What’s a FireWire® port?

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FireWire® ports use technology to transfer data quickly between electronic devices. It was first included on digital video cameras in 1995 and is now used on numerous devices. FireWire® can connect with different devices, transfer data quickly, and provide lossless images. It can also establish connections between two independent devices and is commonly used in businesses for faster data transfer.

FireWire® ports are forms of a serial port that use FireWire® technology to quickly transfer data from one electronic device to another. This device has been in common use since 1995, when Apple, Inc. began including the port on a number of digital video cameras. Today it is used on numerous other devices.

As a cross-platform serial bus, the FireWire® port has the ability to interact with a number of different devices. For example, a FireWire® connection can provide an ideal way to connect a scanner to a computer system. Since the transfer rate of the port can reach up to 400Mbps, the data transfer is relatively fast and also results in excellent quality.

A similar approach is taken when uploading images captured from a digital camera to a computer hard drive. Using a FireWire® port can mean lossless images and are great candidates for printing after the download is complete. Once images have been uploaded, the storage drive on the camera can be erased, making the camera ready for further use.

However, the FireWire® port is not just for establishing a connection between various electronic devices and a computer system. In fact, FireWire® connections can be created directly between two independent devices. Today, there are small printers manufactured for direct use with a digital camera. Using a FireWire® port to establish a connection, the original file on the digital camera can be printed on the printer. This completely eliminates the need to upload photos to a hard drive and then start a print job.

The FireWire® port is so common today that most consumers don’t think twice. While very similar to USB 2.0, it offers faster transfer speeds between devices. This often makes the use of this type of port more desirable with portable devices, as well as devices where temporary rather than permanent storage is the primary focus. However, it should be noted that many businesses today use self-contained storage devices that have a FireWire® port. This is because the process of uploading or accessing stored files and other data is much faster when using this type of port.




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