Difference Between USB and FireWire

USB which is short for Universal Serial Bus, and FireWire are two of the most common types of interface connections of devices to computers. Both offer certain features and benefits, which are unique and knowing the disparity is useful when making comparisons and selections on which to use in various contexts. This article will also teach the reader about both USB and FireWire, as well as compare their capabilities and uses.

USB (Universal Serial Bus)

USB stands for Universal Serial Bus – it is a general interface for many types of accessories. Specifically, USB is a name commonly used to describe the connections or equipment utilized to establish a link between external equipment and computers.

Universal Serial Bus now has a new name USB and has been a very successful standard. Computer accessories including printers, scanners, keyboards, mice, flash drives, external hard drives, laptops, etc are connected through USB ports and cables.

USB was created in 1990 in a bid to have a common port for computers as well as other appliances to connect with. This tool is widely used because of the availability of high compatibility with various platforms and operation systems. The mode of implementation of USB is inexpensive and it is easy to use.

Types of USB Connector

• USB - A
• USB - B
• USB - C
• USB Micro-A
• USB Micro-B
• USB Mini-B (5-Pin)
• USB Mini-B (4-Pin)
• USB 3.0 A
• USB 3.0 B
• USB 3.0 Micro B
• USB Micro - AB
• USB Mini- B (Fuji)

FireWire

FireWire is a I/O interface designed by Apple Computer. It is also called as FireWire, which is a trademarked name but the technical name standardized by the IEEE is IEEE 1394.

FireWire is a the real-time interface for serial bus and isochronous/synchronous data interchange between enabled devices. FireWire otherwise known as i.Link is a high speed data communication port which was used to connect personal computers, media and communication, and other professional-industrial and customer-usage technologies safely and effectively.

FireWire bus can connect up to 63 devices. Windows Operating System (98 and later) and MAC OS (8. 6 and later) /both. FireWire is an interface that started to be produced by Apple in the early 1990s. Introduced with some spectacular characteristics that the other connectors are not offering in that period of time.

Difference Between USB and FireWire

Conclusion

USB and fireWire or IEEE 1394 have contributed greatly to the development of computer link. USB was developed to be a general connection standard that is much easier to implement; as a result, it is the most popular standard for most consumer electronics products today. FireWire on the other hand had higher data transfer capabilities and had some special functions that were useful more in professional audio visual application. In that regard, the knowledge of the differences assists in arriving at the right decisions given certain scenarios where certain interfaces are appropriate to use as opposed to others.