Lynx Awarded Patent for Open-Systems ROM Technology

Company's second patent lets developers use commercial off-the-shelf applications in diskless environments

SAN JOSÉ, Calif.—March 2, 1998—Lynx Real-Time Systems, Inc., a leader in embedded software solutions, today announced it has been granted a United States Patent (number 5,594,903) for its open-systems ROM (Read-Only Memory) technology that lets embedded developers re-use applications written for disk-based operating system environments—such as UNIX® and POSIX®—and create a ROM image of code for execution in diskless embedded environments.

The Lynx open-systems ROM technology facilitates OEM customers' integration of commercial, off-the-shelf applications into their LynxOS-based embedded products, reducing costs, complexity and time-to-market. This technology also allows diskless devices, such as routers or communications switches, to boot over a network, simplifying design and limiting the amount of program code needed in the device's onboard memory.

This patent is the second awarded to Lynx by the U.S. Patent Office. The first, granted in 1995, was granted for LynxOS thread interrupt processing, which allows software designers to prioritize interrupt handling in step with application thread priorities. This threaded interrupt prioritization puts bounds on the amount of CPU time consumed by interrupt handling in a real-time system. The patented scheme assures predictable and stable application performance even when additional loading is added to the system.

"These patents are a sign that the embedded software industry is gaining maturity," said Mitch Bunnell, Chief Technology Officer at Lynx. "In long-established industries, the major players have thousands of patents and when a market leader like Lynx achieves patent recognition for its technologies, it indicates that real-time systems have become a mainstream element in today's technology mix."

Open-systems ROMing details

The LynxOS open systems ROMing technology allows for compact deployment and efficient execution of portable UNIX/POSIX application programs. Such applications normally load from a disk-based file system, but need to be executed from ROM, flash memory, or downloaded RAM image in an embedded system. Moreover, multiprocess multithreaded UNIX and POSIX applications often require full virtual addressing facilities not found in most RTOS products. The LynxOS ROMing utility creates a ROMable image that encapsulates the LynxOS kernel, a ROM "disk," and application program code segments. Thus, open-systems applications may be reused and run directly from ROM, transparently, in a reliable virtual address space, with no modification to source code and no run-time cross loading from RAM to ROM.

Additional patents pending

Lynx has applied for two additional patents for its modular kernel technology. This technology offers developers small-memory footprint run-time configurations of the LynxOS operating system that consume less memory and so better support deeply embedded applications. The LynxOS small kernel profiles consume as little as 40K, cutting development and manufacturing costs by needing less memory and permitting designers to use available resources to enhance applications. Moreover LynxOS kernel profiles confer additional flexibility that lets engineers design their products on the basis of product requirements instead of resource limitations.

About Lynx Real-Time Systems

Lynx Real-Time Systems, Inc. is a worldwide supplier of real-time operating systems and development tools. Its products shorten product development cycles and lower costs for software engineers designing embedded applications. By committing to POSIX, UNIX and other industry standards, the company enables customers to leverage investments in software development and training. Founded in 1988 as a privately held company, Lynx has offices in the U.S., Europe and Japan, and worldwide headquarters in San José, Calif.

LynuxWorks press contacts

Kirsten Long Director, Marketing Communications LynuxWorks, Inc. USA +1 408-979-4404	Barbara Stewart Patterson & Associates USA 480-488-6909
Hamid Mirab Managing Director EMEA LynuxWorks Ltd. United Kingdom +44 208-906-9506	Peter van der Sluijs Neesham Public Relations Europe +44 1442-879222