Wind River Delivers First Real-Time Embedded Implementation of DCOM Standard, Seamlessly Connecting Embedded, PC-Based Applications
Business Wire - September 27, 1999 08:16
ALAMEDA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 27, 1999--Wind River Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:WIND), the leader in embedded development software and services for the post-PC era, today announced the VxDCOM(TM) technology, the first real-time implementation for embedded applications of the Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) interface for Windows(TM)-based software. An extension to Wind River's marketshare-leading VxWorks(R) real-time operating system (RTOS), the VxDCOM implementation expands the boundaries of embedded technology by allowing original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to seamlessly connect embedded devices with PC-based applications in a distributed environment.
A demonstration of Wind River's VxDCOM implementation at the Embedded Systems Conference in San Jose, CA tomorrow will mark the first time that data has been extracted in real time from an embedded target and sent to a PC-based application using DCOM without the need to customize the host. The scalable VxDCOM implementation provides an object-based solution that allows devices running the industry-standard VxWorks RTOS to seamlessly communicate with each other and PC-based tools and applications in a distributed environment. Integration with management-oriented PC-based applications (such as the Microsoft Excel(TM) spreadsheet) allows further processing and presentation (such as statistical analysis) of data gathered by embedded devices. The VxDCOM implementation is targeted at the industrial measurement and control (IMC), telecommunication, office automation, and consumer markets.
Language independence of Wind River's VxDCOM implementation gives OEMs the flexibility to write PC-based applications in Java, Visual Basic, C++, or in any other Active X-compatible language. This allows the application to interact with distributed objects on a VxWorks-based target. The VxDCOM implementation also features a small (280K) footprint, significantly more compact than the original DCOM model. This ensures that Wind River's innovative VxDCOM technology is scaled to fit the memory constraints of embedded applications. The implementation is compliant with the DCOM standards for network communication protocol and universal marshaler for data. This allows the software to work "out-of-the-box" without the added development time required to configure communication between the Windows host and the VxDCOM-enabled target. The VxDCOM implementation also utilizes automation-compatible interfaces, which allow embedded targets to send commands to PC-based applications without requiring end-user action.
"Wind River has established itself as a leader in embedded systems through years of innovative design and close attention to the needs of embedded developers and their customers," said Dwight Davis, service director for the Microsoft as Partner and Competitor service at Summit Strategies. "With its implementation of DCOM for embedded applications, the company is continuing in its trend-setting ways. The uses for the VxDCOM implementation are potentially huge, particularly in the industrial and process control sector where Microsoft's component technology is already widely deployed on PCs and servers."
"As embedded technology becomes pervasive, end users of products with embedded systems are asking for greater communication between embedded and PC applications," said Jerry Fiddler, co-founder and chairman of Wind River Systems. "Desktop PC applications are good for data analysis and presentation, but real-time embedded applications require compact yet robust solutions and deterministic behavior. For that reason, Wind River chose to lead the way and create a technology that provides a seamless integration between these two worlds."
"I'm pretty excited about the VxDCOM implementation," said James M. Fleeson, senior software engineer at Software Technology, Inc., a subsidiary of Exigent International. "Our company is producing products for the software-definable radio market. Our product line strategy is based on component architecture; this gives us speed to market and reduces risk and cost. The VxDCOM implementation means a COM/CORBA bridge is not necessary between NT and the VxWorks RTOS. This saves time and the additional expense of buying a CORBA ORB for NT. Plus, it provides the advantage of only needing to develop a component once, and it can be used on both platforms. Wind River is a known leader in embedded software, so it comes as no surprise that they have developed a solution like the VxDCOM implementation."
VxDCOM Implementation Customers Benefits
Ideal for the IMC market, which is primarily PC-based, the VxDCOM implementation has added full compatibility for the widely-used component of DCOM, OLE for Process Control (OPC). This allows devices to communicate with each other and with desktop PCs and other human-machine-interfaces (HMI), regardless of the implementation of the device drivers. With a uniform protocol, there is no need for IMC system integrators to customize drivers for every device.
Wind River's VxDCOM software utilizes the industry-leading VxWorks RTOS, which meets the critical needs of embedded devices: small, real-time, fast, and reliable. The VxDCOM implementation uses a thread pool to run tasks on the VxWorks RTOS where tasks are given priorities dynamically, ensuring that they run in real-time. Deployed in millions of applications and devices, the VxWorks RTOS has been proven to be robust and scalable in a variety of settings. Developers also benefit from the flexibility offered by Wind River's status as an independent software vendor with a value chain of over 400 embedded technology partners who support Wind River products.
In addition, the VxDCOM implementation is tightly integrated into Wind River's state-of-the-art Tornado(TM) development platform. Together, these technologies allow developers to quickly build next-generation embedded applications using the de facto DCOM standard of how objects are handled in PC environments. This process allows OEMs to "componentize" software and take full advantage of the reusability inherent in object-based technology. Object reuse is achieved by encapsulating objects in a uniform way with common interfaces, which reduces development time and long-term maintenance.
Product Specifications/Availability
The VxDCOM implementation is available on Wind River's Tornado II development platform. It requires MIDL, part of Microsoft's Visual C++(TM) 5.0 or greater, and a Windows NT(TM) host. Supported target systems include: ARM, PowerPC, x86, MIPS, 68K, CPU32, Sparc, i960, or SimNT architecture. Currently in beta version, the VxDCOM implementation will ship in Q4 1999.
COM/DCOM
The COM standard is the method by which Microsoft defines and implements many of the system interfaces inside Windows. DCOM is the natural extension of this object model across machine boundaries, providing an easy and transparent Remote Procedure Call (RPC) foundation for remote objects.
Wind River Systems, Inc.
Wind River Systems, Inc., windriver.com, is the worldwide leader in embedded software. Wind River provides software development tools and real-time operating systems for use in products throughout the Internet, telecommunications and data communications, digital imaging, networking, medical, computer peripherals, automotive, and aerospace/defense markets. Wind River is how smart things think. Founded in 1983, Wind River is headquartered in Alameda, California, with operations in fifteen countries worldwide.
This news release contains forward-looking statements that include statements regarding the market potential of our business. Actual results or outcomes could differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, fluctuations in the market price of the company's common stock and other factors described in the company's most recent Form 10-K and other periodic filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Wind River undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Wind River Systems, VxWorks and the Wind River Systems logo are registered trademarks and Tornado and VxDCOM are trademarks of Wind River Systems, Inc. Other names are registered trademarks or trademarks of the respective companies or organizations.
CONTACT: Wind River Systems, Inc.
Pamela Sufi, 510/749-2340
pamela.sufi@wrs.com
URL: windriver.com
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