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Introduction: RDX User's Guide

Overview

The RDX device is a removable, ruggedized, hard disk drive system. It features backup application compatibility, high speed transfer rate for fast backups, portable cartridges and high level of data reliability. The RDX is available as an internal SATA device (see Figure 1) or external USB device (see Figure 2).

Figure 1. RDX Internal Drives

3.5-inch Internal SATA Drive

5.25-inch Internal SATA Drive

Figure 2. RDX External Drive

 

External USB Drive

Capacity and Transfer Rates

The capacity and transfer rate of the RDX data storage system are outlined in the table below (see Table 1). Capacity and transfer rate will vary depending on the RDX cartridge type used.

Table 1. Capacity and Transfer Rates

Characteristic RDX 40 GB Media RDX 80 GB Media RDX 120 GB Media
Native capacity (GB) 40 80 120
Compressed capacity (GB) 80 160 240
Average sustained transfer rate (MBs/sec) SATA 30 MBps/USB 25 MBps
Burst transfer rate Internal SATA 1.5 Gbps/External USB 480 Mbps
Average access time (msec) 15
Function Removable disk drive
Command set

  • Packet command feature set, per ATA/ATAPI-7

  • SCSI primary commands (SPC-2)

  • SCSI block commands (SBC-2)
Logical block size 512 bytes
Supported file systems ext2, ext3, FAT32 and NTFS*

*NTFS is the default file system on the cartridge. If you are using Linux then the cartridge that comes with your system will need to be re-formatted to support a file system that is compatible with a Linux based operating system (see section "RDX Cartridge File System Considerations" in the appendix).

Supported Media

The RDX hard drive system supports any RDX cartridge. RDX cartridges are available in different capacity configurations depending on your storage requirements.

Minimum Operating System Requirements

The RDX hard drive system is supported on the following operating systems:

Software

Backup Software

The RDX device works with industry backup applications that support removable disk media. See your backup software manual for instructions on backing up data.

Windows Software

The RDX User's Guide and Utilities CD provides essential Windows® software for use with the RDX unit.  The RDX unit software for Windows installs:

See "Installing Unit Software for Windows" and "Using the Removable Disk Utility" sections for more information on these applications.

Linux Software

There is no special software necessary when running Linux operating system. See "Using the Linux Operating System" appendix for more information on using the RDX with Linux.

 

Front Panel Features

The front of the RDX unit has the following features and indicators:

Figure 3. Front Panel Features

Table 2. Power Indicator

The eject button is illuminated by a power indicator. Table 2 describes the operation of this indicator:

Indicator Status Meaning Description
OFF No Power Unit does not have power
Steady GREEN Ready Power is on and the RDX unit is working properly
Blinking GREEN Ejecting Unit is ejecting the cartridge
Steady AMBER Fault RDX unit has detected a fault condition.  For more information, run a diagnostic application (see section "Using the Removable Disk Utility").
Blinking AMBER Prevent Host computer is accessing the media, and the user has pressed the eject button.  The unit will blink amber for a few seconds then return to a steady green.  The unit will eject the cartridge after the host access completes.

Table 3. Cartridge Indicator

The cartridge indicator displays the current status of the cartridge. Table 3 describes the operation of this indicator:

Indicator Status Meaning Description
OFF Not Ready Cartridge is not inserted properly or the unit has no power
Steady GREEN Ready Cartridge is ready
Blinking GREEN Activity Reading, writing, seeking
Steady AMBER Fault RDX unit has detected a cartridge fault condition. For more information, run a diagnostic application (see section "Using the Removable Disk Utility").

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