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ToughArmor EX MB601V4KW-B

Ruggedized 1 Bay 2.5" U.2/U.3 NVMe SSD Mobile Rack Enclosure with Water-Resistant Front Cover
Product Details
  • The ICY DOCK ToughArmor EX MB601V4KW-B features a Tough-Cover IPX6-rated water-resistant front panel, providing superior protection against dust, splashes, and harsh environmental elements. Designed for military, field, and edge applications, this rugged enclosure supports one 2.5” U.2/U.3 NVMe SSD (up to 15mm height) and fits into a standard external 3.5" drive bay - ideal for deployments where durability, mobility, and reliability are essential.

    Engineered with full-metal construction and fan-less design, the MB601V4KW-B delivers PCIe Gen 4.0 transfer speeds up to 64Gbps via a direct U.2 (SFF-8639) interface, making it well-suited for high-speed workflows such as AI model training, data logging, and industrial system caching. Drive-level security and protection are reinforced through a 2-segment keylock and EMI grounding, ensuring safe and stable operation in sensitive environments.
  • Protection Against Dust and Water Splashes
    Designed with a rugged IPX6-rated water-resistant front cover, the MB601V4KW-B protects the internal drive from dust, moisture, and foreign objects, ensuring reliable operation in harsh industrial or field environments.

    This makes it particularly suited for extreme deployment scenarios such as military drones, underwater robotics or compact submarines, and autonomous vehicle platforms, where the combination of environmental sealing and high-speed NVMe storage is critical for mission success.
  • Secure Locking Mechanism for Data Protection
    The MB601V4KW-B features an Eagle-hook locking mechanism to prevent accidental SSD ejection and ensure secure drive retention during operation. For added security, it incorporates a 2-segment security keylock, which restricts access to authorized users and protects against physical drive theft or tampering.

    These features make the MB601V4KW-B an excellent choice for data-sensitive environments such as government systems, cybersecurity infrastructure, and financial institutions - where physical access control is as critical as digital encryption.
  • Quick SSD Swaps, Cleaner System
    The full-metal removable drive tray of the MB601V4KW-B supports effortless *hot-swapping of U.2/U.3 NVMe SSDs, allowing for rapid replacement in time-sensitive environments such as field data collection, defense systems, and edge computing. It supports SSDs up to 15mm in height, offering flexibility across various enterprise-grade NVMe drives. Additionally, a spring-loaded anti-dust flap covers the drive slot when the tray is removed, keeping dust, debris, and foreign objects from entering the system. This helps maintain long-term reliability and internal cleanliness, even in rugged or outdoor deployments.

    Note: Hot-swap support is dependent on the host system.
  • Built for Harsh Environments
    The MB601V4KW-B is constructed entirely of metal, including the chassis, drive tray, and mounting hardware, making it compliant with flammability requirements and robust enough to withstand vibration, shock, and industrial usage.
  • As downward disconnection is one of the common issue that lead to damaging or even snapping the rear connector, the ToughArmor MB601V4KW-B comes with rear metal support brackets. The benefits to having the support brackets is to reduce the chances accidental damage to the rear connector when disconnecting improperly and prevent it from shifting around. This also serves as a guide when inserting or removing the SFF-8639 male-connector, making it extremely useful when dealing with limited space.
  • Unlock the Power of PCIe 4.0 with U.2 SFF-8639
    The MB601V4KW-B is engineered with the U.2 (SFF-8639) interface with support for PCIe 4.0, it delivers blazing-fast transfer speeds of up to 64Gbps, enabling ultra-low latency and exceptional throughput for real-time data capture, large-scale simulation, and fast storage caching. Compared to SATA-based solutions, PCIe 4.0 offers over 10x the bandwidth, making it ideal for modern, high-demand systems.
  • Clear Status Monitoring
    An LED indicator on the front panel shows power and drive activity status. The built-in Active Power Technology (APT) ensures that the LED is only active when a drive is installed, conserving energy when the bay is empty.
  • Exceptional Product Compatibility
    The MB601V4KW-B is compatible with motherboards, RAID/HBA cards, and M.2 adapters from major brands including Adaptec, Areca, Broadcom, HighPoint, Supermicro, and more. This compatibility gives you the freedom to choose from a wide range of hardware options, moving beyond the constraints of single-brand system configurations. For more information on product compatibility, click here.
Main Features
Fits 1 x 2.5" U.2/U.3 NVMe SSD (up to 15mm height) into a standard 3.5" external drive bay
   
