| Firewire is more commonly known by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) file number 1394. It is a type of serial bus interface similar in some ways to USB. |  |
| It is very often used for audio and video applications, such as video camera hookups, but can be used for a number of other high speed data transfer applications. Many of today's computers and laptops now contain Firewire ports. |
There are similarities between IEEE-1394 and USB. Both are serial busses that accommodate more than one peripheral device per connection. In other words, you can set up a hierarchy of devices all connected along the same line. Also, both USB and IEEE-1394 use integrated power lines within the cable to carry power to the peripheral device. Finally, the two cables look similar, with a larger flat connector (USB type A or IEEE-1394 Type 1) and a smaller, squarer connector (USB type B or IEEE-1394 Type 2).
EEE-1394 or USB - The Differences
Though the two interfaces act and look similar, they are actually very different. First, the interface itself is different, so you can not connect an IEEE-1394 plug into a USB jack. Secondly, unlike USB which is asymmetric, meaning you always need a host on the bus, the IEEE-1394 does not always require a host. For example, you can connect two peripherals, such as a camera to a printer, without the need of a computer. Finally, they are actually quite different in data encoding so you could not passively convert USB to Firewire and back again.
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