions you may have.