aragorn@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Steve J White) (02/25/90)
I have seen many postings regarding VxWorks here. I was wondering (in my ignorance) what VxWorks actually does in the realm of real-time computing. Is this an operating system or a programming language? Steve J. White Univ. of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
beaulieu@gca.UUCP (Larry Beaulieu) (03/01/90)
> I have seen many postings regarding VxWorks here. I was wondering (in my > ignorance) what VxWorks actually does in the realm of real-time computing. > Is this an operating system or a programming language? To quote from the VxWorks overview: "VxWorks is a high performance real-time operating system...for real-time applications." It is effectively a real time kernel which has UNIX-like extensions added to it which allow it to interact well with UNIX systems, where the UNIX box is used for s/w development, etc. and the VxWorks SBC (typicially on a VME bus) is used for real time applications. It supports many of the features commonly available with UNIX systems, including support for TCP-IP and NFS. At one point, you had a choice of either using Wind River Systems's own kernel or Ready Systems' VRTX; I don't know if that's still true. If using Wind River's own kernel, one can purchase the kernel already ported and available in PROM for many popular CPU boards; buy the board, by the PROMS, load the development software on your UNIX box (you have a choice of several, as well as VMS) and *POOF* you're up and running. -- Larry Beaulieu ...uunet!gca!beaulieu SMTS/Software Engineer GCA Corporation, "Live to step, step to live..." Andover, MA
baumann@muon.uucp (Michael Baumann) (03/01/90)
In article <305@gca.UUCP> beaulieu@gca.UUCP (Larry Beaulieu) writes: >> I have seen many postings regarding VxWorks here. I was wondering (in my >> ignorance) what VxWorks actually does in the realm of real-time computing. >> Is this an operating system or a programming language? > At one point, you had a choice of either using Wind River Systems's own > kernel or Ready Systems' VRTX; I don't know if that's still true. Not any more. Seems there was some kind of falling-out between Wind River and Ready Systems, and they no longer support VRTX kernels. However, they do support both pSOS and their own 'WIND' kernels. Michael Baumann Radiation Research Lab |Internet: baumann%proton.UUCP@ucrmath.UCR.EDU Loma Linda Universtiy Medical Center | UUCP: ...ucrmath!proton!baumann Loma Linda, California. (714)824-4077|
jng@sli.com (Mike Gilbert) (03/05/90)
In article <305@gca.UUCP> beaulieu@gca.UUCP (Larry Beaulieu) writes: > >[VxWorks] is effectively a real time kernel which has UNIX-like extensions >added to it which allow it to interact well with UNIX systems, where >the UNIX box is used for s/w development, etc. and the VxWorks SBC >(typicially on a VME bus) is used for real time applications. >It supports many of the features commonly available with UNIX systems, >including support for TCP-IP and NFS. I'd like to correct this misconception about VxWorks being Unix-only: VxWorks also interacts well with VAX/VMS systems, as long as the VAX has one of the better TCP/IP/NFS packages (from DEC or elsewhere) installed. The VAX is used for software development and the SBC is used for real-time applications. I know a great deal about the VMS version because I'm biased: Software Leverage modified VxWorks to work with VMS hosts, and we now support, manufacture, and sell it. The VMS version was released last fall, and is supplied with the appropriate cross compiler and TCP/IP packages. I don't want to advertise in this newsgroup, but you should realize that the VMS version exists! Wind River's ads say "Unix or VAX" now, but most people still don't seem to realize that VxWorks now works quite well in a VAX/VMS development environment. For more information (technical questions or otherwise), you can e-mail to sales@sli.com, or call our hotline at (800) 648-1410. (You can also call Wind River, but they'll just refer you to us.) If we get e-mail containing technical questions of general interest about VMS VxWorks, we'll post a summary, with answers, to comp.realtime. Mike Gilbert UUCP: ...uunet!sli!jng DOMAIN: jng@sli.com Software Leverage, Inc.