PCI Firewire Card

  • Thread starter Thread starter Radiohead0709
  • Start date Start date
R

Radiohead0709

New member
Hi guys and gals,

I'm thinking about investing in a firewire interface unit. The problem is that my mainboard doesnt have a firewire port on it. I've seen firewire to PCI cards and was wondering if there would be a latency issue since the connection was not a hardwired firewire line straight into my mainboard. Any advice or direction would be much appreciated.
 
No, you won't get any latency by installing a PCI FireWire card and doing it that way. From what I've read here, you'll want one from Texas Instruments, maybe someone here can confirm that (like pipelineaudio).
 
I use a MOTU 828MkII with a PCI firewire port all the time. I do recall seeing that MOTU will only support cards with the TI chipset.

The only issues you'd be likely to run into is driver issues regarding how that piece of PCI hardware runs with your motherboard, and I'd expect it should be pretty straightforward in most all cases.

The time it takes to clock signals in and out of hardware like that is nothing compared to what you get when looking at latency problems - latency comes from other things.
 
and FYI, SIIG and adaptec both use TI chipsets. It will be documented somewhere on the sound interface manufactures website what they recommend (usually the FAQ)
 
Last edited:
If something is on the PCI slot, you can consider it equivalent to being on your motherboard. Many onboard devices also go to that same PCI buss, it makes no difference whether its connected at 90 degrees thru a card edge or as a set of pins SMT'd onto the mobo
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top