A 6-pin Firewire cable
IEEE 1394, commonly referred to as firewire, is a connection type similar to USB. Firewire is useful in that it has a high rate of data transfer, which is useful for connecting hard drives or real time video capture devices such as digital video cameras. 1394 has speeds up to 400 MB/s, though 1394b, which as of March 2010, is not as widely used as the original 1394, has speeds up to 800 MB/s. An IEEE 1394 card allows the computers motherboard to interface with the 1394 devices.
Instructions
1. Unplug the computer to reduce the risk of electrical shock, then remove the side panel to access the inside.
2. Remove the metal filler for the PCI slot that the IEEE 1394 card will take up. The PCI slots are in the bottom left-hand portion of the motherboard. The metal filler is to the left of the PCI slots on the case. Some cases have fillers that are screwed on with a single screw, while others have clips that can be released to remove the filler. In some cases, the metal filler is not loose from the case and needs to be pushed alternately from the inside and outside of the case until the filler breaks off.
3. Insert the IEEE 1394 into the PCI slot, then screw it into the case. The card can only go in one direction and the IEEE 1394 ports should face the backside of the case. Firmly press down on the card to secure it into its slot, then screw it to the case on the backside of the case with a single screw. If the case uses clips instead of screws, clip the card into place to secure it.
4. Close the case.
Tags: IEEE 1394, metal filler, with single screw, 1394 card, 1394 speeds, backside case, IEEE 1394 card