From: Milton Aupperle <milton@outcastsoft.com>

Date: May 9, 2012 1:00:17 PM MDT

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: [Astro_IIDC] Re: Astro IIDC 4.08.00 GM Release End of This Week

Hi Tim;

On 9-May-12, at 12:26 PM, doobisary wrote:

Hi Milton:

How does USB3 compare to FW800?  Forgive my ignorance.

FW 800 is max 800 Mega bps and USB 3 is max 5 Giga bps (multi Lane PCI E Cards). With PC Express Cards Version 1.0 (which is all that Apple supports) on Laptops, the max throughput is half this for USB 3. With Laptops that support Express Card 2, you can get full 5 Giga bps.

So USB 3 can push up to 6.4 times as much data as FireWire.

Also, the lack of FW ports on the Macbook Air is the primary reason I've never considered one, sexy though they may appear at first glance!

Mac Book Air only supports USB 2, Thunderbolt and is non expandable with no Express Card slot.  I have yet to see a "Thunderbolt" adapter that supports USB 3 and even FireWire over Thunderbolt simply doesn't work.

If Apple drops USB and FireWire in their next revision, your options are zero for anything going forward.

TTYL..

Milton J. Aupperle

President

ASC - Aupperle Services and Contracting

Mac Software (Drivers, Components and Application) Specialist

#1106 - 428 Chaparral Ravine View SE.

Calgary Alberta T2X 0N2

1-(403)-453-1624

milton@outcastsoft.com

www.outcastsoft.com

-Tim.

--- In Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com, "milton_aupperle" <milton@...> wrote:

Hi folks;

I have finished of updating the manual and will have the updated scripts, read me First and web site done by thursday. I am hoping to do the GM release on Friday, May 11, 2012.

So if you ran into any issues or bugs and want them fixed, I need to know about them no later than tomorrow or they will not be included in the 4.08.00 release.

Secondly, I have ordered a CalDigit USB 3 Express card and am waiting on it for delivery. Once I'm sure it works properly for USB 3 Hard Drives and USB 2 cameras on my MacBook Pro, I'll be getting a loaner USB 3 Flea 3 Camera from PGR for testing. So Mac users with an expansion slot hopefully can use the new super speed interface for 170+ fps frame rates and data transfers rates in the 180+ megabyte range for these high speed cameras.

Also, I was contacted by a Astro IIDC user whom had gone the "ThunderBolt" to "Express Card" to "FireWire 800 Express Card" root with a new Mac and is getting no voltage to the PGR FireWire Camera at all. Maybe this will be resolved by Sonnet (all their hardware and drivers), but it looks like Thunderbolt is basically a very expensive albatross and should be avoided.

Clear Skies..

Milton Aupperle