OWC Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock

Support Manual

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OWC Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock front view

Introduction

1.1 System Requirements

Mac Requirements

  • Mac: macOS 10.13.6 or later
  • PC: Windows 10 or later

Hardware

  • Works with any Mac or PC with a Thunderbolt 3 port

Supported Flash Media

  • SD (up to 4.0 UHS-II) cards
  • CFast 2.0 cards

1.2 Package Contents

  • OWC Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock
  • Thunderbolt 3 cable
  • Power supply and cable

1.3 Front View

  1. Power Status LED — A white light indicates the device has power. A blue light indicates an active host link.
  2. Fan Status LED — A red light indicates the fan is OFF.
  3. USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A Port — Supports USB devices with a Type-A connection
  4. SD media slot (UHS-II) — Supports SD 4.0 in UHS-II (Ultra High Speed II) with bus speed up to 156 MB/s (full duplex) or 312 MB/s (half duplex)
  5. CFast Media Slot — Supports CFast 2.0
OWC Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock front view

1.4 Rear View

  1. eSATA port – Supports devices with an eSATA connection
  2. (2) USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports – Supports USB devices with a Type-A connection
  3. 10Gb Ethernet port – Left LED will show Green for 100M/1G/2.5G/5G connections & Orange for a 10G connection. Right LED will show green for an established link and blink green during network activity.
  4. Fan Switch – Temporarily disable the fan for silent operation. NOTE: We recommend that the device not be used continuously for more than 30 minutes with the fan powered off.
  5. Kensington Security slot – Attach a Kensington Security lock.
  6. (2) Thunderbolt 3 ports – Supports devices with a Thunderbolt 3 connection. NOTE: Connect the host system to the Thunderbolt 3 port labeled 60W for the best power delivery performance.
  7. DisplayPort 1.2 – Supports devices with a DisplayPort connection.
  8. 12V DC IN power port – Connect 6-pin 12V power cable to power the device.
OWC Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock rear view

Getting Started

2.1 Device Setup

This section describes the process of connecting the OWC Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock.

  1. Plug the power cable into the OWC Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock DC IN power port located on the back and into a power outlet. The Power LED will illuminate a solid white.
  2. Connect the included Thunderbolt cable into the 60W Thunderbolt 3 Port located on the back and into a system.
    NOTE: Connect the host system to the Thunderbolt 3 port labeled 60W for the best power delivery performance.
  3. Connect other devices to the appropriate ports on the dock. All connected devices will be available immediately for use on your system.

2.2 Device Drivers

Mac Users

Driver required to enable "Apple Super Drive", "Apple USB Keyboard", and charging for "iPad generations 1/2/3". The driver is packaged with the OWC Dock Ejector application download. Dock Ejector safely ejects all drives connected to the OWC Thunderbolt Pro Dock with a single click. OWC Dock Ejector can be download by visiting: go.owc.com/dockejector. See additional information regarding OWC Drive Ejector in section 3.1 "Unmounting Drives".

    PC Users

    Download the required firmware update file “Ethernet Driver for Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock (Windows)” by visiting the Downloads section of the OWC Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock Support Guide page.

      Device Management

      3.1 Unmounting Drives

      To ensure no data is lost during normal use, always eject or unmount the corresponding disk(s) from your operating system before powering off the device. Unmounting options are provided below.

      OWC Dock Ejector

      This application safely ejects all drives connected to the OWC Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock with a single click, adding peace of mind to fast-paced mobile workflows. To install this app, please follow the steps below.
      NOTE: Enables support for the Apple Super Drive, Apple USB Keyboard, and charging for iPad 1/2/3 generation devices on the dock’s ‘high-power’ ports. This application includes a driver that enables support for these devices and charging functions.

