Pharlap vs VxWorks: Advantages/Disadvantages?

[quarterlbr]

Is there any advantage of using VxWorks over Pharlap-based systems? What are the disadvantages?  Are there any modules/functionality that I can't use with the older system?

I have used VxWorks in the past (newer systems) but may have an opportunity to use an older Pharlap-based 9004 system.

Thanks.

[Smootastic · Accepted solution]

Hi quarterlbr,

Here is a link that should help display the differences between both operating systems.  In general, Pharlap (or ETS) is X86 based, where as VxWorks is Unix-based, which will cause differences when executing code such as DLLs:

http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/allkb/D85F9139AEB88F188625745700569E8D?OpenDocument

Refer to the related links for additional operating system information. 

[geeksp]

Well, I'm also very interested in both RT systems. However I can't open the link you provided. Would you please update this URL or just inform me of the page tile? Many thanks!

[Kilometers]

Hi Geeksp,

I believe the KnowledgeBase that was linked in the previous post, was #4LRA4IQ0, "What Operating System is my Real-Time Controller Running and Why?". You should be able to access it at this URL: http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/allkb/35F1FD98520D6E0E8625783A005AF557?OpenDocument

I hope that helps!

[geeksp]

Thank you very much 🙂 By the way, why is Phar Lab ETS now called NI ETS? Was there any mergers and acquisitions occur?

[Texas_Diaz]

No, no such mergers/acquisitions.  We decided to name it NI ETS to officially distinguish it from the commercially-available PharLap ETS that is out on the market.  A long, long, time ago National Instruments licensed the PharLap ETS operating system and source code from the owners of PharLap ETS, and we've both modified/updated/maintained the OS continually up until today (and still are).  The original source base and the NI-kept source base have never merged - in many instances we took similar development paths, and in many critical ways we did not - so the two have similar roots but have grown apart significantly.  We decided the name change was necessary so that our customers would not be confused by the current-day PharLap ETS, thus the name NI ETS emerged.  

-Danny

[geeksp]

I got it. Thank you