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1394 - A New World of Opportunities
The 1394 standard describes a serial bus driven by a simple yet advanced communications protocol that is designed to provide low system cost and the data transfer rates necessary for a high-performance peripheral bus. As a multipurpose high-speed peripheral bus, the standard delivers some important benefits over the many different existing standards and proprietary interfaces it is designed to replace.

High-bandwidth data transmission - Current 1394 support for 100-, 200- and 400-Mbps transmission speeds provides an ideal interconnect for multimedia applications with high data-transfer requirements. TI is supporting enhancements to 1394 that will allow 1-, 2-, 4-, and 8-Gbps and beyond (1394b). Real-time data transfers - Isochronous data transfers guarantee low-latency delivery of time-critical data while minimizing the size of required data buffers. These characteristics are necessary for the new digital satellite, DVD, and television/audio systems now being developed.

Seamless I/O interconnect - This important consideration for both end-users and manufacturers consolidates high-speed interfaces into a single easy-to-use connector that saves board space and reduces overall system cost.

1394 Port

Small, durable, and flexible cable and connectors - These provide cost and real-estate savings and currently support lengths up to 4.5 meters.

Peer-to-peer communications - 1394 peripherals can communicate directly with each other without intervention from a host device. This not only eliminates burden on the CPU in a PC or TV/PC, but makes adding peripherals as simple as plugging into any other device with a 1394 interface. Peer-to-peer communications create new markets for peripherals that can be used without a host PC or TV/PC. Examples include an off-the-shelf video disk drive or a camera/camcorder connected to a printer.

Memory-mapped architecture - This increases efficiency of data transactions while simplifying system software driver designs.

Host Example

Backwards compatibility - 1394 speed upgrades remain compatible with previous versions, ensuring a scalable topology that supports multiple speeds. Live insertions and removals - These give users true plug-and-play functionality.

Dynamically reconfigurable bus with automatic line termination - This saves system and software configuration time and confusion while reducing system cost by eliminating external terminators.

All of these 1394 benefits are essential if manufacturers are to deliver on the promise of a simple-to-operate, seamlessly integrated network of digital multimedia peripherals. Tomorrow's home computers will reside in many places - inside the TV, in the stereo cabinet, and on the kitchen counter and in many other configurations. Whatever shape they take, they must be as easy to use as any of today's common household appliances.

1394 provides the highway that allows data-intensive digital peripherals to interact in new and innovative ways. For buyers, it will convert the once-intimidating world of computer and entertainment system connectivity into an intuitive home multimedia environment.