      1. Download the installer file for Mac or Windows: go.owc.com/dockejector
      2. Launch the installer and follow the prompts. No restart is required.
      3. Once the app is running an icon like the one shown below will appear in the macOS menubar, or, System Tray on Windows. Clicking on the icon will provide options to unmount the OWC Gemini.
      4. Full user manual can be viewed by visiting go.owc.com/dockejector/manual

      Manually Unmounting Drives

      macOS

      1. Drag the icon for the device you wish to unmount to the trash can; OR
      2. Right-click the device icon on the desktop, then click “Eject”; OR
      3. Highlight the device on your Desktop and press Command-E.

      Windows

      • Windows 10 build 1809 (October 2018) or later:
        • Eject the drive by clicking the ‘Show hidden items’ menu in the Taskbar, then clicking ‘Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media’, and last select the ‘Eject’ option for this volume.
      • Windows 10 build 1803 and earlier:
        • Go to the System Tray (located in the lower right corner of your screen). Click on the “Eject” icon (a small green arrow over a hardware image).
        • A message will appear, detailing the devices that the “Eject” icon controls, i.e., “Safely remove...” Click on this prompt.
        • You will then see a message that says, “Safe to Remove Hardware.” It is now safe to disconnect the device from the computer.

      3.2 OWC Innergize Software

      A software application included with OWC Atlas media cards that currently provides three basic functionalities to the user: Health, Sanitize and Field Firmware Upgradability.

      • The Health function allows the user to know how much life is left on their OWC Atlas media card
      • Sanitize removes ghost data on OWC Atlas media cards which will allow the media cards to perform at their peak and out of factory condition performance in matter of seconds
      • Field Firmware upgradability allows OWC to deliver live updates to our memory cards without the hassle of sending them in for an update.

      Installing OWC Innergize

      • Download OWC Innergize application based on the system:
      • Open the downloaded Innergize.dmg file to begin and complete the installation process.
      • For additional information regarding OWC Innergize please consult the support manual "OWC Innergize User Guide"
        NOTE: Only SDXC memory cards are supported with Innergize software through the OWC Thunderbolt Pro Dock.

      3.3 Usage Notes

      • Mac: To enable support for the Apple Super Drive, Apple USB Keyboard, and charging for iPad 1/2/3 generation devices on the dock’s ‘high-power’ ports, please install the Dock Ejector application for Mac. This application includes a driver that enables support for these devices and charging functions. go.owcdigital.com/dockejector
      • Windows: Download the required firmware update file “Ethernet Driver for Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock (Windows)” by visiting the Downloads section of the OWC Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock Support Guide page.
      • For the best Power Delivery (charging) performance, connect the host computer to the Thunderbolt 3 port labeled ‘60W’. This should be sufficient to charge applicable 15 inch MacBook Pro models that come with an 87W power supply, when the dock is the only thing connected to the host. When you have peripherals connected to both the dock and the host, it may not charge as expected, depending on the configuration.
      • This docking station does not have built-in storage.
      • USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports support UASP for better performance.
      • It is not possible to access data on connected drives through the Ethernet interface. The network interface behaves like a network adapter that allows you to connect your computer to a 10G (or other) network via Thunderbolt 3; it does not allow connected devices to function as Network Attached Storage (NAS).
      • The eSATA port supports port multiplier capabilities.
      • This product was designed for use with the fan on and passed engineering tests with the fan on. We have added a switch that can power off the fan when a low-noise environment is needed. However, the device should be used for only short periods of time with the fan in the OFF position. Prolonged use without the fan may cause: the device to overheat; data integrity issues; reduced system stability; longevity issues with various electrical components. We recommend that the device not be used continuously for more than 30 minutes with the fan in the OFF position.
      • The eSATA port and the CFast reader share a single PCIe Gen 2 lane, as do the USB ports and the SD card reader. The maximum transfer rate for a single PCIe Gen 2 lane is about 370MB/s, which means that any device connected to these interfaces cannot go faster than 370 MB/s and when multiple devices are used simultaneously, the bandwidth is shared.
      • The DisplayPort does not support DP++. When using a DisplayPort to HDMI adapter, make sure to use an active adapter.

