WiebeTech G5JE User manual

User’s Manual for G5Jam Express - 1 -
G5Jam Express™
USER’S MANUAL
Revised September 26, 2006
Features
•Compatibility – G5Jam Express is the only G5Jam
product compatible with the new dual-core G5 Power
Macs.
•Expands your storage options – G5Jam Express
allows you to add two more drives inside your dual-core
G5, for a total of four drives inside. Video editors and
photographers will use G5Jam Express to RAID their new
drives in software for stunning mountable volume sizes
and read/write speeds (over 220MB/s!)
•Easy to install – It only takes minutes to install G5Jam
Express into a dual-core G5.
•Cool design – There's a lot of air flow in the dual-core
G5s, but we still all worry about heat - especially with
hard drives. G5Jam Express takes advantage of the
excellent airflow inside the dual-core G5. With the G5Jam
Express, there's plenty of cooling space for air circulation
between the new drives, and heat dissipates through the
mounting plate.
Installation Instructions
1.Check the accessories with your G5Jam Express. Please contact WiebeTech if any items are missing or
damaged. The box should contain:
Metal base plate and L-bracket 1
Side boards 2
SATA data cables 2
Y-splitter for SATA power 1
Y-splitter for standard ATX power 1
ATX (Molex) extension cable 1
Tie wraps and tie down brackets 3
Screws (6/32 x ¼) 19
Manual and Warranty information (on CD)
Hard disk drives may be purchased with the G5Jam or may be purchased separately. For best performance,
matching drives are recommended. Using drives with different brands and/or capacities will result in a loss of
performance and total RAID volume capacity.

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2. Attach the side boards to the metal base plate, as shown. You will use 6 screws for this step. Note: Both
side boards must have the logo side facing the same direction.
3. Place the hard drives between the side boards and secure them
in place with screws. You will need 6 screws for each drive. The driver
interface connectors should be facing up. The labels on the hard drives
should face toward the front of the G5Jam Express. There will be an open
space between the two drives to aid in heat dissipation.
4. Turn the computer off and remove the side case cover along with the clear plastic baffle. To release the
side case cover, pull the lever on the back of the computer case.
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5. If you have not already installed an expansion card with internal SATA ports, you should do so now. The
following general steps will work for most cards. Instructions for individual cards may vary, so consult
your host card’s user manual.
a) Make sure the computer is powered down. Unplug it from the
electrical outlet.
b) Remove the retaining screw and blank slot cover for the expansion
slot you wish to use. You may use any available slot.
c) Insert the expansion card into the slot. Do not force it, but it will take
firm pressure to insert it. It may help to rock the card gently back and
forth while pushing into place.
d) Make sure the card is fully seated in the slot. Use the retaining screw to secure the card in place.
e) After you finish installing the G5Jam Express, you will likely need to install drivers for the card.
See the card’s user manual for instructions. Drivers for cards purchased from WiebeTech can be
found on the same CD as this manual.
Note: Dual-core G5s use PCI Express (PCI-e) expansion slots, while single-core Power Macs use PCI or PCI-X.
These slot types are incompatible, so make sure your card is the correct type for your system.
6. Connect the SATA data cables. One end connects to the host card. Connect the
other end to the hard drive mounted in the G5Jam Express.
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7. Choose your method of connecting power to the drives. There are two options:
A. If your original internal drives have both a SATA power connector and a legacy ATX power connector, the
ATX connector should be free. You can use the ATX power extension cable to route power from this connector to
your drives. Plug one end of the cable into the ATX power connector on the original internal drive. Attach the
SATA power Y-splitter to the other end. Connect each SATA power connector from the Y-splitter to the drives
mounted in the G5Jam Express. The other Y-splitter cable is not needed for this installation method.
User’s Manual for G5Jam Express - 4 -
SATA
power ATX
power
B. You may choose to get power from the ATX power cable connected to the optical drive (CD-ROM, DVD-
ROM, etc.). Unplug the power cable from the back of the optical drive. To do this, you may need to release and
partially remove the optical drive. Plug that power cable into the center connector of the ATX power Y-splitter.
One end of the ATX Y-splitter plugs into the optical drive. Route the other end behind the metal “shelf” that the
optical drive rests on. That end, now hanging in the compartment beneath the optical drive, plugs into the center
connector of the SATA power Y-splitter. Connect each SATA power connector from the Y-splitter to the drives
mounted in the G5Jam Express. The ATX extension cable is not needed for this installation method.
Release these levers to move the optical drive.
Cable used

