Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!barryf
From: barryf@aix01.aix.rpi.edu (Barry B. Floyd)
Subject: Real-time data acq. in OS/2 2.0 
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References: <1991Apr21.135534.724@jarvis.csri.toronto.edu><1991Apr21.194928.8267@ux1.cso.u    iuc.edu><1991Apr21.175529.2386@jarvis.csri.toronto.edu> <OIVINDT.91Apr22204241@darwin.uio.no> <cs352a41.672418953@zaphod>
Distribution: comp
Date: 23 Apr 91 19:15:29 GMT
Lines: 45

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.
>--
>+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
>! Adam Goldberg           !       *         ! "It's simple! Even a PASCAL     !
>! cs352a41@cs.iastate.edu !       *         !  programmer could do it!"       !
>+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
 
Adam, 
 
This advise is sage and wise, yet doesn't encompass all possible environments.
It may be the case that the real-time data acquisition required of Oivind
entails an application that is typically found running under DOS, Win 3.0
and/or OS/2 (E.G. spreadsheets hooked into financial data streams). It
would be my guess that there are numerouse applications which may benefit
from robust rtda yet require DOS, Win 3.0 and/or OS/2.

just playing devil's advocate...
 
barry
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