[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


More information about the mythtv-users mailing list