[mythtv-users] OT: questions about FireWire
Wade Maxfield
mythtv at hotblack.co.nz
Tue Apr 1 22:11:26 UTC 2008
Marc Barrett wrote:
> I subscribe to a digital cable service through my cable TV
> service (Cox cable), and I recently had them give me a
> set-top box with HD capability. The box appears to have
> two FireWire IEEE-1394 ports, but I admit to being a
> complete newbie to FireWire. I haven't yet even gotten a
> FireWire card for the computer yet.
>
> My biggest question is, the FireWire ports on the cable box
> appear to be host-side ports. From what I have been
> able to gather, FW uses different connectors for host and
> client, like USB. The ports on the box appear to be the
> bigger host-side ports, and not the smaller client-side
> ports. So how would I use this with my PC? All FW cables
> I've looked at have the bigger host-side connector on one
> end and the smaller client-side connector on the other.
>
Firewire is peer to peer. There is no host/client ports.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firewire
Firewire 400 has 6 pins. iLink, which is on some DV camcorders, uses 4
pins since it leaves off the power connectors.
Normal FW400 cables have 6 pins at each end, while 6pin to 4pin cables
exist for connecting cameras to computers. Some PC laptops also seem to
use 4pin ports.
Then there's FW800 which uses a 9pin connector. You can get 9pin to
6pin cables in which case the item will run at FW400 speeds.
- Wade
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