Dumb OS question

From: Allison J Parent <allisonp_at_world.std.com>
Date: Sat Apr 17 10:11:29 1999

<My dumb question: What is a real time operating system?
<
<Hans Olminkhof

Complex question simplified answer.

An Operating system (environment) that supports tasks that must keep up
with real world events. Timeliness is the key element, either now or within
a known time for actions to occur are often part of the
specification typical use might be process control where pressure,
temperature and ??? are monitored and adjsted to stay withing bounds or
require extremely fast reaction to abrupt changes. Things
that RTOSs have are interrupt driven events and scheduling of lower
priority events for less demanding tasks.

RTS-8 (DEC pdp-8) (sources and docs on the 'net)
RT-11 (dec PDP-11)

Two commercial examples that are well known.

CP/M and believe it or not DOS (there are DOS look alikes that are RT)
can be as well.

Allison
Received on Sat Apr 17 1999 - 10:11:29 BST