Netstor TurboBox Xtreme User manual

2. Package Checklist
1. Overview 3. Panel Layout
NA255A
The easy, cost-effective Netstor PCIe Gen3 to GPU desktop expansion
enclosure TurboBox NA255A features easy plug and play installation,
containing PCIe 3.0 ×16 host card, target card and data cable providing
high-speed data rate up to 128Gbps. Through the TurboBox NA255A,
all the PCIe slots on NA255A are available to the host PC, workstation,
or Mac Pro.
Before the installation of this unit, verify the package contains the
following items.
1. Power on/off button
2. Buzzer mute button
Green – normal
Red – over-temperature (higher than 55℃)
3. Fan LED
Green – normal
Red – fan failure (low frequency of RPM or stop)
4. Temperature LED
Green – normal
Red – over-temperature (higher than 55℃)
5. Power switch
6. Power receptacle
7. Link status LED
Gen3: constant green light
Gen2: fast blinking green light (2 flashes/second)
Gen1: slow blinking green light (1 flash/second)
8. Two external PCIe 3.0 ×8 connectors for host
connection (one port is etched with ×8 for
lane 1~8; the other port is etched with ×16
for lane 9~16)
9. PCIe slots
10. Thumbscrew to loosen/tighten the side door
Blue – power on
Note: Under powering on/off NA255A by manual mode, to
power on/off the TurboBox NA255A, press the button for two
seconds until the button shows blue light or off.
1. Slot 1 : PCIe ×16 connector (×16 signal);
target card already installed in it.
2. Slot 2 : PCIe ×16 connector (×8 signal)
3. Slot 3 : PCIe ×16 connector (×8 signal)
4. Slot 4 : PCIe ×16 connector (×8 signal)
5. Slot 5: PCIe ×16 connector (×8 signal)
6. Slot 6: PCIe ×4 connector (×4 signal)
7. Slot 7: PCIe ×4 connector (×4 signal)
8. 8* 6+2 pin PCIe power cables for graphics cards
External PCIe 3.0 to GPU Desktop Enclosure
4. Installation of PCIe Graphics/Add-On
Card and Connection
Before following the installation procedures, disconnect
TurboBox NA255A from power source to prevent electric
shock or damage to graphics/PCIe card. In order to
correctly configure NA255A to work properly with different
host PC or Workstation, the following jumper and switches
may need to be adjusted.
PCIe 3.0 ×16
host adapter card x 1
B
PCIe 3.0 ×8 cable
(1.5 meter) x 2
D
Power cord × 1
E
PCIe 3.0 ×16
target adapter card x 1 (Installed)
C
CD containing
user manual x 1
F
Green IT makes
Green Earth
NetStorTechnology Co. L td.
www.netstor.com.tw
NA255A Enclosure x 1
A
If any of the above items is missing or damaged, please notify your sales
representative.
JP2
SW1-2
SW1
Function
Location
Function
Location
Function
Location
To set NA255A to Gen3 mode, place jumper
over pin 1 and pin 2. To set NA255A to Gen2
mode, NOT place jumper over pins. To set
NA255A to Gen1 mode, place jumper over
pin 2 and pin 3.
To set up connection between host and
NA255A for ×8 or ×16. For ×16 connection,
SW1-2 is ON. For ×8 connection, SW1-2 is
OFF.
To set up connection between host and NA255A
for ×8 or ×16. For ×16 connection, SW1 is OFF.
For ×8 connection, SW1 is ON.
Jumper JP2 is located near slot 3
on backplane.
Switch SW1-2 is located near slot 5
on backplane.
Switch module SW1 is located on top-right
position of host card (NP970A-H) and
target card (NP970A-T).
1 2 3 4 10 5 6 7 8 9
1
62
3
4
5
7
5
4
3
2
1
68
7

