Unitek S1306A Dual-Bay SATA Clone Drive Station

1. Introduction

The Unitek S1306A Dual-Bay SATA Clone Drive Station is designed for efficient data management, allowing you to connect and clone 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch SATA I, II, or III hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid-state drives (SSDs). This device supports standalone cloning without a computer connection and also functions as a dual-bay external drive enclosure when connected to a PC via its USB 3.2 Gen1 port, offering data transfer speeds up to 5 Gbps. It is a plug-and-play device, requiring no additional driver installation for basic operation.

2. Package Contents

• Unitek S1306A Dual-Bay SATA Clone Drive Station
• USB-B to USB-A Cable
• Power Adapter (DC 12V)
• Instruction Manual

3. Product Overview

Figure 3.1: Front view of the Unitek S1306A Dual-Bay SATA Clone Drive Station, showing the two drive bays and the LED indicator strip.

Figure 3.2: Rear view of the Unitek S1306A, highlighting the USB 3.2 Gen1 port, DC 12V power input, ON/OFF switch, and Clone button.

• Drive Bays (HDD A & HDD B): Two slots for inserting 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch SATA HDDs/SSDs. HDD A is the source drive slot for cloning, and HDD B is the target drive slot.
• LED Indicator: A vertical LED strip on the front panel that indicates power status and cloning progress.
• USB 3.2 Gen1 Port: Connects the station to a computer for data transfer.
• DC 12V Power Input: Connects to the included power adapter.
• ON/OFF Switch: Powers the device on or off.
• Clone Button: Initiates the standalone cloning process.

4. Setup

4.1 Inserting Drives

1. Ensure the device is powered off.
2. Align your 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch SATA HDD/SSD with the SATA connector inside the drive bay.
3. Gently push the drive down until it is firmly seated. For cloning, the source drive goes into HDD A and the target drive into HDD B.

Figure 4.1: Illustration of inserting both 3.5-inch and 2.5-inch SATA drives into the respective bays of the cloning station.

4.2 Power Connection

1. Connect the included power adapter to the DC 12V input port on the rear of the station.
2. Plug the power adapter into a wall outlet.

4.3 PC Connection (Optional)

If you intend to use the station as an external drive enclosure with a computer:

1. Connect the USB-B end of the provided USB cable to the USB 3.2 Gen1 port on the station.
2. Connect the USB-A end of the cable to an available USB port on your computer.

5. Operating Modes

5.1 PC Connection Mode (Data Transfer)

In this mode, the station acts as an external dual-bay drive enclosure, allowing your computer to access the inserted drives.

1. Ensure drives are inserted (refer to Section 4.1).
2. Connect the station to your computer using the USB cable (refer to Section 4.3).
3. Flip the ON/OFF switch to the 'ON' position. The LED indicator will illuminate.
4. Your computer's operating system will detect the drives. They will appear as removable storage devices.
5. You can now access, read, and write data to the drives. The device supports hot-swapping, meaning you can remove and insert drives while the station is connected and powered on, provided the operating system is not actively accessing the drive.

5.2 Standalone Clone Mode (Without PC)

This mode allows you to duplicate a source drive to a target drive without needing a computer connection.

Important Considerations:

• The target drive (HDD B) must have a capacity equal to or greater than the source drive (HDD A). If the target drive is smaller, the cloning process will fail.
• All data on the target drive will be overwritten during the cloning process. Ensure you have backed up any important data from the target drive before proceeding.
• Do not connect the USB cable to a computer during standalone cloning.

1. Ensure the station is powered off and disconnected from any computer.
2. Insert the source drive into the HDD A slot.
3. Insert the target drive into the HDD B slot.
4. Flip the ON/OFF switch to the 'ON' position.
5. Press and hold the Clone button for approximately 3-5 seconds until the LED indicator begins to flash, indicating the start of the cloning process.
6. The LED indicator will show the progress of the cloning (e.g., 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%).
7. Once all LEDs are solid, the cloning process is complete.
8. Flip the ON/OFF switch to 'OFF' and safely remove the drives.

6. Maintenance

• Keep the device clean by wiping it with a soft, dry cloth.
• Avoid exposing the device to liquids, excessive dust, or extreme temperatures.
• Store the device in a cool, dry place when not in use.
• Ensure proper ventilation around the device during operation.

7. Troubleshooting

7.1 Device Not Recognized by Computer

• Ensure the power adapter is securely connected and the device is powered on.
• Verify the USB cable is properly connected to both the station and the computer.
• Try connecting to a different USB port on your computer.
• Ensure the drives are correctly seated in their bays.
• Check if the drives are initialized and formatted in your computer's Disk Management (Windows) or Disk Utility (macOS).

7.2 Standalone Cloning Fails or Does Not Start

• Confirm that the target drive (HDD B) has a capacity equal to or greater than the source drive (HDD A).
• Ensure the USB cable is disconnected from the computer. Standalone cloning requires no PC connection.
• Verify both drives are securely inserted.
• Press and hold the Clone button for the required 3-5 seconds until the LED indicator responds.
• Check the health of both source and target drives. A faulty drive may prevent cloning.

7.3 Slow Data Transfer Speeds

• Ensure the station is connected to a USB 3.0 (or higher) port on your computer. Connecting to a USB 2.0 port will result in slower speeds.
• The actual transfer speed depends on the performance of the drives used.

8. Specifications

9. Safety Information

• Do not disassemble or attempt to repair the device. This may void the warranty and pose safety risks.
• Use only the provided power adapter. Using an incorrect adapter may damage the device or cause fire.
• Keep the device away from water, fire, and high temperatures.
• Avoid dropping or subjecting the device to strong impacts.
• Disconnect the power adapter during lightning storms or when unused for long periods.

10. Warranty and Support

Unitek products are designed for reliability and performance. For warranty information, technical support, or customer service inquiries, please refer to the warranty card included with your product or visit the official Unitek website. Please have your product model number (S1306A) and purchase details ready when contacting support.