Path: utzoo!censor!geac!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!think.com!mintaka!ai-lab!melnik@gnu.ai.mit.edu
From: melnik@gnu.ai.mit.edu (Ofer Melnik)
Newsgroups: comp.realtime
Subject: realtime os for PC
Message-ID: <12257@life.ai.mit.edu>
Date: 7 Dec 90 14:46:38 GMT
Sender: news@ai.mit.edu
Organization: MIT Laboratory for Computer Science
Lines: 35

HI,

I am interested in real-time OS's for PC's. The only one I know anything
about is VRTX. Basically it has almost everything I need; Multi-tasking,
intertask communication, reentrant DOS, a few device drivers, a run-
time lib for C (reentrant), a limited debugger...etc..

This is the info I got from their written material  (ready systems)..
what would really be useful is hands-on experience from people who
have written applications using VRTX and other OS's. What are the 
real advantages/ disadvantages of using a particular OS..

This is a small list of points..
1) How is multi-tasking handled ? Fixed task-switch time ? What events 
   does the OS support??
2) How good are the drivers..and how difficult is it to add a new driver?
   Is it possible to port a dos driver ?
3) How cumbersome is it to write high-level code for the os?? do you have
   to link in massive quantities of libs and objs to your code ?
   How much K does it add to the executable ? And how intuitive are the
   programming commands ?
4) How difficult is it to debug the system ? In terms of the debugger and
   various idiosyncrasies of the OS..
5) How does it handle multiple task keyboard input / screen output? and multiple   task disk access ? 
6) Does it create a separate executable which can be run over DOS ? or does
   it mandate preloading the OS ?
7) Is it an OS specifically designed for the PC..or is it a derivative work
   like VRTX ?  How is this apparent ?
Now what specific problems did you encounter ???
I am most interested in applications which have alot of serial communication
in the background..

Thanx,
-OM