Chapter 1 Introduction to a Typical PC 13
in Figure 1-15. For example, on the computer in
Figure 1-14, the mouse must connect to the mini-
DIN connector identified for the mouse cable,
and the keyboard must connect to the mini-DIN
connector identified for the keyboard cable.
FireWire
The FireWire connection, also known as
the IEEE-1394 connector, can connect up to
63 devices that can be hot swapped. The term hot
swap means to plug in or unplug a device while
the PC is running. FireWire was designed for
Apple computers by Lucent Technologies and is
proprietary. FireWire is seen more often on Apple
equipment than on PC equipment. It is designed
for very high-speed data transfers such as those
required for video equipment. The high-speed data
transfer rates make it an excellent choice to upload
video images from a camera to a PC. FireWire is
also used for other equipment connections such
as hard drives, optical drives (CD/DVD), and
printers. Figure 1-16 shows a pair of FireWire
connectors.
USB
The Universal Serial Bus (USB) is another
type of connection used on PCs, Figure 1-17. The
USB port is a multipurpose connection that allows
many different devices to connect to the PC in a
daisy-chain fashion or by the use of a hub. The
USB design allows for connections to peripheral
devices that formerly may have required opening
the PC case and inserting an expansion card. With
the USB port, the need to open the case to connect
many of the different devices has been eliminated.
A B
PS/2 keyboard/mouse
combination port
Goodheart-Willcox Publisher
Figure 1-15. Mini-DIN connector and connection. A—Mini-
DIN connector on a keyboard or mouse. B—Connection for
a mini-DIN mouse or keyboard.
Goodheart-Willcox Publisher
Figure 1-16.
FireWire ports are high-
speed connections.