How do you connect a device to your computer? Through ports, of course. Just plug in your device to the port, and ..wait a minute, the plug will not fit into the port! This might happen, if you are trying to connect a FireWire plug device, to your computer's USB port. So what is a FireWire port, and what is the difference between it and a USB port? Once you are savvy with the real deal, the most obvious question is "Can you convert FireWire to USB?". To find out the answers to these questions, read on, for an in-depth look at these two port specifications.
What is a Firewire Connection?
The official classification name for FireWire is IEEE 1394 interface. A FireWire connection has the same purpose as a USB connection : it connects 1 device to another, and allows for real-time data transfer. As a standard, 1394 was developed in 1986, by Apple, who gave it the brand name "FireWire". Other companies such as Sony and Texas Instruments have their own brand of the 1394 interface, named i.Link and Lynx respectively.
What is a USB Connection?
USB stands for Universal Serial Bus. It is a standard used to connect peripherals to a computer. The whole concept of plug-and-play is due to the USB specification. USB ports provide power to the device connected to them, so an external power supply is not needed to power the device, when it is being used. The USB standard has nearly wiped out the need for serial and parallel ports.
FireWire vs USB
The idea and job of both FireWire and USB connectors is the same. They allow for multiple devices and peripherals, to be connected at a time to a PC. They are both plug-and-play enabled, where you plug the device into the port, and the PC's OS detects it automatically. Hot plugging is another shared feature, where you can add and remove a device from a computer, while the PC is on, and the change is automatically detected. Both specifications have replaced serial and parallel connections, in the electronics market.
The first difference is their physical appearance, albeit slightly. FireWire ports have four corners, with rounded edges, while USB ports have a firm square appearance. FireWire ports connect vertically, while USB ports are placed horizontally and connect that way as well. Each specification has a different symbol. The USB logo is a black trident (♆), originating from a large circle, and horizontal. FireWire has a Y-shaped logo, with dashes and a hollow circle, in the center. A vague form is ♈.
The major difference between the 2 standards, is compatibility and speed. FireWire will support a maximum of 63 devices at a time, while USB will support 127. A more advanced difference, is that USB connections are host-based, they require a bus master to allow connections. So for 2 devices to connect, they need a computer in the middle. FireWire is a peer-to-peer network, one device is master, one device is the slave. So you can connect 2 video cameras together, without a PC.
When it comes to data speed and transfer rate, FireWire is a much faster and effective connection. It supports data transfer rate of 400 Mbps in FireWire 400 standard, and 800 Mbps in its 800 standard. A USB 2.0 standard allows up to 480Mbps. So a major advantage that FireWire has over a USB connection, is faster transfer rates in real-time, with no degradation in quality of data. Also low-speed and high-speed devices can be connected on the same network, with no compromise in overall speed. It is this characteristic of FireWire, that has made it a necessary connection on devices like digital cameras, digital audio players, video editing equipment, VCR etc.
For transferring audio and video data at a high speed, a FireWire connector is a must. But such features also make FireWire, a more expensive and hence rarer connector. The popularity of USB connectors is due to their low cost and lack of need for such high speed data transfer in ordinary PC's. Since a lot of camera equipment and other media devices have FireWire and your PC might not, the next question is "can you convert FireWire to USB?".
Can You Convert FireWire to USB?
The answer is both yes and no. There are hardware differences between the 2 specifications, that does not allow conversions. Another issue is the actual technology. A FireWire connection is designed to transfer large amounts of data at a higher speed, a USB connection is not. So if you thought you could speed up your USB connection, by making it FireWire, tough luck. But what if you have a device, say a video recorder, with a FireWire port, and a PC with only USB ports? The 2 ports are physically and functionally different, but you need to connect the recorder to the PC. The solution here is to use a FireWire to USB adapter .
☛ Plug the FireWire cable, provided with the recorder into the FireWire port on the recorder.
☛ Plug the other end of the cable into the FireWire-to-USB adapter, firmly, such that the cable is completely inside the adapter.
☛ The other end of the adapter is a USB connector, so connect it to any USB port on your computer. Connection done.
A nifty little adapter can allow your FireWire port-only device to connect to your USB port PC. This is because one end is a USB, one end is a FireWire connector. Such adapters, or little plugs cost around $5. You can even opt for an extension cable or wire, to allow for an easier connection. Some adapter models are:
- TRENDnet USB / FireWire Adapter for TC-NT2 ($15)
- Importer520 USB 2.0 to IEEE 1394 FireWire 4 Pin 4 feet Extension Cable ($2)
- Sima SUO-200 USB Multi Cable with FireWire ($16)
But such a connection will not give you the high data transfer rate of a normal FireWire to FireWire connection. The computer will accept and send data, at the USB rate of 480 Mbps. There are also power issues between the 2 different standards. A much safer option, especially for long-term use is to use a hub or install a PCI FireWire card. The PCI card can be inserted into a laptop or PC and installed. So your computer will have FireWire ports, and the high-speed advantage is also present. Some models are:
- HDE 7 Port USB Squid Hub ($6)
- Sonnet Technologies USB/FireWire Expresscard 34 ($50)
- IOGEAR Universal Hub GUH420 ($30)
- StarTech 2 Port ExpressCard Laptop 1394a ($45)
- Belkin FireWire 6-Port Hub ($40)
While every computer has USB ports and they are easily identifiable, your computer might have a FireWire port, and you can't find it or have confused it for USB. The best way is to look for the logo. All ports are at the back of the CPU, for desktops, and at the side of the body for laptops. Take a closer look at the ports and you might find a FireWire port, hiding among the others. Hopefully the above research has put any "Can you convert FireWire to USB?" questions to rest.
