Dual Hard Drives & Aluminum Case for CatDrive

If you have two CatDrive devices, one with a 3.5-inch disk, a power adapter, and a connecting cable, and you also receive an additional USB 3.0 hard drive enclosure, but you feel that it's not ideal to have the CatDrive with the 3.5-inch disk exposed outside, you can purchase an all-aluminum mini case to modify it for dual hard drives.

If your CatDrive shows an installation prompt stating "Unable to install DSM, unable to install this file, the file may be damaged. In such cases, the only solution is to reflash the firmware. In theory, the CatDrive cannot be permanently damaged as long as the hardware is good. Simply reflash it if it becomes unresponsive.

If you happen to have an extra 2.5-inch 64GB solid-state drive, you can set up a dual hard drive configuration and utilize the USB connection. Attach the 3.5-inch hard drive to the board provided with the hard drive enclosure, and it will fit perfectly.

Since the CatDrive only supports USB 2.0, the speed won't be very fast. However, for regular use like watching movies and downloading files, it should be more than sufficient. It's power-saving and practical.

Use the solid-state drive for running plugins, while the 3.5-inch hard drive can be used for download caching and storage. If you're not actively downloading, you can let the mechanical hard drive go into sleep mode.

The 3.5-inch hard drive can be directly installed on the hard drive bracket inside the case, with the CatDrive's motherboard connected below the hard drive using copper wiring.

Place a 12V 4A power supply inside the case and add a 5V voltage regulator board for the CatDrive.

Cut a piece of plastic from the case's back panel to route the power and network cables from the CatDrive. Since it needs to remain powered on continuously, there's no need to install a power switch.

Detach the RGB light from the CatDrive and connect it to the LED light inside the case. The original case has two lights, each with four wires. The switch is connected to the switch on the hard drive enclosure. This way, if you're not downloading and want to save power, you can disconnect the USB hard drive and power off the 3.5-inch hard drive.

The original fan should still be positioned towards the CatDrive's heat sink and secured to the hard drive bracket using silicone adhesive.

Use plastic sheets to enclose the fan and heat sink, allowing airflow only through the heat sink, thus achieving better cooling. In reality, the CatDrive generates very little heat, so it's also fine to not install a fan. Even after running for a while, the heat sink will remain cool to the touch.

If you're concerned about the empty spaces in the case and the possibility of accidentally dropping something inside, you can place a mesh screen under the top cover.

Once everything is set up, connect the power supply, and when the RGB breathing light illuminates, you can start using it.