1394 Data Mover Improves Peripherals' Performance

Capable of transporting data at speeds as high as 40 MB/s, the TSB43AA82 1394 data mover is designed to improve the performance of PC and Macintosh peripherals, as well as any other peripherals utilizing Serial Bus Protocol 2 (SBP-2) transport protocols. Integrated on the IC is a two-port, 400-Mb/s, 1394a-compliant PHY, which the company claims lowers costs and results in a 25% board real estate savings over alternative discrete, two-chip solutions. In addition, the device has an ultra-low power mode that consumes less than 100 µA of current.
For enhanced flexibility, the TSB43AA82 incorporates a user-configurable 8- or 16-bit, synchronous or asynchronous data port. This lets designers use the device in different peripherals having varying data port requirements. The part also simplifies support and development issues for OEMs because designers are not required to learn a different 1394 PHY device for each peripheral.
As a result of the device's data transport hardware, which is optimized for high-speed data transmission, peripheral equipment such as printers, scanners and digital still cameras are able to offer increased data throughput performance. Interoperability with a wide range of peripherals and PCs is assured, the company says, because the TSB43AA82 is fully compatible with 1394a, the latest version of the 1394 standard. Price of the part is $9.70 each/1,000.