How is FireWire impacting computer-based measurement and automation?
The FireWire bus embodies several characteristics that make it easier to use than some of the traditional internal PC buses such as PCI and ISA. Devices that connect using FireWire are hot-pluggable, so they eliminate the need to shut down the PC to add or remove a device. The buses also have automatic device detection, meaning that the user does not have to manually configure the device once it is plugged in. The software should detect and install the device on its own. For applications that require many devices, broadcast mode can be used to synchronize multiple devices with an event or signal. Broadcast mode can also prove useful in an emergency shutdown situation for embedded machine and automation applications. FireWire can deliver synchronized broadcasts from any device to all other devices when operated in broadcast mode. High-speed data and control applications benefit from the ability of FireWire to deliver data through either isochronous or asynchronous data transfers. With i
