IEEE 1394 Port

IEEE 1394 Port


The IEEE 1394 standard is a serial technology developed by Apple Computer. Sometimes it is
known as FireWire or i.Link, which is a Sony trademark. IEEE 1394 ports have been more predominant
on Apple computers, but are now becoming a standard port on PCs. Windows and
Apple
operating systems support the IEEE 1394 standard. Many digital products now have an
integrated
IEEE 1394 port for connecting to a computer.
IEEE 1394 devices include camcorders,
cameras,
printers, storage devices, DVD players, CD-R drives, CD-RW
drives, tape drives, film
readers,
speakers, and scanners.
Speeds supported are 100, 200, 400, 800, 1200, 1600, and 3200Mbps. As many as 63 devices
(using cable lengths up to 14 feet) can be connected with FireWire. The IEEE 1394 standard supports
hot swapping (plugging and unplugging devices with the power on), plug and play,
and
powering
low-power devices. The cable has six wires—four for data and two for power.
Newer
IEEE
1394 standards support the use of RJ-45 and fiber connectors. Figure
1.22 shows FireWire
ports. Figure 1.23 shows three IEEE 1394 adapter ports.