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About FireWire
FireWire is an implementation of the IEEE 1394 serial bus standard. It not only supports automatic configu-
ration (“plug and play”) and hot-swapping of devices, it’s fast, and best of all it’s reliable for audio/video as
well as for computer peripherals. FireWire supports peripherals in a tree-like structure, and it allows peer-to-
peer device communication—e.g. between a scanner and a printer—to take place, without using system
memory or the CPU. With FireWire you can hook up to 63 devices to the same bus, with cable lengths of up
to 4.5 meters (14 feet) including internal cabling, allowed between devices. Its cable is convenient and can
also carry power. This allows low-consumption devices to operate without a separate power cord, by using
power supplied by other devices on the bus.
About FireWire 800
• FireWire 800 supports speeds up to 800 Mb/sec, twice as fast as FireWire 400.
• If your computer does not have built-in FireWire 800, you’ll need a PCI card to achieve a true FireWire 800
connection.
• Most 800 ports are Bi-Lingual, which means they speak both FireWire 400 and FireWire 800.
• If you connect a 400 device to an 800 device, you will be running at 400 speed maximum.
• FireWire is forward-compatible and back-compatible, but the bus always runs at the speed of the slowest
link.
• Beta cables are used to connect 800 devices to 800 devices.
• Bi-Lingual cables are available to connect 400 devices to 800 devices.
• Bi-Lingual cables have a 9-pin Bi-Lingual connector at one end and a 4-pin or 6-pin FireWire 400 connector
at the other end
About eSATA
• eSATA is an external interface technology that grew from the internal SATA I interface.
• The GPT50’s eSATA port supports speeds up to 1.5 Gb/sec (150 MB/sec), much faster than FireWire 400 or
FireWire 800.
• Shielded eSATA cables up to 2 meters in length are available.
• eSATA cables are different than SATA I cables, they are shielded and cannot be used with internal SATA I
connectors.
• eSATA uses a “point-to-point” connection, therefore each eSATA drive needs to be connected to its own
eSATA port.
• Most computers do not have built-in eSATA, so you’ll need a PCI card to connect your drive with eSATA.
• PCI cards are available with 2 or more ports to accommodate your drives.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do I need any drivers to use the GPT50?
No drivers are required to read and write to the drive using FireWire or USB. Your computer must have a
FireWire, USB or eSATA port. You may need drivers if you install an eSATA card, please check the documenta-
tion that came with the card.