The FireWire standard makes a host of applications feasible for mainstream PCs by providing a highway for rich digital data streams with transfer rates of up to 400-Mbps. It provides an interface for data intensive peripherals such as digital video cameras, and should match or exceed the port expansion, hot-puggability, and plug and play aspects of USB. A comprehensive technical guide to IEEE 1394 standard, this text describes the FireWire specification and dscusses in detail the architecture, features, and operations of systems built using the FireWire bus.
Praise for the first edition:
"Finally, a book on IEEE 1394 that's easy to understand!!! MindShare's FireWire System Architecture: IEEE 1394 provides a consolidated learning tool for 1394 hardware and software, and confirms the statement, '1394's for the fun stuff....'"-Phil Roden, 1394 Digital Design Manager, Texas Instruments
The FireWire (IEEE 1394a) standard for high-speed serial bus communications has come to the fore as an important technology supporting today's emerging data-intensive applications.
FireWire System Architecture provides an in-depth description of the IEEE 1394a cable environment, based on the 2.0 version of the 1394a standard. Comprehensive, concise, and well-organized, this book details the specification itself and presents the architecture, features, and operations of systems developed with the FireWire bus. Completely up-to-date, this new edition covers all of the changes incorporated into the 2.0 standard, such as arbitration enhancements, improvements in bus reset timing, new PHY register definition, and port interface enhancements to support suspend/resume and port disable. In addition, it provides in-depth information on suspend/resume operation, power distribution, and power management.
FireWire System Architecture describes the various hardware and software layers that make up the FireWire serial bus and provides transaction examples to explain and illustrate the relationship between each layer.
It explores such essential topics as:
- The communications model
- Asynchronous and isochronous transactions
- Cables and connectors
- The electrical interface
- Asynchronous and isochronous arbitration, including such enhancements as fly-by arbitration, acceleration control, and priority arbitration service
- Packets, including the PHY packet format
- Serial bus configuration and management
- Control and status registers (CSRs)
- Configuration ROM
- Power management
Numerous sample implementations throughout the book demonstrates how theory is put to use in real-world applications. This combination of comprehensive reference, readable explanation, and examples make this guide indispensable for anyone who works with the IEEE 1394a technology.
The PC System Architecture Series is a crisply written and comprehensive set of guides to the most important PC hardware standards. Each title is designed to illustrate the relationship between the software and hardware, and thoroughly explains the architecture, features, and operation of systems built using one particular type of chip or hardware specification.
