Versatile Storage

When it comes to choosing a storage system, your selection is often determined by where you will use it. Whether sitting on a desk, mounted in a server or equipment rack, or placed on whatever surface you can find while working on location, Sonnet's Fusion™ F3 is a great choice for your high-speed storage needs. This 2-drive hardware RAID storage system has all the features demanded by audio and video professionals—high throughput performance, rugged design, and quiet operation—plus the flexibility of a quad interface and the convenience of an integrated universal power supply. Fusion F3 encloses its high-performance 3.5" SATA RAID drives in a stylish aluminum and steel case that fits equally well in recording studios, high-end A/V racks, and desktop or portable video editing systems.

Internal Hardware RAID and Quad Interface

The high performance RAID controller built into Fusion F3 controls its two drives and enables single cable to host connection. It supports fast (RAID 0), safe (RAID 1), and JBOD⁽¹⁾ (Just a Bunch of Disks) configurations, so you can choose the setup that best suits your needs. RAID mode configuration is OS independent, so the F3 can be connected directly to an audio editing/mixing interface (and other devices that support the feature) via FireWire interface without requiring a computer to link the storage system and device. Fusion F3's quad interface makes it a cinch to connect to your computer or its eSATA controller card. Select the eSATA or FireWire 800 interface for maximum speed or medium speed, respectively, or choose FireWire 400 or USB 2.0 for flexibility. Sonnet includes the cables for each interface, so you don't need to buy a new one or search for a spare.

Maximum Performance

With its drives initialized as a RAID 0 set and the system connected through an eSATA controller like Sonnet's Tempo SATA E4P, Tempo SATA X4P, or Tempo SATA Pro ExpressCard/34, Fusion F3 can sustain transfer rates of up to 200 MB/sec, fast enough for multiple streams of compressed video editing and perfect for use with multichannel audio work. With its drives initialized as a RAID 1 set and the system connected via eSATA, Fusion F3 can sustain read/write transfer rates of up to 105 MB/sec, while protecting the data by mirroring the data on both drives.

Rugged and Reliable

Fusion F3's rugged aluminum and steel case is designed to withstand rough handling, but what's inside makes this storage system unique and well suited for use in environments that cause lesser systems to fail. Mounted side-by-side, each of the F3’s drives is mounted on its own multi-point shock/vibration isolation sled to virtually eliminate vibration-related problems such as cross-coupled vibration—a potential source of soft-error-induced skipped frames in video capture and playback. Dual temperature-controlled fans with automatic failover help ensure system reliability.

Rack-Mountable and Desk-Stackable

Fusion F3 systems may be stacked on a flat surface, or one or two systems side-by-side may be installed in a standard rack with the optional rackmount kit. The F3 is 1U high (1.75"), half-rack wide (8.5"), and only 14.25" deep. Front mounted power and drive configuration switches, as well as indicators for drive activity, drive and fan fault, and power, are perfect for rack accessibility. An integrated power supply means there's no external brick to dangle or come unplugged.