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8. Remove the fan assembly. It simply slides straight out.
9. Remove the screw at the bottom of the case, previously covered by the fan assembly. This screw will be
used to secure the G5Jam Express in place.
Note: in non-dual-core G5s, the screw may be in a different position, and cannot be used to secure the G5Jam
Express.
10. Slide the G5Jam Express into the front compartment of the G5. The L-bracket at the bottom front of the
G5Jam Express should hook over the front of the case bottom. When properly positioned, the G5Jam Express base
plate should line up with the screw hole at the case bottom. Insert the screw and tighten it to secure the G5Jam
Express in place.
View from underneath
The front of the L-bracket hooks over the lip of the case bottom
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11. Slide the fan assembly back into place. Put the clear plastic baffle and side case cover back into place,
taking care that all cables are routed out of the way. If the cables are not routed properly, you will have difficulty re-
installing the clear plastic baffle. Tie wraps are included in case you wish to secure the cables in position.
User’s Manual for G5Jam Express - 6 -
The fan clip holds the fan
assembly in place
The hardware installation is finished! No one will ever know the speed and storage you have harnessed inside your
G5. They will only wonder why theirs can’t do what yours does – unless they have a G5Jam too!
Using your new drives
Formatting your drives
If the new internal hard drives are already formatted, an icon representing each volume will appear (mount) on the
desktop. You can begin using the volume(s) right away. If the drive is unformatted, a message will appear on the
desktop saying that the disk is unreadable. You can use OS X’s Disk Utility to easily format the drive.
Creating a RAID with your drives
If you wish to combine your new drives into a RAID, you may do so easily using OS X’s Disk Utility or a 3rd party utility
such as SoftRAID. Common software RAID varieties are RAID level 0 and RAID level 1. Consider which RAID
type best suits your specific needs.
RAID 0 Also called “striping”, this RAID type splits your data between the drives, offering faster
performance and allowing you to use the full, combined capacity of the drives in a
single volume. There is no data redundancy in this RAID type, so in the event of a
hard drive failure all data is lost.
RAID 1 This RAID type “mirrors” two or more drives for best data protection. In this mode, you
will work with a single volume equal in size to the capacity of one drive. When you
copy data to the volume, the data is simultaneously written to all the drives in the
RAID. If one drive were to fail, your data would still be preserved on the other drive(s).
Booting from your G5Jam Express
This feature depends upon the SATA host adapter used. The SATA host must support booting. To activate this
feature, go to System Preferences ÆStartup Disk. A window will list the available volumes (drives). Select the
volume from which you wish to boot. Another method is to hold down the Option key during boot up. A screen
should appear that allows you to select the volume you wish to use. This is useful if you wish to boot from your
G5Jam Express only some of the time.
Note: Most customers prefer to keep their boot drive separate from their RAID, especially a RAID 0. Because of the
lack of data redundancy, a RAID 0 is best used as a work space rather than permanent storage.

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Technical Specifications
Product Code G5JE
Interface Serial ATA (SATA)
Power Supply Runs off G5’s supply
Drive Compatibility Serial ATA (SATA) drives
Operating System Mac OS X
RAID Capability Supports software RAID created by Disk Utility or 3rd party utilities
Transfer Rates Up to 200+ MB/s when soft RAIDed under OS X
Shipping Weight 3 pounds sans drives
Warranty 1-year limited warranty. See warranty statement for details and limitations.
WiebeTech offers free phone support for 90 days after purchase (1-866-744-8722).
After 90 days, email support is available at [email protected].
G5Jam Express is a trademark of WiebeTech LLC. Other marks are the property of their respective owners.
© 2006 WiebeTech LLC. All rights reserved.
If you have any questions or problems, please contact [email protected] for technical support. If you are
interested in purchasing more WiebeTech products, check our website or contact [email protected]. We
appreciate being able to serve you!