A new article developed by the 1394 Trade Association defines and describes the benefits of the innovative Thunderbolt technology, its advantages for consumers, and how it extends the life of the 1394 standard.

Authored by Dave Thompson of LSI Corp., the article reviews Thunderbolt’s master-to-master bus features and how it moves far beyond the capabilities and inherent limitations of a USB hub. It details the specific benefits of the Thunderbolt-to-FireWire connector, now available for $29, and which lets system designers move the hardware for the connection ‘outside the box.’ The result is a powerful, flexible and low cost connection that extends indefinitely the consumer’s investment in FireWire products and systems. No additional software drivers are needed for PC, MAC or Linux operating systems in order to use the Thunderbolt to 1394 cable. The 1394 host controller in the cable looks just like the 1394 host controller that was previously in the box.

The article has been published by Electronic Engineering Times at this link: http://www.eetimes.com/design/communications-design/4398811/Tips---Tricks--Thunderbolt-extends-FireWire-benefits

It also is available on the 1394 Trade Association website at this URL: http://www.1394ta.org/press/TAPress/2012_1011.html

The 1394 Trade Association is a global organization dedicated to the advancement and enhancement of the IEEE 1394 standard. By the end of 2011, more than 2.25 billion FireWire ports had shipped on a wide range of computing, consumer electronics, industrial, storage and other systems. For more information visit www.1394ta.org