FireWire bus power on a laptop?

Ok, so I bought myself a shiny new laptop and an M-Audio Ozonic with the idea that my "desktop" music project will become a laptop project. The built-in firewire jack on the laptop is a 4-pin, but the Ozonic comes with a 6-pin. The M-audio documentation says that you can use a 4pin-to-6pin cable, but you cannot take advantage of bus powering the Ozonic unless you use a 6-to-6.

Ok, so I think I'd like to eliminate as many cables as possible and I buy a PCMCIA Firewire card, take it home, plug it in and...the Ozonic isn't getting any power from the Firewire. In the user manual, I see where it says "you can power the Ozonic with Firewire bus power...if your device supports it." So then I think I just need to get the right kind of f/w card...but shopping around, I see no PCMCIA f/w cards that mention they support bus power. The one I bought makes no reference to it either way. Nor do any I see when I do a search at online computer retailers.

Now, I just saw an ad for a new MOTU portable device ("The Traveler" maybe?) which also says it will run on f/w bus power too, so it seems the assumption that you take your laptop and audio int. and hit the road without power cables. But where do I find that elusive f/w bus power output? Does anyone know or have any recommendations?

thanks! Happy Friday everyone,
Allison

So, did your M-Audio Firewire come with it's own plug into the wall power?

J boy:

I suspect that Apple's lappies have a 6-pin FireWire port...can anyone verify this?

Yes they do. And why PC's don't is really a mystery to me.

Vespagirl:

Ok, so I think I'd like to eliminate as many cables as possible and I buy a PCMCIA Firewire card, take it home, plug it in and...the Ozonic isn't getting any power from the Firewire. In the user manual, I see where it says "you can power the Ozonic with Firewire bus power...if your device supports it." So then I think I just need to get the right kind of f/w card...but shopping around, I see no PCMCIA f/w cards that mention they support bus power.

I don't understand this, either. Is the FW card you bought a 6-pin? If not, then that's why. If so, then I can't see why not. The reason you don't see any mention of supporting bus power is because it should be a non-issue. If it's a 6-pin card, cable and interface, it should work. That's my understanding, at least.