FireWire and the IEEE 1394 Standard

FireWire is a high-speed serial bus used to connect peripherals to a computer, standardised by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers as IEEE 1394. It was designed to move large amounts of data quickly and reliably, which made it popular for digital video cameras, external hard drives and audio equipment. Apple promoted the name FireWire, while other companies used different names for the same standard, but all refer to the IEEE 1394 interface.

As a serial interface, FireWire sends data one bit at a time over a small number of conductors, which keeps cables manageable while still achieving high throughput. It supports connecting several devices together and can supply power to some of them over the same cable. A useful feature for video work is its support for guaranteed, time-sensitive transfers, which suits streaming media that must arrive at a steady rate rather than in unpredictable bursts.

The standard evolved over time. A later revision, sometimes called IEEE 1394b, roughly doubled the available speed and added support for longer cable runs. FireWire competed with other peripheral interfaces, notably USB, and although USB eventually became more widespread on consumer computers, FireWire remained valued in professional audio and video settings for its sustained data rates. The unrelated IEEE 1284 standard, by contrast, governs the parallel printer port rather than this serial bus.

Frequently asked questions

What is FireWire used for?

It is a high-speed serial connection used for devices such as digital video cameras, external drives and professional audio equipment.

Is FireWire the same as IEEE 1394?

Yes. FireWire is a brand name for the IEEE 1394 standard, which other manufacturers also marketed under different names.

What did IEEE 1394b add?

It increased the available transfer speed over the earlier version and supported longer cable lengths.