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FireWire Chipsets
High definition audio flowing over FireWire requires a consistent stream between the chipset in the host computer
and the chipset in the SCS1 device. Unfortunately, some FireWire chipsets have known issues when it comes to the
reliability and synchronization required for streaming audio. It is suggested to use name brand PCI and PCMCIA
cards such as
Adaptec®
when your PC does not have FireWire capabilities, as some no-name or “OEM” FireWire
cards will use chipsets of FireWire that have subpar performance and can affect stability or at worst the device will
not work at all. Stanton recommends the
Texas Instruments® FireWire chips
for streaming audio. It is also
suggested to stay away from Agere® chipsets as in testing issues have been identified with these chipsets. Most
Apple computers utilize Texas Instruments chipsets. However, it was reported that in late 2007 Apple had switched
to Agere chipsets for some production runs.
The easiest way to check if you have a Texas Instruments chipset is to run
Device Manager
and check the name of
your host controller. (Figure A.23)
Figure A.23
