Book excerpt: As computerisation in the medical environment has increased, so the advantages of storage and computer analysis of data from various equipment has become well recognised. Most medical monitoring and measurement equipment now supports an RS-232 serial interface allowing for direct computer access both in terms of data analysis and equipment control. This very practical book describes the techniques used for interfacing a PC to a range of medical equipment used internationally in the areas of anaesthesia, intensive care, surgery, respiratory medicine and physiology and will constitute a valuable resource for a wide audience of equipment users in these fields.