🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <cs352a41.672418953@zaphod>, cs352a41@cs.iastate.edu (Adam
Goldberg) writes:
> oivindt@bio.uio.no (Oivind Toien) writes:
> 
> >Real-time data-acquisition systems generally tends to use things
like
> >interrupt handling, DMA-access, reprogramming of PC-timers and
direct
> >interaction with A/D card buffers. Will this work, and if not: Does
> >OS2 provide library routines that replaces these kind of functions?
> 
> >--
> >Oivind Toien   <oivindt@ulrik.uio.no>
> >Div. of General Physiology, Dept. of Biology, Univ. of Oslo
> 
> Looks like Dr. Toien (?) is trying to adjust a watch with a
sledgehammer.
> Real-time data-acquisition systems are 'REAL TIME SYSTEMS', and real
time
> systems generally _are_not_suited_to_ multi-tasking.  If you want
real
> time data acquisition, you should use an operating system more
conducive
> to real-time programming.
> 
> Pardon me if I seem harsh, but each operating system has its purpose,
and
> has things that it is and is not suited for.  OS/2 is multi-tasking,
and
> therefore is not suited for (very many) real-time problems.
> --


I disagree with Mr. Goldberg.  In our particular setting the pc is used
for many purposes:  taking real 
time data, data analysis, writing reports, publishing graphs,
spreadsheets, MS-windows, etc.  Essentially, the same uses as any body
elses pc, except for the addition of real time data acquisition.  Hence,
we can benefit from multitasking as well as the next user.  However,
what a drag it would be if we had to carry two operating systems on the
machine simply because OS/2 can't handle real time data acquisition.  In
fact, in our research, the experiment may take up to an hour to come to
steady state.  It would be great to have the data acquisition program
running in one window so that I could periodically monitor the progress
of the experiment, while performing data analysis or some other task in
another window.

Joe Huber
Dept. of Mech. Egr.
Iowa State University
jbhuber@iastate.edu