Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!ncar!oddjob!uwvax!husc6!bbn!rochester!kodak!gardner
From: gardner@kodak.UUCP (dick gardner)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: QNX anyone?
Message-ID: <1289@kodak.UUCP>
Date: 15 Jun 88 13:10:12 GMT
References: <22273@tis.llnl.gov>
Reply-To: gardner@kodak.UUCP (dick gardner)
Organization: Eastman Kodak Co, Rochester, NY
Lines: 91

In article <22273@tis.llnl.gov> bae@ati.tis.llnl.gov (Hwa Jin Bae) writes:
>Is anyone out there using QNX?  This message passing OS recently caught
>my eyes again and I would like some detail information on:
>
>	1. Developement environment:
>		How's their C compiler and debugger?
It's fully K&R with lots of extension to support task-task communication,
message-passing, graphics,etc.  The QNX C compiler is a small-model only, 
but this does not usually present a problem since tasks are usually small.
It doesn't make much sense to build a huge monolithic task that hogs the
CPU in a system that was designed to divide an application into small,
efficient tasks that talk to each other.  The linker resolves all the FAR
and NEAR problems. Computer Innovations is introducing a full-fledged C
compiler for QNX soon (like about 1 mo.)
>		How's their Assembler - or do they have one?
>		If they has an Assembler, is it MASM compatible?
Their assembler is totally non-standard.  It takes a little getting used to.

>	2. Device Drivers:
>		What's envolved in writing a device driver for QNX?
In QNX, you need to write a privileged task, called an Administrator.  I
don't have a lot of experience doing this, but am about to start one next 
week.  From talking to others, it appears to be easier than DOS.
>	3. Is it really worth $695 for runtime and development package?
YES.  
>	4. How's their networking (ARCnet board)?
It's a little too expensive. (OK, maybe VERY expensive -- $450)  It's
very reliable, and very smooth and smart.  During the boot sequence, you
are given a chance to interrupt the currently programmed sequence and
change it to boot from local disk or from the network.  If the network is
used, you can select the image to be down-loaded.  For example, an AT-class
machine could run in Real mode, Protected mode, or re-located Protected mode
to make room for DOS to run in lower memory.  Other firms make ARCNET cards
that can be used, but the value-added firmware obviously has to come from
somewhere, and I don't know of any source.
Networking is one of QNX most powerful features.  First, ARCNET is a token
bus system, where network times are deterministic.  This is absolutely
essential for the Machine Control applications that I am involved with.
Next, this is a peer-peer system, where any resources on the network are
(optionally) available to any node.  The network system is smooth and fast.
I can sit at my desk and run programs on another machine transparently.
In case you haven't noticed, I am obviously biased, but I have seen QNX
applied in some impressive ways.
>	5. Are you developing any products for QNX?
Kodak has a product which has QNX built-in, but I am not directly involved
in that project.  I do know some people who are.
>	6. How are you using it?
I am in a development group that is responsible for testing and developing
machine control systems for our Manufacturing Engineering.  I am looking
at QNX for use as a Cell Controller in Manufacturing.
>
>-------
I attended a QNX conference in Ottawa a week or so ago, and was pleased to
see the many wayss that QNX has been used to handle jobs that other OS's
just couldn't manage.  The presentations each day featured specialized, 
and widely-varied applications.  They ranged from a Pizza-ordering system
where customers in a large city called one phone number for home delivery,
to a flood control system that is at the heart of the National Weather
Service Flood Alert system.  In between, one main-frame manufacturer actually
replaced their own machine with a QNX network to manage a testing facility.
A major oil company is replacing their extended engine & fuel testing
hardware with industrial-strength PC's running QNX.  A gigantic communications
company is using QNX for all(or, at least a lot) of their office, as well as
software development and maintenance.  They have one plant with a 300 node
network.
Granted, many of these presentations were testimonials made by un-paid
members of the Quantam marketing divsion, but they were ALL success stories
by very clever people, who were not able to meet their needs with DOS and
other OS's.
Many vendors were present, offering software and hardware that closely
resembles DOS programs.  Lotus look-alikes, DBaseIII clones, file managers,
windowing systems, code generators, are all available now. Also shown were
process control systems utilizing graphics interfaces.
As for the future of QNX, several new items were announced.  One is called
RUNDOS. It will run DOS applications (while in protected mode), giving you
even more memory than DOS!  It leaves about 620K to run your program.  It
is in Beta now, running Lotus, Dbase, etc, quite nicely.  Another product
to be introduced soon, is a distributed Make facility, which allows you to
define network nodes as a team, and do compiles in parallel on all the
team CPUs!  One of the major efforts in the near future will be to establish
bridges to other networks(such as Ethernet).

Sorry for being long-winded, but I hope this info will be helpful.

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   Dick Gardner -- Eastman Kodak Co.  Rochester, New York  14652-4201
                   Phone: (716) 477-1002
                   UUCP: {allegra,rutgers}!rochester!kodak!gardner
  "Oh yeah?!? Well, MY computer is SOOOOO FAST, it executes an infinite
     						loop in 6 seconds!!!"
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