Smart plug and play sensors

Using a sensor should be as easy and trouble free as plugging a mouse into a computer. An IEEE standard that is currently being developed may be the answer for self-describing, plug and play sensors. The IEEE P1451.4 standard defines the mechanism for adding self-describing behavior to transducers with an analog signal interface. Rather than defining yet another network, or bus, for sensors, IEEE P1451.4 defines a low-level transducer interface and information structure that can work across any type of measurement interface or network.