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Device Manager

Introduction

Device Manager is a macOS menu bar app that provides control of your CODEX Media and Media Stations. These controls include Eject, Erase and Format, as well as status information on your CODEX Media.

For some CODEX Media Stations, Device Manager software is required in order to mount CODEX Media on your Desktop (see Compatible CODEX Media Stations below).

For all CODEX Media Stations, Device Manager can enable High Density Encoding (HDE) for ARRIRAW.

Compatible CODEX Media Stations

All CODEX Media Stations are compatible with Device Manager.

The following CODEX Media Stations require Device Manager to be installed:

Media stationConnectionProduct code
SXR Capture Drive DockThunderbolt 3CDX-75013-1
SXR Capture Drive DockThunderbolt 2CDX-75013 and CDX-75014
Transfer Drive Dock
Dual Thunderbolt 3
CX.0001063
Capture +Transfer Drive (Classic) DockThunderbolt 3CDX-62103-3
Transfer Drive (Classic) DockThunderbolt 3CDX-62103-2
XR Capture Drive DockThunderbolt 1CDX-7513
XR Capture Drive DockUSB-3CDX-7510, CDX-75102, CDX-75112
Dual XR Capture Drive DockSASCDX-5513, CDX-75002, CDX-7500
Desktop Transfer StationSAS

OS versions

Device Manager is a macOS application. There is currently no support for Windows.


LATEST:
  • Device Manager 6.1.0 runs on macOS 12, macOS 11, and macOS 10.15.7.
  • It is required to support the latest Compact Drive models.
  • Additionally, macOS 12.4 is required for the latest Compact Drive Reader support on Apple silicon.
  • macOS 12 and Apple silicon is only supported with Device Manager 6.0.0, or later.
LEGACY:
  • macOS 11 is only supported with Device Manager 5.1.2, or later.
  • macOS 10.13 is the minimum version supported by Device Manager 5.0. This will work with Capture Drive and Transfer Drive classic, but not Compact Drives.

Download Device Manager Software

Device Manager software can be downloaded from the CODEX Software Downloads page.

Installing Device Manager


This section includes installation guides for Apple Silicon and Intel based Macs for either macOS 12 Monterey and below, or macOS 13 Ventura or above.



Apple Silicon - macOS 12 Monterey and below


IMPORTANT: The following intructions relate to installing Device Manager 6.2.0. 



System requirements

  • Apple Mac computer running macOS 11, macOS 12 or macOS 13.
  • 125.6MB disk space for Codex Platform with Device Manager, including all required and optional drivers.
  • CODEX Media Station, such as Capture Drive Dock or Compact Drive Reader.


Download Device Manager Software

Device Manager software can be downloaded from the CODEX Software Downloads page.


Installation

The steps below must be completed in order for the CODEX Platform and Device Manager software to function correctly.

  1. Open the downloaded .pkg file.  Follow the installer prompts to proceed with software installation.
  2. Any items that are not already installed will be selected by default, with the exception of the ATTO SAS driver.  If using a Transfer Drive Dock (Classic), the ATTO SAS driver is required.  Original models of the Transfer Drive Dock (Classic) require the H608 driver, and the latest Transfer Drive Dock (Classic) require the H1208GT driver.   If you are unsure which driver is needed for your Transfer Drive Dock (Classic), then please install both ATTO drivers.  The Dual XR Capture Drive Dock (SAS) also requires the ATTO SAS driver H608.





3.  For new installations you will be prompted to open Open Security Preferences  to allow the software to run:




Click Open Security Preferences to access System Preferences >  Security & Privacy > General.

*If you have not installed Device Manager (or other software using System Extensions) previously, then you will need to enable System Extensions on your Mac.  See the Enabling System Extensions section below.  If have already enabled system extensions, then please skip to the Allowing System Extensions in System Preferences section.



Enabling System Extensions

CODEX Device Manager uses System Extensions to integrate with macOS for low level access to hardware devices, such as CODEX Compact Drive Docks.

Click the Enable system extensions... button in System Preferences >  Security & Privacy > General.




