Embedded operating system specialist Microware Systems Corp has unveiled a new version of its OS-9 real time operating system for Motorola Inc’s recently released MBX series of embedded controller boards. The Des Moines, Iowa based company claims OS-9 supports multimedia and graphics capabilities beyond those of its rivals such as Integrated Systems Inc (CI No 3,194) and Wind River Systems Inc with its Vxworks offering (CI No 3,217). In particular Microware says its Multimedia Application User Interface supports a range of LCD, VGA and SVGA devices. It also has a built-in SoftStax networking system for local area and wide area network support. OS-9 for MBX also includes Fastrack, a C and C++ software development tool, and support for all the usual input/output peripherals including keyboard, mouse serial and parallel ports. The company, 11% owned by Motorola Inc, is targeting high volume customers, particularly equipment manufacturers in the telecoms, industrial automation and imaging markets who make a range of devices such as point of sale terminals, lasers printers, smart vending machines and multimedia kiosks. Motorola is currently offering a trial version of the product, OS-9 Early Access, on 30 day evaluation with a full version available from Microware in the fourth quarter. OS-9 for MBX is hosted on Windows 95 and NT and costs $7,500. Users then pay per copy royalties due to be set at around $300 and $400 for each board using the software. The package includes OS-9 for MBX 821/860, a preview of Java for OS-9, Fastrack for Windows and SystemSoft Corp’s Cardsoft.
