Add Firewire 800 To Your PC in Minutes and Boost Your Video Transfer Speed

This high-speed interface has become a hot new standard for connecting peripherals (no pun intended). Created by Apple Computer in the mid-1990's, Firewire can be used to connect devices such as digital video cameras, hard drives, audio interfaces, and MP3 players, such as the Apple iPod, to your computer. A standard Firewire connection can transfer data at 400 Mbps, which is roughly 30 times faster than USB 1.1. This blazing speed allows for quick transfers of large video files, which is great for video-editing professionals. If 400 Mbps is still not fast enough, Apple Computer released new PowerMacs with Firewire 800 ports in early 2003. These ports support data transfer rates of 800 Mbps -- twice the speed of the original Firewire standard.

Add Firewire 800 To Your PC– Fast Video Transfer

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The number of PC connections that have come out in the last few years is dizzying. How do all the various PC connectors compare and what are they designed for?Recent device connectors and soon to be released connectors we discuss in this article include the following:USB 3.1 (USB 3.1 Gen. 2)USB 3.0 (USB 3.1 Gen. 1)USB 2.0USB CThunderbolt 3Thunderbolt 2Thunderbolt 1Display Port 1.3Display Port 1.2Display Port (also called DP) is used primarily for video output, but Display Port connectors are now being paired up with Thunderbolt and USB to offer lightning fast data (and even power connections) for a myriad of external devices. Let's take a look at what makes USB, Thunderbolt, and Display Port connectors similar and what makes them different from one another.What is Thunderbolt?Thunderbolt is the latest technology for connecting external devices to your PC, and is replacing Firewire (1394) as the standard connection for audio recording interfaces and pro video devices.Thunderbolt is made to losslessly daisy chain up to 6 devices, and can also provide up to 10 watts of power to those devices (Thunderbolt 3 will offer 15 to 100 watts of power). Thunderbolt solves computer cable clutter issues which can be increasingly more annoying with an increase in computer devices. Thunderbolt can be daisy chained with up to six Thunderbolt devices of varying types, from external hard drives, to high-end audio interfaces, to high-definition monitors, to hubs, to docks, to expansion chassis, etc.Many audio and video professionals already own Firewire devices, and many audio and video devices are still being produced with Firewire connectors, but these Firewire devices are primarily switching over to Thunderbolt. Because Thunderbolt is newer technology compared to Firewire (and is still in the process of rapidly evolving), Thunderbolt devices can still be somewhat pricey compared to Firewire and USB devices. However, the benefit of using Thunderbolt over Firewire, USB 3.0, and even USB 3.1 is staggering.Thunderbolt 2 Vs Firewire 800 Is Thunderbolt Better?Hands down, yes. Thunderbolt versus Firewire, Thunderbolt 2 wins. Thunderbolt 2 is faster (about 20 times faster). Thunderbolt sends data in the same way Firewire does (in a steady stream). Unlike Firewire, Thunderbolt is TRULY daisy-chainable (losslessly- without any issues). However, Thunderbolt is fairly new and is changing quickly. A new Thunderbolt (Thunderbolt 3) is due out at the end of 2015. Thunderbolt 3 will be compatible with the Thunderbolt 2/Thunderbolt using a Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt adapter.However, there are also lot of Firewire devices out there. As of the release of Thunderbolt 2, PC motherboard manufacturers opted to require separate Thunderbolt 2 cards in order to access Thunderbolt. Additionally, you have to purchase a motherboard capable of accepting those Thunderbolt 2 cards. You can add a Ti1394 Firewire card to almost any PC motherboard. So, Firewire (because it is so affordable and convenient) is still around for the time being, even for audio and video work. This may change as Thunderbolt 3 rolls out. Motherboard manufacturers should embrace Thunderbolt 3 technology to a greater extent than they did with Thunderbolt 2, because of the speed gains of Thunderbolt 3, as well as increased features and compatibility.Thunderbolt 3 A Game ChangerThunderbolt 3 is due to start shipping during the last quarter of 2015. Thunderbolt 3 will utilize a different connector than Thunderbolt/Thunderbolt 2 (using the physical port of USB C and Display Port 1.3). At 40 Gbps, Thunderbolt 3 doubles its theoretical potential for speed when compared to Thunderbolt 2 (20 Gbps). Thunderbolt 3 (40 Gbps) is QUADRUPLE the speed of the original Thunderbolt, as well as being quadruple the speed of the recently released USB 3.1 ports. Furthermore, unlike previous versions of Thunderbolt, users will be able to use Thunderbolt 3 ports as a Display Port or as a USB 3.1-C port (USB 3.1's compact port). Thunderbolt 3 will be able to provide 15 watts of power (with up to a 100 watts of optional power) to their devices. This means (assuming the device has a compatible connector), that users will be able to charge their docks and cell phones and other USB and Thunderbolt devices using a Thunderbolt 3 port.Thunderbolt 3 will also offer users a variety of connectors in order to keep prices down for the differing needs of various users. The first Thunderbolt 3 cable choice will be a USB-C compatible copper cable with transfer rates of up to 20 Gb/s. The second Thunderbolt 3 cable choice will be a USB-C compatible copper cable with transfer rates of up to 40 Gb/s. The third Thunderbolt 3 cable choice will be a USB-C compatible optical cable which will be capable of transfer rates of up to 40 Gb/s over longer distances (out sometime in 2016). Thunderbolt 3 will also be able to be used with previous versions of Thunderbolt cables and devices with the use of a Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt Adapter.Additionally, Thunderbolt 3 will be capable of external graphics support, dual 4K video support, single cable docking with charging, and 10Gb/s Ethernet. Thunderbolt Networking (Thunderbolt 3) will easily bridges small workgroups, as well as making PC migration a snap.Thunderbolt 2 Vs USB 3.1 Is Thunderbolt Better?Well, yes, Thunderbolt 2 is faster. USB 3.1 runs at 10Gb/s. USB 3.0 runs at 5Gb/s. Thunderbolt runs at 20Gb/s (well really 16.8Gb/s - it uses 2 PCIe 2.0 lanes to operate). Thunderbolt wins in terms of speed. But, Thunderbolt is expensive and USB is everywhere. No one will use Thunderbolt as an alternative to USB (at least until Thunderbolt 3 is released).Thunderbolt SpeedBy far the biggest benefit of switching over to Thunderbolt is the amount of data throughput available. Thunderbolt has a maximum speed of 10 Gb/s, Thunderbolt 2 has a maximum speed of 20 Gb/s, and Thunderbolt 3 has a maximum speed of of 40 Gb/s, compared to 800 Mb/s for Firewire 800, 5 Gb/s for USB 3.0, and 10 Gb/s for USB 3.1. And, unlike USB, Thunderbolt devices transfer isochronously (in a steady stream), making it ideal for audio and video production.

