IEEE 1394: status and growth path

In December 1995, the final public review of the High Performance Serial Bus draft standard concluded, and the IEEE ratified it as IEEE Std 1394-1995. As 1394 working-group chair, I extend my appreciation to all those who took the time to review vote, and comment upon the draft standard. It is also gratifying to the entire working group to observe the various computer and digital audiovisual (AV) products now incorporating support for the 1394 interface. This column's purpose is to review technical issues raised by the IEEE study group exploring the development of a second-generation standard based on 1394. This second-generation activity is likely to consist of several 1394-related working groups. Each expanding a different attribute or capability of the standard. To set a proper foundation for the discussion of 1394's future. I first summarize the concepts and facilities of the present standard and review its current status in the computer and digital AV industries.