Firewire: Standard computer industry interconnect for test & measurement

Do you know what Firewire is? If not, you soon will. IEEE 1394, or Firewire , is an up-and-coming electronics industry standard that will soon be in wi de use for interconnecting a massive variety of electronic equipment. It wi ll be used for connecting CD-ROMs and scanners to computers, and it will be used for connecting VCRs, DVDs and satellite dishes to digital televisions . How does this affect Test & Measurement? This paper discusses Firewire, alo ng with it's lower-end companion, USE, and how they can and will be utilize d in T&M applications to replace T&M specific technologies, such as IEEE 48 8, and MXI. The advantages - and disadvantages - of these new technologies are discussed along with what the Test & Measurement industry should do to support these new technologies.