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).

The HAL extension maintains interrupt isolation between RTSS and Windows, while providing inter-processors interrupt (IPI) communication between the two. The RTSS schedules its tasks to execute on separate processors, without any interference from Windows or Windows processes, but still allows for communication with Windows processes (RTAPI) and drivers (RTKAPI) through standard inter-process communication (IPC) and shared memory.

Topics:

• RTX64 HAL Extension
• Real-time Subsystem (RTSS)
• Processor Support
• Memory Management
• Real-time Processes and Dynamic Link Libraries (DLLs)
• Windows Applications Linked to RTX64
• Windows Kernel Devices Linked to RTX64
• RTX64 Server and Console
• Real-time Network
• Network Abstraction Layer (NAL) architecture
• RT-TCP/IP Stack Architecture
• Virtual Network