Apple FireWire Kit
Instructions for installing and using the Apple FireWire Kit
for Power Macintosh G3 minitower and desktop computers
Apple FireWire Kit
The Apple FireWire Kit is designed to work with digital video camcorders and decks that use
the digital video (DV) format and have a FireWire port (sometimes marked IEEE 1394 or DV
IN/OUT). The included hardware and software, together with a nonlinear editing application,
allow you to capture DV movie clips and save them on your hard disk. You can view the clips in
MoviePlayer or other QuickTime 3.0 applications and edit and render the DV movies. If you are
using a video-editing application with an export function, you can send (print or record)
movies back to the tape in your camcorder or deck. The software also allows the FireWire
device to be controlled from the computer.
System Requirements
To use the Apple FireWire Kit, you must have the following:
m
Power Macintosh G3 minitower or desktop computer with at least one available PCI slot
m
Mac OS 8.1 or later
If your Power Macintosh is using Mac OS 8, you can download the Mac OS 8.1 Update from
the Apple World Wide Web site at http://www.apple.com/support/.
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Apple FireWire and QuickTime 3.0 software (included on the
Apple FireWire Card
CD that
came with the kit)
Apple FireWire Components
Your Apple FireWire Kit contains the following items:
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the Apple FireWire Card
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a power cable to connect your FireWire card to your internal power supply
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a FireWire cable, 4-pin to 6-pin, 2 meters long
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the
Apple FireWire Card
CD, which contains the Apple FireWire software installer and a
Read Me file with detailed information on using the FireWire software
Apple FireWire Card
FireWire cable
Software
Power cable
3
Installing the Apple FireWire Card
The Apple FireWire Card must be installed in one of your computer’s available PCI slots. In
addition, you need to connect the FireWire card to the computer’s internal power supply
using a power cable (included with the Apple FireWire Kit).
Important
The following instructions show you how to connect the Apple FireWire Card to
the internal power supply and properly route the power supply cable. Refer to the setup
manual that came with your Power Macintosh G3 for instructions on how to open your
computer and install a PCI card.
1
Locate the FireWire card and power cable.
Carefully connect the power cable to the FireWire card.
2
Connect the smaller connector on the power cable to the FireWire card. The two larger
connectors on the other end of the cable connect the power cable to the computer’s internal
power supply.
Power cable
3
With your computer shut down, open your computer and install the FireWire card as described
in the “Installing PCI Cards, Memory, and Internal Storage Devices” chapter of your Power
Macintosh G3 setup manual.
4
After the FireWire card has been properly inserted into your computer, you need to route the
power cable into the computer chassis so that it can be connected to the computer’s internal
power supply.
Warning
When routing the power cable for the Apple FireWire Card, don’t let it touch any of
the logic board components, especially the processor heat sink. Contact between the power
cable and the sink could damage your equipment.
4
For Power Macintosh G3 minitower computers, route the power cable alongside
the gray audio cable, through the two plastic clips, and up into the chassis.
FireWire card
Power
cable
Processor heat sink
Audio cable
Chassis
opening
2 plastic clips
5
For Power Macintosh G3 desktop computers, route the power cable between the
hard disk drive and logic board, alongside the gray audio cable, and up into the
chassis.
Chassis
FireWire card Power cable
opening
Audio cable Processor heat sink
5
Close the computer chassis as described in your Power Macintosh G3 setup manual.
Connect the free end of the FireWire power cable to an open connector on one of your
6
computer’s internal power cables.
Open connector
FireWire power cable
6
If all of your computer’s internal power cables are attached to existing devices, disconnect a
power cable from one of the devices, such as the CD-ROM drive, and connect it to the FireWire
power cable. Then plug the extra connector on the FireWire cable into the device.
Disconnect power cable
from existing device.
7
Close your computer and continue to the next section to install the FireWire software.
Installing the Apple FireWire Card Software
Connect it to the
FireWire power cable.
To install the Apple FireWire Card software:
Insert the
1
2
Double-click the Apple FireWire DV Installer icon.
Follow the onscreen instructions.
3
4
Restart your computer.
Important
Apple FireWire Card
CD.
A file called FireWire Support may be installed in a folder titled FireWire in the
Apple Extras folder on your Macintosh. Do not move this older extension to your Extensions
folder; it may interfere with the operation of the new Apple FireWire software.
Checking to See If the Apple FireWire Card Is Properly Installed
After you install the FireWire card and the FireWire software, you can check the status of the
card using the FireWire Card Tester application located in the FireWire folder installed on your
hard disk.
Important
If the FireWire Card Tester application is unable to detect the card, shut down the
computer and make sure the card is properly installed and the power cable is connected. For
more information, see “Installing the Apple FireWire Card” on page 4.
7
The FireWire Bus
FireWire is a serial bus that can support high-performance devices, such as DV cameras and
printers. Devices can be connected in any combination of branching and chaining, as long as
no loops are formed. A FireWire bus can support up to 16 consecutive cable hops of 4.5 meters
each. There are no SCSI-style ID numbers to set and no termination requirements.
The Apple FireWire Card is designed to keep the network operating even if the Macintosh is
shut down. Loss of power to the Macintosh will not affect the operation of a FireWire card as
long as it can draw power from other devices on the bus.
Important
the FireWire Read Me file on the
For more information about cable management and power issues, please refer to
Apple FireWire Card
CD.
Your Apple FireWire Card has three FireWire ports, as shown in the following illustration.
To connect your Macintosh to a DV camera, plug the 6-pin connector on the FireWire cable
into the Apple FireWire Card and the 4-pin connector into the camera’s DV port. Both
connectors snap into place when properly engaged. If you want to connect two computers
together (or if your device has a 6-pin FireWire port), you can obtain cables through an AV
equipment retailer or electronics store.
4-pin 1394 (FireWire) connector 6-pin 1394 (FireWire) connector
Specifications
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Interface:
m
Speed:
m
Power Consumption:
IEEE 1394
100 and 200 megabits per second
Depending upon the number of devices connected, the Apple
FireWire Card can consume up to 10 watts of power from the internal power supply.
©
1998 Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved.
Apple, the Apple logo, FireWire, Mac, Macintosh, Power Macintosh, and QuickTime are
trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
034-0652-A
Printed in U.S.A.
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