Sonnet Technologies, Inc. announced a new, faster 1TB version of its multiple-award-winning Fusion F2 portable two-drive RAID SATA storage system that employs 7,200-RPM drives.



The fastest storage solution of its kind, the system offers 20 percent faster performance than the original Fusion F2 1TB model with up to 190 MB/sec read and write sustained data transfer rates, and may be bus-powered to enable usage when grid power is unavailable. The diminutive system consists of two 2.5-inch, 500MB drives mounted side by side in a rugged aluminum enclosure, features two eSATA data ports for maximum data throughput, and is designed for use with the Sonnet Tempo SATA Pro ExpressCard/34 controller for MacBook Pro and Windows notebooks.

"When connected to a Tempo SATA Pro ExpressCard/34 adapter and with its drives combined in a RAID 0 set, the enhanced 1TB Fusion F2 delivers incredible 190 MB/sec read/write performance," said Robert Farnsworth, CEO of Sonnet Technologies. "As the fastest two-drive portable RAID 0/1 solution on the market, this read/write performance is on par with some four-drive desktop systems, while maintaining the compact, low-power design that has made the Fusion F2 a staple for users requiring portability."

The Sonnet Fusion F2 is a high-performance, highly reliable alternative to existing FireWire and USB portable drive solutions. The F2 transfers data via two eSATA ports, but may draw power from a powered FireWire port for a truly portable operation. The product handily supports portable video capture in conjunction with AJA Video Systems' Io HD, which requires dedicated use of FireWire bandwidth. To protect priceless field footage, Fusion F2's drives can be configured in RAID 1 mirrored mode, and still can capture Apple ProRes HQ HD fed from an AJA Io HD. This protected mode also allows safe field transfer of Panasonic P2, Sony SxS Pro, or similar memory cards. Additionally, the ability to verify footage by a MacBook Pro/Fusion F2 system gives users the peace of mind to erase and reuse cards on location.

Each Fusion F2 drive is individually shock-isolated, thereby protecting the drives during transport and virtually eliminating cross-coupled vibration, a potential source of soft-error-induced skipped frames. Fusion F2 is also energy-efficient and extremely cool and quiet. Side-by-side placement of its drives increases the metal case's cooling surface area, thereby eliminating the need for a fan.

Like all Sonnet products, the enhanced 1TB Fusion F2 enjoys long-term support from the company, right from purchase to maintenance of the advanced storage system.

The new 1TB Fusion F2 with 7,200-RPM drives is available now at a suggested price of $599; the original 1TB model using 5,400-RPM drives is also available at an SRP of $499.