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| 1394 Series |
| Q1: What is IEEE 1394a? |
Ans: IEEE 1394a is a high-speed serial bus standard. Apple named this bus as FireWire, and Sony calls it i.LINK, but all these names refer to the same technology, though the term IEEE 1394a (or simply 1394a) is more commonly used. IEEE 1394a provides plug-and-play capability, and offers the PC with a compatible interface for extension. It supports isochronous (real-time) data transport, which is ideal for consumer electronic audio/video products, external storage, and portable devices. In addition, a PC equipped with 1394a can offer
- high-speed connection—IEEE 1394a offers up to 400 Mbps of transfer rate;
- automatic configuration—device addressing is processed automatically, thus eliminating the possibility of conflict; and
- daisy-chain connection—for up to 63 devices.
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| Q2: What are some applications of the IEEE 1394a interface? |
| Ans: Besides connecting a digital video recorder for video and audio editing, the IEEE 1394a interface can be used to connect a multitude of external peripherals, providing a transfer rate of 400 Mbps. Moreover, the peer-to-peer connectivity is also an advantageous feature of IEEE 1394a, which reduces the cost and the hassle of setup and configuration when building a small network, and its data transfer rate is no less than that of a traditional Ethernet network. |
| Q3: How are the 1394a's connector pins defined? |
 Ans: The following figure illustrates the pin definitions of the 1394a connectors. For more details, please download 1394_1.pdf. |
| Q4: Does 1394a have crossover cables? |
| Ans: Please download 1394_2.pdf for your reference. |
| Q5: How do I transfer files between two computers using the 1394a interface? |
Ans: If both computers have a 1394a socket, connect them with a regular 1394a cable, and the 1394a bridge (a built-in feature of Windows XP) will be activated automatically. With the Internet Protocol (IP) addresses properly configured, the two computers can transfer files as they would on a traditional Ethernet network. |
| Q6: How do I connect a 1394a-equiped device to a computer? |
Ans: Connect one end of a 1394a cable to the device, and the other end to the computer. The cable must be no longer than 4.5 meters. Each piece of cable in a daisy-chain network is called a hop. There can be up to 16 hops (for a total of 72 meters) between any two devices. Moreover, when 1394a bridges are used, a network can consist of up to 64,449 devices.
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| Q7: When should I install the driver for a 1394a device? |
| Ans: The driver and the accompanied application program should be installed when the device is connected to, and detected by, the system for the first time. Different types of 1394a devices may require different drivers. After the driver is properly installed for a particular device, you may remove and reconnect the device without having to reinstall the driver. As you reconnect the device, the system will automatically load the associated driver. |
| Q8: Is 1394a hot pluggable? |
| Ans: Yes, 1394a is hot pluggable, which means a 1394a device can be removed without shutting down the system. However, some devices need to be shut down before the removal. Please check the instruction manual for your device or contact the manufacturer for details. |
| Q9:What is IEEE 1394a's transfer rate? |
| Ans: The IEEE 1394a supports transfer rates of 100, 200, and 400 Mbps. It is, therefore, ideal for connecting hard drives, CD or DVD drives, and other peripherals that require a high transfer rate. |
| Q10: What is the maximum distance between any two 1394a devices? |
| Ans: Cable is the primary medium for transferring data between 1394a devices To support the maximum 400 Mbps transfer rate, the cable can be no longer than 4.5 meters. For 200 Mbps transfer rate, the distance can be extended to 14 meters. |
| Q11: What is the difference between a 4-pin and a 6-pin IEEE 1394a connector? |
 Ans: The 6-pin connector has a power pin and a ground pin, whereas the 4-pin connector has neither. |
| Q12: Can a 1394a interface card be used in a Windows 98 or NT system? |
Ans: No, the 1394a interface card requires Windows 98 Second Edition or later. All earlier versions of Windows do not support the OHCI 1394a. |
| Q13: What is the OHCI 1394a? |
Ans: OHCI stands for Open Host Controller Interface. Please download 1394_3.pdf for details. |
| Q14: Do I need to configure the IRQ or I/O settings for 1394a? |
| Ans: Manual configuration of the 1394a IRQ or I/O is not necessary for Windows, but it is required for DOS. |
| Q15: Does 1394a support peer-to-peer or hub connection? |
| Ans: Yes, any two 1394a devices can be connected either directly to each other or through a hub. |
| Q16: Is IEEE 1394a a superior interface over RS-232, Parallel Port, and USB? |
| Ans: Yes, IEEE 1394a is superior in many ways, such as support for plug-and-play and hot plugging, worry-free compatibility among hardware, software, and systems, and lower support cost for manufacturers. |
| Q17: What are some key features of IEEE 1394a? |
| Ans: IEEE 1394a supports a maximum transfer rate of 400 Mbps, hot plugging, peer-to-peer connection, asynchronous transfer, and isochronous transfer. |
| Q18: What is the difference between VT6306 and VT6307 in terms of features? |
| Ans: Please download 1394_4.pdf for your reference. |
| Q19: What is going on when your 1394 devices fail to response while writing data to SPB2 devices in MS Windows XP? |
| Ans: It may be the cause of a known bug in MS Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2). VNT is currently working with Microsoft to resolve this issue. A new hotfix will be available in the near future for download. |
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