IEEE 1394 FireWire Connectors: Legacy Backplane Applications
IEEE 1394, also known as FireWire, is a high-speed serial bus that supports both asynchronous and isochronous communication between a computer and a peripheral. While largely replaced by USB, it is still used with older equipment. This connector is used between cards on the same backplane, cards on other backplanes, and external peripherals .
Technical Specifications:
Standards: IEEE Std 1212-2001 (CSR architecture), up to 2008 revision
Positions: FireWire has 4 pins, FireWire 400 has 6 pins, FireWire 800 has 9 pins
Pitch: 2 mm
Termination: Solder or plug-in
Current: 1.5A to 500mA
Maximum cable length: 4.5m (FireWire 400), 100m (FireWire 800)
Market Status:
Apple announced that beginning with OS Tahoe, it would no longer support FireWire. Legacy equipment users will have to maintain older hardware to use this interface. Due to obsolescence, many manufacturers no longer produce it, but it remains available from distributors including Avnet, DigiKey, Molex, Mouser Electronics, and TE Connectivity .
Applications: Consumer, industrial, datacom, and automotive systems, including home theater systems, video editing systems, car audio systems, and high-speed devices requiring large digital data transfers .
