The IEEE-1394 standard specifies the following maximum cable lengths:
Bus Type | Cable Type | Max Length | Speed Limitations |
1394a | 4-pin or 6-pin shielded TP copper | 4.5 m | 400 Mbps |
1394b | 9-pin shielded TP copper | 4.5 m | 800 Mbps |
1394b | Unshielded TP | 4.5 m | 800 Mbps |
1394b | Unshielded TP | 100 m | 100 Mbps |
1394b | Glass optical fiber (GOF) | 100 m | (Check with the manufacturer for speed/distance limitations). |
1394b | Plastic optical fiber | 50 m | (Check with the manufacturer for speed/distance limitations). |
Some manufacturers sell cables that exceed the above specifications. In some cases, longer (e.g. 20m) cables can only be achieved by reducing the maximum bus speed to S100.