Sonnet Technologies FW800 User Manual

Quick Start Guide for Allegro FW800

Compatibility

Allegro FW800 may be used with any Mac® or Windows® OS computer with an
available PCI slot that meets the following requirements:

• Macintosh Computer Requirements:

Power Macintosh® or Macintosh clone computer
running Mac OS® 9.x, or Mac OS X Version 10.1 or
higher. Mac OS X Version 10.2.5 or higher is required

for FireWire 800 support.

• PC Requirements:

IBM PC/AT or compatible desktop computer with Pentium® II
(or equivalent) or better running Windows Vista.

You Should Have

The following items should be included in your product package:

• One Allegro FW800 PCI adapter card

The following item may be required for installation:

• Medium Phillips screwdriver

You may need the following items to connect peripherals to the
Allegro FW800:

• One or two FireWire 800 (IEEE 1394b) cables (sold separately)

• One FireWire 400 (IEEE 1394a) cable (sold separately)

• One or two FireWire 800 to FireWire 400 adapters or adapter cables

FireWire® 800 PCI Adapter Card

ALLEGRO™ FW

800

Support Note: We recommend you make a backup of important

information on your system’s current hard drive(s) prior to installing new

hardware or software.

When handling computer products, you must take care to prevent components
from being damaged by static electricity. Before opening your computer or
removing parts from their packages, always ground yourself first by touching a
metal part of the computer, such as a port access cover, and work in an area free
of static electricity; avoid carpeted areas. Handle all electronic components by
their edges, and avoid touching connector traces and component pins.

Remember to register your product online at http://registration.sonnettech.com to be informed of future upgrades and product releases.
Software updates and links are available from the Sonnet web site at www.sonnettech.com. • Online support form available at http://supportform.sonnettech.com.
Sonnet Technologies Customer Service hours are Mon.-Fri., 7 a.m.–4 p.m. Pacific Time • Customer Service Phone: [phone] • E-mail: [e-mail]
Sonnet Technologies, Inc., Irvine, California USA • Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone]

©2007 Sonnet Technologies, All rights reserved. Sonnet, the Sonnet logotype, Simply Fast, the Simply Fast logotype, and Allegro are trademarks of Sonnet Technologies, Inc. Macintosh and Mac are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered
in the United States and other countries. Other product names are trademarks of their respective owners. Product specifications subject to change without notice. Printed in the USA. QS-FW800A-E-B-101107

Installation Steps

Using Peripherals With the Allegro FW800

Support Note: Technical knowledge may be required

to gain access to the expansion card slots in certain com­puter models. We recommend you first consult your computer’s
user manual. If you feel you are unable to install the computer
hardware, contact a qualified technician.

Allegro FW800 Installation Preparation

Sonnet strongly recommends that you read the section in your
computer’s user manual that addresses PCI card installation, prior
to installing the Allegro FW800 into your system.

Allegro FW800 Card Installation Steps

1. Shut down your computer.

2. Open your computer to access the expansion card area (PCI
slots); refer to your computer’s user manual for specific
information.

3. Locate an available PCI slot inside your computer and
remove its port access cover, if present, from the rear of the
computer.

4. Remove the Allegro FW800 card from its packaging.

5. Install the Allegro FW800 into the PCI slot; make sure the
card is firmly seated and secured.

6. Close your computer and carefully replace its cover; your
installation is complete.

Known Issues and Advice

Support Note: Many peripherals require their own

drivers and application software to operate or have full
functionality. The Apple drivers already installed in your system
provide only limited support for some items. You should also
install software included with the device, or available to down­load from the device manufacturer’s web site. Check the periph­eral’s user manual for information about necessary software.

• Many peripherals require additional drivers and applica­tion software to operate or have full functionality. Software

should be included with the device, or available to download
from the manufacturer’s web site. Check the peripheral’s user
manual for information about necessary software.

• FireWire 400 peripherals connected to the Allegro FW800’s
FireWire 400 port will always operate at FireWire 400 speeds
(up to 400 Mbits/second).

• FireWire 400 peripherals connected to the Allegro FW800’s
FireWire 800 ports will always operate at FireWire 400 speeds
(up to 400 Mbits/second).

• FireWire 800 peripherals connected to the Allegro FW800 will
operate at FireWire 400 speeds (up to 400 Mbits/second), when
your computer is booted in Mac OS 9.x through Mac OS X
Version 10.2.2.

• FireWire 800 peripherals connected to the Allegro FW800’s
FireWire 400 port will always operate at FireWire 400 speeds
(up to 400 Mbits/second).

• Disconnecting FireWire peripherals (including external stor
age devices, cameras, memory card readers, etc.) while they
are transferring or receiving data, may result in damage to the
file(s) being transferred, or cause your system to hang.

• Always unmount a drive (stop, eject, put away or drag it to
the trash) before disconnecting it from its cable or the Allegro
FW800 card.

• Do not forget to connect external power supplies to the periph
erals that require them. Although many peripherals may draw
power directly from the Allegro FW800 card, other devices
require an external power source.

• When transferring data from a digital video camera to your
computer through the Allegro FW800, we do not recommend
using another FireWire device at the same time.

• If you need to daisy-chain FireWire 400 and FireWire 800
peripherals together, connect FireWire 400 devices at the end
of the chain. Any FireWire 800 peripheral connected after a
FireWire 400 peripheral will operate at a maximum of 400
Mbits/second.

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