<hardware, standard> (Or IEEE 1394), formerly Firewire) A 1995 Macintosh/IBM PC serial bus interface standard offering high-speed communications and isochronous real-time data services.
1394 can transfer data between a computer and its peripherals at 100, 200, or 400 Mbps, with a planed increase to 1.2 Gbps. It is limited to 5m of cabling.
It can daisy-chain together up to 63 peripherals in a tree-like structure (as opposed to SCSI's linear structure). It allows peer-to-peer device communication, such as communication between a scanner and a printer, to take place without using system memory or the CPU. It is designed to support plug-and-play and allows connection and disconnection of devices without interrupting system operation. Its 6-wire cable is not only more convenient than the SCSI cables but can supply up to 60 watts of power, allowing low-consumption devices to operate without a separate power cord.
Some expensive camcorders have included this bus since Autumn 1995. It is expected to be used to carry SCSI, with possible application to home automation using repeaters.
See also Universal Serial Bus.
(25 May 1996)