A subset of the SCSI-3 standard, also known as IEEE 1394, Firewire is a new high speed data exchange protocol developed at Apple. Occasionally it is referred to as “serial SCSI” because it is a serial protocol and conforms to SCSI standards as well. It is now a common interface on new digital video equipment and is beginning to be used in audio as well. FireWire is fast: it starts at 100 Megabits per second and goes on up past 400 Mbs, easily handling the bandwidth required for a 30 frame-per-second 640×480 pixel datastream from a prosumer video camera. FireWire supports asynchronous (see WFTD archive asynchronous) transfers, as well as isochronous (see WFTD archive isochronous) transfers so that a stream of video from a video camera can co-exist on the same FireWire bus with another sending device, yet the bus will still carry the video images continuously without discontinuities. Another benefit of FireWire is that it is a hot swappable technology (see WFTD archive hot swap) and allows 63 devices on a buss with auto termination and identification.
Related Articles:
1
Brandon Ellis’s Tips for Killer Leads — “It’s More Important Than Ever to Sound Human”
2
The Akai MPK Mini Plus II Wants to Help You Write the Song
3
Yamaha Reface YC Demo
4
Bass This Deep in a Speaker This Small Would Be Impossible Without THIS
5
PRS Tekton: A First Look
6
Roland Jupiter-08 Mini Synth Demo
7
Building a Track from Scratch: Victor Wooten, Carl Verheyen, and Nick D'Virgilio Take the SSL EVO for a Spin
8
Audient Horizon Thunderbolt 3 Audio Interface Deep Dive
Inspiration. Information. Passion.
Being music makers ourselves, we love geeking out on all things gear. From the tweakiest techniques to the biggest ideas, our experts work hard to constantly supply inSync with a steady stream of helpful, in-depth demos, reviews, how-tos, news, and interviews. With over 28,000 articles and counting, inSync is your FREE resource for breaking news, reviews, demos, interviews, and more.