IEEE1394 or FireWire is a serial data network which can operate at speeds from 100Mbps to 400Mbps. IEEE1394 uses isochronous transport for audio data. This simply means that the data stream is packaged into blocks, sent over the network as a series of data blocks, and then resequenced into a synchronous data stream at the destination. Effective bandwidth is dependent upon the speeds of the various devices in the network and how they are connected together.
The electrical physical layer is based upon LVDS type drivers. An optical physical layer is also under development. There are many consumer companies using IEEE1394 as the basis for their proprietary interconect systems. This includes Sony, Philips, Yamaha and others. Interoperability between these suppliers is limited.
The IEEE1394 firmware stack is large and complex, requiring a powerful processor. One significant factor with respect to IEEE1394 is that there are integrated solutions available which include the ability to provide content protection along with the data transport.Key advantages of this network are:
Key disadvantages of this network are:
For more information check out the 1394 Trade Association