This will give you instructions on how to launch the Startup Security Utility and modify your security settings to enable System Extensions.




1.  Shutdown your Mac, and then press and hold the Touch ID or power button until you enter macOS Recovery.

2.  Select Options and then Continue.

3.  Select your Mac’s administrator account and enter the password.

4.  Click Utilities in the menu bar and select Startup Security Utility.

5.  Select your startup disk and click the Security Policy button.  (If the disk is encrypted with FileVault, click Unlock, enter the password, then click Unlock.)




6.  Select the radio button next to Reduced Security. Then, check the box next to Allow user management of kernel extensions from identified developers.  

This option will allow you to choose which developer's System Extensions you would like to allow within macOS System Settings.



7.  Click OK and Restart



Allowing System Extensions in System Preferences


Once your Mac has restarted, you will see a CODEX Driver Error popup. 




To resolve this:

1.  Go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General.  In the lower section, you will see a warning, such as Some system software requires your attention before it can be used.




2. Click Details to open a window allowing you to choose the System Extensions from the developers you would like to allow.  CODEX Device Manager uses system extensions from the following developers:

- X2X Limited  (CODEX software)
- JMicron Technology Corp  (Firmware update utility for the Compact Drive Reader - USB-C)
- ATTO Technology, Inc  (For use with Transfer Drive Classic and Dual XR Capture Drive Dock)





3.  Check the above developers and click OK.



Enabling Full Disk Access

CODEX Device Manager also requires Full Disk Access to be enabled in order to manage your CODEX media and media stations.  During installation, you may see a popup warning asking you open System Preferences to allow Full Disk Access for drserver.




To enable Full Disk Access, open System Preferences >  Security and Privacy > Privacy and scroll down to the Full Disk Access section.  Enable the button next to the drserver item.



If you were not prompted to Restart at the end of the installation, then it is recommended to Restart manually.

The Device Manager menu bar app will now be accessible from the top-right of your screen after installation.


Apple Silicon - macOS 13 Ventura and above


IMPORTANT: The following intructions relate to installing Device Manager 6.2.0. 



System requirements

  • Apple Mac computer running macOS 11, macOS 12 or macOS 13.
  • 125.6MB disk space for Codex Platform with Device Manager, including all required and optional drivers.
  • CODEX Media Station, such as Capture Drive Dock or Compact Drive Reader.


Download Device Manager Software

Device Manager software can be downloaded from the CODEX Software Downloads page.


Installation

The steps below must be completed in order for the CODEX Platform and Device Manager software to function correctly.

  1. Open the downloaded .pkg file.  Follow the installer prompts to proceed with software installation.
  2. Any items that are not already installed will be selected by default, with the exception of the ATTO SAS driver.  If using a Transfer Drive Dock (Classic), the ATTO SAS driver is required.  Original models of the Transfer Drive Dock (Classic) require the H608 driver, and the latest Transfer Drive Dock (Classic) require the H1208GT driver.   If you are unsure which driver is needed for your Transfer Drive Dock (Classic), then please install both ATTO drivers.  The Dual XR Capture Drive Dock (SAS) also requires the ATTO SAS driver H608.





3.  For new installations you will be prompted to open System Settings > Privacy & Security  to allow the software to run:




Click Open System Settings to access System Settings > Privacy & Security and scroll down the page to the Security section.

*If you have not installed Device Manager (or other software using System Extensions) previously, then you will need to Enable System Extensions.  See the Enabling System Extensions section below.  If have already enabled system extensions, then please skip to the Allowing System Extensions in System Settings section.



Enabling System Extensions

CODEX Device Manager uses System Extensions to integrate with macOS for low level access to hardware devices, such as CODEX Compact Drive Docks.

Click the Enable System Extensions button in the Security section of the System Settings > Privacy & Security panel.




This will give you instructions on how to launch the Startup Security Utility and modify your security settings to enable System Extensions.



1.  Shutdown your Mac, and then press and hold the Touch ID or power button until you enter macOS Recovery.

2.  Select Options and then Continue.

3.  Select your Mac’s administrator account and enter the password.

4.  Click Utilities in the menu bar and select Startup Security Utility.

5.  Select your startup disk and click the Security Policy button.  (If the disk is encrypted with FileVault, click Unlock, enter the password, then click Unlock.)




