A study of real-time operating systems for microcomputers
- Authors: Wells, George Clifford
- Date: 1990
- Subjects: Operating systems (Computers) , Microcomputers
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4611 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004896 , Operating systems (Computers) , Microcomputers
- Description: This thesis describes the evaluation of four operating systems for microcomputers. The emphasis of the study is on the suitability of the operating systems for use in real-time applications, such as process control. The evaluation was performed in two sections. The first section was a quantitative assessment of the performance of the real-time features of the operating system. This was performed using benchmarks. The criteria for the benchmarks and their design are discussed. The second section was a qualitative assessment of the suitability of the operating systems for the development and implementation of real-time systems. This was assessed through the implementation of a small simulation of a manufacturing process and its associated control system. The simulation was designed using the Ward and Mellor real-time design method which was extended to handle the special case of a real-time simulation. The operating systems which were selected for the study covered a spectrum from general purpose operating systems to small, specialised real-time operating systems. From the quantitative assessment it emerged that QNX (from Quantum Software Systems) had the best overall performance. Qualitatively, UNIX was found to offer the best system development environment, but it does not have the performance and the characteristics required for real-time applications. This suggests that versions of UNIX that are adapted for real-time applications are worth careful consideration for use both as development systems and implementation systems.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1990
- Authors: Wells, George Clifford
- Date: 1990
- Subjects: Operating systems (Computers) , Microcomputers
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4611 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004896 , Operating systems (Computers) , Microcomputers
- Description: This thesis describes the evaluation of four operating systems for microcomputers. The emphasis of the study is on the suitability of the operating systems for use in real-time applications, such as process control. The evaluation was performed in two sections. The first section was a quantitative assessment of the performance of the real-time features of the operating system. This was performed using benchmarks. The criteria for the benchmarks and their design are discussed. The second section was a qualitative assessment of the suitability of the operating systems for the development and implementation of real-time systems. This was assessed through the implementation of a small simulation of a manufacturing process and its associated control system. The simulation was designed using the Ward and Mellor real-time design method which was extended to handle the special case of a real-time simulation. The operating systems which were selected for the study covered a spectrum from general purpose operating systems to small, specialised real-time operating systems. From the quantitative assessment it emerged that QNX (from Quantum Software Systems) had the best overall performance. Qualitatively, UNIX was found to offer the best system development environment, but it does not have the performance and the characteristics required for real-time applications. This suggests that versions of UNIX that are adapted for real-time applications are worth careful consideration for use both as development systems and implementation systems.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1990
Initial findings of an investigation into the feasibility of a low level image processing workstation using transputers
- Authors: Cooke, Nicholas Duncan
- Date: 1990 , 2013-02-07
- Subjects: Image processing , Computer graphics , Fourier transformations -- Data processing , Transputers
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4679 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006702 , Image processing , Computer graphics , Fourier transformations -- Data processing , Transputers
- Description: From Introduction: The research concentrates primarily on a feasibility study involving the setting up of an image processing workstation. As broad as this statement concerning the workstation may seem, there are several factors limiting the extent of the research. This project is not concerned with the design and implementation of a fully-fledged image processing workstation. Rather, it concerns an initial feasibility study of such a workstation, centered on the theme image processing aided by the parallel processing paradigm. In looking at the hardware available for the project, in the context of an image processing environment, a large amount of initial investigation was required prior to that concerned with the transputer and parallel processing. Work was done on the capturing and displaying of images. This formed a vital part of the project. Furthermore, considering that a new architecture was being used as the work horse within a conventional host architecture, the INTEL 80286, several aspects of the host architecture had also to be investigated. These included the actual processing capabilities of the host, the capturing and storing of the images on the host, and most importantly, the interface between the host and the transputer [C0089]. Benchmarking was important in order for good conclusions to be drawn about the viability of the two types of hardware used, both individually and together. On the subject of the transputer as the workhorse, there were several areas whlch required investigation. Initial work had to cover the choice of network topology on whlch the benchmarking of some of the image processing applications were performed. Research into this was based on the previous work of several authors, whlch introduced features relevant to this investigation. The network used for this investigation was chosen to be generally applicable to a broad spectrum of applications in image processing. It was not chosen for its applicability for a single dedicated application, as has been the case for much of the past research performed in image processing [SAN88] [SCH89]. The concept of image processing techniques being implemented on the transputer required careful consideration in respect of what should be