Connecting Firewire Peripherals - Acomdata HD500FPMM User Manual

Connecting
FireWire Peripherals
mini Pal is equipped with three FireWire 400 (1394a) ports. One port is
needed to connect the mini Pal to your computer. Each remaining port can
be used to connect one or more FireWire devices in a daisy-chain (devices are
connected in series one after the other), as shown in the schematic below.
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What you need to know...
• It doesn't matter which of your mini Pal's FireWire ports you use to connect
to your computer and which you use for connecting FireWire peripherals.
The ports can be used in any order.
• mini Pal is equipped with 6-pin FireWire ports. If you connect FireWire
devices with 4-pin or 9-pin ports, you will need to purchase cables with
mixed connectors (e.g. 6-pin to 4-pin).
• Each of mini Pal's FireWire ports is on a separate bus. FireWire can accom-
modate up to 62 devices on a single bus, though you may require additional
FireWire hubs if connecting a large number of devices.
• If you connect mini Pal to a FireWire 800 port on your computer, mini Pal
and all connected FireWire devices will still operate at FireWire 400 speeds.
Furthermore, you will need a 9-pin to 6-pin FireWire cable (sold separately).
• FireWire devices with only one FireWire/1394 port (such as digital camcorders)
will necessarily be placed last in a daisy-chain.
• FireWire 800 devices connected to mini Pal will run at FireWire 400 speeds.
• Some smaller FireWire devices have the option of bus-powered operation.
This means they do not need to be plugged into an AC outlet; they can get
their power via a FireWire connection. The FireWire hub can supply up 8
Watts of power, shared among the three FireWire ports. Since one FireWire
port is used to connect mini Pal to your computer, the 8 Watts is actually
only shared by the two remaining FireWire ports. The combined, peak
power usage of all attached, bus-powered FireWire devices cannot exceed 8
Watts. For example, you can connect one FireWire device that uses 8 Watts,
or two devices that use 4 Watts each... etc. AC-powered devices do not
draw power from the FireWire connection.
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