Re: Re: Re: Re: Black box

Anne Wrote:

>Noooo.... We're not talking about taking up most of the CPU. We're
>talking about entering a critical region and NOT LEAVING. It's not
>just the GUI thread that will lock up. You have to give up the
>interrupt some time.

Anne,

The EMC/RTlinux is using the same HARDWARE(8254 and the pc interrupt
structure) as all the other programs. And it allows the "use" of the
computer WHILE the EMC is running a CNC machine. And doesn't lock up.

What I've been saying all along is that whether CNC works or not with
a GUI (WINxx included) is a SOFTWARE issue. Including the OS chosen.

You can skin this cat with hardware. It's been done that way for
years at the hi-end. As costs come down, and technology improves,
it's getting reasonable to go this route at the lo-end.

It's also true that we don't write software the way we used to. We
accept that things we HAD to do in H/W(in the past) CAN now be done
in S/W. (look at RISC vs. CISC-implementing instructions in microcode
which used to be "hardwired" in the cpu). And a slew of others you
can think of without really trying :-)

In the end, business/product success is based on the development
cost/time, Mfg. cost/time and the support cost/time, vs. income from
the product.

So what I think I hear you saying, is that these costs WILL be less
with hardware based CNC solutions, at least where WINxx or PC,s(not
sure if you mean either,neither, or both) are concerned?

You may be right.

But I remember when 64K was a LOT of memory and 4mhz was smokin'.
Avoiding MULT's/DIV's because they took too long... And I
know/believe we're traveling an exponential curve in capabilities
here. This cat WILL also be skinned in software. There are expensive
"s/w only" CNC solutions NOW. Just not at our end of the spectrum.

Deriving From Kipling, "Each will see the elephant according to what
he holds in his hand". But the ELEPHANT still IS the same.

Ballendo