I’m a photographer and I use my X505SP as a photo data bank too. My camera Canon 1DMk2 uses CF card, so I bought FireWire CF card reader long time ago. It works perfectly with my desktop PCs and transfer speed is pretty many higher than via USB2.0 port. Unfortunately it isn’t possible to connect that CF reader to the X505 because it needs 6 pin connection - CF reader is an active device and needs power supply for correct work. My previous Z505LSK had both i.Link connections - 4 pin and 6 pin, so I had no problem. In my opinion lack of 6 pin FW is the X505 pretty large fault.
So this is my question. Is on a market the 4 pin FW cable having additional “like DDRW3 supplying twig” on the one side and typical 6 pin FW on the other? Or maybe is possible to get only X505SP i.Link supplying plug? If yes, I’m able to make an adequate connection cable by myself.
Thanks for any help.

Have you thought about using a 6 pin to 4 pin adapter.

Dan Wang - 20 August 2008 07:48 AM

Have you thought about using a 6 pin to 4 pin adapter.

X505SP mini i.Link socket has only 4 signal pins. None adapter will add 2 missing supply pins

I’m 99.9% sure no such product exists, especially given Sony’s propensity for the proprietary.  You might be able to make one yourself if you had one of those drive cables on hand… of course the sensible solution is to buy a cheap USB 2.0 CD card adapter.  USB 2.0’s max speed is 480 Mbit/s to firewire 400’s… 400 Mbit/s.

Mr. B - 20 August 2008 09:36 AM

You might be able to make one yourself if you had one of those drive cables on hand

No problem for me to solder the cable by myself if I have that specific mini supply plug.

Mr. B - 20 August 2008 09:36 AM

... of course the sensible solution is to buy a cheap USB 2.0 CD card adapter.  USB 2.0’s max speed is 480 Mbit/s to firewire 400’s… 400 Mbit/s.

In theory, in theory only! In practice IEEE 1394 transfer is many more higher than USB 2.0. Verify in practice. Nobody believes who didn’t try!

Hi George -

The four pin iLink port is unpowered, where the six pin Firewire is.  They are both implementations of the IEEE1394 standard, providing for up to 400Mb/s (as has already been mentioned).

USB 2.0 is faster.

There are four pin to six pin adaptors, but you need to have an external power supply (such as an A/C adaptor) if the devlice you’re intending to use is powered.  CF readers require power for their circuitry.

One such adaptor can be found at Newegg.com).

There are also adaptors for devices that don’t require power, such as cameras and camcorders.  Once can be found at Newegg.com.

Jef

jefn - 20 August 2008 10:43 AM

...USB 2.0 is faster.

I repeat, compare in pracice, you’ll change your opinion!
Notice, that USB has only 2 wire bus: http://www.hardwarebook.info/Universal_Serial_Bus_(USB) when IEEE 1394 has 4 wire bus: http://www.hardwarebook.info/IEEE1394 In effect, in the USB standard the host either receive data or transmit at the moment, when in the IEEE 1394 data signals can be receive and transmit parallel! In practice IEEE 1394 makes the transfer possible minimum two times faster than in USB! The most camcorders use only IEEE 1394, some of them use USB 2.0 too. Look for that camcorder and toggle between IEEE 1394 and USB 2.0 - you’ll believe that difference is dramatic.
It should be add, that IEEE 1394 doesn’t distinguish between host and slave, so many installation can be connect in a chain and every “user” is seeing by all others. Etc., etc.

jefn - 20 August 2008 10:43 AM

There are four pin to six pin adaptors, but you need to have an external power supply (such as an A/C adaptor) if the devlice you’re intending to use is powered.

Notice, that instead of an external power supply I’d like to receive the power from my X505SP “close to i.Link” power socket, but I can nowhere find the adequate plug

jefn - 20 August 2008 10:43 AM

One such adaptor can be found at Newegg.com).

Yes, this is the solution, but primitive in my opinion for someone who has bought an ultralight notebook and has to carry an additional adapter with power supply.
Am I right?

Why are you asking If you know what you’re doing?

I have never seen an adapter that does what you want (e.g., use the iLink port as a bus interface, drawing power from elsewhere).

To do what you want you’re going to have to fashion an adapter that uses the four pin iLink port for your signal with a six pin adapter… then solder in a USB cable to draw up to 500ma from the adjacent USB port.

Jef

jefn - 21 August 2008 05:29 AM

To do what you want you’re going to have to fashion an adapter that uses the four pin iLink port for your signal with a six pin adapter… then solder in a USB cable to draw up to 500ma from the adjacent USB port.

Jef, it seems to be the only solution. Or to find some damaged DDRW3 with good cable and to use it after presoldering…
Thanks.

What about using the PC card slot CF reader.

Dan Wang - 29 August 2008 08:54 AM

What about using the PC card slot CF reader.

Typical cheap PCMCIA CF reader is very slow. For example 1 GB CF is copying for about 15 minutes! Only rare and high price 32 bit cardbus PC cards are speed enough!

Search “APRICORN AFW6-4 FireWire 6 pin - 4 pin Adapter w/ AC Adapter” on newegg.com…

Josh,

Your example is definitely one way of doing it, but the original poster doesn’t want to lug around an AC adapter to power it up.  He’s looking for a solution that I believe can only be accomplished by some custom wiring setup.

This?

Firewire 6Pin >> firewire 4pin + USB (+5V)

+ supply by USB power… (5V)

In firewire 6pin
1- +VCC
2- GND

But what is exactly the “correct” power in firewire 6 pin?

look at this: