Firehat Is an Open-Source FireWire DV Capture HAT for SBCs with PCIe FFC
The open-source Firehat HAT brings a VIA VT6315N FireWire controller, DV/HDV capture, and onboard controls to PCIe-enabled single-board computers.
FireWire DV capture HAT
Firehat is an open-source FireWire DV capture HAT designed to connect DV camcorders, tape decks, and other IEEE 1394 devices to modern single-board computers (SBCs). Developed by Computer Equipment Group, the board integrates a VIA VT6315N FireWire controller and a 6-pin FireWire port, allowing compatible SBCs to capture Digital Video (DV) and High Definition Video (HDV) streams directly to storage.
The board connects to a host through a PCIe 2.0 x1 interface via an FPC connector. It supports the Raspberry Pi 5, Radxa ROCK 2F, and other SBCs that expose PCIe through an FPC connection or a suitable adapter. The compact board measures 56 × 70 × 12 mm and weighs approximately 25 grams. Its design targets tapeless recording setups that preserve the original digital video stream without additional analog conversion.
FireWire DV capture HAT top side
Firehat Features:
- FireWire connectivity: Integrates a VIA VT6315N IEEE 1394 controller and a 6-pin FireWire port for connecting compatible DV and HDV camcorders and tape decks.
- PCIe interface: Uses a PCIe 2.0 x1 connection through an FPC connector to communicate with the host SBC.
- SBC compatibility: Supports the Raspberry Pi 5, Radxa ROCK 2F, and other compatible boards with PCIe connectivity.
- Onboard display: Includes a 1.3-inch monochrome OLED display for local status information and recorder controls.
- Physical controls: Provides three low-profile tactile buttons for operating capture-related functions.
- Status indicators: Features three SK6812 RGB LEDs and a PWM-controlled SMD buzzer for visual and audio feedback.
- GPIO expansion: Includes a 40-pin, 2.54 mm GPIO header with a Raspberry Pi-compatible layout.
- Compact design: Measures 56 × 70 × 12 mm and weighs approximately 25 g, making it suitable for portable recording systems.
- Open hardware: Uses the CERN Open Hardware Licence Version 2 – Strongly Reciprocal (CERN OHL-S), while the software uses the GPL licence.
Firehat and Radxa ROCK 2F connected to a camcorder via FireWire
The FireWire DV capture HAT works with the standard Linux FireWire stack and open-source tools such as dvgrab for video capture and dvcont for controlling compatible tape decks. Users can also pair the board with the Equip-1 software stack, which provides an appliance-style recorder interface with onboard OLED and button controls, a web dashboard, video preview, file management, and conversion options. The software supports recordings in formats such as .dv, .mov, .avi, and native HDV .m2t, along with optional MP4 conversion and deinterlacing. Actual capture and tape-control compatibility depends on the host SBC, Linux support, camera or deck model, and software configuration. More details available on the GitHub.
Equip-1 v0.2.0 softwarea
The Firehat FireWire DV capture HAT is available for pre-order through Crowd Supply for $99. The campaign raised $26,663 against its $7,500 funding goal. The planned package includes the main board, OLED display, a 25 mm shielded FPC cable, a 0.3 m 6-pin-to-4-pin FireWire cable, and printed setup and safety information.
Images used courtesy of Crowd Supply.
