European FireWire support group formed

APRIL 21--The 1394 Automation Group, which recently gained official legal status as a European foundation, is defining a platform that will allow different controllers to communicate using the same FireWire bus. During Hanover Messe 2003 in Germany, the group unveiled its new Web site: www.1394automation.org. This site is filled with FireWire-based specifications, information, applications, news, and events.

Various European research institutes, including Fraunhofer IPMS (Dresden, Germany) and Fraunhofer IPT (Aachen, Germany), are working on specification, implementation, and testing of the new FireWire protocol. Fraunhofer IPMS will implement the final specification into software, which will be available to group members.

The 1394 Automation Group welcomes new members so that the FireWire (IEEE 1394) specification will lead to an acceptable interoperable standard. The software is being tested on a range of advanced machines and is expected to be completed by November 2003. The work is directed at internationally accepted standards based on IEEE 1394.

All of the group participants are experienced FireWire users. However, they are still able to develop products with unique functionality via the same FireWire specification. Group members include Basler Vision Technologies, Control Techniques, Moteurs Leroy Somer France, Eurotherm Antriebstechnik GmbH, Fraunhofer IPMS, Fraunhofer IPT, Kollmorgen Seidel Group of Danaher Motion, Lust Antriebstechnik GmbH, Maxon Motor, Nyquist Industrial Control, Stöber Antriebstechnik GmbH, and Wago Kontakttechnik GmbH.