Nexcopy first made waves back in 2009 with their USB400PC and USB600PC systems—PC-based USB duplicators offering 40 and 60 target ports. At the time, these systems broke ground by overcoming Windows’ drive letter limitations and offering a modular expansion path for high-volume USB duplication.

Fast-forward to 2025, Nexcopy continues to lead the field with a wide range of duplicators, now including USB 3.0 support, write protection, and advanced data handling features. Their modular system design allows users to scale from 20 ports to 60 ports by adding more hardware units to the same PC-based platform—ideal for Fortune 500 companies, schools, universities, and service bureaus.

The company also overcame technical challenges like Windows’ drive letter limit by bypassing the OS’s native mounting system. Instead, Nexcopy communicates directly with each USB controller, allowing the system to support dozens of devices simultaneously without exhausting the alphabet.

Current models include:

• USB160PC – A 16-port USB 3.0 duplicator offering File, Device, Image, Copy?Add, and Unique Data Streaming modes. Includes checksum verification, data collection, and bootable image support.
• USB160PRO – Adds advanced features such as hardware write protection, CD-ROM emulation, dual partitions, Copy Secure encryption, and descriptor-level customization.
• USB400PC / USB600PC – Still the largest standard PC-based duplicators on the market with 40 and 60 USB ports, updated with Nexcopy’s latest Drive Manager PRO software.

Nexcopy’s Data Collection feature remains a unique and valuable tool. It reverses the usual duplicator workflow by extracting data from each USB drive and saving it into uniquely labeled folders on the host PC. This is especially useful for teachers collecting student homework or companies retrieving field-collected data.

There are some fundamental differences between USB Copy Protection verse USB Encryption for data on flash drives. Many companies confuse and muddy the terminology between the two. It’s time to clear things up and explain the difference.

In short: USB copy protection secures a file or set of files so they cannot be copied – thus “copy protection.” USB encryption scrambles the source files so they cannot be read unless you decrypt them. Think about this… there is a BIG difference.

Encryption is the process of scrambling files and data so they cannot be accessed unless a password or key is supplied to reassemble the content and put everything back together. This process is known as decryption.

The primary use for USB encryption is to protect files and data in the event the USB stick is lost or stolen.

Where encryption and USB copy protection differ is that with encryption, once you have the password, you can copy the data at will. With USB copy protection, the files and data are locked to the device and cannot be copied off, regardless of the user’s intent.

USB copy protection is similar to encryption with the use of scrambling and unscrambling data; however, USB copy protection adds another layer of security by preventing unauthorized copies. It wraps the data in a specialized algorithm, then uses a customized viewer to decrypt the data for viewing. The viewer requires specific hardware components to run, blocking any ability to copy and play the file elsewhere.

As you can see, USB copy protection is ideal for protecting intellectual property regardless of the user, whereas USB encryption is mainly for protecting data if lost or stolen.

As a side note, a USB stick with encryption can be formatted, thus removing all sensitive data. A USB copy-protected stick, on the other hand, locks content into a Read-Only partition, making deleting or formatting ineffective.

If you need USB encryption, consider using TrueCrypt, a free, open-source encryption tool offering high-level security.

If you need USB copy protection to secure content that must not be copied under any circumstances, visit Nexcopy for professional USB secure flash drive solutions. Their devices also utilize 128-bit AES encryption for maximum protection.

Example: Why a Teacher Should Choose USB Copy Protection Over Simple Encryption

Imagine a chemistry teacher who has spent months creating a comprehensive digital course filled with valuable information, detailed diagrams, and step-by-step video tutorials. The teacher plans to sell this course to students for $1,000 per person.

The Encryption Scenario

The teacher decides to use USB encryption to secure the course material. Each USB drive is password-protected, and only students who purchase the course receive the password. At first glance, this sounds secure – no password means no access.

However, the problem begins after the password is entered. Once a student unlocks the USB drive, they can freely:

• Copy all course files to their computer
• Print worksheets, study guides, and full lessons
• Share the unlocked files online or with friends for free

This means that one paying student can give the entire $1,000 chemistry course to dozens of other people without the teacher earning any additional income. Encryption does not prevent copying – it only delays access until the password is entered.

The Copy Protection Scenario

Now, let’s look at what happens if the teacher uses USB copy protection instead. The teacher provides the same USB course drive, but this time the files are locked with professional USB copy protection technology.

With copy protection:

• Any student can view the course files instantly – no password required
• The files cannot be copied to another device
• The content cannot be printed or uploaded online
• Even a tech-savvy student cannot bypass the protection because the data is hardware-locked to the USB stick

This ensures that each student must purchase their own USB course drive to access the information, preserving the teacher’s $1,000-per-student revenue and preventing lost sales.

So what do do?

If the chemistry teacher chooses basic encryption, they risk losing thousands of dollars as one student could distribute the unlocked files to an entire class or even upload them online for free. By selecting USB copy protection, the teacher maintains control of the digital course material, protects their intellectual property, and ensures that only paying students benefit from their hard work.

For secure, professional-grade USB copy protection solutions, consider Nexcopy’s secure flash drives which combine 128-bit AES encryption with true copy protection technology.

Update: Since the original post, Nexcopy has redesigned their SD card duplicator box. The image from the original post has been updated to reflect the current 20 target SD duplicator model. (Jan 2024)

Nexcopy recently unveiled its industry-leading edge in the market with the all-new SD200PC 20 Target SD Card Duplicator; a 20-target SD Card Duplicator designed for tech-savvy professionals and businesses immersed in Secure Digital media. While duplicating 20 copies of a personal SD card may initially raise eyebrows, Nexcopy is catering to a niche market—specifically targeting companies engaged in distributing software applications on SD cards for field devices or managing large quantities of miniSD cards for fleets of portable electronics.

