PC Interfaces 101

IEEE-1394 / Firewire / i.Link

Firewire cable with 6-pin connector on one side, and a 4-pin connector on the other

IEEE-1394 is the formal name for the serial interface commonly used for connecting digital video cameras (camcorders), external drives and various networked devices; it is also called Firewire (Apple's name) and i.Link (from Sony). At present, the 400 Mbps IEEE-1394 standard is being superseded by 800 Mbps IEEE-1394b (also known as Firewire-800). Ordinary Firewire devices connect through a 6-lead assembly that provides power through the link; the 4-lead version lacks power capability. Firewire-800 devices, on the other hand, use 9-lead cables and connectors.

This Firewire card offers two large 6-pin ports with one smaller 4-pin variant

Detail: the 6-pin connector with integrated power leads

Detail: the 4-pin connector without power leads, typical for digital video cameras (camcorders) and notebooks