09-07-2012, 01:03 PM
FIREWIRE
[attachment=27258]
INTRODUCTION
FireWire is a method of transferring information between digital devices, especially audio and video equipment.
You can connect up to 63 devices to a FireWire bus. Windows operating systems (98 and later) and Mac OS (8.6 and later) both support it.
HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT
Apple intended FireWire to be a serial replacement for the parallel SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) bus while also providing connectivity for digital audio and video equipment.
Apple's development of the original IEEE 1394 was completed in 1995.
It was followed by several modifications:
The IEEE Std. 1394a-2000, the IEEE Std. 1394b-2002, and the IEEE Std. 1394c-2006 amendment.
The aim of current work in Sony's version of the system is known as i.LINK, and uses only the four signal pins, omitting the two pins which provide power to the device because of a separate power connector on Sony's i.LINK products
The designers of FireWire had goals in mind when they created the standard:
Fast transfer of data
Ability to put lots of devices on the bus
Ease of use
Provision of power through the cable
Plug-and-play performance
Low cabling cost
FIREWIRE SPECIFICATIONS
FireWire 400 (1394a), was faster than USB when it came out.
FireWire 400 is still in use today and features:
Transfer rates of up to 400 Mbps
Maximum distance between devices of 4.5 meters (cable length)
FireWire 800 (1394b) started showing up in consumer devices.
FireWire 800 is capable of:
Transfer rates up to 800 Mbps
Maximum distance between devices of 100 meters (cable length)
The faster 1394b standard is backward-compatible with 1394a.
FIREWIRE VS USB
The key difference between FireWire and USB is that FireWire is intended for devices working with a lot more data -- things like camcorders, DVD players and digital audio equipment.
As you can see, the two are a lot alike.
which led to the adoption of USB as the standard for connecting most peripherals that do not require a high-speed bus.
FireWire is peer-to-peer, meaning that two FireWire cameras can talk to each other without going through a computer.
FIREWIRE CABLES AND CONNECTORS
FireWire devices can be powered or unpowered. FireWire allows devices to draw their power from their connection.
Two power conductors in the cable can supply power (8 to 30 volts, 1.5 amps maximum) from the computer to an unpowered device.
Two twisted pair sets carry the data in a FireWire 400 cable using a 6-pin configuration.
FIREWIRE CABLES AND CONNECTORS
Some smaller FireWire-enabled devices use 4-pin connectors to save space, omitting the two pins used to supply power.
FireWire 800 cables use a 9-pin configuration. Six of those pins are the same as the six pins in the 1394a connector (shown below).
Two of the added pins provide a "grounded shield" to protect the other wires from interference, and the third added pin does nothing at this time.
SENDING DATA VIA FIREWIRE
FireWire uses 64-bit fixed addressing, based on the IEEE 1212 standard.
There are three parts to each packet of information sent by a device over FireWire:
A 10-bit bus ID that is used to determine which FireWire bus the data came from
A 6-bit physical ID that identifies which device on the bus sent the data
A 48-bit storage area that is capable of addressing 256 terabytes of information for each node
For example :-
It takes four hops for Computer C to access the camera. Assuming all of the devices in this setup are equipped with FireWire 800, the camcorder can be up to 400 meters from Computer C.
FIREWIRE AND DIGITAL VIDEO
FireWire really shines when it comes to digital video applications. When you attach a camcorder to a computer using FireWire, the connection is amazing.
An important element of FireWire is the support
of digital devices. In data streams between the device
and the host in real-time with Guaranteed bandwidth
and no error correction.
When the computer-to-camera through FireWire, the camera can send the video in a steady flow to the computer without anything disrupting the process.
You can easily edit and create custom video projects using fast hard drives, a digital camcorder and a computer.
FURTHER APPLICATIONS AND THE FUTURE OF FIREWIRE:
The IEEE 1394b spec can be used in airplanes to connect the video source with each passenger's in-seat built-in monitor.
With CPUs not being very efficient at streaming media and data.
FireWire 400 has the ability to handle hundreds of channels of noise free digital audio and up to 256 channels of MIDI. FireWire 800 can handle twice as many real- time streams.
The 1394b provides significant amounts of bus power (up to 25 watts) drive users with portable computers and peripherals that want to use casual storage will not need a battery-powered drive.
