This article considers the improving prospects of universal standards for connection and diagnosis of electronic systems. It reportsa special conference about them in London in February 1994, at the Institution of Electrical Engineers. Progress is fastest in mass-produced components for cars. The main initiative for these standards comes from the USA, whose anti-trust laws rule that diagnostic equipment and relevant equipment must be available to everyone. From 1988, American manufacturers will be legally obliged to disclose diagnostic data. It seems that Europe will follow this lead, but that this process will take time. At the conference, manufacturers did not disagree with the general principle, but some of them hesitated about the extent of access to information or were even reluctant to supply it. Several speakers, working on standards committees, assured the conference that standardised connections are well advanced. The baseline international standard for connectors, ISO 9141, is already used.It was published in 1989, is now being reviewed, and will be tightened and combined with on-board diagnostics. There are six American standards for electric diagnostics and their connections, of which SAE PAG: 1692 should form the basis for an international standard greatly improving ISO 9141
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