The SD200PC is compatible with microSD cards, making it a valuable tool for phone companies to efficiently load promotional materials onto phones for their customers. With the increasing power of smartphones and PDAs, coupled with expanding media storage capacities, more individuals and businesses rely on microSD cards for critical data distribution.

With ease-of-use in mind, the SD200PC connects via USB and features 20 numbered SD ports, simplifying the identification of each card. The accompanying software supports FAT, FAT32, exFAT, NTFS, and even proprietary formats an OEM or manufacturer may have developed. This is possible thanks to its bit-by-bit copy engine that makes a perfect digital clone of the master SD card. The duplicator is compatible with Linux distribution packages and caters to complex embedded applications. For less tech-savvy users, Nexcopy provides a user-friendly job wizard within the software to guide them through the duplication process.

Priced at $1,299, the 20 Target SD Card Duplicator offers exceptional value considering its advanced features and immediate availability for delivery. While the investment may seem steep for casual users, it’s a crucial tool for businesses and tech enthusiasts requiring bulk SD card duplication with high reliability.

The Nexcopy SD200PC provides a sophisticated solution for organizations distributing SD card content and tech professionals seeking fast, efficient, and accurate duplication capabilities. With its broad compatibility, user-friendly features, and competitive pricing, the 20 Target SD Card Duplicator stands out as a top choice for managing large volumes of SD and microSD cards effectively.

SD160PC is USB 3.0 Speed SD Card Duplicator

Nexcopy expanded its line of flash memory duplication equipment with the USB160PC, a 16-target USB duplicator built on USB 3.0 technology back in 2014. This system offers a significant performance boost compared to older USB 2.0 models, such as the SD200PC, which requires approximately six minutes to write 1GB of data. With the USB160PC, that same 1GB data load can be transferred in about one minute, providing IT professionals, content distributors, and production teams with a far more efficient duplication process. The enhanced speed is especially beneficial for environments where large volumes of data or high-capacity drives are used, reducing overall production time and increasing throughput without compromising reliability.

Both the USB160PC and the SD200PC are fully compatible with Windows 11 operating systems. This ensures that regardless of whether users choose the high-speed USB 3.0 duplicator or the widely used 20-target USB 2.0 solution, they can seamlessly operate these systems on modern PCs, maintaining productivity and compatibility with current technology standards.

Nexcopy provides specialized hardware solutions capable of reading the CID (Card Identification) values from Secure Digital (SD) cards—a unique serial number programmed by the card manufacturer that cannot be altered or accessed through standard operating systems. Unlike basic software utilities that interact with the file system, reading a CID value requires low-level communication with the SD card controller, which is not possible with a typical PC card reader. Nexcopy’s proprietary hardware is specifically designed to interface directly with the SD card’s protected registers, extracting this data accurately and reliably. This functionality cannot be achieved with software alone because most consumer-grade card readers do not expose the necessary hardware commands, making dedicated Nexcopy equipment essential for CID reading applications such as security authentication, device whitelisting, and digital rights management solutions.

People want to write a CID value to a Secure Digital (SD) card primarily for security, licensing, and device authentication purposes. The CID (Card Identification) value is a unique, manufacturer-programmed identifier stored in the SD card’s controller. Certain industries and software developers leverage this ID as a hardware-based “fingerprint” to bind applications, encryption keys, or digital content to a specific card.

By writing or customizing the CID value, organizations can:

• Prevent Unauthorized Copying: Lock digital content or licensed software to a specific SD card, preventing it from being copied and used on another device.
• Enable Secure Boot or Device Pairing: Some embedded systems or IoT devices use CID values for secure boot processes, allowing only whitelisted cards to operate with their hardware.
• Facilitate DRM and Content Protection: Media companies can distribute protected files that only work with cards having pre-assigned CID numbers.
• Streamline Manufacturing & Tracking: Hardware manufacturers can pre-program cards with known CIDs for inventory control, traceability, and product authentication.

Because the CID is typically locked at the factory level and not changeable with standard readers, specialized hardware like Nexcopy duplicators is required to program custom CID values, making this an essential capability for businesses that rely on hardware-based security measures.

Source: PRWeb

Update: Nexcopy reports the USB duplicator will duplicate 30MBs of data to all 20 flash drives in about 40 seconds. The USB duplicator will copy 250MBs of data in about 3.5 minutes. So the USB duplicator has good performance on data copy speeds.

Nexcopy announced earlier this week their USB200PC USB Duplicator is available for purchase. This unit appears to be the easiest and most economical way to load content to USB flash memory. The USB duplicator is a PC-based system which copies from a master location to 20 slave ports. I would think this an excellent product for those looking to produce interactive product information, sales presentations or even USB music albums on flash memory.

Granted this could all be done on CD or DVD, but the idea I like about USB flash is its extreme portability, greater durability than optical media (no scratching or damage from direct sun), and the ability to be reused again and again like a big, fat floppy drive.

The USB duplicator concept seems to be a great method to manage an arsenal of flash memory, whether it be content loading to a new set of flash drives for a trade show, or updating a rotation of information to a group of USB drives (say for sales force or medical applications).

The Nexcopy USB200PC USB duplicator has some interesting features. The software will not only duplicate data, but has an option to duplicate only new and newer data. Meaning, if you don’t want to overwrite current data on the device, selecting the Copy New and Newer means it will only add data to the existing drive. This function also updates an old file with the newer version. This feature in itself makes USB drive flash management extremely easy and convenient.

The Nexcopy USB duplicator is priced at $1,299 for a 20-target USB copier, so the solution won’t kill your budget (like some $10,000+ systems I’ve seen).

Nexcopy USB Duplicator product page.