This document has been declared "Stabilized" and will no longer be subjected to periodic reviews for currency. Users are responsible for verifying references and continued suitability or technical requirements. New technology may exist.

This section defines the scope of the document, provides a brief history of the Pi-Bus, discusses key features of the Pi-Bus, and provides an overview of the operation of the Pi-Bus.

This document is a handbook intended to accompany AS4710 Pi-Bus standard. The purpose of this document is to provide information to aid users of the Pi-Bus, whether they be implementors of Pi-Bus controllers, architects of systems considering using the Pi-Bus as the backplane communications bus. This document also provides rationale for many of the Pi-Bus requirements as defined in AS4710 and a discussion of potential enhancements that are being considered for the Pi-Bus.