Is there any USB 3.0 to Firewire 800 1394b adapter?

Question

I need to work with 1394b equipment on a notebook, but 90% of the new notebook does not have 1394b port enough neither an Express Card 34 slot.

That is why I need a USB 3.0 to 1394b device. I was able to find a USB 3.0 to GiGE only here: Why aren’t there any USB 3.0 to Gigabit Ethernet adapters out there?

I wounder why it is so hard to find notebooks with Express Card 34! There should be a replacement to this slot!! :/

-- When I say adapter I mean an active convertor!!

Solution

FireWire has features than cannot be easily emulated over a bus like USB.

A USB-to-FireWire adapter, if somebody would manage to build one, would probably not be able to get 1394b speeds, and would likely cost much more than a complete new notebook with a built-in FireWire (or Thunderbolt) controller.

Comments

[ganesh]

There is a replacement, is is called Thunderbolt. (Expresscard was basically a 'single PCIe lane and a USB connector' in one, Thunderbolt is remote 'PCIe (one of multiple lane speed) and displayport' in one.)

[ganesh]

Also note that USB and Firewire are different protocols. It is not merely a question of an adapter. You would need an active convertor. The difference in words might be small, but technically it is not.

[Ramhound]

It doesn't appear there are ANY USB to Firewire adapters on the market. I looked into a USB/Firewire HUB thinking it would give you access to the Firewire BUS through USB but none of the devices I looked at don't work like that

[Pedro77]

The big majority of notebook does not come with any available slot, no Express card nor TB. I know that its not a simple adapter.....

[dma_k]

Are you really searching Firewire-to-USB connector? Then there are some (cable and also small adapter). I myself is interested in USB-to-Firewire connector. Perhaps this one will do the job…

[Pedro77]

I don't really know the answer, but I disagree. I know that it would need a chip to convert, like the USB 3.0 to Ethernet. About the transfer rate, USB 3.0 can manege 5 GB/s, firewire b in only 0.8 GB/s.

[CL.]

The problem is not the theoretical maximum transfer rate but features like peer-to-peer broadcast, 64-bit packet addresses, etc.

[Jamie Hanrahan]

CL is correct. This is flatly not possible. 1394 implements many capabilities that USB just has no concept of. For example, a 1394 device can initiate DMA to read or write host RAM without involvement of a driver running in the host (after some setup steps are done). It can also present memory that appears in the host's physical address space and so can be read or written by the host without help from firmware in the device (again, after setup). The USB protocol and USB host controller just don't have those capabilities, and no amount of "conversion" can change that.