Industry Leaders Form Open Data Acquisition Association; New Standard Advances Interoperability for PC Based Data-acquisition Hardware and Software Solutions.

STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 12, 1998--Leading manufacturers of PC based data acquisition products have announced the formation of the Open Data Acquisition Association and the development of the Open Data Acquisition Standard. The new organization's stated objective is to provide users of data acquisition systems with a universal, open standard that will allow interoperability between PC based data acquisition hardware and software products from multiple vendors.

The lack of interoperability among today's data-acquisition products makes it difficult for system designers to combine products from multiple vendors and sometimes forces designers to compromise between system performance and ease of development. The Open Data Acquisition Standard specification would allow developers of PC based data acquisition systems to select products from multiple vendors and easily integrate them into a single measurement system.

Companies that design and manufacture data acquisition hardware and software products are invited to join the association and utilize the Open Data Acquisition Standard specification. The specification defines a software interface for PC data acquisition hardware that functions as a standard software driver for PC based data acquisition products. It includes a separate software specification for the five primary subsystems found on most data acquisition hardware: Analog In, Analog Out, Digital In, Digital Out and Counter/Timer Subsystems. The specification is based on Microsoft(R) COM based driver technologies, not on any one vendor's current software implementation.

When writing software to use with PC based data acquisition hardware, users can write in their language of choice (such as Visual Basic, C++ and Delphi), or they can purchase a software application (such as HP VEE, Strawberry Tree WorkBench, LABTECH Notebook and LABTECH Control), and use it to create their program.

"The objective of the Open Data Acquisition Association is to provide our customers with choices, based on open standards, that are truly interoperable," said Fred Putnam, president of LABTECH Corporation. "No one company stands to gain more than any other member does by participating in the Open Data Acquisition Standard. Our customers win every time they configure a PC based system for their particular measurement application."

The Open Data Acquisition Association will take a leading role in the development of standards for the data-acquisition market and will actively participate in affiliated standards bodies. Questions about how companies can become members of the Open Data Acquisition Association can be directed to John Coschigano, OMEGA Engineering, at 203/359-7808 or [e-mail]. Information also can be obtained from the association's website at http://www.opendaq.org

Founding Open Data Acquisition Association Members

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ComputerBoards, Inc            LABTECH Corporation
Middleboro, Mass.              Andover, Mass.

Data Translation, Inc          OMEGA Engineering, Inc.
Marlboro, Mass.                Stamford, Conn.

Hewlett-Packard Company        Strawberry Tree, Inc.
Palo Alto, Calif.              Sunnyvale, Calif.

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Microsoft supports all COM based initiatives and is currently evaluating participation in the Open Data Acquisition Association.

Note to Editors: Microsoft is a U.S. registered trademark of Microsoft Corp.