Camac - a New Ieee Modular Digital Interface Standard

Introduction Standardization has not always been a powerful force in electronics. However, recently the IEEE has adopted two standards in the area of digital interfacing, a field where great potential benefit exists in standardization. The first, IEEE STD-4%-19n, provides a standardized interface for programmable instruments and has been described in previous Spectrum articles. The second, IEEE STD-5!33-1975, commonly called CAMAC, is an established modular digital interfacing standard, particularly appropriate for computer oriented data and control systems. Prior to its adoption by the IEEE it was adopted by IEC and has had widespread application over the past six years in laboratories, and more recently in industrial process control. The purpose of this article is to acquaint practicing system engineers with the basic principles and applications of the CAMAC standard, and additionally to give an insight into how this standard can benefit the digital community as a whole. Future articles will cover more complex aspects and recent developments of the standard.