Firewire has become a standard on most PC motherboards and is commonly used for
connecting DV camcorders or external hard disks. In May 2001, the 1394 Trade Association announced its successor, 1394b,andrenamedthe original spec 1394a to
differentiate them. 1394b doubles the bandwidth to 800Mbits/sec, with the potential for speeds up to 3.2Gbits/sec in the future, and also supports much longer cable lengths.

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1394b, also known as Firewire 800, is backwards-compatible with the original standard, but employs a new nine-pin square plug. You can buy cables with the new nine-pin connector at one end and an older six-pin or four-pin plug on the other. But to enjoy the full 800Mbits/sec bandwidth, you'll need a Firewire 800 controller with a nine-pin socket. For most of us, this means buying and fitting a new Firewire 800 card, from manufacturers such as Belkin for around Rs.7,500 (approx).