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Connector types:
Audio/Video • Centronics • DB Style • Din • DVI • Fiber • Firewire®
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See All Firewire FireWire Connector Guide
  Firewire is a communication technology that was developed by Apple in the early 1990s, at about the same time as USB. The official Firewire standard is known as IEEE-1394, or as i.Link (Sony’s implementation of the standard). Occasionally it is referenced as Firewire 400. Because it was more costly to implement than USB, Firewire didn’t become as popular an interface for peripheral devices. However, its fast performance and stability have made it a popular choice for high-bandwidth applications such as digital video and portable storage. One of Firewire’s biggest advantages over USB is that it does not require a host controller. This means that two Firewire devices can communicate without the use of a computer. For example, video can be dubbed from one DV camcorder to another through the use of a Firewire connection.

4-pin Connector

IEEE-1394 4-pin Male
   
  The 4-pin Firewire connector is rectangular in shape, with a small notch or indentation on the bottom edge of the connector shell. A 4-pin connector carries only data, and no power, so it is often found on peripheral devices that have their own power supplies.
6-pin Connector

IEEE-1394 6-pin Male
   
  The 6-pin Firewire connector is larger than the 4-pin, and is rectangular-shaped with beveled corners on one end. It has flattened contacts that withstand well the rigors of plugging and unplugging. A 6-pin interface provides DC power in addition to the Firewire data signals. These interfaces are often found on devices that can provide power, such as a computer.
9-pin Connector     
  9-pin connectors are part of a recent improvement to Firewire technology, called Firewire 800 (or IEEE-1394b) that can transfer data at up to twice the speed of the original Firewire standard. The 9-pin plug is a rectangle with square corners. It has 5 pin contacts on one side, and 4 pin contacts on the other. The entire plug is recessed within the shell of the connector.

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