Firewire to USB – here’s how

If you want to plug a Firewire device into a Mac or PC with a USB connection, you have a challenge ahead of you. Using an adapter does not solve the problem. This is because the protocols with which the two interfaces work are not compatible. We explain what options there are to use FireWire on USB hosts anyway.

FireWire on USB: With these instructions it still works

Because the data transfer of FireWire and USB are fundamentally different, the possibilities to use FireWire on USB devices are limited. You can try the following:

• There is hardware like Studio MovieBox. It has a Firewire port and plugs into the PC or Mac via USB and can prepare the FireWire data for USB and then transfer it to the PC. Unfortunately, this product is hardly available anymore, but can still be purchased via Ebay.

• Also, there are numerous offers for FireWire to USB. However, these usually do not work. Only some FireWire devices seem to be USB-enabled and recognised by the USB host with these connectors.

• The most practical solution: Upgrade your computer or laptop with a FireWire card. Plug it into the PCI slot on your PC/Mac or the PCI Express slot on your laptop. If you have a device with a Cardbus or PCMCIA slot, there is also a suitable FireWire card for this.
  
  CableconnectionFirewireHardwareUSB