Point Grey Research, a leader in advanced imaging products, has added the LDR (Long Distance Repeater) to its FirePRO family of professional IEEE 1394b components.
The FirePRO LDR is a compact and cost effective solution for applications that require multiple IEEE 1394 devices to be extended beyond the standard 4.5m cable length. Using a Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) physical layer to transport FireWire data using GigE signalling, the FirePRO LDR can transmit and receive IEEE 1394b 800Mb/s data in real-time over 100 metres of standard Category 5e (Cat5e) cable. This allows users to construct a dependable, high-speed FireWire-based network of multiple cameras that is physically separated by up to 100 metres from the host system.
The FirePRO LDR is a two-repeater system, with one repeater at the camera side and the other at the host system side, joined by Cat5e cable. Each repeater is equipped with two bilingual 9-pin 1394b ports with screw locks, one RJ-45 connector, and a standard barrel connector for external power, and is housed in a compact 69 x 57 x 20mm metal case. The low-latency GigE physical layer ensures the network complies with IEEE 1394b timing requirements. Like other FirePRO hubs and repeaters, the LDR requires no special software or drivers.
