FireWire
IEEE 1394 / FireWire 400
Invented in
1995
Invented by
Apple, with the IEEE
Availability
Legacy / rare
A high-speed serial bus championed by Apple for fast, real-time transfer, camcorders, external drives and audio interfaces. Its peer-to-peer design let devices talk to each other without a computer in the middle.
Technical specifications
Introduced1995
SignalHigh-speed serial
Speed400 Mb/s (S400)
Max cable~4.5 m / hop
Found on
a cameraan external drivea mixer / interface
Recommended brands
01Lindy
02StarTech
03Roline
Where to buy
Europe-focused retailer searches. Some links are affiliate links and may earn a commission.
Common adapters and cables
Thunderbolt to FireWire adapter
Keeps old audio interfaces and camcorders alive.
Fun fact
It could supply power and daisy-chain devices, and was the standard for digital video for years, before USB caught up.
Tips & tricks
Watch the variants: 4-pin (no power), 6-pin, and 9-pin FW800. Use an adapter, never force.
Philosophy
Fast, elegant and ahead of its time, FireWire lost the standards war but earned a cult following. The best tech does not always win.
Applications
DataVideo / SATPro audio
