News

1394 Trade Association Establishes New Installers' Working Group and Software Working Group to Advance the Development of the FireWire Standard (21/10/2003)

Rapid Expansion in 2003 Seen Continuing in 2004, with Help from New Committees

The 1394 Trade Association today established a pair of new working groups to encourage and accelerate the adoption of the IEEE 1394 standard in the consumer electronics markets and among home entertainment network installers.

The new Audio Visual Distribution/Installers Working Group will develop implementation guidelines for residential wiring, wall plates, hubs, and structured wiring panels for specialists in planning and installing AV distribution systems in the home. In addition, it will provide a venue for liaison among the organizations and committees that address residential communication cabling.

The Software Working Group will develop and coordinate software implementation guidelines for audio/video end equipment. It will focus on expanding 1394 adoption and improving interoperability and compatibility. In addition, it will address software implementation methods for minimum AV sub-unit functionality, along with guidelines for compatibility with 1394-1995, 1394a, 1394b (end-equipment) to 1394b (long distance). Software implementation guidelines for AV networking, Universal Plug and Play (UPnP), Home Audio Video Interface (HAVi) and AVC, along with other discover/control schemes will be included under its charter. The committee will interact closely with the A/V, Compliance and Interoperability, Networking and other active working groups in the 1394 Trade Association.

The new groups were proposed by Cecelia Smith of Texas Instruments Inc. and Angela Lee of Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America, who serve on the 1394 Trade Association's board of directors. They will conduct their organizational meetings during the next general session of the Trade Association, scheduled for Jan. 19-22, 2004.

"The adoption of the 1394 standard in consumer electronics, computers, peripherals and industrial products has been very strong throughout 2003, and these new working groups will further accelerate the adoption of FireWire in the home entertainment network," said James Snider, executive director of the 1394 Trade Association.

The 1394 Trade Association is a worldwide organization dedicated to the advancement and enhancement of the IEEE standard.

www.1394ta.org