NexStar DX2 is the second generation of the popular DX Optical Enclosure. Like DX, this DX2 is designed to be solidly built enclosure to house a 5.25" Desktop Optical drive and convert into an external enclosure. Your internal 5.25” optical drive now becomes a portable USB 3.0 enclosure that fits and moves with your desktops or laptops. This enclosure supports faster read/write operation requires of the optical drive like Blu-Ray drive, CD and DVD. The aluminum case keeps the device cool and operating at optimum conditions. This second generation NexStar DX2 external 5.25" enclosure is the smart way to optimize and share your optical drive with all your system.
Here are some common questions about this Optical Drive Enclosure (NST-540S3-BK)
1) After installing my optical drive into the enclosure AND I DID NOT connect to a computer, can I test to see if the unit is working?
You can see your optical drive LED will briefly come ON and then OFF. You can eject the tray to open and close.
2) Once it is connected to my WORKING computer via USB, connect the power and turn ON the enclosure what will happen?
If you are using Windows 10, your system will see your optical drive as a USB storage device. See attached picture.
If you are using Windows 10, AND you have CD media in your optical drive it will show within Windows Explorer under Device and Drives as an optical drive with a media and drive letter assigned to it. On the TaskBar (bottom right) it will list as an Ejectable USB device.
3) What happens when my system goes to sleep mode?
When that happens, the optical enclosure will also put the optical drive to sleep.
4) There is no LED, how can I know if the enclosure is working?
The NST-540S3-BK serves as a USB enclosure for your optical drive, any LED activity on your optical drive will serve as the LED for the whole unit. The LED on your optical drive will function just like when your optical drive is installed inside your desktop computer via the internal SATA port. If your optical drive is working, the enclosure will too.
5) How much power is the enclosure with my optical drive using when it is in sleep mode?
We test using a Watt meter and it shows as less than 2 Watts during sleep mode with the enclosure and a common Optical drive.
6) Can I use a longer USB cable and Is this cable a USB standard cable?
It is not a good idea to use a longer cable, USB 3.0 cables are very susceptible to signal strength loss and interference. The USB cable that we provided is good, Yes, it is a standard USB 3.0 cable with Type A to Type B.
7) Do you have the Specs of the ac adapter, USB cable length, and what depth of my optical drive can I put into the unit.
Fit Optical Drive Max Depth: 7.2 inches / 185 mm; AC Adapter: Universal Switching AC adapter, 12VDC/3A, center pin positive, outer diameter: 5.45mm, inner diameter: 1.75mm, length: 10mm; USB Cable: USB 3.0 Type A to Type B cable, length 100 cm
Sometime problems may occur during first installation or use, we at VantecUSA like to help you get it working to resolve the problem. We have a team of support staff that is here to help you. Please write to us first before you return the product back to the place of purchase. We are committed to help you get the product setup and working correctly. You can reach us via email at support@vantecusa.com. We will reply to you very quickly to assist you.
Why is my Optical Drive Enclosure not powering up?
This is one of the most common questions, this enclosure is designed to save energy, when it detects no connection to a working system, it will go into a sleep mode and not power ON. The right way to use this enclosure is to make sure all the necessary cables are connected AND your system is powered ON before turning ON the enclosure.
If you just install an Optical Drive into the DX enclosure and try powering ON without connecting to a working computer, it will stay in sleep mode and not wake up.
Will the NST-540S3-BK / NST-536S3-BK works with any 5.25” Optical Drive?
Yes, as long as the measurement fit and the optical do not consume too much power. This enclosure is designed to fit a 5.25” standard optical drive with a depth of 185mm. The power requirement of your optical drive is also important, if your optical drive (power requirement info on your optical drive label) power requirement exceeds the capability of our provided ac adapter, your optical drive may not function correctly.
Do you need any drivers to install?
No, drivers are not required, it is plug_and_play. Once installed and powered ON, the system will see the USB optical drive instantly.
What type of optical drive do I need?
This enclosure is using a SATA interface inside to connect to a SATA optical drive. It will work with any standard SATA optical drive. It will not work with an IDE optical drive.
I have an optical drive that requires more power than what a normal optical drive uses, what can I do to make it work?
You just need to get a bigger ac adapter. Any bigger ac adapter for this enclosure MUST be 12VDC, but the current (Amp) can be from 3A to 5A is fine. Another important thing is the plug size. It is using a single-pin plug. See dimension below with a picture showing the plug size.
Do I need any software for burning CD/DVD/Blu-ray with my optical drive in this enclosure?
No, you do not need any additional software, your OS built-in software will enable you to burn CD/DVD/Blu-ray, but if you prefer, you may use other 3rd parties Optical drive software to do more.
Can I connect this USB 3.0 optical drive to a USB 2.0 or faster USB 3.1/3.2 ports?
Yes, if you are using USB 2.0, it will be slower doing read, but it may not be able to write correctly due to the slow USB 2.0 speed. If you are using a faster USB 3.1/3.2 port, the enclosure will still function at USB 3.0 speed and perform correctly and reading/writing.
My new system does not have a USB Type-A port, it is all USB C, can I still use this enclosure?
Yes, you just need a USB C to USB Type-A adapter. The adapter should have a USB female Type-A on one side and a USB C male on the other end to plug into your system.
Will this enclosure fit an optical drive from my laptop?
Sorry, it will not fit. The laptop optical drive comes in 2 sizes, they are slim in design and it is only 9.5mm or 12.7mm in thickness, the interface is different, they are using a Slim SATA interface that will not fit into a standard SATA interface.
I am trying to play a Blu-ray movie disc on my Blu-ray optical drive mounted in the DX/DX2 enclosure and it is not working, why?
Blu-ray movie may be encoded using special copy protection, follow the instruction that comes with the Blu-ray disk to install the necessary software/player before you can watch the movie. This has nothing to do with our enclosure, it is the requirement of the Blu-ray optical drive and the movie producer.
I lost my USB 3.0 cable that comes with this NST-540S3-BK / NST-536S3-BK, where can I get a replacement cable?
This is using a common USB 3.0 cable with Type A on one side (to plug into your system) and type B on the other to the enclosure. Just search google (search USB 3.0 Type-A to B cable) for them or the local store should have them. This is a standard USB cable. This is how it looks. Generally, it is 3ft or shorter is good.
I lost my ac adapter for this DX / DX2 enclosure, what size of an ac adapter do I need?
The DX enclosure comes with an 12VDC, 2A ac adapter. The DX2 enclosure comes with 12VDC, 3A ac adapter. if you need to purchase a replacement ac adapter, you can just search online (google search) for them or the local store should have them too. Beside the power requirement of the ac adapter, you also need to know the plug size to fit into the DX /DX2 enclosure. Not all ac adapter are made the same, I would suggest a slightly bigger ac adapter. Any bigger ac adapter for this enclosure MUST be 12VDC, but the current (Amp) can be from 3A to 5A is fine. This is using a single pin plug.
