What is the Difference Between USB and Firewire?
USB compared with FireWire USB was originally seen as a complement to FireWire (IEEE 1394), which was designed as a high-speed serial bus which could efficiently interconnect peripherals such as hard disks, audio interfaces, and video equipment. USB originally operated at a far lower data rate and used much simpler hardware, and was suitable for small peripherals such as keyboards and mice. The most significant technical differences between FireWire and USB include the following: * USB networks use a tiered-star topology, while FireWire networks use a repeater-based topology. * USB uses a “speak-when-spoken-to” protocol; peripherals cannot communicate with the host unless the host specifically requests communication. A FireWire device can communicate with any other node at any time, subject to network conditions. * A USB network relies on a single host at the top of the tree to control the network. In a FireWire network, any capable node can control the network. * USB runs with a 5 V p
USB and Firewire are competing standards for data transfer ports on computers and digital devices. Each uses a proprietary architecture and has advantages and disadvantages. Understanding the finer points can help consumers choose which types of products to buy. In most cases the result is using some devices with USB ports and others with Firewire. USB and Firewire come from two separate camps: USB from the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), and Firewire originated with Apple™ Computer, though the specification has had contributions from major companies such as Sony, Texas Instruments and IBM. Apple’s engineers first designed Firewire in the 1980s as an internal technology for high-speed data transfer in hard drives. Realizing its potential for external devices, Apple eventually presented the Firewire specification to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). In December 1995, Firewire was officially released as specification IEEE 1394, with speeds ranging from 100 mb
” Steven Shippy, from France, wrote in to say: I am constantly seeing different devices being advertised with either USB or Firewire connections. We get digital cameras and hard disks and keyboards with one or the other. What’s the difference between them, and which one is best? Firewire, also known as iEEE 1394 and I-link, runs at 400mbps. USB runs at a measly 12, but USB 2 came along in 2002 and takes that speed up to 480mbps. A Firewire connector would connect a digital video camera into a Firewire port on your PC. It is the kind of thing you would use to dub digital video from your camera into your PC before you edit it. USB is the cable that has pretty much won the battle. You will find many many more USB periphrials than you will Firewire (keyboards, mice, hard disks, everything). The USB B connector one is for things like USB hubs. Most new PCs have a whole load of USB free slots waiting to be used, into which you can put a printer and a mouse and a keyboard and a hard disk and
