I often see questions from people trying to install IEEE 1394 — more commonly known as Firewire — devices in Linux. Some newer distributions support FireWire “out of the box,” but not all FireWire hardware is compatible with Linux. This month’s column answers some burning questions about FireWire.
I often see questions from people trying to install IEEE 1394 — more commonly known as Firewire — devices in Linux. Some newer distributions support FireWire “out of the box,” but not all FireWire hardware is compatible with Linux. This month’s column answers some burning questions about FireWire.
The IEEE 1394 standard defines a high speed serial bus capable of data transfer rates of up to 400 Mbps (in 1394a), and 800 Mbps (in 1394b), and capable of connecting (via daisy-chaining) up to 63 external devices to a single IEEE 1394 port. In addition to its high speed, IEEE 1394 is isochronous, meaning that it can guarantee a specific data rate. This makes it ideal for applications that require real-time, high-speed transfers, such as video composition. Unlike USB, IEEE 1394 can communicate peer-to-peer, without the need for a PC.
If you want to connect a FireWire device to your Linux machine, start by checking your distribution’s hardware compatibility list (HCL) to make sure the device is supported. (In general, devices based on the Texas Instruments PCILynx/ PCILynx2 and OHCI-compliant chipsets are supported; devices with the proprietary Sony chipset found in various VAIO systems or the Adaptec AIC-5800 are not. However, some Sony products, such as the VAIO CXD3222, actually have an OHCI compliant chipset in them.) If the device you’d like to install isn’t listed in your distro’s HCL, check a more device-specific HCL. If you find your device there but not on your distribution’s list,…
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