[evla-sw-discuss] MIB RTOS comparisons

Mon Apr 1 13:26:44 EST 2002

Included with this posting is the information I 
have so far gathered concerning the Nucleus 
PLUS & ThreadX RTOSes.  Last week was a three
day week for me, so the information is not complete.
I'm circulating what I do have now, to give people
time to review the material before the 11AM meeting
scheduled for tomorrow, Tue, 4/2.  I will have
additional information for the meeting scheduled
for the following Tuesday, 4/9/2002. 

Bill
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file:    ~/MIB_rtos.txt
author:  Bill Sahr
date:	 3/28/2002

RTOS KERNELS

product name		Nucleus PLUS			ThreadX

vendor			ATI				expresslogic

image size		avg size ranges			25KB to 30KB max,
			from 12KB to 45KB		i.e., if all OS services
							are included

additional RAM
requirements		    ?				      ?

memory model		    ?				      ?

price			$12,495.00			$12,500 for 3 seats
                        unlimited seats (?)

currently
ported to TriCore	    yes				     no
architecture

additional fee
for TriCore or		probable, amount not		 possible, amount not
TC11IB port		yet known			 yet known

time to port		2 - 4 weeks			 8 weeks (max)

royalty fees		  none				    none

support			   ?				   3 months

source code		yes, included in		yes, included in
                        purchase price			purchase price

comments: 1. The preemption threshold model implemented in ThreadX may be useful.
	  2. The same individual, Bill Lamie, was the author of both
	     Nucleus Plus & ThreadX.  ThreadX was written after Nucleus PLUS.
             These two RTOSes are so similar that the third party network vendor
             named Interniche uses the same build for both.  ThreadX claims to 
             be smaller & faster.  Those claims are probably true.

NETWORKING, NETWORK STACK

product name            Nucleus NET			Niche Stack		

vendor                  ATI				Interniche		

OS Support              Nucleus PLUS		        Nucleus PLUS,		
                        			        ThreadX,			
                        			        VxWorks,                  
                                                        & others			

protocols               TCP, UDP, IP, BOOTP client,     TCP, UDP, IP, BOOTP,      
                        IGMP, ICMP, ARP, RARP,	        IGMP available as an      
                        DNS client/resolver,            option, ICMP, ARP,        
                        DHCP client,		        DNS client, DHCP client,	
                        RIP II, TFTP client		TFTP			

socket API              Not specified.  Appears to      based on BSD 4.4, non-    
                        be a fairly complete            blocking versions of	
                        implementation of BSD sockets,  all functions available	
                        including a Select call.					

image size              avg size of 50KB to 75KB	With all of the above     
                        			        listed protocols, incl	
                        			        the sockets API, but not	
                        			        incl IGMP, total ROM &	
                        			        RAM requirements are	
                        			        51.5 KB on an ARM 32	
                        			        processor.		

additional RAM                 ?				        ?		
requirements       								

price                   $15,000.00			$12,000 ($9K if bundled   
                                                        with their web server	
                        			        product.)			

license model           single product			per project, per RTOS,	
                        			        per architecture		

royalty fees                no			               no			

support                     ?			        1 yr - email, www, fax    
                        			        & telephone               

source code        	    yes                                yes                   

comments: 1. IGMP is required to support multicasting.  Multicasting is not identical to 
             broadcasting.
	  2. The Interniche products include "NicheTool", a menu driven debugging/optimizing
	     tool.
          3. The Interniche products are zero copy stacks.  Their claim for speed is that
             for most target systems, TCP/IP transfer rates are limited by processor
             speed.  Is this claim an oxymoron ?
          4. Adding IGMP to NicheStack to support multicasting will increase its footprint. 
             I currently have conflicting information as to how much of an increase.  I
             am seeking clarification.

NETWORKING, NETWORK STACK

product name            Niche Lite			Turbo Treck TCP/IP         
                   	(see comment 1)                 (see comment 2)

vendor             	Interniche			elmic systems           

OS Support         	Nucleus PLUS,         
                   	ThreadX,              
                   	VxWorks,              
                   	& others              

protocols          	TCP, UDP, IP,         
                   	ICMP, ARP,            
                   	TFTP                  

socket API         	subset of BSD 4.4     

image size         	 approx 12KB          

additional RAM     	        ?             
requirements       	                      

price              	 $12,000.00             

license model      	 as per NicheStack                     

royalty fees       	       no             

support            	   1yr - email, www,  
                   	   fax & phone        

source code        	       yes            

comments: 1. NicheStack supports an unlimited number of devices.  NicheLite supports only
             one hardware device.  IGMP and multicasting are not included in NicheLite.
	     I do not know if they can be added as options. 
          2. Very cheesey name.
          3. Descriptions of the socket APIs for NicheStack & NicheLite are available
             in my office.