Usb 2.0 to Firewire 400 cable?

[Laurencia7]

I was just curious, is there a cable that can connect hard drives with Usb 2.0 to Firewire 400?

and if so, would it make a difference in speed.
Kind of like 4 to 6 pin cables.

Please let me know.
I want to get a firewire connection on my new HD.

 

[Intell]

They do not exist and cannot be made. Period.

 

[dXTC]

No, as Intell said, for reasons including the following, if I'm not mistaken:

• OS drivers (the OS sees the two differently)
• Bus protocols (USB depends on CPU for bus mastering; any FW device can handle its own bus)
• Power specifications (different power levels)

Those who know even more specifics are free to clarify and/or correct.

EDIT: I have a feeling I know what the OP wants to do: avoid paying the "FireWire tax" on HDs. In order to do that, you'll have to "roll your own": buy a FW enclosure and hard drive separately, and put them together. It's not difficult to do.

 

[rjphoto]

dXTC's advice is on the nose.

If you already have an USB drive that you are wanting to use via Firewire, you may need to just pop it open and put it in a FireWire enclosure.

I've done it a few times. I've also rescued LOTS of data from PC hard drives that the "I/S Guys" said couldn't be recovered by putting them into a FireWire case and plugging them into my Mac.


Now the big question is with USB2 speeds "theoretically" coming close to FireWire, do you really need this connection converter?

FireWire 800 is a total different story.

 

[Laurencia7]

Thanks good to know.