225 words [ 1 Weblinks ] - Last update: 2023-12-22 Page created: 2008-09-24 [SB]
VxWorks
Wind River is specialized in real time operating systems and offers with the operating system VxWorks an optimal development system for embedded operating systems. The multitasking and real time kernel "wind" offers a POSIX extension and network functions.
VxWorks is used in the Rover robots conceived for geological purposes at NASA, as in the case of the Pathfinder mission to Mars. A Rover robot was used successfully with VxWorks in 1997 too. The RTOS controlled even the Lander, the transport unit for the Spirit named Rover and provided the communications to earth.
On February 23rd, 2004 the in 1981 founded company Wind River introduced the improved VxWorks 6.0. VxWorks was used for the development of the embedded operating system of the two Rovers Spirit and Opportunity in the Mars investigation in June/July 2003. The software controlled the hardware and provided the reliability and autonomy. The VxWorks RTOS was ported for the against radioactive radiation harden RAD6000 32-bit processor. The operating system managed the antenna for the reception and sending of data, provided the coordination with the star scanner, the supervision of the functions and the safe data storage.
In August 2006 Boing used the operating system Linux in the U.S. Navy military aeroplane P-8A. Wind River delivered the developer environment Carrier-Grade Linux, the aeroplane prototype shall be ready in 2009.