DigiDrive Guide Ultra 160/LVD Version 4.0 Digidesign Inc. 2001 Junipero Serra Boulevard Daly City, CA 94014-3886 USA tel: 650-731-6300 fax: 650-731-6399 Technical Support (USA) 650·731·6100 650·856·4275 Product Information (USA) 650·731-6102 800·333·2137 Fax on Demand (USA) 1·888·USE·DIGI (873·3444) International Offices Visit the Digidesign Web site for contact information. Web Site www.digidesign.
Copyright This User’s Guide is copyrighted ©2001 by Digidesign, a division of Avid Technology, Inc. (hereafter “Digidesign”), with all rights reserved. Under copyright laws, this manual may not be duplicated in whole or in part without the written consent of Digidesign. DIGIDESIGN, AVID, DIGIDRIVE, QUIETDRIVE, and PRO TOOLS are trademarks or registered trademarks of Digidesign and/or Avid Technology, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
contents Chapter 1. Using This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Chapter 2. Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Controls and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Rack-Mounting Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Appendix A. Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Dimensions and Weights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Environmental Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Power Supply Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
chapter 1 Using This Guide The DigiDrive™ uses an innovative new QuietDrive™ technology. This technology allows the DigiDrive to perform as one of the fastest (10,000 rpm) and quietest drives on the market today. In addition, the DigiDrive is designed for rack-mounting in industry-standard racks (with the optional Avid/Digidesign Rack Mount Kit), or multiple drives can be stacked on top of one another to minimize desk-space requirements.
3 Digidesign has both product information and technical support on-line via the World Wide Web. In addition, there are many user forums which Digidesign encourages, but does not sponsor. For the most current, accurate information about Digidesign products, please browse Digidesign-sponsored forums at the Digidesign Web site (www.digidesign.com). 4 See the additional technical resources on the web at: http://www.digidesign.com/support/techsupport.
chapter 2 Overview The Digidesign DigiDrive uses industry-standard ultra wide SCSI-2 Ultra160 drives that can be run in LVD or Single-Ended mode, and are optimized for use with Digidesign’s video and audio applications. With its fast operating speed (10,000 rpm) and its QuietDrive sound-absorbing enclosure, the DigiDrive is among the fastest and quietest drives available today. Multiple drives can be stacked on top of one another to minimize desk-space requirements.
nal power supply on and off. The ventilation openings provide airflow for the drive while it is operating. Make sure you do not block these openings and that you keep them clear of dust. Power, Activity, and Thermal LEDs Identification Label Back Panel The DigiDrive back panel has two SCSI connectors and a power connector (see Figure 2). The SCSI connectors are for attaching SCSI cables or a SCSI terminator to the drive.
Handling the DigiDrive You need to use reasonable care when you handle a DigiDrive. Though the drive is ruggedly constructed, it has delicate internal mechanisms that can be damaged when handled in an incorrect manner. The following lists contain tips for handling and caring for the drives attached to your Digidesign system. ◆ Do not turn off the power to a drive while an application is reading data from or writing data to the drive.
Cables SCSI ID Conflicts Use only high-quality LVD SCSI cables when you are attaching a DigiDrive to the SCSI bus on your Digidesign system. When you add a new DigiDrive to your system, always check which SCSI IDs are currently in use. Assigning duplicate SCSI IDs causes problems such as system errors, the drive not appearing on the desktop, multiple copies of the same drive appearing on the desktop, possible data corruption, or system startup failures.
Mixing Wide and Narrow Drives on the Same SCSI Bus 68-pin to 68-pin cable Wide drives 4 68-pin to 50-pin adapter 3 l o 50-pin to 50 -pin cable 5 DigiDrive enclosures l o 6 To computer’s SCSI host bus adapter 50-pin terminator Narrow drives Figure 3. Mixed Drive Layout You can mix the DigiDrive and other wide and narrow drives. This allows you to continue using existing narrow drives as you expand your system’s storage capability.
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chapter 3 Installation The following sections describe how to connect a DigiDrive to your Digidesign system. Before You Begin Before you begin to install a DigiDrive: Check the contents of the DigiDrive kit against the packing label on the outside of the shipping box to confirm that you have received all the parts. ■ Check for available SCSI IDs on the Digidesign SCSI bus.
Powering Down the Digidesign System To temporarily interlock the drives: 1 Place the first (bottom) DigiDrive on a stable surface. Before you begin to install the DigiDrive, power down the system: 1 Do one of the following: • If you have a Macintosh operating system, choose Shut Down from the Special menu. • If you have a Windows operating system, select Shut Down from the Start button. Select “Shut down the computer?” from the Shut Down Windows dialog box and click Yes.
