Introduction.

This standard is concerned with conformance of an implementation to the associated protocol specifications contained in EIA-600. A dual audience is expected for this standard. The first is laboratories that may be interested in acting as conformance testing agencies. Such agencies are tasked with converting these requirements into a hardware/software test system. The CEBus Industry Council (CIC) has been charged with protecting trade and service marks associated with EIA-600. As such, CIC manages the conformance testing process for the purpose of product certification. The second audience is the set of designers of EIA-600 compatible products. Any designer of compatible products should understand the importance of the tests described in this standard, as they relate to implementing EIA-600. The second group should read this standard while considering whether its hardware and/or software implementation is likely to pass the stated tests.

This standard describes tests that a product must pass to be considered compliant with the EIA- 600 protocol. None of these tests are intended to verify a product's safety. The remainder of this section provides an introduction to protocol conformance testing and instructs the implementor on the means for requesting conformance testing.