implemented. Image processing is not a new subject, and it encompasses a large spectrum of applications. The transputer, with image processing being hlghly suited to it, has attracted a good deal of research. It would not be rash to say that the easy research was covered first. The more trivial operations in image processing, requiring matrix type operations on the pixels attracted, the most coverage. Several researchers in the field of image processing on the transputer have broken the back of this set of problems. Conclusions regarding these operations on the transputer returned a fairly standard answer. An area of image processing which has not produced the same volume of return as that concerning the more trivial operations, is the subject of Fourier Analysis, that is, the Fourier Transform. Thus a major part of this project concerns an investigation into the Fourier Transform in image processing, in particular the Fast Fourier Transform. The network chosen for thls research has placed some constraint upon the degree of parallelism that can be achleved. It should be emphasized that this project is not concerned with the most efficient implementation of a specific image processing algorithm on a dedicated topology. Rather, it looks at the feasibility of a general system in the domain of image processing, concerned with a hlghly computationally intensive operation. This has had the effect of testing the processing power of the hardware used, and contributing a widely applicable parallel algorithm for use in Fourier Analysis. 3 These are discussed more fully in Chapter 2, which covers the work related to tbis project. The results of the investigation are presented along with a discussion of the methods throughout the thesis. The final chapter summarizes the findings of the research, assesses the value of the investigation, and points out areas for future investigation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1990
- Authors: Cooke, Nicholas Duncan
- Date: 1990 , 2013-02-07
- Subjects: Image processing , Computer graphics , Fourier transformations -- Data processing , Transputers
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4679 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006702 , Image processing , Computer graphics , Fourier transformations -- Data processing , Transputers
- Description: From Introduction: The research concentrates primarily on a feasibility study involving the setting up of an image processing workstation. As broad as this statement concerning the workstation may seem, there are several factors limiting the extent of the research. This project is not concerned with the design and implementation of a fully-fledged image processing workstation. Rather, it concerns an initial feasibility study of such a workstation, centered on the theme image processing aided by the parallel processing paradigm. In looking at the hardware available for the project, in the context of an image processing environment, a large amount of initial investigation was required prior to that concerned with the transputer and parallel processing. Work was done on the capturing and displaying of images. This formed a vital part of the project. Furthermore, considering that a new architecture was being used as the work horse within a conventional host architecture, the INTEL 80286, several aspects of the host architecture had also to be investigated. These included the actual processing capabilities of the host, the capturing and storing of the images on the host, and most importantly, the interface between the host and the transputer [C0089]. Benchmarking was important in order for good conclusions to be drawn about the viability of the two types of hardware used, both individually and together. On the subject of the transputer as the workhorse, there were several areas whlch required investigation. Initial work had to cover the choice of network topology on whlch the benchmarking of some of the image processing applications were performed. Research into this was based on the previous work of several authors, whlch introduced features relevant to this investigation. The network used for this investigation was chosen to be generally applicable to a broad spectrum of applications in image processing. It was not chosen for its applicability for a single dedicated application, as has been the case for much of the past research performed in image processing [SAN88] [SCH89]. The concept of image processing techniques being implemented on the transputer required careful consideration in respect of what should be implemented. Image processing is not a new subject, and it encompasses a large spectrum of applications. The transputer, with image processing being hlghly suited to it, has attracted a good deal of research. It would not be rash to say that the easy research was covered first. The more trivial operations in image processing, requiring matrix type operations on the pixels attracted, the most coverage. Several researchers in the field of image processing on the transputer have broken the back of this set of problems. Conclusions regarding these operations on the transputer returned a fairly standard answer. An area of image processing which has not produced the same volume of return as that concerning the more trivial operations, is the subject of Fourier Analysis, that is, the Fourier Transform. Thus a major part of this project concerns an investigation into the Fourier Transform in image processing, in particular the Fast Fourier Transform. The network chosen for thls research has placed some constraint upon the degree of parallelism that can be achleved. It should be emphasized that this project is not concerned with the most efficient implementation of a specific image processing algorithm on a dedicated topology. Rather, it looks at the feasibility of a general system in the domain of image processing, concerned with a hlghly computationally intensive operation. This has had the effect of testing the processing power of the hardware used, and contributing a widely applicable parallel algorithm for use in Fourier Analysis. 3 These are discussed more fully in Chapter 2, which covers the work related to tbis project. The results of the investigation are presented along with a discussion of the methods throughout the thesis. The final chapter summarizes the findings of the research, assesses the value of the investigation, and points out areas for future investigation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1990
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