1. The PCIe slot of host PC, workstation or Mac Pro that
links with NA255A must be identified first for correct
connection between host and NA255A. Four conditions
A, B, C, and D for connection are listed below:
NA255A External PCIe 3.0 to GPU Desktop Enclosure
(A) If the PCIe slot of host PC, workstation that works with NA255A
is PCIe 3.0 ×16, set (this is the default setting)
JP2 at Gen3.
SW1-2 at ON.
(B) For Mac Pro, host PC, or workstation whose PCIe slot is
PCIe 2.0 ×16 that is used to work with NA255A, set
(D) If the PCIe slot of host PC, workstation that works with
NA255A is PCIe 2.0 ×8, set
After identifying the PCIe slot in computer that
links with NA255A and making the correct
setting as one of the four conditions listed
above, install the host card NP970A-H onto
the PCIe slot in host PC, workstation or
Mac Pro.
(C)
If the PCIe slot of host PC, workstation that works with
NA255A is PCIe 3.0 ×8,
set
6. Connect one end of two PCIe ×8 data cables to PCIe ×8
connectors on rear of NA255A.
7. Connect the other end of two PCIe ×8 data cables to the
two PCIe ×8 connectors on NP970A-H host card on
host PC, workstation, or Mac Pro.
5. Fan Speed Adjustment
The fan speed of the front 120×120×25 mm cooling fan of
NA255A can be adjusted. Pull out the fan module, on the
connector of cooling fan, there are five sets of jumpers labeled
with 4, 3, 2, 1 and F from top to bottom on the fan connector
board. The default setting is the jumper being placed over pin 9
and 10 for label 4 for slowest speed. The speed increases from
label 3 to label F. When jumper is not placed over pins, the fan
will not spin.
6. Powering On/Off TurboBox NA255A
There are two ways to power on/off the NA255A. One is to
power on/off NA255A by host (the default setting); the other is
to power on/off NA255A by manual. Configure switch SW1-1
near slot 5 on backplane for setting. For powering on/off by host,
switch SW1-1 to “ON” position. For powering on/off by manual,
switch SW1-1 to “OFF” position.
When NA255A is set for powering on/off by host, the NA255A
will be automatically powered on and off with the host computer.
When NA255A is set for powering on/off by manual, the standard
powering on/off procedure below must be followed:
(1) Power on TurboBox NA255A by pressing
the power button for two seconds until
the button shows blue light.
(2) In order to let the BIOS of host PC, workstation, or Mac Pro
identify and assign resources appropriately, always power
on NA255A first, and then power on host PC, workstation,
or Mac Pro.
(3) To remove TurboBox NA255A from host PC, workstation,
or Mac Pro, power off host PC, workstation, or Mac Pro first,
and then power off NA255A.
3. Remove the L shape metal bracket on rear of TurboBox
NA255A by unscrewing the screw of metal bracket for
installing the graphics or PCIe card on NA255A.
4. Install one graphics/PCIe card into one PCIe ×16 slot in
NA255A and tighten it with a screw.
5. Put the side door back to TurboBox NA255A, and tighten
the two thumbscrews to fasten the side door.
Each GPU card in NA255A is provided with two 6+2 pin
PCIe power cables for extra power resource. Up to
4 double-width, full-length GPU cards can be installed in
slot 2, slot 3, slot 4, and slot 5 in enclosure.
2. Loosen the two thumbscrews and remove the side door from
TurboBox NA255A.
8. Connect the end of power cord to power receptacle on
TurboBox NA255A and the other end of power cord to
grounded outlet or power strip.
There are two hot-swappable 120×120×25 mm cooling fans
for ventilation inside TurboBox NA255A. The cooling fans
can be simply drawn out by pulling the L type metal handle
on the fan modules.
Note: Make straight connection between host card and target
card with mark ×8 to ×8, and ×16 to ×16. DO NOT make
cross connection.
9
7
5
3
1
10
8
6
4
2
motherboard
x16
x8
x16 x8
JP2 at Gen2,
SW1-2 at ON.
JP2 at Gen3,
SW1-2 at OFF,
SW1 on host card and target card at ON.
JP2 at Gen2,
SW1-2 at OFF,
SW1 on host card and target card at ON.

6F, No. 1, Alley 16, Lane 235, Baoqiao Rd.,
Xindian District, New Taipei City 231-45, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [email protected]
Netstor Technology Co., Ltd.
NA255A External PCIe 3.0 to GPU Desktop Enclosure
7. Verify Installation
And then click View from the top side of the window, and select
Devices by connection.
‧For Windows operating system
When you want to verify a successful installation on Windows
operating system, go to Computer and right click the icon of
Computer. Select Manage from the menu (see figure 1), and
click Device Manager in the left side of window of Computer
Management (see figure 2).
‧For Mac OS X
Figure 2Figure 1
Open ACPI Multiprocessor PC, open Microsoft ACPI-Compliant
System, and then open PCI bus. Click PCI Express Root Port,
click PCI standard PCI-to-PCI bridge, and then click the next-tier
PCI standard PCI-to-PCI bridge. Then the graphics/PCIe card
installed in NA255A will appear below the bottommost-tier PCI
standard PCI-to-PCI bridge.
Four PCI standard PCI-to-PCI bridges will appear below the
PCI Express Root Port when upstream port (slot 1) is set for ×16.
And six PCI standard PCI-to-PCI bridges will appear below the
PCI Express Root Port when upstream port is set for ×8.
There will be PCI Express Root Ports with different ending numbers
such as 1C10, 1C18, 1C1A and 0101. These different ending
numbers indicate the different PCIe slots on motherboard.
Note: Whether or not a motherboard supports 4 GPU cards depends
on the firmware of the BIOS of motherboard. Consult with the
manufacturer of motherboard about whether the resource of BIOS
supports 4 GPU cards.
No software is required for configuration of NA255A by
operating system of host PC, workstation, or Mac Pro, but
when a GPU or PCIe card is installed in NA255A, a request
for the driver of the GPU or PCIe card will be prompted by
the operating system. Please follow the driver installation
instruction given by GPU/PCIe card.
If there is a yellow exclamation mark in front of the GPU/PCIe
card below PCI standard PCI-to-PCI bridge, it means the driver
for the GPU/PCIe card has not been installed. Therefore,
the driver needs to be installed on operating system to let
GPU/PCIe work with host PC or workstation.
After the driver is installed on operating system, the GPU/PCIe
card will work properly with host PC or workstation through
NA255A, and the GPU/PCIe card will appear below the
bottommost-tier PCI standard PCI-to-PCI bridge as well as in
the list of Device Manager.
To verify a successful installation on Mac OS X, select About
This Mac under the Apple icon.
Click More Info… button, and then click System Report…
button in the pane.
Click PCI Cards on the left side of pane. It will show four
(when upstream port is set for ×16) or six (when upstream port
is set for ×8) pci-bridges that indicate the four or six PCIe slots
in NA255A in the information field.
When a graphics/PCIe card is installed in one of the PCIe slots
in NA255A, the graphics/PCIe card will appear below the four or
six pci-bridges.
After the installation of the driver of graphics/PCIe card on
Mac OS X, the graphics/PCIe card starts to work with Mac Pro
through NA255A.
For certain model of Mac Pro, when GPU/PCIe card is installed
in PCIe slot in NA255A, the information field will appear blank in
PCI Cards section in System Information on OS X, but the
GPU/PCIe card does work properly.