      Support Resources

      4.1 Troubleshooting

      • Begin by verifying that the power cable and brick connections are all secure. Then verify that the Thunderbolt cable is connected to the OWC Thunderbolt Pro Dock. Next, verify the other end of the Thunderbolt cable is properly plugged into a system. If issues persists, try connecting a different Thunderbolt cable and see if the OWC Thunderbolt Pro Dock works properly. Connecting to a different system is also an option to verify the issue.
      • If issues continue to occur, please know that OWC support is here to help. Contacting support information can be found in section 4.4 "Contacting Support". Please have your serial number ready which is located on the bottom of the OWC Thunderbolt Pro Dock and printed on the original packaging.

      4.2 Online Resources

      4.3 About Data Backup

      To ensure that your files are protected and to prevent data loss, we strongly suggest that you keep two copies of your data on either your internal drive or another storage medium, such as an optical backup, or on another external storage unit. Any data loss or corruption while using the OWC Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock is the sole responsibility of the user, and under no circumstances may OWC, its parents, partners, affiliates, officers, employees, or agents be held liable for loss of the use of data including compensation of any kind or recovery of the data.

      4.4 Contacting Support

      4.5 About This Manual

      The images and descriptions may vary slightly between this manual and the unit shipped. Functions and features may change depending on the firmware version. The latest product details and warranty information can be found on the product web page. OWC’s Limited Warranty is not transferable and

      General Use Precautions

      • To avoid damage, do not expose the device to temperatures outside the following ranges:
        • Environmental (Operating)
          • Temperature (ºF): 41º — 95º
          • Temperature (ºC): 5º — 35º
        • Environmental (Non-Operating)
          • Temperature (ºF): -4º — 140º
          • Temperature (ºC): -20º — 60º
      • Always unplug the device from the electrical outlet if there is a risk of lightning or if it will be unused for an extended period-of-time. Otherwise, there is an increased risk of electrical shock, short-circuiting, or fire.
      • Protect your device from excessive exposure to dust during use or storage. Dust can build up inside the device, increasing the risk of electrical shock, short-circuiting, or fire.
      • Do not block any ventilation openings on the device. These help to keep the device cool during operation. Blocking the ventilation openings may increase the risk of electrical shock, short-circuiting, or fire.

      Safety Precautions

      • Use proper anti-static precautions when handling this device. Failure to do so can increase the risk of electrical shock or short-circuiting.
      • Never expose your device to rain, or use it near water, or in damp wet conditions. Never place objects containing liquids on the device, as they may spill everywhere and into the openings. This will increase the risk of electrical shock, short-circuiting, fire, or personal injury.
      • To avoid any risk of electrical shock, short-circuiting, fire, or dangerous emissions, never insert any metallic object into the device.
      • Please cease use of the device and contact OWC Support if it appears to be malfunctioning.

      Terms & Conditions of Sale

      Warranty

      The OWC Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock has a 3 Year OWC Limited Warranty. For up-to-date product and warranty information, please visit the product web page.

      Changes

      The material in this document is for information purposes only and subject to change without notice. While reasonable efforts have been made in the preparation of this document to assure its accuracy, OWC, its parent, partners, affiliates, officers, employees, and agents assume no liability resulting from errors or omissions in this document, or from the use of the information contained herein. OWC reserves the right to make changes or revisions in the product design or the product manual without reservation and without obligation to notify any person of such revisions and changes.

      FCC Statement

      Warning! Modifications not authorized by the manufacturer may void the user’s authority to operate this device.
      NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference with radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

      • Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
      • Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
      • Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

      Copyrights and Trademarks

      © 2019 Other World Computing, Inc. All rights reserved. OWC and the OWC logo are trademarks of New Concepts Development Corporation, registered in the U.S. and/or other countries. Apple, Mac, mac OS, and SuperDrive are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the United States and other countries. Thunderbolt and the Thunderbolt logo are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. Microsoft and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Other marks may be the trademark or registered trademark property of their owners.
      No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written consent of OWC.

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