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Firewire 400 to 1394?

  • 15-08-2009 4:02pm
    #1
    Nephew
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,340 ✭✭✭


    I bought a firewire external drive but I never realised there were different generations of firewire until I got it. My external drive is firewire 400 and my laptop has a firewire 1394 port.

    Is firewire 400 slower than 1394 or is 1394 just a variation of the firewire cable connector like micro usb?

    I'm guessing I can buy an adapter that will enable a firewire 400 cable to fit a 1394 port but is it worth it or should I just use the usb cable?


Comments

  • #2
    Spear
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Help & Feedback Category Moderators Posts: 25,758 CMod ✭✭✭✭Spear


    Nephew wrote: »
    I bought a firewire external drive but I never realised there were different generations of firewire until I got it. My external drive is firewire 400 and my laptop has a firewire 1394 port.

    Is firewire 400 slower than 1394 or is 1394 just a variation of the firewire cable connector like micro usb?

    I'm guessing I can buy an adapter that will enable a firewire 400 cable to fit a 1394 port but is it worth it or should I just use the usb cable?

    1394 refers to the IEEE 1394 standard, not the speed.


  • #3
    Nephew
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,340 ✭✭✭Nephew


    Thanks. So if I buy an adapter for the firewire 400 cable it'll be faster than usb 2?

    Btw I can't see any adapters other than firewire 400 to 800, does anyone know where I can pick up one that would fit a 1394 port?


  • #4
    Spear
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Help & Feedback Category Moderators Posts: 25,758 CMod ✭✭✭✭Spear


    Nephew wrote: »
    Thanks. So if I buy an adapter for the firewire 400 cable it'll be faster than usb 2?

    Btw I can't see any adapters other than firewire 400 to 800, does anyone know where I can pick up one that would fit a 1394 port?

    No, USB 2 is a max of 480 megabit a second. Firewire A is a max of 400 megs a second.

    Check the versions and connectors here.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firewire


  • #5
    snappieT
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,357 ✭✭✭snappieT


    1394 is just another name for Firewire. Firewire is the consumer end name for the standard declared in IEEE 1394.

    I was pretty sure that the speeds were interoperable. What you may have is the 6 pin connection (larger, about the size of USB, carries power too) on one end, and the 4 pin connection (smaller, about the size of mini USB, doesn't carry power) on the other. I'm sure you can get adaptors if the PC is supplying power that the drive doesn't need. If it's the reverse, you'll have to get a card for the PC to make it supply power.


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