A Top locking plate screw Top locking plate turned 180 degrees 2 2 Drive dia us Pl Me rS18 1 rive iaD s Med Plu rS18 Drive dia us Pl 1 Me rS18 Bottom locking plate screw rive iaD s Med Plu rS18 Figure 5. DigiDrive Locking Plate 4 Swing the locking plate on each side of the Figure 7. Secured DigiDrive Enclosures bottom drive 90 degrees (to a horizontal position) and tighten the locking plate screw (see Figure 6). 8 Repeat steps 5 through 7 for the other side of the top drive.
Connecting DigiDrives To connect an external SCSI drive to your computer: 1 Be sure that power to both the computer and hard drive is off. 2 Connect the SCSI drives to your computer with their accompanying SCSI cables. Always use high-quality cables. Additionally, use the shortest possible SCSI cables to make the best possible connection—if you are using a single-ended accelerator card, your total SCSI cable length should never exceed 3 meters.
Connecting Only DigiDrive Enclosures The following procedure explains how to connect a DigiDrive. Stack the drives before connecting any cables and turning the drives on. 3 Attach one end of the cable to the remaining SCSI connector on the first DigiDrive in the drive stack (see Figure 9). Secure the cable by using the thumbscrews that are part of the cable connector.
6 Attach the SCSI terminator to the remaining SCSI connector on the last DigiDrive in the drive stack (see Figure 10). Secure the terminator by using the thumbscrews that are part of the terminator. Ultra, wide SCSI terminator DigiDrive DigiDrive 68-pin SCSI cable from computer's SCSI host bus adapter Figure 11.
4 Attach the other end to the bottom connector on the Wide drive in the drive stack. Secure the cable by using the thumbscrews that are part of the cable connector. 5 Repeat steps 2 through 4 until you have all the wide drives connected. 6 Locate a SCSI cable with 68-pin connectors on 10 If you have more than one narrow drive, locate the SCSI cable with 50-pin Centronics connectors on both ends. 11 Attach one end of the 50-pin cable to the top connector on the first narrow drive (see Figure 14).
Ultra, narrow SCSI terminator Terminator Digidesign system + 0 Narrow Drive SCSI drives ID 3 50- pin SCSI connector ID 2 Figure 15. Ultra, Narrow SCSI Terminator Connection ID 1 18 If your system came with the dual-channel ID 7 board, repeat steps 1 through 17 to attach the second stack of drives to the system. Determining SCSI IDs You must consider the type of system the drives are attached to when determining the SCSI ID for the drive.
Each PCI-based SCSI bus has its own set of unique SCSI IDs from 0 through 6 and 8 through 15. ◆ • If you are connecting only DigiDrive enclosures to the SCSI bus, use any of the available SCSI IDs from 0 through 6 and 8 through 15. Setting the DigiDrive SCSI ID To set a DigiDrive SCSI ID: 1 Locate the SCSI ID switch on the front of the DigiDrive (see Figure 17).
There are two SCSI ID switch versions used with the DigiDrive. One version uses the numbers 0 through 15, and the other version uses the numbers 0 through 9 and the letters A through F. Use the table below to associate the letters A through F with a SCSI ID number. Numbers Associated with SCSI Switch Letters Switch Letter SCSI ID Number A 10 B 11 C 12 D 13 E 14 F 15 When setting the SCSI ID for a drive other than a DigiDrive, see the documentation that came with that drive.
chapter 4 SCSI Performance Guidelines SCSI Performance Guidelines Make sure to run DigiDrive Tuner to optimize your drive for your Digidesign system. Pro Tools systems have strict hard drive requirements. The recording and playback performance of your system depends on several factors. Factors affecting system performance: Hard drive performance. The faster the drive’s seek time, the better. The data transfer rate required for 32 track, 24-bit performance (at a sample rate of 44.1 kHz) is 4.
To achieve up to 32 simultaneous tracks of 16- or 24-bit audio with high edit density, or 64 tracks with low to moderate edit density you will need: ◆ Two or more Digidesign-approved hard drives connected to your SCSI adapter card or built-in SCSI ports. If you use a dual-channel SCSI host adapter card, equally allocate audio files to drives connected to each of the two busses on the card for optimal performance.
chapter 5 DigiDrive Management for Mac OS To keep your DigiDrive and other hard drives on your Macintosh operating system in peak operating condition, you should perform maintenance operations and checks on a regular basis. This chapter contains the following sections: ◆ Checking DigiDrives ◆ Initializing DigiDrives ◆ Troubleshooting Checking DigiDrives Many drive problems are not hardware related, but are instead problems with the file system written on the drive.