Supports PCIe Gen 4.0 U.2 interface via SFF-8639 connector (up to 64Gbps transfer rate)
   
Water-resistant front cover protects against dust and splashes
   
2-segment security keylock prevents unauthorized access and accidental drive ejection
   
Removable drive tray for easy maintenance and hot-swap (NVMe host must support hot-swap)
   
Full-metal construction ensures superior durability and heat dissipation
   
Strategic ventilation design enhances passive cooling
   
Active Power Technology (APT) conserves energy when no drive is installed
   
EMI grounding protects the SSD from static electrical damage
   
Rugged design ideal for industrial, military, medical, and in-vehicle applications
   
5-year limited warranty with free technical support

 

 

 

Specification
Model Number: MB601V4KW-B
Color: Black
Support Drive Size: 1 x 2.5" U.2/U.3 NVMe SSD
Compatible Drive Type: NVMe
Number of Drives: 1
Max Drive Height: 15mm
Drive Bay: 1 x external 3.5" drive bay
Host Interface: 1 x U.2 SFF-8639, pin-out defined by SFF-9402 Rev 1.1
(Tri-mode HBA/RAID card compatible)
Power Input: Via U.2 (SFF-8639)
Transfer Rate: PCIe 3.0 up to 32Gbps / PCIe 4.0 up to 64Gbps
Support HDD Capacity: No limitation
Drive Cooling: Metal heat dispersion with passive cooling
Structure / Material: Full metal
Support Hot-Swap: Yes
Drive Security: 2 segment key lock
Product Dimension (D x W x H): 123.2 x 148.2 x 48.7mm
Product Net Weight: 419.1g
Package Gross Weight: 483.4g
Drive Activity LED Indication: Drive power: solid green; HDD access: flashing green
Package Contents: 1 - device, 1 - user manual, 10 - screw, 2 - key
U.2 Connector Insertion Rate: 10,000
Humidity: 5%~65% RH
Operating Temperature: 0°C to 60°C (32°F to 140°F)
Storage Temperature: -35°C to 70°C (-31°F to 158°F)
Compliance: CE, RoHS, REACH
Warranty: 5 years limited warranty

Compatible Drive Tray (Caddy):

  • MB991TRAY-B

Related Products:

Related Products Series:

  • Metal+Tray Enclosures
  • SAS/SATA Enclosures

ToughArmor Lineup:


FAQ

Q: Can you recommend an add-on card that is compatible with MB601V4KW-B?

A: To ensure compatibility with MB601V4KW-B, please make sure that your add-on card or motherboard’s BIOS/UEFI supports PCIe Bifurcation when using a PCIe 16x or 8x slot. Additionally, set up the PCIe splitter in the BIOS/UEFI with the configuration of x4, x4, x4, x4 for a PCIe 16x slot or x4, x4 for a PCIe 8x slot.

Please click the icon below to view the compatibility of your motherboards or add-on cards that support PCIe Bifurcation mode. For the best compatibility, we highly recommend using the cables recommended or manufactured by the motherboard or add-on card manufacturer.

 



We are currently in the process of certifying our NVMe enclosure with major add-on card and motherboard manufacturers. We will keep updating the list to include compatible accessories.

To report a compatible add-on card, cable, or motherboard, or to check the compatibility of add-on card(s) or motherboards that are not listed, please click here.


