New Features in On Time RTOS-32 5.0

New Features in RTTarget-32

• Multiprocessor Support
  Numerous functions have been added to determine how many CPUs are installed and to start and stop additional CPUs. Spinlocks and inter-processor interrupts are available to synchronize execution among CPUs. While RTTarget-32 does not contain a multitasking scheduler, RTKernel-32 can use the new multiprocessor support to schedule threads on up to 32 CPUs.
• APIC Support
  If the target has at least one IOAPIC (Input Output Advanced Interrupt Controller), RTTarget-32 applications can use it to replace the legacy i8259 interrupt controllers. In APIC mode, the interrupt processing overhead is lower and typically up to 24 (max. 32) IRQ lines are available, requiring less IRQ sharing. While multiprocessor applications always use APIC mode, single CPU programs can choose between the default legacy PIC mode and APIC mode.
• New Demo Program MPDiag
  MPDiag displays detailed information about the target's IOAPIC and multiprocessor capabilities. It also executes all APIC and multiprocessor API functions of RTTarget-32 such as exchanging inter-processor interrupts.
• ACPI Table Access Functions
  An API has been added to retrieve ACPI tables, if such tables are made available by the BIOS.
• Cross Debugging Over Ethernet
  The Debug Monitor now contains a minimal IP stack and several drivers for PCI Ethernet controllers to support cross debugging over Ethernet. The Monitor supports ARP, ICMP/Ping, a DHCP client, and UDP to exchange data with the host debugger. RTIP-32 is not required to use cross debugging over Ethernet, but if it is used, the application can use the same Ethernet interface as the Debug Monitor.
• Support for 64-Bit Versions of Microsoft Windows
  The RTTarget-32 development tools have been updated to also work under 64-bit versions of Windows. Cross debugging over parallel (LPT) ports is not supported under 64-bit Windows.

New Features in RTKernel-32

• Multiprocessor Support
  RTKernel-32 now includes two schedulers: the single-CPU scheduler plus a new multiprocessor scheduler which can manage up to 32 CPUs. To use the multi-CPU scheduler, applications merely have to link library Rtk32mp.lib instead of Rtk32.lib. Modifications to existing applications are not required. RTKernel-32 automatically distributes threads among all available CPUs.
• OpenMP Support
  The OpenMP C and C++ application program interface automates the effective use of multiple processors. Visual Studio 2005/2008 supports the OpenMP 2.0 standard and can be used with On Time RTOS-32.
• Kernel Tracer with Time Stamps
  The Kernel Tracer can now record a time stamp with each trace event, either with microsecond or nanosecond resolution. On multiprocessor systems, it can alternatively record the CPU on which the event occurred.
• New Clock Driver for Local APIC
  The new clock driver Clkapic.lib uses the boot CPU's local APIC as a source for timer interrupts.
• New High Resolution Timer Driver for ACPI PM Timer
  The new driver Hrtpm is available for targets with an ACPI motherboard. It can be used to avoid timer drifts of the Hrtpent driver on multiprocessor systems.
• System Driver Idle Function Calls RTHaltCPL3
  RTKernel-32's Idle task(s) now call(s) two different system driver functions depending on the current scheduler mode. With cooperative scheduling, CPU instruction PAUSE is executed. In preemptive mode, RTHaltCPL3 is called if driver flag DF_IDLE_HALT is set.
• Single-Processor Scheduler Faster
  Numerous operations of the scheduler have been further optimized. For example, the time required to lock and release a resource semaphore on an AMD Élan Sc520 CPU at 100Mhz has decreased from 3.50µs to 2.73µs (22%).
• CPU Run-Time Statistics Supported in Standard Version
  Both the Debug Version and the Standard Version of RTKernel-32 can now keep track of the CPU time consumed by each thread and each interrupt service routine.
• Win32 Asynchronous Procedure Call (APC) Support
  Win32 API functions QueueUserAPC and SleepEx have been added and can be used to schedule APCs.
• New Demo Programs MPPrimes and OMPrimes
  MPPrimes demonstrates the use of more than one CPU to calculate prime numbers. The interactive program has commands for benchmarking to test how much performance improvement can be gained with multiple CPUs. OMPrimes demonstrates the use of OpenMP.
• New Compile Time Options
  RTKernel-32's source code now contains a new preprocessor directive to exclude all code associated with time slicing. RTKernel-32 source code owners can use this option for a smaller and faster kernel if time slicing is not required.

RTFiles-32

• New Device Driver for AHCI SATA Controllers
  The new AHCI disk driver supports up to 2 AHCI controllers with up to 64 attached disk, CD-ROM and DVD SATA drives.
• Big-Endian Support
  RTFiles-32 can now be compiled for CPUs using the Big-Endian (high bytes first) byte order. This allows easier porting to PowerPC, 68k, ColdFire, and similar CPUs.
• Support for CPUs Which Cannot Access Misaligned Data
  RTFiles-32 now has a compile time option to unpack/pack WORD and DWORD values of misaligned FAT data structures. This allows RTFiles-32 to be used on CPUs which cannot directly access such values.

