Linked by Eugenia Loli on Mon 9th Oct 2006 01:31 UTC
Most people haven't heard of QNX Software, though they've likely come in contact with it. The real-time operating system is used where software failure can lead to catastrophic consequences, even death - from high-speed trains to air traffic control towers to highway toll systems. It's also used in more than 100 different types of cars on the road.
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Member since:
2006-01-12
The operating systems you mention are not real time operating systems (RTOS).
I know what a real time OS is and I know the OSes I listed aren't such. The article specifically said QNX was used in ATC systems. I'm saying it's not, unless it's in a system I haven't encountered. The article is not accurate. That's all I'm saying. I know the ground systems end to end - maybe inside the airplane.
When a controller pushes a "button" on a touch screen monitor to access a channel (phone/ radio) that is a Win 3.11 PC. The headset plugs into that Win 3.11 PC and the audio is digitized in that Win 3.11 PC. The audio is piped over proprietary ISDN to a digital switch. The switch does it's work using ICs. QNX is nowhere in that system. I know of another that runs SCO Unix for the positions.
When ATCers look at their scope, they aren't looking at exactly where the planes are at. They are looking at where the central Solaris processors are predicting that plane is going to be based on heading, aircraft characteristics, speed, etc. That central processor pipes the info to a position processor also running Solaris over ethernet that powers the display. QNX is nowhere in there. The system that ingests the radar CD2 data and puts the data into a useable formaat also runs Solaris.
Unless the author can name a specific air traffic system using QNX, the article is inaccurate.