Will my FireWire gear work?
There isn’t one answer for every FireWire device. Audio, DV, and scanners use different protocols, so support depends on what each device tells the Mac and what has actually been tested.
What is ASFireWire?
ASFireWire is a free, open-source DriverKit project that rebuilds selected FireWire support for modern macOS. It includes audio, DV video, and SBP-2 storage paths. It is still being developed and tested on real devices.
FireWire was supported on Macs from System 9 through 2025. Some manufacturers stopped supporting their devices earlier, while macOS retained its system FireWire stack until Tahoe. Recreating support means implementing low-level controller access and the different protocols devices use. I started ASFireWire for the audio equipment I wanted to keep using; contributors later brought DV cameras and scanners into the project. I’ve been working on it for more than a year, and each device class still needs real hardware testing.
Will it run on my computer?
The current tester guide is for Apple silicon Macs on macOS 26 and later, including Tahoe and Golden Gate. I test on a 2020 M1 MacBook Air and an M4 Mac mini. Contributors have also reported working Intel/Tahoe setups; the compatibility wiki records their exact hosts and builds. Windows, Linux, and AMD PCs are outside the project’s scope: ASFireWire is a macOS DriverKit extension.
A Mac also needs a FireWire host connection. A USB-C port by itself is not Thunderbolt; for example, the MacBook Neo cannot use Apple’s Thunderbolt-to-FireWire adapter chain.
Does support depend on the exact model?
Not always. It depends on the protocol the device uses, what its firmware tells the driver, the FireWire controller, and whether the complete path has been tested. A model name in code is not the same as a working test.
AV/C audio interfaces: ASFireWire can use a generic AV/C path when the interface reports enough information—such as its plugs, stream formats, and channel names—for the driver to describe it to Core Audio. Some devices expose what the generic path needs; others need device-specific work or do not provide enough information. “AV/C” alone does not guarantee that an interface will work.
SCSI scanners: scanner software talks to the scanner using SCSI commands. ASFireWire provides the FireWire SBP-2 connection into macOS’s SCSI controller path; the scanning app uses that SCSI interface. Hasselblad Phocus and VueScan are examples of SCSI-based apps, and ASFireWire has working reports for a Hasselblad H4D-50MS with Phocus and Nikon Coolscan scanners with VueScan.
Vendor FireWire control apps: TotalMix, DigiCheck, MixControl, and similar apps were built for Apple’s IOFireWireFamily, which is no longer part of macOS. They cannot communicate with devices through ASFireWire, so there is no need to test or report those apps as ASFW failures. This limitation does not apply to Storage/SBP-2: software using SCSI communicates through macOS’s SCSI path, including Phocus and VueScan.
DV cameras: camera models and capture behavior have fewer reports so far. The hardware list contains reported tests on real devices; it is not a list of every compatible model. An unlisted device may work, particularly if it uses a supported protocol family, but it needs a real-hardware test before it can be listed.
Can I install it and expect everything to work?
There are manual setup steps, and device support is not universal. Read the current tester guide and check the hardware page for reports. The hardware page lists real-device test reports, not every model that may work. If yours is missing, try it and send the result—successful and unsuccessful tests both help.
What should I check before installing?
Check the compatibility wiki for results on your device, host, and build. The hosted 0.6.0-33 build is signed and notarized and installs with System Integrity Protection (SIP) enabled. Follow the macOS approval and upgrade steps in the installation guide.
Can I ask for my device to be supported?
Yes. Send a test result with the exact device name, Mac, macOS version, adapter, and what happened. Attach startup/reproduction logs and relevant device reports when available; descriptions alone usually cannot diagnose a failure. If you cannot collect evidence, explain why. A request helps me decide what to investigate, but it cannot guarantee support.
How can I help?
Test a device that is not yet listed, report a working setup or a failure, contribute code or documentation, or support my independent development. ASFireWire is free and open source; financial support helps cover everyday living expenses and development tools.
Check your setup.
The hardware page collects reported tests and records known limits. A device missing from the list may still work; try it and share what happens.