New Features in RTIP-32

• Faster File Transfers in HTTP, FTP, and SMB Server
  A new file I/O Accelerator is now available for the HTTP, FTP, and SMB servers. The I/O Accelerator implements read-ahead and write-behind file I/O and can improve file transfer speeds significantly on some systems.
• NAT Routing
  RTIP-32 can now act as a NAT router using the NAT and NATP protocols.
• NewReno TCP Fast Recovery Algorithm Added
  RTIP-32's Fast TCP Retransmission has been enhanced with the NewReno TCP Fast Recovery Algorithm (RFC 2582). This modification can recover more than one lost packet without waiting for a timeout to expire, significantly improving throuphput on networks with many lost packets.
• New Drivers
  RTIP-32 now includes drivers for the RealTek Gigabit Ethernet controllers RTL8168B, RTL8168C, RTL8169, RTL8169SB, RTL8169SC, RTL8110SB, RTL8111B and the RDC R6040 Ethernet Controller.

New Features in RTPEG-32

• Small and Faster
  All internal 16-bit variables have been changed to 32-bit, resulting in better structure alignment and smaller and faster code.
• New Versions of Windows Builder, Font Capture, and Image Convert
  While RTPEG-32 applications remains source code compatible with previous versions, these three programs have been updated to contain many new features.
• PNG File Format Support in Image Convert
  Image Convert can now process PNG files in addition to BMP, JPG, and GIF.
• Anti-Aliased Fonts
  The new Font Capture utility can now generate anti-aliased fonts for an improved appearance. Anti-aliased fonts need a color depth of at least 8 bits on the target.
• Font Capture Can Change a Font's Aspect Ratio
  This option may be useful for dispalys with an unusual aspect ratio.
• New PegAnimation Class
  The new PegAnimation class can display short animations consisting of a series of bitmaps.
• New Demo Program Animate
  New demo program Animate demonstrates the new PegAnimation window as well as an anti-aliased font.

New Features in RTUSB-32

• New Function RTUWaitInitialEnumDone
  Function RTUWaitInitialEnumDone can be used to wait until the initial enumeration and initialization of USB devices has been completed.
• New ELO and 3M Touch Screen Drivers
  The USB touch screen driver has been extended to handle these devices: Hampshire Company TSHARC Octopus, eGalax Inc., 3M EX II 8000UR, 3M SC800, ELO CTR-250000-IT-USB-00, ELO 3000U.

Upgrade 4.0 -> 5.0 Issues

In general, On Time RTOS-32 5.0 is compatible with version 4.0. This section discusses a few issues to consider when a project is migrated to version 5.0:

• Microsoft Visual C/C++ 5.0 Support Discontinued
  All Microsoft C/C++ libraries shipped with On Time RTOS-32 5.0 are now compiled with VC++ 6.0, making them incompatible with VC++ 5.0. If you prefer to continue to use VC++ 5.0, you need the On Time RTOS-32 source code and must recompile all used libraries.
• Borland C/C++ 4.5 Support Discontinued
  While most C programs can still be compiled with Borland C/C++ 4.5, official support for this compiler has been discontinued. Borland C/C++ 5.5 is available as a free download from Borland's Web site, and it is supported.
• Windows 95/98/ME and NT4 Support Discontinued
  The current versions of the On Time RTOS-32 host development tools still work under these older versions of Windows, but we do not guarantee that future versions will. Please use Windows 2000, XP, or Vista.
• RTKernel-32's Automatic Library Protection Discontinued
  The legacy method to solve C/C++ run-time system reentrance issues is no longer available. Please use the compiler's multi-threaded libraries instead.
• RTKernel-32 Config Flags RF_TCPUTIME and RF_ICPUTIME Supported in Standard Version
  Both the Debug Version and the Standard Version of RTKernel-32 can now keep track of the CPU time consumed by each thread and each interrupt service routine. Both flags are not set by default in the Standard Version. Note that setting one or both had no effect in eariler versions, but it does in version 5.
• RTPEG-32 Type SIGNED Changed from 'short' to 'int'
  Type SIGNED is used extensively by RTPEG-32. To achieve better performance, code size, and structure alignment, this type has been changed to int. For new applications, it is recommended to use PEGINT (int) instead of SIGNED. Legacy type WORD remains to be 'unsigned short', but type PEGUINT (unsigned int) should be used instead.
• RTPEG-32 Window Builder Project File Format Updated
  To accommodate for many new Window Builder features, the project file format has been extended. The new Window Builder will automatically update version 4.0 project files and save them in the new format. Pre version 5.0 versions of Window Builder will not be able to load such project files.