6.  Select the radio button next to Reduced Security. Then, check the box next to Allow user management of kernel extensions from identified developers.  

This option will allow you to choose which developer's System Extensions you would like to allow within macOS System Settings.



7.  Click OK and Restart



Allowing System Extensions in System Settings


Once your Mac has restarted, you will see a CODEX Driver Error popup.  To resolve this:

1.  Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security and scroll down the the Security section.




2.  Click Details next to where you see the warning Some system software requires your attention before it can be used to open a window allowing you to choose the System Extensions from the developers you would like to allow.  CODEX Device Manager uses system extensions from the following developers:

- X2X Limited  (CODEX software)
- JMicron Technology Corp  (Firmware update utility for the Compact Drive Reader - USB-C)
- ATTO Technology, Inc  (For use with Transfer Drive Classic and Dual XR Capture Drive Dock)




3.  Check the above developers and click OK.



Enabling Full Disk Access

CODEX Device Manager also requires Full Disk Access to be enabled in order to manage your CODEX media and media stations.  During installation, you may see a popup warning asking you open System Settings to allow Full Disk Access for drserver.





To enable Full Disk Access, open System Settings > Privacy & Security and scroll down to the Full Disk Access section.  Enable the button next to the drserver item.



If you were not prompted to Restart at the end of the installation, then it is recommended to Restart manually.

The Device Manager menu bar app will now be accessible from the top-right of your screen after installation.


Intel - macOS 12 Monterey and below


IMPORTANT: The following intructions relate to installing Device Manager 6.2.0. 



System requirements

  • Apple Mac computer running macOS 11, macOS 12 or macOS 13.
  • 125.6MB disk space for Codex Platform with Device Manager, including all required and optional drivers.
  • CODEX Media Station, such as Capture Drive Dock or Compact Drive Reader.


Download Device Manager Software

Device Manager software can be downloaded from the CODEX Software Downloads page.


Installation

The steps below must be completed in order for the CODEX Platform and Device Manager software to function correctly.

  1. Open the downloaded .pkg file.  Follow the installer prompts to proceed with software installation.
  2. Any items that are not already installed will be selected by default, with the exception of the ATTO SAS driver.  If using a Transfer Drive Dock (Classic), the ATTO SAS driver is required.  Original models of the Transfer Drive Dock (Classic) require the H608 driver, and the latest Transfer Drive Dock (Classic) require the H1208GT driver.   If you are unsure which driver is needed for your Transfer Drive Dock (Classic), then please install both ATTO drivers.  The Dual XR Capture Drive Dock (SAS) also requires the ATTO SAS driver H608.





3.  For new installations you will be prompted to open Open Security Preferences  to allow the software to run:




Click Open Security Preferences to access System Preferences >  Security & Privacy > General.

*NOTE:  Until you have modified your security settings, you may also see the following popup warning




To resolve this:

1.  Go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General.  In the lower section, you will see a warning, such as Some system software requires your attention before it can be used.




2.  Click Details to open a window allowing you to choose the System Extensions from the developers you would like to allow.  CODEX Device Manager uses system extensions from the following developers:

- X2X Limited  (CODEX software)
- JMicron Technology Corp  (Firmware update utility for the Compact Drive Reader - USB-C)
- ATTO Technology, Inc  (For use with Transfer Drive Classic and Dual XR Capture Drive Dock)




3.  Check the above developers and click OK.



Enabling Full Disk Access

CODEX Device Manager also requires Full Disk Access to be enabled in order to manage your CODEX media and media stations.  During installation, you may see a popup warning asking you open System Preferences to allow Full Disk Access for drserver.




To enable Full Disk Access, open System Preferences >  Security and Privacy > Privacy and scroll down to the Full Disk Access section.  Enable the button next to the drserver item.



If you were not prompted to Restart at the end of the installation, then it is recommended to Restart manually.

The Device Manager menu bar app will now be accessible from the top-right of your screen after installation.

