FireWire (IEEE 1394) is a serial connector created by Apple in 1986. FireWire has had various revisions over the years (FireWire 400, FireWire 800, etc). FireWire was officially discontinued in 2013. It offered faster transfer speeds when compared to USB, but was limited due to Apple's ownership of the licensing, the cost it took to make when compared to USB, and the lack of backwards compatibility.
 Image of the FireWire icon | |
| Developer | Apple Inc. |
|---|---|
iPods Reliance on FireWire
The iPod (1st generation), iPod (2nd generation), and iPod (3rd generation) had a reliance on FireWire.
- The 1st generation iPod requires FireWire 400 for charging and syncing
- The 2nd generation iPod requires FireWire 400 for charging and syncing
- The 3rd generation iPod requires FireWire 400 for charging only. USB and FireWire can be used for syncing.
FireWire Compatibility
| Device | FireWire Charging? | FireWire Syncing? | USB Support? | Extra Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPod (1G) |  Required
|
Required
|
 None
|
FireWire only |
| iPod (2G) | Required
|
Required
|
None
|
FireWire only |
| iPod (3G) | Required
|
 Yes
|
Sync Only
|
FireWire required for charging. |
| iPod 4G (Monochrome) iPod Photo |
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
| iPod Video (5/5.5 G) | Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
| iPod Classic (6-7G) | Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
| iPod Nano 1G | Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
FireWire support theoretically possible, unused support in firmware |
| iPod Nano 2G | Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
| iPod Nano 3G | Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
| iPod Nano 4G | No
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
| iPod Nano 5G | No
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
| iPod Nano 6G | No
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
| iPod Nano 7G | N/A
|
N/A
|
Yes
|
Uses Apple Lightning Cable |
| iPod Mini (1-2G) | Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
An unused FireWire 800 pin layout can be found on the logic board, along with FireWire port support in the Firmware. It is theoretically possible to add a FireWire port to the iPod Mini. |
Benefits of FireWire
FireWire has proven to be useful when repairing iPods, since it directly powers the logic board. (USB directs power to the battery instead) FireWire can be used to test iPod logic boards even when the battery is faulty or dying.
Resources
Wikipedia Entry on IEEE 1394 (aka FireWire): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_1394
Ars Technica Article about the history of FireWire: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/06/the-rise-and-fall-of-firewire-the-standard-everyone-couldnt-quite-agree-on/
EveryMac's FireWire compatibility grid: https://everymac.com/systems/apple/ipod/ipod-faq/ipods-charge-and-sync-firewire-usb2.html