TI Blazes the Trail for Firewire

By
iApplianceWeb
(08/28/01, 10:30:18 AM EDT)

Two new devices from Texas Instruments (TI) are compliant with the latest version of the IEEE 1394b specification. This version of IEEE 1394b not only doubles the speed of the previous generation of IEEE 1394 devices to 800 Mbps, it also increases distances up to 100 meters. These features allow designers of PCs, mass storage, consumer electronics, and automotive applications to increase the functionality of designs while simplifying architecture and reducing costs.

"Previously, 1394 could only be connected via copper cabling, which was limited to 4.5 meters. As the capabilities of 1394b become a reality and designers start to work with it, new markets and applications will emerge for this versatile and powerful interface," said Randy Trost, Worldwide PC Connectivity Market Manager for TI. "The higher speeds and extended distances are supported over media such as household telecommunications wiring and fiber optic cables. This makes 1394b a great choice for linking personal computers with cameras, set-top boxes, DVDs, gaming platforms, and other exciting applications."

TI will demonstrate two computers transmitting fully 1394b compatible, 800Mbps packets using 1394b cables from Molex, Inc., at the Intel Developers Forum. A 1394b Data Analyzer from Yokogawa Corporation will be connected to the two computers to validate 1394b data transmission. TI will also showcase the devices' ability to be fully backward compatible with the existing IEEE 1394a-2000 standard.

The new TI developments include a device for managing the 1394 physical layer (PHY) and a chip for handling 1394's protocols (link layer). TI is sampling the new physical (PHY) and link layer 1394b devices to selected customers and software companies, pending final approval of the 1394b specification.

The 1394b link layer device is compatible with the Open Host Controller Interface 1.1 (OHCI) standard, ensuring compatibility with PC and Macintosh host systems that conform to OHCI. The OHCI standard supports features for higher-speed asynchronous and isochronous data transmissions and advanced power management techniques.

The new 1394b PHY chip is a three-port, bilingual device that is backward compatible with 1394a devices, supporting the data strobe-encoding scheme of IEEE 1394a-2000, and the 8B/10B-encoding scheme for 1394b. The device is compatible with the PCI Power Management 1.1 specification, enabling active power management by the Windows operating system and integrated intelligent power management, which allows the device to automatically conserve power for power-sensitive applications like portable computers and handheld devices.

The new 1394b devices are expected to be available in volume production quantities during the second half of 2002.

Link:
Texas Instruments