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New Virtual Machine used to run QNX® and Windows on one CPU presented at the Embedded World 2008 in Nuremberg

KUKA's new Virtual Machine Framework for Windows®.


KUKA and IBV at Embedded World 2008

Augsburg, Germany – March 03, 2008 – At the Embedded World from February, 26-28 in Nuremberg, KUKA Roboter, a leading developer and user of real-time extensions for Windows®, announced VmfWin, its new Virtual Machine Framework for Windows®. KUKA Roboter’s new Virtual Machine Framework for Windows® offers a very flexible, progressive virtualization technology for embedded solutions running real-time operating systems and Windows® on a single PC-based system. VmfWin can be used either with single-core or with multi-core systems. As an implementation of VmfWin®, KUKA Roboter and its partner IBV presented QWin®, the first solution running QNX® and Windows® XP on the same system, based on the well approved RTOSWin technology.

	RTOS and Windows sharing a single hardware platfaorm

VmfWin together with the underlying RTOSVM (RTOS Virtual Machine) is a world-wide unique, sophisticated platform that can host any arbitrary embedded and Real-Time Operating System (RTOS) at the same time with a General-Purpose Operating System (GPOS) like Microsoft’s Windows® on a single hardware platform.

The VmfWin® system allows multiple operating systems to share a single hardware platform without conflicts, by partitioning the hardware resources, like CPU cores, I/O, RAM and interrupts.

	Supports design of scaleable systems

The enormous benefit of VmfWin® is that it offers developers the opportunity to use this technology with either single-core or multi-core processor systems. Another advantage is, that no processor dependent Virtualization Technology is needed.

Due to these benefits, the developer can easily design scalable embedded solutions. For low end solution, the RTOS will run with high priority together with Windows® on the same CPU core e.g. a cheap single-core system – and for high-end solutions it may exclusively facilitate one or more CPU cores of a multi-core system.
Running different real-time operating systems as well as different instances of the same RTOS on different CPU cores is also supported.

	Easy adaptation of legacy RTOS to Windows

Using VmfWin® to combine existing legacy or commercial RTOS with Windows® on single processor-based computer offers a fast access to commercial devices, HMI and communication using the available drivers for Windows®.
System OEMs choosing the VmfWin® technology can achieve significant cost savings and redeploy their existing real-time and embedded application without costly and risky porting efforts.

One of the first customers of RTOSVM is the German based “IBV - Echtzeit- und Embedded GmbH & Co. KG” from Koenigsbrunn close to Munich. As an authorized QNX-Distributor, IBV has adapted the RTOS QNX® to RTOSVM and showcases this QWin® on the KUKA Roboter booth at the Embedded World Fair.

	Windows and QNX running on the same PC Platform


Mr. Volllbracht, IBV

„We have been looking quite a while for a solution to make it possible to run Windows® and QNX® on one processor to combine the real-time-ability of QNX® and the connectivity and graphical features of Windows®” says Lutz Vollbracht, CEO of IBV.

“Especially some of our industrial automation and test & measurement customers would like to get rid of the expensive classical approach to have two different systems, one IPC for Windows and additional hardware for QNX®.
The versatile and flexible communications mechanisms between the two OSs, the Shared Core Mode which is needed for single core or multi core processors with QNX® in SMP mode and the fact that >80.000 robots worldwide are using this technology convinced us to develop our product QWin® which was introduced to the embedded market in February at the Germany fair Embedded World 2008”.

	Other Real-Time Operating Systems will follow!

Other customers have also realized the advantages of KUKA Roboter’s technology. Further partners have already evaluated VmfWin and started the development to use VmfWin® together with their Real-Time Operating System to come up with products like QWin®.

	Date of publication

03/03/2008

	Further information

Please view also our latest information about VmfWin, KUKA Roboter's new Virtual Machine Framework for single-core and multi-core systems.

	Any questions? We would be happy to help

KUKA Roboter GmbH Corporate Communications Phone: +49 821 4533 3318 presse@kuka.com

KUKA Roboter GmbH
Phone: +49 821 4533-3768
Fax: +49 821 4533-2129