TD3 Forensic Duplicator

Instructions for imaging Zip disks and SuperDisks with Digital Intelligence TD3 Forensic Imager

You will need the following:

TD3 Forensic Imager with attached TDPX5 IDE Protocol Module*
Zip disk drive or SuperDisk drive, depending on the disk type to be imaged
TC2-8-R2 power cable to connect the disk drive to the TD3 power source
TC6-8 signal cable to facilitate transfer of data from the disk drive to the TD3
TP4B power adapter to supply power to the TD3 Forensic Imager
FAT-32 formatted external hard drive (orange LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt) with USB connector for temporary storage and transfer of the forensic disk images

*If the TD3 is without the TDPX5 IDE Protocol Module or the two have become disconnected, set the module in the keyed slots on top of the TDPX5 and slide left to right until snug with the TD3 expansion connector. To remove the expansion module, power down the TD3, grab and hold the TD3 main imager unit, depress connector lock, and slide expansion module right to left again.

With the TDPX5 expansion module and the TD3 imager connected, plug the TP4B power adapter into the TP4 power supply input on the back of the TD3 device, as shown. Be sure that the circular input of this cable links back to the TP4B cartridge, and that a wall outlet connects the TP4B cartridge to an electrical outlet.

Proper connection of TD3 and TDPX5 expansion module with full connections assembled.

Close up of the TP4B power adapter with circular input cable (right) and electrical supply cable (left) attached.

With the circular input cable of the power supply connected to the TD3 and the TP4B plugged into an electrical outlet, a green light will appear to signal that power is connected to the TD3.
Next, plug the TC2-8-R2 disk drive power cable and the TC6-8 signal cable into the back of the disk drive and the left side of the TDPX5, according to their respective input and output ports. (The two are very differently sized)

Close up of the TC6-8 signal cable (left) and the TC2-8-R2 power cable (right), with proper connections to the disk drive.

Close up of the TC6-8 signal cable (right) and the TC2-8-R2 power cable (left), with proper connections to the TDPX5 module.

View of the full assembly of connections between the TDPX5 and disk drive.
Finally, connect the USB cable for your FAT-32 formatted external hard drive to the USB port on the right of the TD3 forensic imager, and the power cable for the external hard drive to an electrical outlet.

Close up of the USB cable from the external hard drive as connected to the right side of the TD3 device.

The power cable (left) and the USB cable (right), having been connected to our FAT-32 formatted LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt external hard drive.
Be sure that all of these connections have been made, and the Zip Disk you wish to image is inserted into the drive before powering on the TD3 forensic imager. From this point on, all operations will be conducted on the TD3's touch screen user interface (UI).

Proper orientation to insert a Zip or Super disk (metal plate at the top and label facing forward).

The final setup between devices and connections should look something like this. See disk drive left, TDXP5 attached to TD3 center, TP4B power adapter below right and external hard drive upper right, with connections to electrical outlets on an extension cord, far right.

If connections have been properly established, the TD3 (and external hard drive, if applicable) will light up and power on.
The page which first appears on screen after powering on will be the main menu, and if all the connections have been properly established, the screen will display the TDPX5 expansion module icon on the left, and a "USB Out" icon on the right. This confirms that your disk drive and external hard drive are communicating with the TD3 imager, and that the circuit for the transfer from disk data to file is ready for imaging. (See image below)
After checking these connections, we will perform a "blank check" to ensure that there is data to be found on the inserted disk.
Press the "Blank check" button on the Main Menu (the bottom center button). This will open the Blank Check options screen, which automatically selects the "Fast" option. Hit the "blank check" button to the right to complete this step. (See image below)
On the next screen, a status bar will open, and if the blank check is successfully completed, the TD3 will chime and display a message stating, "Result: The Source Disk is not blank." Hit the "OK" button at the bottom right of the screen to return to the Blank Check options and try again if the blank check failed. From this screen, if your blank check has completed successfully, hit the Main Menu button in the bottom left corner to return to the Main Menu. (See image below)
If the blank check fails more than once, your disk may be defective, damaged, or empty.
The next step to creating a forensic disk image is duplicating. Once you've returned to the Main Menu, hit the "Duplicate" button in the top left corner of the screen. This will take you to the Duplicate menu, which displays the Source, Destination, type, file format, Examiner, Case ID, and Case Notes fields for this particular disk image. To alter these fields, hit the Settings button in the bottom left corner. Be sure that you have updated the Case ID and Image File Name fields to match the desired result for your disk image, which will identify the resulting file on your external hard drive when you later wish to access it. For the Examiner field, enter the name or identifier of the operator. Duplication type will be disk-to-file. Be sure that the Destination Dir (or destination directory) is routed to the desired location for your disk image on the external hard drive, which you can edit by clicking on the Destination Dir field. Finally, for file format, select E01 - EnCase format. When you have updated the settings to suit the disk being imaged, hit the Back button at the bottom left corner to finalize your changes and return to the Duplicate menu. To begin imaging the disk, select the Duplicate button on the right side of the screen.

(See the full list of Duplication Settings below, which will mirror those on your screen as you scroll through the fields)
After pressing the "Duplicate" button, the Duplication Status screen will appear as your disk is being read. (See image below) Two status bars on this screen, one for Data Imaged, and one for Data Verified, will appear, which represent the progress of the disk. It may take several minutes to image one disk, especially if there are any read errors or possible issues with the disk. Times longer than 5 minutes or a repetitive clicking sound from the disk drive accompanied with little progress on the status bars may suggest that the disk is unreadable and should be ejected.
Should the eject button on the drive become unresponsive, a paper clip may be inserted in the right side of the back of the disk drive above the power supply input, which will manually force the disk to eject.

(The port for manual ejection can be seen here on the top right corner of the disk drive.)
When your disk has completed imaging successfully, the TD3 will chime again, and each of the status bars will read 100%. From here, select the "OK" button at the bottom right corner of the screen to return to the Main Menu. (See image below)
From here, you may press the eject button at the front of the disk drive to remove your disk and repeat the process once more with a new disk.
Your files will be available on the external hard drive when you access them later, and identifiable by the Case ID's and image file names assigned to them throughout the imaging process.
When you have completed imaging disks with the TD3, power off the machine by holding the power button below the touch screen of the TD3 device and press "Yes" when you are prompted if you want to shut down. (See image below) Once this step has been completed, you may unplug the device from its power supply and detach all of the cable connections which were established in the setup process.