In principle, it seems easy enough: moving binary data from point A to point B. Simply hook up some sort of cable, and let the data flow. Ah, but enter the devilish details. In practice, it’s somewhat harder. First, an interconnection’s physical specifications must be defined. What kind of plugs and sockets do you want? Do you want to use copper wire, or fiber optics? Think carefully, because those decisions will determine how quickly the data can flow through the interconnection. Come to think of it, you better decide what the data rate should be. That depends on whether you’ll be sending text, audio, or video, or all of the above. And do you need data in real-time, in a steady stream without interruptions? How many devices do you need to connect?
Next there’s the system architecture. If you want to connect more than two devices, you have to decide on some kind of addressing. Data could flow from one point to many in a star configuration. Or it might flow from one device to another in a daisy chain. Should a host computer be involved in all this, or could two peripherals talk to each other without a PC? Don’t forget that you’ll need layers of protocol software to make the interconnection smart. Of course, you must also design software and hardware to format the data prior to transmission. What other kind of support data should accompany the payload data? How should the binary signal be represented – what kind of modulation do you want? Another thing–would you like to carry some DC voltage along with the data, to power remote devices? After only a minute of thought, you realize that moving data, especially in real time, is far from easy.
In fact, interconnection standards present many complicated problems. It takes lots of work to devise a good standard, and even more work to get everyone to agree to compatibly use it. In practice, there are already dozens of ways to convey digital data between devices, and they’re 100% incompatible. Each one has carved out a little niche, conveying its own part of the larger digital stream. So, most computers still bristle with an array of connections. Wouldn’t it be terrific if there was one method that would allow fast data transfer between all sorts of digital devices? All of which bring us to FireWire, an interconnection standard that is poised to maybe, or maybe not, make it easy to connect diverse audio/video devices, and help inaugurate the dawning era of new consumer digital conveniences essential to information appliances.
FireWire is an interconnection standard that allows high-speed data transfer. It is relatively inexpensive and is designed primarily for consumer applications, like downloading video data from a camcorder to a computer for desktop editing. Although fairly old–um, mature–(the basic standard was approved in 1995) it is increasingly emerging as a powerful force to bind together the growing number of information appliances that will merge personal computer and consumer electronics technology. This market demands compatible connectivity, and ease of setup and use, and FireWire provides those key features.
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