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Introduction

On Time RTOS-32 offers a complete solution for high performance embedded systems using x86 compatible CPUs. It is important to understand how the various components (RTTarget-32, RTKernel-32, RTFiles-32, RTPEG-32, RTIP-32, and RTUSB-32) of On Time RTOS-32 fit together as parts of a scalable architecture.

RTTarget-32 is the foundation of On Time RTOS-32. It includes all development tools required to run 32-bit applications on an embedded system. RTTarget-32 can process a single 32-bit application built with a Win32 compiler to run on an embedded target. It supplies boot code to initialize the target's hardware and to subsequently invoke the application automatically. RTTarget-32 also supplies an extensible subset of the Win32 API, allowing it to run programs developed for Windows in an embedded environment under real-time conditions. RTTarget-32's Win32 emulation is comprehensive enough to support the startup code and run-time systems of most Win32 compilers unmodified. Both source level and binary compatibility between Windows and RTTarget-32 are possible. Many programs or libraries and DLLs for Windows can be ported without or with only minor changes to RTTarget-32. RTTarget-32 can be regarded as a very small Windows kernel for embedded systems with a minimum memory footprint of a mere 16k RAM/ROM.

Another advantage of RTTarget-32's Windows compatibility is its support for 32-bit Windows development tools. You can develop programs using Borland C++, Borland Delphi, or Microsoft Visual C++. The respective compilers' command line tools as well as the IDEs such as Microsoft's Visual Studio are supported. RTTarget-32's Win32 compatibility allows its compiler support to be extended to any tool which generates standard Win32 PE files (Window's executable file format).

RTKernel-32 is the real-time multitasking kernel of On Time RTOS-32. It is a high-performance real-time scheduler supplied as a set of linkable libraries which can extend the functionality available to RTTarget-32 programs. It adds most Win32 thread API functions for thread creation and management, semaphores, critical sections, etc., to RTTarget-32's Win32 emulation library. It also defines its own API and functionality beyond the capabilities available under Windows to meet the needs of real-time systems (e.g., deterministic scheduling, priority inheritance, a comprehensive interrupt handling API, debugging functions, etc.).

RTFiles-32 is the file I/O component of On Time RTOS-32. It provides its functionality through the Win32 API emulation of RTTarget-32, too. Therefore, all file I/O related functions of the C/C++ or Pascal run-time system can be used. RTFiles-32 supports the DOS/Windows FAT, exFAT, and ISO 9660 file system structure on floppy disks, IDE/ATAPI disks, flash disks, CD-ROMs, DVDs and adds enhancements for real-time file I/O. Just like RTKernel-32, RTFiles-32 must be used with RTTarget-32. RTFiles-32 supports RTKernel-32, but does not require it.

RTPEG-32 is an event-driven, object-oriented C++ GUI library for embedded systems. It supports implementing professional Windows or custom look-and-feel user interfaces with mouse or touch screen and keyboard support. Device drivers for VGA and SVGA/VESA graphics hardware are included.

RTIP-32 is an add-on to provide networking capabilities for On Time RTOS-32. It implements the core TCP/IP protocols for Ethernet and serial communications. RTIP-32's functionality is provided to the application using the Berkeley socket API and an extended native API. RTIP-32 requires RTTarget-32 and RTKernel-32. A wide range of application-specific add-ons are available for RTIP-32 (e.g., PPP, FTP, TFTP, Web Server, SMTP/POP3, Telnet, SNMP, DHCP, SNTP, SMB).

RTUSB-32 is a USB host protocol stack for On Time RTOS-32. It contains the core protocol stack, the required USB host controller device drivers, a low-level communication API and high-level class drivers.

Hardware and Software Requirements