Pressefach: acontis technologies GmbH

Real-time Graphics Accelerator: Real-time virtualization with 3D accelerated graphics.

KUKA has optimized its new RTOS Virtual Machine technology for Intel graphics chips. With the new Real-time Graphics Accelerator ultra short latencies can be achieved even when applications are using 3D accelerated graphics.

The RTOSWin Product Family

(PresseBox) Weingarten, 24.08.2009, With todays multi-core technology there is a growing demand for real-time virtualization solutions.

Hardware consolidation is the biggest advantage when using such products.
Customers then are able to run general purpose operating systems like Windows XP and real-time operating systems like VxWorks, QNX or On Time RTOS-32 on one single PC hardware.
In 1995 the first version of VxWin (combination of Windows and VxWorks) was available, at that time running on Windows 95.
Since 1996 KUKA is using this product in their own robot control systems.
In 2009 KUKA invented the new RTOS Virtual Machine technology.
Based on this technology, several products are available now.
VxWin: real-time virtualization solution with Microsoft Windows XP and Wind River VxWorks on a single PC.
CeWin: real-time virtualization solution with Microsoft Windows XP and Microsoft Windows CE on a single PC.
AT-RTOS32Win: real-time virtualization solution with Microsoft Windows XP and On Time Informatik RTOS-32 on a single PC.
QWin: real-time virtualization solution with Microsoft Windows XP and QNX Software System's QNX on a single PC.

When running real-time applications on the same machine as Windows applications the PC hardware has to be evaluated if it fits for the required real-time behavior.
Today, depending on the PC hardware, on most systems 3D accelerated graphics has to be disabled.
Otherwise one got latencies up to several 100 microseconds, even when running the real-time part exclusively on the second CPU core on a dual core system.
Other critical situations related to graphics which led to higher latencies were:
- external systems connecting via Remote Desktop
- switching graphics resolution

Due to the growing demand for Windows 3D accelerated applications in a real-time virtualization environment,
Typical applications which will benefit using the Real-time Graphics Accelerator are:
- display animated 3D CAD data in Industrial Automation control systems
- display animated or real-time videos for simulation and diagnostics
- combined HMI/controller systems to which a remote-desktop connection shall be created
- applications which require to switch the resolution of the video graphics

About acontis technologies GmbH

acontis technologies provides solutions for Industrial Automation and Embedded Technology.
Real-time virtualization technology for Windows (the RTOSWin product family) and the AT-EM EtherCAT master stack for embedded real-time operating systems
are the company's core products.
Professional services cover integration services for our products as well as industrial communications and system/firmware software development.

Further press release of this company

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• 29.10.2010 - Testen von EtherCAT Slaves
• 15.10.2010 - Einsatz von EtherCAT Safety Produkten
• 07.06.2010 - Real-time virtualization hypervisor technology for Intel Atom...
• 25.05.2010 - AT-EM EtherCAT Master Stack now supports hot-connect operation...
• 17.02.2010 - Real-time virtualization support for Windows 7 and VxWorks 6.8