🚀 go-pugleaf

It has been a while since I posted in here regarding the status of my project,
which involves writing a subsumption architecture based C multithreading
library and building a simple rover to test the software on. I wrote an article
on the C Users Journal back in Nov'91 about the software and sent out ~100
copies of the library over the net after I offered it.

Since then, I did finish my thesis and graduated. The rover still works ;-) and
the hardware person is building bigger and better rover with more sensors. I am
writing a paper for the SPIE conference on Cooperative Intelligent Robotics in
Space Exploration, titled:
	"A Subsumption Architecture-Based Real-Time Multitasking Kernel for
	Programming Autonomous Robots"

which brings me to the purpose of this note ;-)

As you may gather from the title of the paper, I am designing a preemptive
multitasking kernel loosely based on the subsumption architecture. The design
is more or less done, with implementation to follow. Before I implement it, I
would like to ask some questions from potential users or interested newsreaders.

First a bit more of the background for this kernel: basically it will be a
real-time preemptive kernel with some usual real-time stuff like tasks,
semaphores, and a layer of subsumption architecture style message passing 
functions, plus behavior modules. The "application" program may be written
in any language but the kernel interface probably follows the target 
processor's most popular C implementation's interface.

Now the questions:

0.	would you at all be interested in such a beast?

1.	which one of the following target processors would you like to see the
	kernel to run on, please also specify host environment (i.e. DOS, Windows,
	Sun, etc):

	a. 6811
	b. 6816
	c. 680x0, or 6833x
	d. 80x86
	e. others

	6811 would almost certainly be done.

2.	I may make this kernel run under a host OS, perhaps for simulation purpose.
	Which one of the following would you like to see the kernel to run on:

	a. Windows 3.X
	b. OS2 2.X
	c. DOS
	d. X-Windows (specify machines)
	e. others

	All these have obvious problems with thread reentrancy...

3.	The kernel will be distributed either as binary (or ROM) or shrouded C
	source, which format would you prefer?

	a. binary
	b. ROM
	c. shrouded C source

4.	I am still thinking about distribution method, would you prefer:

	a. freeware - no support
	b. shareware - support if you register
	c. commercial pgm with heavy discount for people in educational
	   institutions (e.g. $200 but $49.99 for students).

	Note to net.police: have a heart, I did send out my library for free,
	please don't hassle me for asking this question.

	b. and c. would of course mean nice manuals, tutorials etc etc.

Please send reply to man@labrea.zko.dec.com. Thank you.
--
- Richard F. Man (man@labrea.zko.dec.com)
"This Dust Has No Mirror"