This is a Type 2 Firewire cable that connects to the Type 2 ports.
A 4-Pin IEEE 1394 Port is more commonly known as a 4-Pin or Type 2 Firewire Port. It is a type of port that is used to connect one device to another through the Firewire data-transfer technology.
Pin Numbers
The Firewire port on the back of this computer is shaped like a medieval shield.
There are three standard types of Firewire connection types. Type 1 has six pins, Type 2 has four pins, and Type B has nine pins. The number of pins each port has doesn't effect its ability to communicate with other ports as long as the connection cable supports the correct number of pins on both sides.
Different Sizes
This is a six pin to four pin adapter cable.
Firewire ports come in different pin counts to create different sized ports. Because of the multiple sizes, a smaller device can use a four pin connection port and still communicate with a larger computer that supports the nine pin type.
Incompatibility With USB
USB and Firewire don't play well together.
While Firewire and the USB data transfer standards use similar looking cables and ports, the two operate in completely different methods. Because the two work so differently from each other, there is no quick-and-easy way to adapt a USB device to a Firewire port..
Tags: 1394 Port, communicate with, number pins, pins Type, Type Firewire