Apr 04, 2018 FireWire, just like your USB, is a very popular type of connector that can help you add peripheral devices to your computer. It has found use in most computers because of the speed it offers over a standard USB port. Devices that can benefit from the high-speed rate transfer include but are not. Previously called an IEEE 1394 port, a FireWire port is similar to a USB port in that it can connect multiple types of devices that require faster data transmission speeds, such as digital video cameras, digital VCRs, color printers, scanners, digital cameras, and DVD drives, to a single connector.
The different kinds of FireWire® connectors can be identified by the number of pins that they have, though a few different physical shapes are used as well. Two of the common versions of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1394 standard are FireWire® 400 and 800. The numbers refer primarily to transfer speeds, but each standard also uses a different number of pins. FireWire® 800 also uses a connector type that is substantially different from the others, as it is more square in shape while the previous types were flat with a notch or a pointed end. Some FireWire® connectors use different configurations, though they are less common.
Each version of the FireWire® standard uses a unique number of pins, offers varying transfer speeds, and in some cases also makes use of connectors that are shaped differently. These different connectors are not always directly compatible with each other, due to the differing pin configurations, sizes, and physical shapes. All of the versions of the FireWire® standard are compatible though, which means it is possible to bridge different FireWire® connectors using a variety of adapters and cables.
Types Of Firewire Ports In France
When FireWire® was first introduced, the connectors used four pins. This version of the standard is referred to as FireWire® 400, and it uses the smallest connector out of all the different versions of the standard. A variation on this connector type uses six pins instead, though the additional connections only provide power to external devices, and do not offer additional transfer speed. Both four and six-pin FireWire® connectors are referred to as alpha connectors, and the six-pin version is substantially larger.
- For example, Apple's newest MacBook Pro models feature several Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports. But the standard MacBook's single USB-C port lacks Thunderbolt 3 support. Because of all this, USB-C is a bit confusing. The port can either be a basic USB port similar to the ones above, or it can be a multi-purpose jack. This depends on the device.
- Sending Data via FireWire - Sending data via FireWire is possible from up to 400 meters away. Learn about the packets of information used for sending data via FireWire.
Types Of Firewire Connections
The third type of FireWire® connector is typically known as a beta connector. This connector uses nine pins and is physically larger than either the four or six-pin versions. Beta connectors are used with FireWire® 800 devices, though they are backward compatible with the correct adapters. When a FireWire® 800 device that is designed to use a beta connector is plugged into a FireWire® 400 device or port, performance and transfer speeds will typically suffer.
Types Of Firewire
There are a few other types of FireWire® connectors, including proprietary connector types that use different versions of the IEEE 1394 standard. One example is IEEE 1394c, which is a variation of the specification that is designed to use a traditional Ethernet connector and twisted pair cable. This version of the standard allows one port to function as both an Ethernet connection and an IEEE 1394c connection at the same time.