Does anybody use the above second generation connections for scanning with the 2450 or any other device for that matter. Any noticeable improvement ? do the cards allow front of box locations for the sockets ?
Thinking of getting a USB2 card and was interested in forum members experiences.


Cheers

Firewire came built into my PC so I have the 2450 hooked to it...I did not notice a huge speed improvement from USB to Firewire. Firewire and USB2 really start to show their worth if you do streaming video and things of that nature. When transferring 30-50mb scans the speed improvement is minimal. One warning though- Firewire cables can be very expensive!

Greg,

The only piece of firewire kit I've seen is the socket on the back of the scanner and that looks fairly conventional.

I have used both and didnt see a great difference between them. Firewire, a variant of SCSI, is rated at transfer rates up to 400mbps while the USB 2 standard calls for transfer rates around 480mbps...Both rates are perhaps a bit optimistic....If you have Firewire already built in, I'd use it...the cable is a bit more spendy than USB but still cheaper than a USB 2 card and since the Firewire connection is already there, there should not be any problems with driver install, IRQ/DMA conflicts and so on...PnP is great but it is not perfect. Just be sure the port is labled IEEE 1394 ( firewire is a proprietary and I think copyrighted moniker belonging to the Round Red Fruit and Computer company...thus everyone elses connection is known by the IEEE... standard moniker) as some network card connectors can be mistaken for Firewire.....Tom

Thanks Tom neither connection has appeared to have taken off over here much. The 2450 seems quite sprightly on the standard USB connection.

The main focus of the two Standards over here was multimedia which required rapid transfer of large amounts of data, like Greg pointed out. However there has been growing interest in large (150 plus GB) external hard drives for back up,storage and so on, which really do well with either of the Standards...For scanners the only advantage I see is if you plan to do awe inspiring and slightly frighteningly large hi res scans in the 100 plus MB range...Tom

While its still in my memory I ran the tape backup on XP with no problems took about 2 hours for the whole installation. I thought there'd be a battle with the scsi connection but no problems and XP's native drivers handled the whole job no software installed at all.

Most MoBo's now support PnP for SCSI, the only exception might be the SCSI 1 flavor which is a form of Technologic appendex. You might want to check out the Mfg. website just in case there are some updated drivers there...you might have to blow off some dust though.....Tom

Chris - When I first got my 2450 I had it hooked to USB and I recall having a problem getting the transparency lid to work when I switched the scanner over to Firewire. I vaguely remember unplugging everything and reinstalling drivers...but I'm on Windows (help) ME, so it was no big surprise.

Another Firewire tidbit...there are actually two types of IEEE 1394 connections- a 4 pin and a 6 pin. As far as I know the only difference is that the 6 pin can supply power to a device and the 4 pin can't.

Just to add to Tom's info, Sony calls Firewire (or IEEE 1394) iLink....just to add to the confusion. I wonder why no one can ever agree on one standard name? :D

Egads Man!!!...A standard name with cross platform compatability and agreed upon standards which all manufacturers willingly, accurately and happily adopted!! Such an occurance would most certainly mean the end of Civilized Society as we know it!! The very thought sends a hushed but bone shaking chill through out Boardrooms across the known Universe!!! Tom

Those fiendish Japanese will be driving on the right next!!!!

Greg, whenever ME comes into the conversation over here steam comes out of ears and veins begin to throb on peoples foreheads it's not well liked. Never used it myself does it have a lot of foibles ?

Chris- Windows ME is just like 95 and 98...when it's first loaded things are wonderful but over time little bugs seem to creep in and corrupt things. I should probably do the ol' format C: drive and reinstall the OS but I'm lazy and never seem to find the time. Plus my computer is one of those big name monstrosities that does not come with an actual Windows disk...just a "restore" CD. (I learned my lesson...My next PC shall be custom built!!)

The whole confusion over a Firewire standard is probably why it never really caught on like USB did. I'm sure there are some people out there with Sony camcorders who have no idea that the little "iLink" connector is the same thing as the IEEE 1394 port on their computer!

It also doesn't help when you have "tech people" who really don't know what they are selling. When I went to buy a firewire cable, the guy tried to tell me it wasn't for data transfer. He claimed it was for setting your computer up for a tv monitor!! And this was Radio Shack home of the "You've got question, we've got answers" slogan.

I should have realized sooner, when I had spent the previous 20 minutes trying to convice the salesperson that "rabbit ear" antennas did not need a power cord!! Oh well , I've got questions, I'll find the answers.
Debbie

Just revived this thread as I've installed an Adaptec firewire/USB2 card.
The USB2 side works fine but alas when I came to hook up the 2450 via the firewire port I found to my horror that the supplied cable was for a digicam and of no use. Greg I think you said earlier you'd run your 2450 on firewire, did you actually get hold of a cable with 6 pin plugs at each end ? been round the shops here and all I can find are firewire cables of the same type adaptec supplied with the card.

Hi Chris H

Have you tried Maplins

www.maplin.co.uk

They have loads of leads connectors and 'Tech nerds' ready to take your calls!

Clare


Just checked they have a 6 by 6 cable -
Go to there Catagory - firewire -
Product - cables - Top cable

A64AH
10m F/wire 6p to 6p
In Stock

£29.99 with VAT
£25.523 without VAT

Clare thanks for the details (10metres!) I've managed to source one from a place in the Midlands crazy really when I'm only 3 miles from Dabs and Scan !

I even went into PC World where a salesman pointed me to Maplins along with a few derisory comments about his employers!!! Should have the cable in a couple of days, the scanners certainly faster with the USB2 connection but I'm interested to compare it with Firewire and keep a USB port spare.


Cheers...

USB2 and Firewire should be comparable as far as speed. Firewire cables are not cheap though! ...And I did have to shop around to a few places to get a 6pin to 6pin cable.

OK Greg as stated I've been doing the rounds for a 6/6 with no luck so I ordered one from a mail order operation in the south. The card had 1 each firewire/USB2 connectors internal as well as the external ones but I've never come across a device that needs an internal USB connector.

Hi Chris,

I did not think anything of the length of 10 metres as I have my scanner on a unit behind me and needed a long lead. There were probably other lenghts avaliable. I have always found Maplin to be good as if I cant find a lead etc they normally make it up for you to your specified length.

Glad you found a company that was able to supply you with one.

I have had number of amusing conversations with PC World -
I bought a mother board from them and asked a Tech to disable the sound - When I got it home I discovered he had turned of the USB! - Lucky I know my way round a motherboard. (They are all glorified box shifters)

Another company down south (UK) is called Slipstream IT, They are good on price and will also make up leads orders to spec. If you are interested I will find out what there web details are.

Clare

Ok on PC World, I only use them as a final desperate measure. Amazing to see what people haul out of my local branch when two of the biggest computer/peripheral suppliers are 10 minutes drive away with fairly knowledgeable staff compared to the buffoons in PC World. As I departed PC World a woman was paying £70 for a copy of MS Works !!! I nearly fainted.

Cheers.

Well the 6/6 pin firewire cable appeared and after chopping and changing with the 2450 I'd say USB2 seems a bit quicker but a very crude test. After trawling the Adaptec knowledge base I found that the internal power cable to the card is purely for firewire peripheral devices that draw their power from the firewire port, its not required for mains devices such as scanners etc.