Seminar: "Real-Time in Windows Embedded"

Hard Real Time operating systems for embedded application are usually employed in the industry automation domain where deterministic timing to execute processes is a stringent requirement. Microsoft key product in the real time domain is Windows Compact (former Windows CE) typically used on small and portable devices; however, it is possible to expand the range of application of Microsoft Embedded products into the real time boundaries by employing sophisticated add-on modules developed by specialized third parties.

On June 11 Microsoft Innovation Center Torino in cooperation with BEPS Engineering and Interval Zero delivered an open seminar onRTX the product designed, developed and commercialized by Interval Zero to add real time characteristics to any available Microsoft operating system. RTX is a set of libraries, a Real Time Sub System and a Windows HAL extension. It is implemented on top of loadable Windows drivers, although they lack the I/O Manager-related hooks. It is a natural fit: Windows drivers are process-like from the Windows Service Manager’s point of view, controllable by users, and get loaded into the kernel address space.