System Architecture

RTX64 turns Windows into a Real-time operating system (RTOS). RTX64 extends, but does not modify, the Windows hardware abstraction layer (HAL) by adding a real-time subsystem (RTSS) to Windows that delivers deterministic, hard real-time performance.

With the exception of its real-time handler, RTSS is conceptually similar to other Windows subsystems in that it supports its own execution environment and API.

RTX64 partitions symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) system resources (processors/cores, memory, I/O devices, etc.) between Windows and RTSS, and dedicates real-time activities on RTSS resources. Windows and RTSS processors/cores execute simultaneously and communicate through service request interrupts (SRI).

RTX64 provides deterministic processing of the RT-TCP/IP protocol stack within the RTSS environment and adds networking capability to RTX64 applications. To maximize portability between RTX64 and Windows, RTX64 provides applications with an API that conforms to a subset of the functions defined in the Windows Sockets 2.0 (Winsock) specification for Windows. For more information, see Using the Winsock API.

RTX64 provides a Real-Time TCP/IP Protocol Stack that accesses the physical transport layer (network card) via an Ethernet driver running under the Real-Time Subsystem (RTSS). RT-TCP/IP is an optional component of the RTX64 Subsystem and can be enabled or disabled. For more information, see Enabling and Disabling RT-TCP/IP Support.

Topics:

• RTX64 and Windows
• RTSS applications and DLLs
• Hardware considerations
• Processor support
• Memory management
• Causes and management of interrupt latencies
• Managing PCI devices