Dear Friend & Subscriber:
The guys who write stories and screenplays tell us there are only seven stories in the world:
Man vs. Nature
Man vs. Man
Man vs. Environment
Man vs. Machines/Technology
Man vs. the Supernatural
Man vs. Self
Man vs. God/Religion
But I now have an 8th Master Plot, one that the screenwriters failed to notice. It is:
Communication Protocol vs. Communication Protocol.
It's a saga of near-religious zealotry, economic avarice, propeller-head wizardry and desperate salesmanship all rolled into one.
USB vs. Firewire
USB vs. RS-232
Beta vs. VHS
DeviceNet vs. Profibus
HART vs. Foundation Fieldbus
Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD
XM Radio vs. Sirius
Standard TV vs. HDTV
ASP vs. PHP
DVD-Audio vs. SACD
Playstation 3 vs. Xbox 360
...the list goes on and on and on.
Now B&B Electronics is a growing company, but we're no 800 pound gorilla. If we invented our own protocol we'd get squashed like a bug. Little guys have to get along with everybody, so instead we help all the boys and girls play together real friendly-like.
Here are some nifty devices to help you mediate the protocol wars:
-Serial to Ethernet Converters: http://bb-elec.com/product_family.asp?FamilyId=120
-Ethernet to Fiber Media Converters: http://www.bb-elec.com/product_family.asp?FamilyId=10
-Wired to Wireless Converters: Convert serial or Modbus to 900 MHz / 2.4 GHz and back, http://www.bb-elec.com/product_family.asp?FamilyId=328
-Wireless to RS-232, 422 and 485: Wirelessly connect your legacy serial devices with 802.11 to your LAN, eliminating cable installation cost. http://bb-elec.com/Subcategory.asp?SubCategoryId=26
-CAN to Fiber Optic: Send CAN signals over fiber optic cable for noise resistance and isolation.
http://www.bb-elec.com/product.asp?sku=CANFB
-OBDII to USB or RS-232: Move data from your car engine into your PC. http://www.bb-elec.com/product_family.asp?FamilyId=222
Oh, and sorry.... can't help you on the Playstation vs. Xbox front. But it's always fun to fantasize, isn't it? Man, if I had a nifty little program that let you play Xbox games on a Playstation... well, I'd be retired with my own island on the Caribbean.
Now that I mention it, if you possess such a program, please mail me a copy in an INCONSPICUOUS UNMARKED BROWN PACKAGE. My address is: Mike's Secret Xbox/Playstation Lab, PO Box 1040, Ottawa, IL 61350.
Happy protocol conversion. And if there's something you're trying to do that I haven't covered, use the SEARCH box on our website www.bb-elec.com or call (815)433-5100 or email us: support@bb-elec.com. We love to hear from ya.
Mike Fahrion
B&B Electronics
support@bb-elec.com
(815)433-5100
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