The new Flexible Automation Business Unit of Digital Research Inc in Monterey, California has introduced its first product, a re-engineered version of its Concurrent DOS 286 environment designed specifically for computer-integrated manufacturing. The real-time FlexOS 286 is written in C, and versions for the NEC V60 and V70, and the Motorola 68000 family as well as Intel’s iAPX-86 family are planned. The company describes FlexOS as the first hardware-independent operating system for manufacturing, and is aiming it particularly at the cell controller market. It supports the GEM graphics environment manager, PC-DOS applications, and for networking, the Flexnet Besource Manager is available. IBM has already adopted versions of Concurrent DOS for its 4680 Personal Computer for retail systems control, and its IBM Plant Systems products. FlexOS costs $1,000 and is offered with several languages – the company’s own CBasic, Metaware Inc’s High C and Professional Pascal, New York University’s Ada interpreter, Ryan McFarland’s RM/Fortran 77, and Level II Cobol from Micro Focus Plc.
