A Scalable Operating System Technology for the Real-Time Embedded Application Marketplace

STREAM - 8305

Keywords operating systems, embedded systems

Start Date: To be announced / Duration: 24 months

Objectives

STREAM aims to develop and validate a fully scalable open operating system technology covering the requirements of embedded system segments such as telecommunications, industrial and scientific automation, peripherals, automotive applications and consumer electronics. The key features of such an operating system technology are:

real time features
portable, scalable and modular architecture
distribution features
robust implementations
POSIX and Unix compliance
openness.

These are the basic ones offered at present by the CHORUS operating system technology as currently used in the middle to high-end segments of the computing and telecommunications industries. The approach in STREAM will be to downsize this technology and adapt it to meet the specific requirements of the embedded systems market. A high level of modularity and scalability will be achieved, leading to a full family of embedded operating system products able to meet the needs of various embedded systems segments, ranging from simple time-critical applications requiring only basic functionalities able to run very efficiently in a limited environment (employing the concepts of "pico-" and "nano-kernels"), to more complex applications requiring high-level application programming interfaces such as Unix and real-time POSIX.

The STREAM project involves three kinds of partners, each with a specific role:

application customers as pilot users in charge with providing requirements, involved in drawing up operating system specifications and in the particular application-oriented operating system developments necessary to validate the technology in real application environments
Chorus Systèmes as main developer, involved in operating system specifications and in charge of core operating system developments
embedded processor manufacturers as hardware technology providers for real-size demonstration platforms, involved in operating system specifications and in charge of porting the operating system onto their architectures.

Further information about STREAM is available from the STREAM home page.

CONTACT POINT

Mr Didier Irlands
Manager, R&D Projects
Chorus Systèmes
Ave. Gustave Eiffel 6
F - 78182 Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines
tel: + 33 / 1-3064-8215
fax: + 33 / 1-3057-0066

Participants

CHORUS SYSTEMES - F - C
SIEMENS AG - D - P
ALCATEL ALSTHOM - F - P
GEC ALSTHOM - F - P
PHILIPS KOMMUNIKATIONS - D - P
MOTOROLA SPS - UK - P
ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES - UK - P
MATRA MHS - F - P
ALCATEL AUSTRA - A - A

STREAM - 8305, December 1993

please address enquiries to the ESPRIT Information Desk

html version of synopsis by Nick Cook