Using Disk First Aid Disk First Aid is a drive directory structure repair tool that is supplied with each system by Apple Computer, Inc. This tool can find and repair many basic directory structure problems to help keep your drives functioning properly. 3 Select the drive you want to verify and repair by clicking on the drive icon in the Drive Selection window. An alert box opens if you are checking a drive with open files or a shared drive (Figure 20).
If you are still experiencing problems or are unable to repair the drive, contact Digidesign Technical Support for additional assistance. Using Norton Disk Doctor Norton Disk Doctor is a third-party application for diagnosing and repairing drive problems. Norton Disk Doctor provides more comprehensive coverage of drive problems than Disk First Aid, and can repair directory structure and file problems that Disk First Aid cannot repair.
Initializing DigiDrives Occasionally, you might want to initialize the drives on your Digidesign system to remove all the data that is on them. Initializing re-creates the partition map and directory structure, improving overall drive performance. It is best to initialize drives when you are between projects, or when the media files and other data on the drives are no longer needed. Initializing a drive destroys all the data on the drive.
DigiDrive Produces Errors When a DigiDrive is producing errors or is acting erratically: 1 Run Disk First Aid to repair any directory problems. 2 Run Norton Disk Doctor to fix any bad block, folder, and file problems. 3 Use Norton Utilities to rebuild the drive’s desktop (the files that maintain the record of what is on the drive). 4 Contact Digidesign Technical Support if you need additional assistance.
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chapter 6 DigiDrive Management for Windows NT and Windows 2000 To use your DigiDrive on a computer running a Windows operating system, you need to format and partition the drive properly. Once this has been accomplished, you need to keep your DigiDrive in peak operating condition by performing maintenance operations and checks on a regular basis.
◆ Each partition is assigned a drive letter and cannot be further subdivided (Figure 23). G H I tage to leaving small blocks unformatted is that it will prevent inadvertent Disk Allocation to a partition that is too small to be practical for audio recording. J Four partitions (Drives G–J) Figure 23. Four partitions per physical drive (the maximum) Choosing a File System Both Windows NT and Windows 2000 support the NTFS file system.
7 Click OK to create the primary partition. 8 Repeat steps 1 through 4 to create up to four primary partitions. 9 From the Partition menu, choose Commit Changes Now. The first Confirm dialog box appears (Figure 25). 5 Beneath the disk name (located to the left of the disk), the display will indicate whether the disk is “basic” or “dynamic.” Pro Tools does not support dynamic disks. If the disk is dynamic, right-click on the drive name and select Upgrade To Basic.
Formatting Partitions 6 Click OK. When formatting is complete, the Format Complete dialog box appears (Figure 29). To format the primary partitions in Windows NT: 1 From the Windows NT Disk Administrator, se- lect the primary partition you are going to format. 2 From the Tools menu, choose Format. The Format window opens. Figure 29. Format Complete confirmation 7 Click OK. 8 Repeat steps 1 through 8 until you have for- matted all of the primary partitions you created.
Creating an Emergency Repair Disk The Repair Disk utility saves all of your current system settings to an Emergency Repair Disk. You can then use this disk to restore your computer if files become damaged. It is strongly recommended that you create and update an Emergency Repair Disk every time you make significant changes to your hardware or software setup. The repair process relies on information that is saved in the systemroot\repair folder. Do not change or delete this folder.
Keeping Your Hard Drive Tuned Up Because Pro Tools is a disk-based system, keeping your hard drives in good operating condition is essential. Avoiding File Fragmentation What is fragmentation? In multitrack recording, audio tracks are written in discrete files, spaced evenly across the disk. If the space required to write a discrete file is not available in a single contiguous block, the file is broken up into several file fragments.
Digidesign System Fails to Boot Troubleshooting Occasionally, you might have problems with a DigiDrive that you can repair on your own. The following sections present several scenarios and steps to take to repair them. When the Digidesign system fails to boot: 1 Check that all SCSI devices on the bus have a unique SCSI ID. Duplicate SCSI IDs cause system problems. 2 Make sure all SCSI cables are properly con- DigiDrive Does Not Turn On nected.
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appendix a Specifications The following sections provide dimensions and weights, and environmental, power supply, and power cord specifications for the Ultra 160/LVD DigiDrive. Dimensions and Weights Table 2. Dimensions and Weights Topic Specification Width: without interlock stacking brackets with interlock stacking brackets 7.50 in (190.5 mm) 8.18 in (207.7 mm) Height without interlock stacking brackets with interlock stacking brackets 2.69 in (68.3 mm) 3.12 in (79.
