What Is FireWire 1394?

A 6-pin to 6-pin FireWire 400 cable.

Common in professional and consumer video and audio setups, FireWire (also referred to as "IEEE 1394" and "i.LINK") is a high-speed digital interface technology used to connect devices like video cameras, sound cards and hard drives to computers.

History

First developed by Apple Computers, FireWire has become an industry standard serial bus interface for transferring data between devices that need to move a lot of data quickly. Although FireWire was first introduced by Apple in 1995, Sony, Texas Instruments and IBM all took part in the joint development process.

Types

A 4-pin to 6-pin FireWire 400 cable.

As of 2010, FireWire exists in two types: FireWire 400 (IEEE-1394a) and FireWire 800 (IEEE-1394b). FireWire 400 sends and receives data at speeds up to 400 MB/s. FireWire 800 sends and receives data at speeds up to 800 MB/s.

Functions

FireWire cables are used in most HD television boxes in the United States. FireWire is also the most common transfer protocol used in professional digital video and audio applications. A variety of other external devices, such as external hard drives, offer FireWire cables as a means of connecting to your computer.

References

• 1394 Trade Association: Consumer's FAQs
• Wise Geek: What is FireWire?