- What Is ExpressCard?
- Putting ExpressCard to Work
- eSATA 3Gbps and eSATA RAID
- FireWire (IEEE-1394a, IEEE-1394b) Ports
- Flash Memory Card Readers
- Gigabit Ethernet
- TV Tuners
- USB 3.0 Ports
- Conclusion
FireWire (IEEE-1394a, IEEE-1394b) Ports
FireWire 400 (IEEE-1394a) is slightly faster in many real-world uses than USB 2.0, although USB 2.0 boasts a slightly higher peak data rate (480Mbps versus 400Mbps for 1394a). If you have devices compatible with USB 2.0 and FireWire, or are shopping for FireWire devices, consider the devices in this section.
IEEE-1394a
FireWire 400 ExpressCards are available from the following vendors:
- Belkin F5U505 (two FireWire 400 /34); F5U506 (two FireWire 400, one USB 2.0 /34)
- SIIG NN-EC2012-S1 (TI XIO2200 chipset /34, optional AC adapter)
- StarTech EC12942 (/34)
- Synchrotech EXP32-FW4IO-01 (/34, optional AC adapter)
IEEE-1394b and Combo 1394b/1394a
IEEE-1394b has a peak data rate of 800Mbps, and devices with bilingual ports also support IEEE-1394a devices. Most cards listed below support both 1394b and 1394a devices. Choose from:
- Belkin F5U514 (two ports, /34)
- StarTech EC13941A1B (includes one each 1394b and 1394a port; /34); EC1394B2 (two 1394b ports, /34)
- Sonnet FW800-E34 (two 1394b ports, optional AC adapter, /34)
[lb] Synchrotech EXP34-FW8IO-01 (optional AC adapter, /34); EXP34-FW8IO-02 (/34)
- Verge Labs NitroAV NAVCBFW8EC (/34)
Combo FireWire 400/USB 2.0 Cards
If you need to add both FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 ports, consider combo cards such as the following:
- Addonics ADU2FWEX34 (one USB 2.0, two FireWire 400, /34, optional AC adapter)
- Belkin F5U506 (one USB 2.0, two FireWire 400, optional AC adapter, /34)
- Sonnet FWUSB2-E34 (one USB 2.0, two FireWire 400, /34
- [lb ]Synchrotech EXP34-U2FW4IO-01 (two USB 2.0, one FireWire 400, /34); Synchrotech EXP34-U2FW4IO-02 (one USB 2.0, two FireWire 400, /34)