Q: I've completed the installation of the hard drive and device as per the instructions in the product manual, but the system still can't detect the drive. How can I troubleshoot this issue?

A: Please first confirm the compatibility of your hardware, and make sure that the drive, drive enclosure, cable, and host interfaces are compatible. Try connecting the drive directly to the host to see if the system can detect the drive. If it still doesn't detect it, this can rule out issues with the drive enclosure. You can also try connecting the drive enclosure with different drives, cables, or systems to see if the issue can be resolved. If the system still can't detect it, here are some possible issues:

Insufficient PCIe lanes in the system: Whether you're connecting the drive enclosure to the motherboard or add-on card, It is important to note that the number of available PCIe lanes is limited. This includes understanding the number of lanes provided by the CPU and chipset, as well as their allocation method. Failure to do so may result slower transfer speeds, unstable connections, or even the inability to detect the drive.
Incompatible interface protocols: It is crucial to verify whether the Mini-SAS HD, OCuLink, or SlimSAS interface on the motherboard or add-on card is capable of supporting NVMe.
Incompatible interface pinout standard: Prior to connecting the drive enclosure to the Mini-SAS HD, OCuLink, or SlimSAS port on the motherboard or add-on card, please verify that the port utilizes the same pinout standard as the port on our drive enclosure. To check the pinout standard of our drive enclosure, you can refer to the specification table on our product page, where it specifies whether the pinout standard is Legacy or SFF-9402 1.1.
Excessive length of the connecting cable: To ensure optimal performance, it is advised to use a connecting cable that is no longer than 50cm. Using longer cables can lead to excessive signal loss, resulting in slower transfer speeds, unstable connections, or even the inability to detect the drive. Additionally, we recommend using the same interface connector for both the device and the host to prevent any potential compatibility issues.

Q: I'm using Intel/Broadcom Tri-Mode HBA and RAID cards with the MB601V4KW-B, but the drives do not show up in my system?

A: The issue is caused by RAID card manufacturers using a different pinout for Tri-Mode cards than is typically used for U.2 connections. When using these cards with U.2 NVMe drives and cables, a U.2 enabler cable must be used for compatibility, which reverts the pinout back to standard U.2 specifications. For more information, please click here.


Q: My NVMe drive did not detect after inserting it back into the device while powered on?

A: For systems that support hot-plug function, while your system is powered on, each drive insertion and removal cycle will require a manual refresh from the operating system in order for the system to recognize the drive.

 

If you are unable to detect the drive after performing the manual refresh, your system might not support hot-plug functions. We suggest you check with the motherboard/add-on card manufacturer to see if it supports the NVMe hot-plug function.

 

Windows 11 / Windows 10 / Windows 8 – In the search box on the taskbar, type Device Manager, then select from the menu, right-click on the disk drive and then select scan for hardware changes.

 

Windows 7 – Right-click on computer icon on desktop and select properties, click Device Manager, right-click on the disk drive and then select scan for hardware changes.


Image result for disk drive scan for hardware changes

 


Q: The mounting screws for the device seem to be too short to secure the device onto my system, what should I do?

A: For computer cases that have a thick metal sheet, the included mounting screws (M3*2.5L) may not fully secure the device. Please use longer screws (M3*4L) to secure the device or contact us at tech@icydock.com for replacement screws.


Q: I feel that the drive tray's upper and lower metal spring is stuck when inserting the drive tray. What should I do?

A: Remove the drive tray from the enclosure and reinsert the tray without putting excessive pressure on the metal mesh sheet in front of the tray. Excessive force on the front metal mesh sheet may bend the top and bottom metal spring, causing difficulties when inserting the drive tray. Therefore, please do not forcingly insert the drive tray when this happens as it may cause damage to the metal spring.

 

metal spring
Please DO NOT put excessive pressure on the metal mesh sheet as shown

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