Intel - macOS 13 Ventura and above


IMPORTANT: The following intructions relate to installing Device Manager 6.2.0. 



System requirements

  • Apple Mac computer running macOS 11, macOS 12 or macOS 13.
  • 125.6MB disk space for Codex Platform with Device Manager, including all required and optional drivers.
  • CODEX Media Station, such as Capture Drive Dock or Compact Drive Reader.


Download Device Manager Software

Device Manager software can be downloaded from the CODEX Software Downloads page.


Installation

The steps below must be completed in order for the CODEX Platform and Device Manager software to function correctly.

  1. Open the downloaded .pkg file.  Follow the installer prompts to proceed with software installation.
  2. Any items that are not already installed will be selected by default, with the exception of the ATTO SAS driver.  If using a Transfer Drive Dock (Classic), the ATTO SAS driver is required.  Original models of the Transfer Drive Dock (Classic) require the H608 driver, and the latest Transfer Drive Dock (Classic) require the H1208GT driver.   If you are unsure which driver is needed for your Transfer Drive Dock (Classic), then please install both ATTO drivers.  The Dual XR Capture Drive Dock (SAS) also requires the ATTO SAS driver H608.





3.  For new installations you will be prompted to open System Settings > Privacy & Security  to allow the software to run:




Click Open System Settings to access System Settings > Privacy & Security and scroll down the page to the Security section.

NOTE:  You may see a CODEX Driver Error popup warning until you have enabled the System Extensions detailed below.




1.  Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security and scroll down to the Security section.  You will see the warning that Some system software requires your attention before it can be used. 


2. Click Details to open a window allowing you to choose the System Extensions from the developers you would like to allow.  CODEX Device Manager uses system extensions from the following developers:

- X2X Limited  (CODEX software)
- JMicron Technology Corp  (Firmware update utility for the Compact Drive Reader - USB-C)
- ATTO Technology, Inc  (For use with Transfer Drive Classic and Dual XR Capture Drive Dock)

3.  Check the above developers and click OK.



Enabling Full Disk Access

CODEX Device Manager also requires Full Disk Access to be enabled in order to manage your CODEX media and media stations.  During installation, you may see a popup warning asking you open System Settings to allow Full Disk Access for drserver.



To enable Full Disk Access, open System Settings > Privacy & Security and scroll down to the Full Disk Access section.  Enable the button next to the drserver item.




If you were not prompted to Restart at the end of the installation, then it is recommended to Restart manually.

The Device Manager menu bar app will now be accessible from the top-right of your screen after installation.





Compatible Copy Tool Software

When not using the HDE features of Device Manager, any copy tool application can be used.

When using Device Manager with HDE enabled for ARRIRAW, then a supported copy tool application must be used. These are detailed in the High Density Encoding Help Center page.

Licensing

No license is required for Device Manager, including for HDE when using a CODEX Media Station to offload clips from CODEX recording Media.

If you would like to offload HDE (.arx) files using a non-CODEX branded CFast reader you can purchase a license here: https://codex.online/hde-licensing-plans.

Using Device Manager

Once installed, Device Manager can be accessed from the top menu bar:


Device Manager Operations

Load
When CODEX media is inserted into a Media Station it will load automatically and the volume will appear on the Desktop and in Finder.

If you eject CODEX Media using Device Manager or the physical eject button, you can use the Load option to load it again without removing and reinserting it.

Eject
You can safely eject CODEX Media using the Eject option. 

Wait for Device Manager to report Unloaded and the LED on the Media to stop blinking before removing the Media from the Media Station.

Erase
You can erase CODEX Media using the Erase option.  This will erase the file system and all clips, ready for the Media to be returned to camera.

Warning: There is no ‘undo’ option after Media has been formatted or erased, so only use these options once all critical data has been securely backed up to another storage location.

Format
The Format option allows you to format CODEX Storage Media (such as the Transfer Drive) to create a volume ready to store data.

The Format option is not required for CODEX Recording Media (such as Compact Drives or SXR Capture Drives).

If a Transfer Drive is unformatted, it’s Volume Name will be <No Volume>.

