VIPowER USBDock VP-8058 - Manual (Page 3)

USBdock Installation Manual 1
1-1 Introduction
Congratulations on your purchase of the USBdock docking kit. The USBdock is an
external USB interface adapter which is designed to enable hot-swap, plug-and-play
operation of Enhanced IDE or ATA/ATAPI devices through the USB interface on any
USB-equipped computer. The USBdock’s 50-pin Centronics connector is designed
for use with external devices using the same connector type (such as CD-ROM) and
the Mobile Rack drive case, which provides the perfect solution for data backup and
transporting of data between computers using hard disk drives, zip drives,
LS-120 drives, MO drives, tape drives, digital film readers and more.
The USBdock connects to any notebook,iMac, Net-PC, Micro ATX PC, LCD panel
PC, Mac and PC desktop computer equipped with a USB port. The USBdock allows
you to easily hot-swap various types of drives mounted in the Mobile Rack without
interrupting the computer’s current operation.
This manual will guide you through the hardware installation of the following
USBdock models:
Model VP-8058 USBdock Docking Kit with Mobile Rack (VP-10LSF)
Model VP-8058L USBdock Docking Kit (without Mobile Rack)
1-1.1 USBdock Features
• Enables hot-swap Plug-and-Play operation of ATA (IDE) and ATAPI
devices with computers using the USB interface
• Complies with USB specification V1.1 and USB Mass Storage Specification
V1.0 High Speed USB 12Mbits/sec Bulk mode transfer which yields
overall 1.1 MBytes/sec burst transfer rate
• High performance embedded processor to reduce firmware overhead dual
(ping-pong) buffer to minimize bus latency
• Intelligent interface uses no host CPU resources to control/monitor
time-consuming drive phases other than data transfer
• Embedded MacOS and Windows 2000 drivers support Plug-and-Play
without additional driver installation
• Proprietary Windows driver supports most devices
• Universal firmware supports all devices, automatic detection for ATA
or ATAPI protocol
• Available in various board form factors for specific applications
• Perfect for adding/sharing external storage devices between computers
using the USB interface
• Actual data rate may vary depending on bus utilization and device
response time