A distributed computing environment for robotics

Meglos is a multiprocessor operating system that is ideal for real-time applications. It provides the user with a distributed programming environment for developing, running, and debugging application programs. Meglos allows a single application to span several processors. Further, unrelated programs may run independently of each other on the same processor. A simple, yet powerful, mechanism for communications between programs is provided. With the current hardware configuration, up to twelve Motorola 68000 Multibus computer systems and a DEC VAX host running the UNIX operating system can be connected via the S/NET interconnect. Meglos exhibits communications latencies of 750 μsec, sufficiently small for most real-time applications.

Authors

• Robert D. Gaglianello
• Howard P. Katseff

Keywords

• Distributed computing
• Robots
• Application software
• Operating systems
• Real time systems
• Programming environments
• Debugging
• Hardware
• Power system interconnection
• Delay
• Running
• Operating System
• Computer System
• Switching Time
• Robotic Arm
• Low-resolution Images
• Robot Control
• Robotic Applications
• File System
• Objects In The Scene
• End Of The Channel
• Message Length
• Maximum Latency
• System Calls
• Number Of Processors
• Code Section
• Interface Board