See Formatting the Transfer Drive for use on macOS  or Formatting the Transfer Drive (Classic) for use on macOS for more information.

Warning: There is no ‘undo’ option after Media has been formatted or erased, so only use these options once all critical data has been securely backed up to another storage location.

Device Manager Summary

Status
If your CODEX Media has loaded successfully and is in good condition the status will be Ready.

If the status is At Risk, Degraded, Failed or Invalid, please contact CODEX Support.

Type
The Type shows the RAID level and file system of the media.

Compact Drives recorded on the ALEXA Mini LF will have a UDF filesystem and RAID-0.

SXR Capture Drives recorded on the ALEXA SXT, LF will have a CodexFS RAID-0 file system if recorded in ARRIRAW, and a UDF RAID-10 file system if recorded in ProRes.

XR Capture Drives recorded on the ALEXA XT will have a CodexFS RAID-0 file system if recorded in ARRIRAW, and a UDF RAID-1 file system if recorded in ProRes.

Free Space
Free Space shows the amount of free space remaining of the total capacity of the Media. For example; 200 / 960 GB indicates that 200 GB of free space remains of the 960 GB capacity.

Preferences Panel
Opening up the Preferences panel allows the user to hide the Format and Erase options:


High Density Encoding

The Preferences > HDE panel is where HDE mode can be enabled for clips recorded in ARRIRAW on Capture Drive or Compact Drive:



When the checkbox is active, ARRIRAW on Capture Drives and Compact Drives is available as HDE files*.

*HDE ARRIRAW from ALEXA 35 is presented as .mxf files.  HDE ARRIRAW from earlier camera models is presented as .arx files

Capture Drives (ALEXA LF, SXT and XT):
For source volumes that are formatted as CodexFS on older ARRI cameras such as ALEXA LF, SXT, and XT, then Device Manager presents a volume with no "_hde" suffix where files are either .ari or .arx depending on whether the HDE checkbox is enabled.

  • When the checkbox is enabled HDE ARRIRAW .arx files* will be presented in the volume on your Dekstop (for example: A001R01D).
  • When the checkbox is disabled original ARRIRAW .ari files* will be presented in the volume on your Desktop (for example: A001R01D).

Compact Drives (ALEXA 35, Mini LF and Mini): 
For source volumes that are formatted as UDF from newer ARRI cameras such as ALEXA 35, ALEXA Mini LF and ALEXA Mini, the original volume contains the source .mxf files and Device Manager presents an additional volume with a "_hde" suffix that contains the HDE files when the HDE checkbox is enabled.

  • When the checkbox is enabled HDE files* will be presented in an additional volume on your Desktop with “_hde” appended to the volume name (for example: A001R01D_hde).  The original ARRIRAW .mxf files will also be available in the standard volume on your Desktop (for example: A001R01D).
  • When the checkbox is disabled the original ARRIRAW .mxf files will  be available in the standard volume on your Desktop (for example: A001R01D). 
  • For ALEXA 35, the HDE volume will contain HDE files in the form of HDE ARRIRAW .mxf files. 
  • For ALEXA Mini LF and Mini, the HDF volume will contain HDE files in the form of .arx files.

*HDE ARRIRAW from ALEXA 35 is presented as .mxf files.  HDE ARRIRAW from earlier camera models is presented as .arx files


Examples:

Here you can see a Capture Drive recorded on the ALEXA SXT has been loaded.  It has a single volume (A144R5NN) mounted on the Desktop.  The HDE ARRIRAW checkbox is enabled, so the volume contains .arx files.



Here you can see a Compact Drive recorded on the ALEXA Mini LF has been loaded.  The HDE ARRIRAW checkbox is enabled and so there are 2 x volumes mounted on the Desktop.  A047ROIR contains the original ARRIRAW .mxf files  and A047ROIR_hde contains the HDE ARRIRAW .arx files.




Here you can see a Compact Drive recorded on the ALEXA 35 has been loaded.  The HDE ARRIRAW checkbox is enabled and so there are 2 x volumes mounted on the Desktop.  A_0026_1BXC contains the original ARRIRAW .mxf files  and A_0026_1BXC_hde contains the HDE ARRIRAW .mxf files.






