How to test a firewire 400 port

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Level 1

6 points

How to test a firewire 400 port

New iMac 24" with Leopard and iMovie 08. All updates have been loaded.

iMovie will not import from Canon ZR500 DV camcorder. iMovie recognizes the camera, can control the camera (rewind) etc. but preview doesn't work and no data is received.

Camera works fine with my Windows XP machine and Adobe Premiere 3.0. It also imports fine with the Apple store's iMac. The problem also existed when I had Tiger 10.4.11 loaded.

I just tried a demo version of iDive and it does exactly the same thing as iMovie (recognizes and controls camera but no data imported).

Changed firewire cable, but no joy.

Looks like it's the Firewire 400 port that's the culprit. The 800 port is fine (driving LaCie disk).

Any way to test the Firewire 400 port? Update firmware, drivers, etc.?

iMAC 24", Mac OS X (10.4.10), 500 GB drive

Posted on Nov 19, 2007 4:56 PM

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Answer 1

Nov 19, 2007 9:53 PM in response to Rusty Rat

Hello Rusty,

One way...

Blue Apple > About this Mac > More info > Hardware ( Then Diagnostics and then Firewire )

Regards

Ian

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Answer 2

Rusty Rat Author

Level 1

6 points

Nov 20, 2007 4:22 AM in response to Ian Bickerstaffe

Thanks for replying Ian.

Maybe I'm blind, but all I get is a hardware list, but diagnostics. There is one entry for diagnostics but that only covers the POST.

I'm on 10.5.1

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Answer 3

Nov 20, 2007 9:30 AM in response to Rusty Rat

Hello again Rusty,

It does seem a little vague at times - It took me a while to figure it out. There are some little black triangles to the left of the lists. Click on them until you find the firewire section. Then click on diagnostics.

Another way to test a port is to connect an item that you know is working to the port in question.

Regards

Ian

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Answer 4

Rusty Rat Author

Level 1

6 points

Nov 20, 2007 5:54 PM in response to Ian Bickerstaffe

Sorry, no little black triangles and Apple Support didn't seem to know of any either. Anyway, after about an hour on the phone and three techs, they agreed with me that the 400 port is "unhappy". Neither the OS, apps, cables, or devices are at fault.

Back to the Apple store we go.

Thanks

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Answer 5

Nov 20, 2007 6:19 PM in response to Rusty Rat

Hi Rusty:

Blue Apple > About this Mac > More info > Hardware>Firewire

with you camcorder attached and see what it says.

Also you can try

a) reseting the smc, see:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=303446

b) reseting the PRAM by:

Resetting PRAM and NVRAM

Shut down the computer.
Locate the following keys on the keyboard: Command, Option, P, and R. You will need to hold these keys down simultaneously in step 4.
Turn on the computer.
Press and hold the Command-Option-P-R keys. You must press this key combination before the gray screen appears.
Hold the keys down until the computer restarts and you hear the startup sound for the second time.
Release the keys.
Your computer's PRAM and the NVRAM are reset to the default values. The clock settings may be reset to a default date on some models.

-Robert

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Answer 6

Rusty Rat Author

Level 1

6 points

Nov 20, 2007 6:40 PM in response to Robert Edison

I've already been through the Hardware>Firewire with and without the camera connected and on. Without, it displays info on the 800 port only and the LaCie drive connected to it. With the camera connected and on, it spins for a while then comes up unable to connect to firewire ports.

Did the smc thing already, no change.

I tried a PRAM and NVRAM reset on my previous iMac with the 800 port problem and there was no change. I'll try it on this one and report back.

Thanks

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Answer 7

Rusty Rat Author

Level 1

6 points

Nov 20, 2007 6:48 PM in response to Rusty Rat

Did the PRAM and NVRAm reset, no joy. Still the same behaviour.

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Answer 8

The Looby

Level 4

1,285 points

Nov 20, 2007 6:54 PM in response to Rusty Rat

It might be a conflict between the camcorder and the external drive --
even though they're on different "ports," I believe FW400 and FW800
share the same firewire controller.

Does the camcorder work correctly if you disconnect the external HD?

Looby

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Answer 9

Rusty Rat Author

Level 1

6 points

Nov 20, 2007 7:01 PM in response to The Looby

Bingo! Buy the man (or lady) a cigar.

However, one would think that the machine should be able to support two devices simultaneously. N'est ce pas?

This would seem to be a controller issue as it obviously cannot manage both.

Now on to the next step. How to make the controller behave with both devices.

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Answer 10

den.thed

Level 10

91,576 points

Nov 20, 2007 7:12 PM in response to Rusty Rat

Hi Rusty

If the LaCie has a firewire port on it, try and daisy chain the Camcorder thru the External HD...

Dennis

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Answer 11

Rusty Rat Author

Level 1

6 points

Nov 20, 2007 7:20 PM in response to den.thed

Excellent idea and it works, except for one minor wrinkle. The LaCie drive is inaccessible while the camera is plugged in and turned on. That might cause Timeline some problems. I can open the LaCie drive, but not any folders. The instant the camera is turned off, the folders open. Prior, I had the beach ball.

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Answer 12

den.thed

Level 10

91,576 points

Nov 20, 2007 8:06 PM in response to Rusty Rat

Well at least that will save you ware & tare on the iMac's firewire port, plus all the reaching around plugging & unplugging. For easy access I would leave the camcorder cable plugged into the external and then just plug in the camcorder to download from it.

Message was edited by: den.thed

Read on, I'm still in 10.4.11 without TimeMachine?

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Answer 13

The Looby

Level 4

1,285 points

Nov 20, 2007 7:50 PM in response to Rusty Rat

Just a few random thoughts from a total firewire neophyte -- maybe it would be
wise to hold off on #2 and #3 until a local firewire guru can render an opinion on
whether they might cause hardware damage. I know it's safe to connect a FW800
HD to a FW400 controller, but I'm not 100% certain about the other way around.

\- Connect the camcorder first, then the LaCie. That might force the FW controller
into FW400 mode. A FW800 device should work (at FW400 speed) on a FW400 link.

\- Connect the camcorder to one of the firewire ports on the LaCie. (This might
require a 6-pin to 9-pin firewire cable -- I don't know the type or number of
firewire connectors on your LaCie).

\- Swap connections: connect the camcorder to the FW800 port, connect the
LaCie to the FW400 port. (Again, might require a 6-pin to 9-pin cable.)

...computer system administration is an experimental science,

Looby

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Answer 14

den.thed

Level 10

91,576 points

Nov 20, 2007 7:58 PM in response to The Looby

Good thoughts there Lobby, I also agree we don't know what effect that set-up may have on the TimeMachine backup when the Camcorder is connected and downloading???

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Answer 15

den.thed

Level 10

91,576 points

Nov 20, 2007 11:08 PM in response to den.thed

OK guy's I did some digging around in the TimeMachine forum and came up with this thread:
[Daisy Chain FireWire for TM|http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=5811157&#5811157]

Rusty I think that EagerDragon's re is the answer: "+However it would be cleaner to use a hub than a daisy chain".+

[FireWire Hubs/Mac|http://www.ramelectronics.net/html/ieee-1394_hubs.html]

[Belkin 6Port FirewWire HUB|http://www.nextag.com/Belkin-6PT-FWIRE-HUB-3183754/prices-html]

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