Although Thunderbolt 2 can operate at 20Gb/s, Thunderbolt 2 runs along 4X PCIe 2.0 bus lanes. Since the effective rate of each PCIe 2.0 bus lane is 500 MB/s, the effective maximum rate of Thunderbolt 2 in actuality is 2000MB/s or 16.8 Gb/s. This is still just as fast as any other connection (the same as the maximum theoretical speed of PCI-Express hard drives and M.2 hard drives). But, since these drives have read/write speeds that are significantly less than their theoretical speeds, they cannot actually operate at this speed. The Thunderbolt 2 connection is still the fastest external connection available until Thunderbolt 3 comes out.Thunderbolt 3 will operate at a maximum of 40 Gb/s, using 4X PCIe 3.0 bus lanes. However, since the effective rate of each PCIe 3.0 bus lane is 985 MB/s, the effective maximum rate of Thunderbolt 3 will actually be about 32.05 Gb/s. This will still be more than three times the speed of USB 3.1 and faster than any other external connector available.What Is USB-C?USB-C is the latest USB connector, which will eventually make connecting devices to your PC simpler and easier. USB-C is fully USB 3.1 and as such is capable of 10 Gb/s (assuming your device is capable of 10 Gb/s). It is a compact and fully reversible USB. This means that USB-C will have ends that don't have a right way or wrong way up or down, and both ends of a USB-C adapter are designed to be exactly the same. Either end of USB-C is able to be plugged into the USB-C ports on your PC, laptop, or device.USB 3.1, also called Super Speed USB, is available on two different types of ports - standard USB 3.1 ports and USB-C. Standard USB 3.1 ports are not the same thing as USB-C. Standard USB 3.1 ports will also operate at up to 10 Gb/s. Standard USB 3.1 ports are completely backwards compatible with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0. USB-C on the other hand, would require an adapter in order to be used with a USB 3.0 or USB 2.0 cable.USB-C devices are just beginning to be developed. But, given some time most devices from laptops, to hubs, to printers, to netbooks, to cell phones will likely come with a USB-C port. USB-C can supply up to 100 watts of power to devices, so USB-C should decrease cable clutter as well. It is also possible that some USB-C cables will support Display Port.Thunderbolt and USB-CThunderbolt 3 will use USB-C type cables for Thunderbolt 3 cables (due out at the end of 2015). Thunderbolt 3 will use Thunderbolt, Display Port, USB 3.1, and PCIe protocols in their port and cables. This means that a Thunderbolt 3 port and cable will be able to be used as a USB-C connector as well as Thunderbolt 3. It will also be able to supply video output to Display Port monitors.Daisy Chaining Thunderbolt, Firewire, and USB DevicesFirewire Although Firewire was developed with the ability to daisy chain devices, doing so with critical devices such as audio interfaces, has always been problematic. This is because 1394 (Firewire) uses a dedicated bus to allow a direct path from your recording device to the computer. When Firewire is daisy chained for audio recording, you can run into throughput bottlenecks, resulting in stuttering in your recordings, or requiring you to be limit yourself to lower-quality audio to make up for throughput issues. 2ff7e9595c