from
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)
High Performance Serial Bus
1394
FireWire
IEEE 1394
<bus, standard> (Or "{IEEE} 1394", "FireWire", "I-Link") A
1995 {Macintosh}/{IBM PC} serial bus interface standard
offering high-speed communications and {isochronous}
{real-time} data services.
1394 can transfer data between a computer and its
{peripherals} at 100, 200, or 400 {Mbps}, with a planed
increase to 2 {Gbps}. Cable length is limited to 4.5 m but up
to 16 cables can be daisy-chained yielding a total length of
72 m.
It can {daisy-chain} together up to 63 peripherals in a
tree-like structure (as opposed to {SCSI}'s linear structure).
It allows peer-to-peer device communication, such as
communication between a {scanner} and a {printer}, to take
place without using system memory or the {CPU}. It is
designed to support {plug-and-play} and {hot swapping}. Its
six-wire cable is not only more convenient than SCSI cables
but can supply up to 60 watts of power, allowing
low-consumption devices to operate without a separate power
cord.
Some expensive camcorders have included this bus since Autumn
1995. It is expected to be used to carry {SCSI}, with
possible application to {home automation} using {repeaters}.
See also {Universal Serial Bus}, {FC-AL}.
(2000-09-03)