Technology

The technology that is used for 20-sim 4C is based on XML-RPC. To explain what XML-RPC is, we will first introduce some terms:

• Host: A host is the hardware and operating system on which 20-sim 4C will run.
• Target: A target is the hardware (your own computer or an external device) on which the code will run.
• Model: A model is the set of codes that describes a controller or similar. From 20-sim it can be exported to 20-sim 4C. From 20-sim 4C it will be deployed as object code to run on hardware.

Host

20-sim 4C will only run on PC-computers with a Windows OS. Communication with the hardware is established using a network cable or a cross cable.

Open Source Target

20-sim 4C supports any target with real-time Linux (RTAI or Xenomai) as the operating system. On top of this OS a non-real-time process called the Target Daemon handles the communication with 20-sim 4C and carries out all the tasks that are necessary to run a model. The model itself runs as a high priority real-time task. The actual communication is handled by a second non-real time process that uses XML RPC as the driving technology.

For a limited set of hardware, we provide an installation of real-time Linux or boot loaders with real-time Linux. This means that you can purchase the hardware (directly from us or from the supplier), install real-time Linux and you are ready to run. If you want to use other hardware, we give you instructions how to install real-time Linux and make the proper settings to some configuration files.

Closed Source Target

20-sim 4C also supports third party hardware. Here the hardware is equipped with a real-time OS that is provided by the supplier. The communication between 20-sim 4C and the target is established by special api's.