60 Advanced Features
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IEEE 1394 (FireWire)
FireWire is a high-speed data bus that is defined by IEEE Standard 1394-
1995. This protocol is a scalable, flexible, low-cost digital interface. It can
move large amounts of data between computers and peripheral devices,
using simplified cabling, hot-swapping, and transfer speeds up to 400 Mbps.
Because of the very high data rates that FireWire can handle, it is ideal for
use with multimedia devices such as digital video cameras and high-speed
hard drives and printers. FireWire speeds the transfer of multimedia data
and large files, enabling a PC to connect directly to digital consumer
products such as camcorders, video tape drives, video disks, high-resolution
scanners, and music systems.
Microsoft
®
Windows
®
2000 supports the IEEE 1394 standard, ensuring
that OSs, drivers, and applications work properly with any compliant
hardware. Your computer provides a standard IEEE 1394 connector on both
the front and back panels. See "Front View of the Computer (Doors Open)"
and "Back-Panel Features." This allows you use multiple external IEEE 1394
devices with your computer.
The OHCI standards allow Windows 2000 to support hard drives, CD and
DVD drives, and other devices through the Serial Bus Protocol (SBP-2)
driver. SCSI class drivers can then use SBP-2 to communicate with IEEE
1394 devices. For example, an IEEE 1394 CD drive can be supported by
SBP-2 and the existing SCSI driver architecture. For more information on
IEEE 1394, OHCI, and the SBP-2 driver, see your Windows documentation.