[attachment=27258]
INTRODUCTION
FireWire is a method of transferring information between digital devices, especially audio and video equipment.
You can connect up to 63 devices to a FireWire bus. Windows operating systems (98 and later) and Mac OS (8.6 and later) both support it.
HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT
Apple intended FireWire to be a serial replacement for the parallel SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) bus while also providing connectivity for digital audio and video equipment.
Apple's development of the original IEEE 1394 was completed in 1995.
It was followed by several modifications:
The IEEE Std. 1394a-2000, the IEEE Std. 1394b-2002, and the IEEE Std. 1394c-2006 amendment.
The aim of current work in Sony's version of the system is known as i.LINK, and uses only the four signal pins, omitting the two pins which provide power to the device because of a separate power connector on Sony's i.LINK products
The designers of FireWire had goals in mind when they created the standard:
Fast transfer of data
Ability to put lots of devices on the bus
Ease of use
Provision of power through the cable
Plug-and-play performance
Low cabling cost
FIREWIRE SPECIFICATIONS
FireWire 400 (1394a), was faster than USB when it came out.
FireWire 400 is still in use today and features:
Transfer rates of up to 400 Mbps
Maximum distance between devices of 4.5 meters (cable length)
FireWire 800 (1394b) started showing up in consumer devices.
FireWire 800 is capable of:
Transfer rates up to 800 Mbps
Maximum distance between devices of 100 meters (cable length)
The faster 1394b standard is backward-compatible with 1394a.
FIREWIRE VS USB
The key difference between FireWire and USB is that FireWire is intended for devices working with a lot more data -- things like camcorders, DVD players and digital audio equipment.
As you can see, the two are a lot alike.
which led to the adoption of USB as the standard for connecting most peripherals that do not require a high-speed bus.
FireWire is peer-to-peer, meaning that two FireWire cameras can talk to each other without going through a computer.
FIREWIRE CABLES AND CONNECTORS
FireWire devices can be powered or unpowered. FireWire allows devices to draw their power from their connection.
Two power conductors in the cable can supply power (8 to 30 volts, 1.5 amps maximum) from the computer to an unpowered device.
Two twisted pair sets carry the data in a FireWire 400 cable using a 6-pin configuration.
FIREWIRE CABLES AND CONNECTORS
Some smaller FireWire-enabled devices use 4-pin connectors to save space, omitting the two pins used to supply power.
FireWire 800 cables use a 9-pin configuration. Six of those pins are the same as the six pins in the 1394a connector (shown below).
Two of the added pins provide a "grounded shield" to protect the other wires from interference, and the third added pin does nothing at this time.
SENDING DATA VIA FIREWIRE
FireWire uses 64-bit fixed addressing, based on the IEEE 1212 standard.
There are three parts to each packet of information sent by a device over FireWire:
A 10-bit bus ID that is used to determine which FireWire bus the data came from
A 6-bit physical ID that identifies which device on the bus sent the data
A 48-bit storage area that is capable of addressing 256 terabytes of information for each node
For example :-
It takes four hops for Computer C to access the camera. Assuming all of the devices in this setup are equipped with FireWire 800, the camcorder can be up to 400 meters from Computer C.
FIREWIRE AND DIGITAL VIDEO
FireWire really shines when it comes to digital video applications. When you attach a camcorder to a computer using FireWire, the connection is amazing.
An important element of FireWire is the support
of digital devices. In data streams between the device
and the host in real-time with Guaranteed bandwidth
and no error correction.
When the computer-to-camera through FireWire, the camera can send the video in a steady flow to the computer without anything disrupting the process.
You can easily edit and create custom video projects using fast hard drives, a digital camcorder and a computer.
FURTHER APPLICATIONS AND THE FUTURE OF FIREWIRE:
The IEEE 1394b spec can be used in airplanes to connect the video source with each passenger's in-seat built-in monitor.
With CPUs not being very efficient at streaming media and data.
FireWire 400 has the ability to handle hundreds of channels of noise free digital audio and up to 256 channels of MIDI. FireWire 800 can handle twice as many real- time streams.
The 1394b provides significant amounts of bus power (up to 25 watts) drive users with portable computers and peripherals that want to use casual storage will not need a battery-powered drive.