Go to the High Density Encoding help page for more information.

MediaVault Integration

Device Manager 6.0.0 (or above) will detect MediaVault systems on your network, and provide options to Mount the MediaVault volumes onto your Mac, and to Launch Admin UI.

In order for a MediaVault to appear in Device Manager, you will need to have configured network settings on the MediaVault and in System Preferences > Network on your Mac.





System Information

The following System Information is shown for each MediaVault connected:

IP
The network IP address of the detected MediaVault on your network. The system may have other IP addresses on other ports, but this is the address by which a connection will be made.
Model
The model number of the MediaVault system - D1200 / R1200 / R3600.
Serial Number
The serial number of the MediaVault system.


Launch Admin UI

Clicking the Launch Admin UI option will open the MediaVault Admin Web Interface login page in your default browser.



For more information on the Admin Web Interface,:



Mount

The Mount option opens a Finder ‘Connect to server’ dialog for the MediaVault (see image below). 

Default accounts are ‘storageadmin’ and ‘storageuser’.  Contact your system administrator for custom account details, or see the Admin Web Interface Help Centre links  above for more information on creating Users and Groups.

1.  Choose the Mount... option and enter your MediaVault User name in the 'Name' field of the 'Connect to server' dialog, and then your password.  Use the ‘Remember this password in my keychain’ for convenience, to store the details for the next time you mount the system.  Click Connect.



2.  You will be prompted to Select the volumes you want to mount on "192.168.2.1" (or whichever IP address is assigned to your MediaVault).  Select the volumes, and click OK.

 In this example, we have selected to connect to "TheGreatMovie" share on the MediaVault.  The 'storageadmin' user has permission to access this share.



3.   "TheGreatMovie" MediaVault share is now mounted onto the Mac, and can be browsed in Finder.




Auto Mounting the MediaVault when Starting your Computer

You can use the login items feature of macOS to automatically mount your MediaVault shares each time you start your computer.

1.  Mount a MediaVault share onto your Mac.

2.  Go to System Preferences > Users & Groups, select your User in the left-hand panel and go to the Login Items tab in the right-hand panel. 




3.  Click the + symbol below the right-hand panel to add a login item.

4.  In the Finder window that opens, scroll down in the left-hand panel to Locations and  choose the MediaVault IP address.  This will show the available shares.




5.  Choose which shares to mount when your computer starts, and click Add.  You will now see 'TheGreatMovie' share included in the list of Login items.





Now your Mac will attempt to mount 'TheGreatMovie' MediaVault share each time the computer is started.



Troubleshooting

If your Media Vault does not appear in Device Manager, please check your network settings on the MediaVault and in System Preferences > Network on your Mac. 

If you fail to Mount the selected share from the MediaVault and see a popup warning "There was a problem mounting the MediaVault..." (see image below), please check that your MediaVault user has permission to access the selected MediaVault share.






Quitting / Restarting Device Manager

You can leave Device Manager running at all times. If you wish to temporarily shut down CODEX software, go to System Preferences > CODEX > Stop Server. This will shutdown Device Manager on your computer, even after a restart, until you click the Start Server option. 

If you quit Device Manager from the menu bar app, it can be restarted from /Applications/Codex/Device Manager, or it will automatically start when you restart your Mac.

Uninstalling Device Manager

To uninstall Device Manager go to System Preferences (or System Settings) > CODEX , click the lock symbol and enter your macOS user password when prompted. 

Then follow these steps:

  1. Click Stop Server to stop the CODEX  server and Device Manager from running.
  2. (OPTIONAL) Click Remove Config Files to remove any licenses or other configuration options you have set.
  3. Click Remove Software to uninstall the CODEX server and Device Manager.
  4. (For Device Manager 6.1.2 or below) )Remove the Codex icon from the System Preferences panel:
    1. Click the 'back' arrow in the top-left and the panel to view the main System Preference panel.
    2. Ctrl+Click  on the Codex icon and choose the Remove "Codex" Preference Pane option.

