Harris Corp’s Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based Computer Systems Division – yes, it survived Hurricane Andrew intact (see Minigrams) – has developed what it describes as an easy to use software development environment, called Night* – say NightStar – tailored to the more complex development needs of real-time customers. The company says that the Night* tools are the first tools available that can handle the interplay between many real-time programs as they execute across multiple processors. Using Night*, systems integrators should be able to reduce their software development time, maximise productivity and increase their competitive edge, Harris claims. The tools are designed for use in real-time applications such as flight simulation, vehicle and weapons test, energy management, data acquisition and process control. Harris’s 88000 RISC-based Night Hawk computers are already providing the data analysis for the Terminal Doppler Weather Radar System deployed at major US airports, in military simulation programmes such as C-17 and CH-47, and are integral to research and development in large simulation laboratories, the company says. The company also has a $10m contract to supply over 300 computers to support the Space Shuttle and Space Station Freedom at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Night* tools operate with a graphical user interface based on the X Window System. No prices.
