Things are starting to happen in the niche market for real-time operating systems running under Unix. According to Computerwoche, the recent decision by supercomputer manufacturer, Eagan, Minnesota-based Cray Research Inc to start using Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based Modular Computer Systems Inc’s real-time operating system, Real-IX, has been followed by a similar move from Groupe Bull SA. Unix workstations, series DPX 2000, DPX/2 and the proprietary DPS/7 have been targeted in particular. ModComp, an AEG AG subsidiary, claims that it is possible to re-use some of the routines of previous real-time applications by recompiling and modifying them via a Spart interface. Capacity is said to increase by about 35%. The growing interest of hardware manufacturers in real-time functionality was demonstrated only a short while ago with the Overture Esprit project, which has dedicated itself to developing a real-time operating system for both the production industry and telecommunications services.