Working with J2K Compressed Formats

Some formats recorded on the CODEX Onboard M and Onboard S  recorders may be J2K compressed.  These formats include Canon RAW shot at high speed on the C500, or HD recorded with the Quality setting at any ratio other than 1:1.

When working with Canon RAW shot at high speed on the Canon C500, we would recommend to use Device Manager 5.1.2, which fully supports this format.

Device Manager 6.0 and above does not have the ability to decompress these formats, and will provide compressed .dpx files.    Please contact support@codex.online for assistance in working with these .dpx files.

If you cannot roll back to Device Manager 5.1.2, or you are shooting HD recorded with the Quality setting at any ratio other than 1:1, please contact support@codex.online for assistance.

Updating Firmware on CODEX Media Stations

Periodically CODEX will issue firmware updates for CODEX Media Stations.  These firmware updates will be included in Device Manager software*.

How to check if a firmware update is available for your CODEX Media Station

  • Ensure you have installed the latest version of Device Manager from the CODEX Software Downloads page.
  • Connect your Media Station and load the Media (Compact Drive, Capture Drive or Transfer Drive).
  • A macOS notification will be displayed (provided you have allowed notifications from CODEX Device Manager) saying:  "Dock firmware update available".
  • An exclamation mark will appear inside the Device Manager menu bar icon. (see image below)
  • A warning triangle icon will appear next to the Media Station when you open the Device Manager menu.  (see image below)
  • An Update Firmware... option will appear in the Device Manager menu for any Media Stations where a firmware update is available. (see image below)



    IMPORTANT:      The information below applies to all CODEX Media Stations, with the exception of the Compact Drive Reader USB-C (CX.0001005).  For information on updating the firmware for the Compact Drive Reader USB-C, please see the Updating Firmware for the Compact Drive Reader section.


How to update firmware on your CODEX Media Station

IMPORTANT: Please ensure you only have 1 x CODEX Media Station connected at each time when updating firmware!  These instructions DO NOT apply to the Compact Drive Reader (see above).

To update the firmware on your CODEX Media Stations, please ensure only 1 x CODEX Media Station is connected, and then follow the steps above to check if a firmware update is available for that device.

1. If an update is available, then click the Update Firmware... option in the Device Manager menu.  This will open the CODEX System Preferences panel.



2.  Unlock the System Preferences panel by clicking the lock symbol in the bottom-left, and then click Stop Server.  Please wait for the System Preferences panel to report Server is stopped in the top-left - this may take up to 2 minutes.

3.  Click on the Hardware tab and click Refresh.  You should now see your Media Station listed in the Firmware info: section.



4.  If your Media Station is listed and a firmware update is available, you can now click Auto Upgrade... to start the firmware update procedure.  This may take up to 30 seconds to complete.

IMPORTANT:  Do not disconnect your Media Station or eject the Media during the firmware update process.  Doing so may cause damage to the device.

5.  Once the update is complete, you may click the Refresh button, which will now display the new firmware version of the device.



Problems Updating Firmware on your Media Station?

If you have any questions, or problems during the firmware update process, please contact the CODEX Support team.


*Please note:  firmware updates are currently macOS only.

Notifications and Warnings

A 'Dock is not connected for maximum speed' notification is shown - what should I do?

This message indicates that the Thunderbolt connection to the Media Station is not at the highest possible speed.

CODEX Thunderbolt Media Stations have the following connection types:

Description (Model)ConnectionBus speed *PCIE over TB speed
Compact Drive Dock (CX.0001007)TB 340 GbpsApprox. 22 Gbps
SXR Capture Drive Dock (CDX-75013-1)TB 340 GbpsApprox. 22 Gbps
Capture + Transfer Drive Dock (CDX-62102-3)TB 340 GbpsApprox. 22 Gbps
SXR Capture Drive Dock (CDX-75013 / CDX-75014)TB 220 GbpsApprox. 11 Gbps
XR Capture Drive Dock (CDX-7513)TB 110 GbpsApprox. 6 Gbps


*Note that PCIe over Thunderbolt, as used by CODEX Media Stations, cannot achieve the maximum possible bus speed as Thunderbolt reserves some bandwidth for other purposes such as display devices. In addition, driver/software layers have overhead that limit speeds to below the maximum bus speed.

