There are numerous FireWire® interfaces that a person can use to connect devices to a personal computer. Audio, storage, and media devices can be connected via FireWire® interfaces, for example. These interfaces will vary depending upon the purpose and functionality of the device.
Audio devices are one of the more popular FireWire® interfaces available today. These devices allow the user to send external audio signals into a computer from a variety of different sources at sampling rates of up to 192 kilohertz (kHz). Many musicians and audio professionals use these interfaces as part of their recording systems to capture sound from a variety of microphones and instruments. Some devices even allow composers the ability to record full orchestras directly into the computer using a multitude of FireWire® interfaces.
Another of the popular FireWire® interfaces allows a user to connect an external hard drive to a computer. Using this type of connection, the user can easily add additional storage space to his or her computer through the FireWire® port without needing to open the computer case and install a larger internal hard drive. External hard drives come in a variety of storage sizes to meet the needs of any user and can be installed by simply plugging in a FireWire® cable.
As technology has evolved over the years, numerous types of media cards have been introduced to the marketplace in order to store pictures, music, and a variety of other files. These media cards are generally used in digital cameras, cell phones, and video recorders. A media card reader is another type of FireWire® interface that allows users to connect these various media cards to their computer in order to gain access to the files. Many of the devices that use these media cards actually have FireWire® interfaces built directly into them, which allows the user to bypass a media card reader altogether and plug their device directly into the computer. This is commonly seen with digital cameras that can connect directly to a computer through a FireWire® cable to download and edit the pictures stored on the camera.
Ultimately, FireWire® interfaces can consist of anything that connects one peripheral device to another. Initially, these interfaces were created to connect devices to the computer, but as technology continues to grow FireWire® interfaces are being incorporated into other devices. For example, there are numerous televisions and DVD players that come with these interfaces incorporated, allowing them to connect with other external devices.