Firewire

[richmond62]

I want to connect various Firewire peripherals to my 2018 Mac Mini . . .

Either to USB 2 or USB-C.

 

[joevt]

#3

 

[Fishrrman]

Something I've read about, but have no personal experience, just passing this on:

Be aware that if you use Apple's tbolt3-to-tbolt2 adapter, it may not "pass bus power" to portable firewire devices that rely on bus power to operate.

Again, I'm not sure about this, but it could be an issue if you have portable (2.5") firewire drives.

How much stuff do you have to connect?
It might be easier to take drives OUT OF their firewire enclosures, and put them into USB3 enclosures.

Or, you could use a USB3/SATA dock to connect the drives.

 

[richmond62]

My main concern is a Firewire video digitiser: i.e. something that takes Audio and video signals from a VHS player and outputs them as a digital signal via Firewire 400.
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The person who, wittily, wrote #3, should reflect that that goes on about PCI cards . . . now I don't know
if it is just me, but . . . I've never managed to fit a PCI card to a Mac Mini.

 

[MarkC426]

Wow that is old tech.....
Even my MacPro doesn't have fw400 (only fw800).
My G5 has fw400 though...... 😬

You may be better with a usb capture device like the elgato.
This has a Scart connector with component also.

 

[richmond62]

Well, my collection of Polycarbonate iMacs do have Firewire 400 sockets: all the way through my 2xG5, 1xIntel 32-bit to my 2xIntel 64-bit, and, as such [Ding An Sich], they rock for connexions [ that's "connections" for non-Scots] to Firewire, and I use my collection of Firewire peripherals [Alte Scheiße] with them all the time, and was just enquiring [that's "inquiring" for American speakers] about connectivity to a 2018 Mac Mini because banging my head against the wall during lockdown has begun to lose its appeal.

"Wow that is old tech....."

Really? Do you want to come over to Bulgaria (where I bide) and have a go with my 1981 BBC Model B computer, all in 100% working order, 32 Kb RAM, and a cassette interface for saving programs.

Well: all a bit difficult at the moment, what with travel restrictions. But we could have fun seeing who is the bigger poser: you or me.

"You may be better with a usb capture device like the elgato.
This has a Scart connector with component also."

Probably, but:

1. I am Scots and mean.

2. I have a "thing" about my Firewire video converter box.

 

[MarkC426]

There must be a convertor box to usb that someone makes, and is willing to charge you loads..... 🤪

don't know if this would work?

iKiKin eightNice Firewire IEEE 1394 6 Pin Female to USB Male Converter Male: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

Free delivery and returns on eligible orders. Buy iKiKin eightNice Firewire IEEE 1394 6 Pin Female to USB Male Converter Male at Amazon UK.

www.amazon.co.uk

edit:just read one of the reviews and it says usb cannot carry FireWire signal.

 

[richmond62]

Obviously MarkC426 we could go on and on, and grow closer and closer, and . . .

Ouch.

 

[joevt]

The person who, wittily, wrote #3, should reflect that that goes on about PCI cards . . . now I don't know
if it is just me, but . . . I've never managed to fit a PCI card to a Mac Mini.

Read more carefully. I said "A Thunderbolt 3 PCIe expansion box with a FireWire PCIe card".

Also, it shouldn't matter what connector it is. There are cables to convert between the 3 or whatever FireWire connector types (4 pin, 6 pin, 9 pin).