IEEE 1394: a ubiquitous bus

The IEEE 1394 high-speed serial bus promises to revolutionize the transport of digital data for computers and for professional and consumer electronics products. By providing an inexpensive non-proprietary high-speed method of interconnecting digital devices, IEEE 1394 is a truly universal I/O connection. Its scalable architecture and flexible peer-to-peer topology make 1394 ideal for connecting devices from computers and hard drives, to digital audio and video hardware. Isochronous, just in time delivery, allows low-cost implementations of time-critical multimedia interfaces. This paper examines this IEEE 1394 bus and provides a glimpse into its future potential.