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Re: How does people think of ecos's future compare to so m any existing RTOS? eg.RT-Linux, Embedded Linux, VxWorks, etc.. Welcome to discuss


On Tuesday 01 October 2002 06:50 am, Qiang Huang wrote:
> Time and cost for trainning the developer for the new OS is important for
> company, that's why some OS is popular while others not. this is just my
> own opinion.

My experience is that it's assumed that any competent embedded
engineer can pick up a new OS in less than 3 days.  The API for
vxWorks isn't that different from Nucleus, or pSos.  However, eCos
is a little unique in the way you instantiate threads and semaphores
and such, but 3 days should still be enough.

This was the policy at RCA and Motorola.  We just chose the cheapest
solution that we were certain could get the job done.  We frequently
would write abstraction layers on top of the OS with inline functions
or macros so we could switch operating systems in midstream.  Nobody
liked to be tied to a vendor.  My company follows this policy.  We
have an abstraction layer that will allow you to port from vxWorks to
eCos with no changes in the code, exept for of course drivers.

About 50% of companies still make their own embedded OS instead of
buying one too.  I know this from WindRiver's research.  From that
alone you have a pretty good idea about how much companies feel the
need to use something "standard" and "well known"

> -----Original Message-----
> From: NavEcos [mailto:ecos@navosha.com]
> Sent: 01 October 2002 14:51
> To: Doug Fraser; Qiang Huang; Ecos-Discuss
> Subject: Re: [ECOS] How does people think of ecos's future compare to so m
> any existing RTOS? eg.RT-Linux, Embedded Linux, VxWorks, etc.. Welcome to
> discuss
>
> On Tuesday 01 October 2002 04:36 am, Doug Fraser wrote:
> > Microsoft Windows and WRS vxWorks both bring something to the
> > table that is hard to overcome in the market.
> >
> > Mindshare. There are two faces to this. The comfort level of
> > large corporate managers to buy from another large corporation
> > and the existing knowledge base of developers that have been
> > creating solutions under each OS for years.
> >
> > You can hire developers with vxWorks (or Windows) experience
> > almost anywhere.
> >
> > There is also a vast trove of documentation, on-line and off,
> > available for each of these OSes.
> >
> > Linux is now gaining mindshare to a point where it can effectively
> > compete with Windows in certain applications and markets.
> >
> > ECos has a much higher hill to climb in terms of mind share,
> > and part of that is due to dilution by embedded Linux.
>
> It has never been a consideration at any company I worked with for
> EMBEDDED operating systems what the engineers already know.  I have
> worked with pSOS, vxWorks, WinCE, BlueCat, and several roll-your-own
> OSes.  I think in the majority of corporations all that matters for
> an embedded OS is first, can it do the job (this includes tools),
> and second, what does it cost.  In embedded applications, pennies
> count.
>
> With Linux and Windows, there is a question of administration and a
> pre-installed userbase that doesn't exist with embedded operating
> systems.
>
> > Doug Fraser
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: NavEcos [mailto:ecos@navosha.com]
> > > Sent: Tuesday, October 01, 2002 5:46 AM
> > > To: Qiang Huang; Ecos-Discuss
> > > Subject: Re: [ECOS] How does people think of ecos's future
> > > compare to so
> > > many existing RTOS? eg.RT-Linux, Embedded Linux, VxWorks,
> > > etc.. Welcome
> > > to discuss
> > >
> > > On Tuesday 01 October 2002 02:14 am, Qiang Huang wrote:
> > > > Just curious about the future of ecos compare to other
> > >
> > > RTOS, anybody have
> > >
> > > > any idea?
> > > >
> > > > thanks
> > >
> > > I think that if Linux is to Microsoft Windows, that eCos is
> > > to vxWorks.
> > >
> > > In my opinion, companies are CRAZY to be willing to pay $100K
> > > plus royalties
> > > to develop with vxWorks when eCos exists.  For some
> > > applications you need the
> > > greater complexity of vxWorks, but not many of them.
> > >
> > > -Rich
> > >
> > > --
> > > Before posting, please read the FAQ:
> > > http://sources.redhat.com/fom/ecos
> > > and search the list archive: http://sources.redhat.com/ml/ecos-discuss


--
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