The Thunderbolt connection speed is governed by:

  • The host port on the computer.
  • The cable (or adapter) being used.
  • Possibly other devices on the same port, if daisy-chained**.
  • Possibly devices on another port, if multiple ports share the same Thunderbolt controller.


**For the best possible speed and reliability it is recommended to not use Codex Thunderbolt Docks as part of a daisy-chain of devices.

To resolve the situation, the following steps should be taken:

  • Check the port speed on the Mac from System Information > Thunderbolt.
  • Check the speed of the cable being used. Note that there are two types of Thunderbolt 3 cable - Passive and Active. Passive cables up to 0.5m in length can operate at 40 Gbps, but if longer will operate at 20 Gbps. Active cables can operate at 40 Gbps over longer distances.
  • If the Dock is daisy-chained to the Mac, use a direct connection instead with no other devices on that port.
  • If there are devices on another port, check that they are not downgrading the port speed available for the Dock. Note that the Mac Pro (2013) has 6 ports which share 3 Thunderbolt controllers, as outlined at https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT202801.



An 'Update Firmware...' message appears.  What should I do?

See the Updating Firmware on CODEX Media Stations section for more information.


A 'Reduced Performance` message appears.  What should I do?

Rev A Compact Drive Readers will have reduced performance with Apple Silicon.  See the Compact Drive Reader > Use with Apple Silicon Macs section for more information.


A ' Requires macOS 12.4 or later' message appears.  What should I do?

Rev A Compact Drive Readers have an incompatibility with Apple Silicon on macOS 12.3 or below.   See the Compact Drive Reader > Use with Apple Silicon Macs section for more information.

Troubleshooting and Known Issues


I am running macOS 13.2 and when Device Manager is installed then I cannot load external USB drives

macOS 13.2 contains a known incompatibility with Device Manager that will prevent external drives from loading.

macOS 13.2.1 contains a fix that resolves this incompatibility. If you are unable to upgrade your macOS version then running this command from a Terminal window each time you start your Mac will allow external USB drives to be loaded successfully:

sudo kextunload -v /Library/Extensions/jmPeripheralDevice.kext


A "Codex Drive Error" popup appears each time I restart my computer.

Check in the lower section of System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General for an option to Allow (or Info).  If this is present, it will give you the option to enable System Extensions by "Codex" or "X2X Ltd".


I don't see an option to allow  System Extensions by "Codex" or "X2X Ltd" in System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General

Try loading some CODEX Media (such as a Compact or SXR Capture Drive) containing ARRIRAW material.  This may trigger the option to appear.


I've just updated macOS and each time I start my computer I get a "Codex Driver Error" popup.

Try a full uninstall and reinstall following  these steps:

1. Go to System Preferences > Codex and Remove Software and Remove Config Files.

2. In the System Preferences panel, right-click on the Codex icon and chose Remove "Codex" Prefences Pane.

3. Go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy and click the Privacy tab. In the left-hand panel, select Full Disk Acesss. In the right-hand panel select drserver and then click the "-" symbol below to remove it.

4. Reboot you Mac and then reinstall CODEX Device Manager, following all steps in the Installation Guide.


My mac is on 10.15 (Catalina) and each time I start my computer I get a "Codex Driver Error" popup.

There is a known compatibility issue with early versions of macOS 10.15 (Catalina) and Device Manager 6.0.0 and above.  This may result in a "Codex Driver Error" popup and will not allow you to load SXR Capture Drives formatted in ProRes mode, or CODEX Transfer Drives.  Updating to the latest Catalina patch (macOS 10.15.7) should resolve this issue.


I have read everything above and have not resolved my issue.

Please contact CODEX Support for further assistance.
Our support team is available to answer any questions:

9.00am - 6.00pm telephone and email support is available through our teams in London and Los Angeles.

Codex Support Email: support@codex.online
Codex US Support: +1 323 283 8929
Codex UK Support: +44 203 7000 999
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