Sonnet: Fusion F2QR Portable RAID at $569

Sonnet Technologies Inc. announced the Fusion F2QR portable two-drive hardware RAID storage system.

Mounted side by side in a tough aluminum enclosure about the size of two stacked CD cases, the diminutive system contains two, 2.5-inch, 1TB hard drives. Based on the Fusion F2, a portable two-drive RAID SATA storage system, this compact device adds a built-in hardware RAID controller for configuring the drives; a quad interface with eSATA, FireWire 800, and USB 2.0 ports for flexible compatibility; and a greater storage capacity.

The Fusion F2QR delivers great performance with up to 160 MB/sec read and 100 MB/sec write data transfer rates, and is bus-powered by a FireWire port on the computer regardless the interface used.

"The original Fusion F2 storage system experienced great success due to its ultra shock protection and uncompromising performance and reliability. By improving upon its design with added connectivity options and larger drives in the Fusion F2’s compact, low-power package, Fusion F2QR offers increased utility for field use in audio, photo, and video editing applications," said Robert Farnsworth, CEO of Sonnet Technologies. "Fusion F2QR will find a home in the equipment cases of many mobile professionals."

Mounted inside its rugged aluminum shell, the Fusion F2QR’s drives are shock and vibration isolated to help protect against rough handling. Fusion F2QR is cool, nearly silent, and energy-efficient. The engineered aluminum case transfers away heat, eliminating the need for a fan.

The Sonnet Fusion F2QR features a built-in hardware RAID controller that manages its drives, and enables the system to connect to a computer with a single cable. It supports fast (RAID-0), safe (RAID-1), big (Span), and JBOD configurations without relying on OS RAID or a specialized controller card. The included configuration utility software supports Mac and Windows operating systems.

Fusion F2QR’s quad interface offers users three ways to connect the storage system to their computer, enabling flexibility in sharing data between a variety of computers. They can select an eSATA, FireWire 800, or USB 2.0 interface for performance, medium speed, or ubiquity, respectively. (The fourth port is a FireWire 800 pass-through port.) Sonnet includes the cables for each interface, so the F2QR can be connected immediately. Connected via the Sonnet Tempo SATA Pro ExpressCard eSATA controller, the Sonnet Fusion F2QR in RAID-0 configuration can sustain read transfer rates of up to 160 MB/sec to support multiple streams of compressed video editing. Fusion F2QR is powered by connecting the included power cable or FireWire interface cable to a FireWire port on the computer or hub. Users can alternatively power the F2QR with Sonnet’s optional World Travel Power Adapter.