Lynx Supports Motorola's High-Availability CompactPCI Systems

LynxOS is first RTOS to provide hot-swap capability

SAN JOSÉ, Calif.—November 2, 1998—Lynx Real-Time Systems, Inc. today announced that it is the first embedded software vendor selected to provide support for the Motorola Computer Group (MCG)'s CPX8000 family of CompactPCI systems. As a result of the partnership, LynxOS®, Lynx' real-time operating system (RTOS), becomes the first RTOS to provide basic hot-swap capability for CompactPCI communications applications.

"Our major telecommunications customers are looking to build high reliability and availability into their next generation products while using open architectures and commercial off-the-shelf technology building blocks," said Inder Singh, CEO of Lynx.

"Motorola's CompactPCI products, supported by the Reliable Processing Environment of LynxOS provide a powerful platform for new products addressing the convergence of voice, data and video."

Hot swap capability allows CompactPCI adapter boards to be inserted into and removed from operating systems, for maintenance or hardware upgrades, without the need to power down and reboot. While hot swap CompactPCI hardware in itself handles mechanical and electrical issues, system software must manage the resulting incremental changes in functionality, including detecting new hardware, installing new device drivers, and dynamic reconfiguration.

The Motorola Computer Group announced the availability of the CPX8000 family in October. The CompactPCI systems offer a platform suitable for applications that must meet a level of high availability known as "five nines" (99.999 percent), a term defining high availability for mission critical communications applications. A five nines availability system will only experience five minutes and 15 seconds of downtime a year, at most. In an open-architecture CompactPCI technology, this level of reliability requires built-in redundancy of all active system components to enable any active module to be hot swapped exchanged for repair or upgrade while the system continues to operate.

The CPX8000 family is a carrier-grade platform for switching applications and deployment within unattended sites. The system provides reliability of telephone systems and services (see related Motorola 10/24/98 announcement in press kit).

"The purpose of the CPX8000 is to extend the benefits of open architectures to telecom equipment OEMs who need high-availability systems," said Cousy Maher, director of product marketing, telecommunications business unit, MCG. "To make that possible, we needed the Reliable Processing Environment in the LynxOS. Competing products, with their flat address space model, have not yet provided that level of reliability and will not until sometime in 1999."

The first implementation of the family will be the CPX8216 series for NEBS-compliant CompactPCI platforms with LynxOS, running on PowerPC-based CPUs, specifically the PowerPC 750. Starter kits including a LynxOS demonstration module and a LynxOS CPX8216 software support kit are available from Motorola. For more information, contact your Motorola sales office or representative.

About Motorola

Motorola Computer Group (MCG), a division of Motorola, Inc., is the world's leading supplier of embedded computing platforms to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) for use in telecommunications and industrial applications. MCG provides best in class solutions by combining its advanced design engineering capability with responsive, world-class manufacturing operations. MCG is part of Motorola's Automotive, Component, Computer, and Energy Sector which comprises of five major businesses recognized for delivering leadership solutions to customers in the form of platform-based embedded controls and integrated components.

Information about MCG is available at www.mcg.mot.com.

Motorola is a global leader in advanced electronic systems and services. It creates software-driven products that provide integrated customer solutions and Internet access via wireless and satellite communications, as well as computing, networking, and automotive electronics. Motorola also liberates the power of technology by providing essential digital building blocks in the form of embedded semiconductors, controls and systems. Sales in 1997 were $29.8 billion.

About Lynx Real-Time Systems

Lynx is a worldwide supplier of embedded software solutions including real-time operating systems, development tools, support and consulting. These products are used in a broad spectrum of applications including telecommunications switches, printers, avionics control systems, automotive test systems and process control systems. Lynx products shorten product development cycles and reduce costs for software engineers. By committing to POSIX®, UNIX®, Java and other industry standards, the company enables customers to leverage their investments in software development and education. No other real-time operating systems matches the degree of LynxOS compliance to POSIX, which defines the industry-standard API for UNIX and is the first standard API for real-time embedded applications. Founded in 1988 as a privately-held company, Lynx has offices in the U.S., Europe, and Japan, with worldwide headquarters in San José, California.

LynuxWorks press contacts

Kirsten Long Director, Marketing Communications LynuxWorks, Inc. USA +1 408-979-4404	Dave Reddy Weber Shandwick USA +1 650-868-4659	Peter van der Sluijs Neesham Public Relations Europe +44 1442-879222
Hamid Mirab Managing Director EMEA LynuxWorks Ltd. United Kingdom +44 208-906-9506	Francisca Llamas Weber Shandwick USA +1 415-685-0608