[Fwd: vxWorks, other ops]

[Rolf Keitel <rolf@triumf.ca>]

-- 
+-------------------------------------------------+
| Rolf Keitel, TRIUMF         Tel: (604) 222-7453 |
| Group Leader ISAC Controls  Fax: (604) 222-7307 |
| and Electronics Development                     |
| Vancouver, B.C., Canada                         |
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Subject:	Re: vxWorks, other ops
From:	Eric Norum <eric.norum@usask.ca>
To:	Rolf Keitel <rolf@triumf.ca>
Date:	Fri, 10 Aug 2001 14:10:35 -0600

Rolf Keitel wrote:
> 
> For some short-term and long-term planning I would like feedback on:
> 
> a) vxWorks for Intel x86 architectures.
>   Who is using it?
>   What PC configurations are covered?
>   Which problems were encountered?
> 
> b) RT Linux
>   How viable will it be for EPICS?
>   On what time-scale?
>   Who has any experience?
> 
> I know, lots of questions, but I would be grateful for lots of answers.

The CLS is using RTEMS for their IOCs.  As well, I've been running some
IOC applications on generic PC hardware for quite a while.  I'm
interested in looking into running EPICS/RTEMS on PC-104 hardware too.
I went with RTEMS instead of RT-Linux for a number of reasons.
1) We'd been using RTEMS for a number of data acquisition and monitor
applications at SAL.
2) RTEMS was completely open as opposed to the 1/2-open status of
RT-Linux for commercial appplications.
3) RTEMS is a little lighter weight (not that that makes much difference
once the whole EPICS IOC core code is addded!).

Having said all that, I don't expect that it would be much effort to get
the POSIX version of the R3.14 IOC code running on RT-Linux -- perhaps
no effort at all.

vxWork$$$  is a very nice system, but for a small lab the up-front costs
are substantial.

-- 
Eric Norum                                 eric.norum@usask.ca
Department of Electrical Engineering       Phone: (306) 966-5394
University of Saskatchewan                 FAX:   (306) 966-5407
Saskatoon, Canada.

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