Environmental Specifications Table 3. Environmental Specifications Topic Specification Room temperature 95°F (35°C) maximum Operating humidity 5% to 90% noncondensing Storage temperature -4°F to 185°F (-20°C to 85°C) Storage humidity 5% to 95% noncondensing Operating the drive at room temperatures higher than recommended will cause the drive to age prematurely and void your warranty. Power Supply Specifications Table 4.
Power Cord Specifications Choose the power cord according to the country destination; it must comply with local safety requirements. Use the guidelines in the following sections to replace the original power cord. CEE-22 Power Cord Requirements The female receptacle of the cord set, shown in Figure 30, must comply with CEE-22 requirements. Figure 30.
European Countries Power Cord Requirements In Europe, use only an H05VV-F, , VDE, PVC, 3 x 1.00 mm2 power cord (“NEMA 5-15P Style Plug” on page 38). Für den Gebrauch in Deutschland muß ein Netzkabel des Typs H05VV-F, , PVC, Größe, 3 x 1.00 mm2 verwendet werden. See Table 6 for the selection criteria for European power cords. Figure 31. NEMA 5-15P Style Plug Table 6. European Power Cord Requirements 38 Cord Type Size of Conductors in Cord Maximum Current Rating of Unit SJT 3 x 1.
appendix b SCSI Cables and Terminators SCSI Cables Use only the highest quality SCSI cables available when connecting a DigiDrive to your Digidesign system. Digidesign recommends the use of SCSI cables supplied by Avid Technology. These cables are specifically designed for systems that run real-time applications, and their lengths and electrical properties are designed to ensure data integrity on the SCSI bus.
SCSI Terminators and Adaptors The Pro Tools SCSI chain must be properly terminated or your system will not function properly. Only the last device on the chain should be terminated. Depending on the configuration of your drives, you will need one of several different types of SCSI terminators and adapters to cover the varying style of connectors found. Descriptions and illustrations are provided in Table 8. Digidesign recommends the use of SCSI terminators supplied by Avid Technology.
Maximum Configurations Table 9 lists the maximum number of DigiDrive LVD enclosures that can be connected in various configurations. If you increase the length of the cables listed below, you must reduce the number of drives in the daisy-chain. Table 9.
SCSI LVD Cables Digidesign strongly recommends the use of Avid SCSI cables when you are attaching DigiDrives to the accelerator board on your Pro Tools system. These cables are specifically designed with electrical properties that ensure data integrity on the SCSI bus—either LVD or single-ended. An Avid 30-inch, 68-pin to 68-pin SCSI LVD cable is supplied with each DigiDrive LVD enclosure. A green sleeve on the cable denotes that it is an LVD cable. All LVD cables (regardless of length) have green sleeves.
index Numerics 16-track performance requirements 19 32-track performance requirements 20 50-pin SCSI connector on narrow drive 15 50-pin terminator 40 68-pin SCSI connector on DigiDrive 13, 14 68-pin terminator 40 68-pin to 50-pin adapter 40 A Activity LED 4 Administrative Tools 28, 31 Airflow 4 B Back panel power connector 4 SCSI connectors 4 Boot failure 25, 33 C cable length of SCSI drives 20 Checking DigiDrives 21 power cord 24, 33 SCSI cables 24 SCSI termination 24 Configuration disk, creating 31 r
troubleshooting on the Macintosh 24–25 troubleshooting on Windows 33 unpacking 9 Windows management 27 Windows NT management 27 Directory corruption 21 Disk Administrator 28, 31 Disk First Aid maintaining data structures 21 repairing DigiDrives 22 using 22 verification problems 22 verification results 22 E Emergency Repair Disk 31 Errors 21 on the Macintosh 24–25 on Windows 33 Event viewer 33 Interlock stacking brackets 10 L LEDs activity 4 power 4 thermal 4 Loading Norton Utilities 23 Locking plate 10
Q QuietDrive technology 1 R Repair disk, creating 31 Repairing DigiDrives on the Macintosh 22, 23 on Windows NT 33 Requirements, SCSI 6 S SCSI bus 7 buses 16 cable length 20 configuration requirements 5 connectors 4 ID numbering 16 SCSI adapter, ultra, wide-to-narrow 15, 40 SCSI cables available 39 connecting to DigiDrive 13, 14 SCSI ID requirements 6 setting 16, 17 switch location 4 switch versions 18 SCSI terminator fast, narrow 40 ultra, narrow 15, 40 Setting SCSI IDs 16, 17 Software Norton Utilities 2
46 DigiDrive Guide
