Important
OpenRDX is not limited to RDX cartridges. It also supports compatible, unlocked standard SATA drives in the supported RDX dock, while retaining RDX cartridge support.
Compatibility is guarded, but not every disk is promised to work. See the current validation boundary.
OpenRDX is firmware for the Tandberg Data RDX QuikStor external USB 3.0 compatibility receiver. It keeps the familiar removable-drive experience while opening the dock to qualifying standard SATA media.
Use OpenRDXManager to install OpenRDX, migrate supported devices from vendor firmware, update firmware, and manage OpenRDX-enabled devices. Its guided workflows check the selected device and preserve that device's manufacturing records where installation is supported. Available features depend on the device, firmware, and operating system.
| Flexible media | Familiar operation | Guarded access |
|---|---|---|
| Use supported RDX cartridges or qualifying standard SATA drives. | Keep one removable USB drive, safe eject behavior, and RDX cartridge write protection. | Media must pass admission checks before it becomes available to the host. |
| Media | What OpenRDX provides | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| RDX cartridge | The cartridge workflow, identity, protected data area, and supported management features. | A cartridge must retain valid identifying information and pass its access checks. |
| Standard SATA drive | Direct access to the drive's native capacity after guarded admission. | The drive must be compatible and unlocked. Support is not a guarantee for every HDD or SSD. |
Both paths appear through the same stable removable USB drive. An empty bay or rejected medium stays safely unavailable instead of being silently accepted.
For everyday operation, media rejection, ejection, and write protection, read Using OpenRDX.
See GitHub releases for firmware downloads, changes, and the validation limits of each release.
OpenRDX currently targets one receiver family only:
- Tandberg Data RDX QuikStor external USB 3.0 compatibility receiver;
- built around the Texas Instruments TUSB9261; and
- identified before installation by the receiver identifier
0283.
Support for other RDX docks, bridge chips, or receiver revisions is not implied.
OpenRDX is experimental and incomplete. Hardware validation and compatibility coverage are limited, and unknown issues may affect normal operation with RDX cartridges or standard SATA drives. Full reliability and complete RDX Manager compatibility are not yet established.
See Firmware behavior for detailed evidence, known limitations, and remaining validation work.
Start with OpenRDXManager and its application installation guide. For a supported device still running vendor firmware, follow the Manager's migration guide. For a device already running OpenRDX, follow its firmware update guide. Use a complete, verified release bundle and read the guarded installation guide.
Git preserves the exact bytes of generated dist/ files so release checksums
remain valid across checkout platforms and source archives.
Firmware installation changes the receiver and requires stable USB power, an empty bay, and careful target selection. Follow OpenRDXManager's current device, release, and platform checks; the alternative bundled PowerShell updater requires Windows. Read the safety procedure in full before starting.
First installation requires an installation/recovery workflow that preserves the receiver's own manufacturing and state records. The bundled compatibility installer is disabled, and running OpenRDX rejects legacy full-chip erase commands. Saved settings updates also exclude overlapping USB flash requests. For an incorrect receiver serial, see the guarded serial-number repair procedure.
For a receiver already running OpenRDX, follow Update existing OpenRDX.
Use OpenRDXManager to inspect dock and media status, run supported diagnostics, safely eject media, manage supported settings, and back up manufacturing records. See its app usage guide for available controls and their limits.
Build the firmware and its installation bundle with the common build and test guide.
The distribution regression fixture disables SCons tool autodetection for both explicit and default environments, so the test works with PlatformIO's reduced Windows SCons package without requiring its omitted MSVC support modules.
- OpenRDXManager — guided installation, migration from vendor firmware, updates, and device management.
- Documentation index — choose the authoritative guide for installation, use, development, or reference.
- Using OpenRDX — media, write protection, ejection, and supported management behavior.
- Install OpenRDX — guarded update workflow for the supported receiver.
- Build and test — supported toolchains, commands, and artifact roles.
- Release process — generate and verify a complete release bundle.
- Firmware recovery — recovery and restoration instructions.
- Firmware behavior — implementation detail and the hardware-validation boundary.
OpenRDX was created by André Fiedler / aka SunboX.
Repository-owned OpenRDX software is offered under
AGPL-3.0-or-later. OpenRDX documentation and non-code media are offered under
CC-BY-SA-4.0 where identified by .reuse/dep5. Texas Instruments material and
third-party documentation retain their own notices and terms.
The public license does not grant permission for use that cannot comply with its
terms. A separate commercial or proprietary license may be available from the
copyright holder. See LICENSE,
COMMERCIAL-LICENSE.md, and NOTICE.