A serial highway (SH) system using byte-organized messages and configured as a unidirectional loop, to which are connected a system controller and up to sixty-two CAMAC crate assemblies, is defined. In the primary application, the controlled devices are CAMAC crate assemblies with serial crate controllers that conform to a defined message structure. In other applications, some or all of the controlled devices connected to the SH can be equipment that conforms to a subset of the full specification and is not necessarily constructed in CAMAC format or controlled by CAMAC commands.

This standard defines a Serial Highway (SH) system using byte-organized messages, and configured as a unidirectional loop to which are connected a system controller and up to sixty-two CAMAC* crate assemblies in accordance with ANSI/IEEE Std 583-1982, [Modular Instrumentation and Digital Interface System (CAMAC*)] or other controlled devices. The highway transfers data and control information in either bit-serial mode (using one data signal and a bit-clock signal) or byte-serial mode (using eight data signals and a byte-clock signal). Clock rates up to 5 MHz may be used, depending on individual system characteristics.