Bellevue, WA. Microstar Laboratories Inc., maker of Data Acquisition Processor (DAP) systems for PC-based high-performance multichannel measurement applications, has released version 1.00 of the Accel64 for Linux software. This package builds Loadable Kernel Module (LKM) software for the GNU/Linux system, for running on 32-bit or 64-bit hardware architectures, to support the control of DAP data-acquisition boards on systems using kernel versions in the 4.xx Series. Accel64 for Linux is offered under the BSD license for free download.
The Accel64 for Linux software determines what kind of hardware platform is present and selects the native interface mode as the default. However, advanced users who have implemented kernel support for 32-bit
software architectures under a 64-bit hardware platform can use either the 64-bit or 32-bit interface, depending on application requirements.
32-bit or 64-bit platforms?
Major Linux distributions are considering whether to drop direct supportfor 32-bit hardware platforms, since 64-bit devices are becoming omnipresent. GNU/Linux distributions generally presume that if you have
64-bit hardware and a 64-bit operating system, the applications will use compatible 64-bit development tools and drivers, so support for 32-bit applications is incomplete. This can present problems for vetted 32-bit applications, particularly those dependent on kernel extensions. The 32-bit applications can run fine on 64-bit hardware, but not if the 32-bit operating system or 32-bit application support is unavailable.
Applications can be rebuilt for native execution on a 64-bit system, but that requires new certification testing, since 64-bit compiler tools are allowed (within language standards) to make subtle changes that can
affect critical application behaviors.
Whichever environment you choose, the Accel64 for Linux software will not add any new hazards: it will work the same in a 32-bit operating system environment, in a 64-bit operating system environment, or in a
64-bit operating system environment with transitional support for 32-bit applications. Not only that, but the Accel64 for Linux software should be compatible with most—if not all—major distributions based on
Linux 4.xx kernel versions, 32-bit and 64-bit.
DAP board operation under Linux
Linux practitioners are well aware of the benefits of running parallel processes configured by compact scripts. Data-acquisition applications become difficult real-time problems if the attention of the host system
is slaved to the demands of data acquisition devices—processing many channels, at ultra-high rates, on a demanding time schedule. Delegating that time-critical work to the DAPL 2000 software system, running
on-board in the DAP subsystems, eliminates most real-time concerns from the host application environment. An ordinary graphical desktop environment and generic kernel configuration perform almost as well as a
specialized real-time kernel.
DAP boards provide an x86-family embedded processor to support operation of the embedded DAPL 2000 system and data-acquisition hardware devices. The DAPL 2000 system is part of the DAPtools software, which Microstar Laboratories provides for operating the DAP boards at no added charge. The DAPL 2000 system provides the configuration scripting and the multitasking real-time control of data acquisition hardware devices. A host system must provide PCI or PCI-X (extended) I/O bus slots to host
the DAP boards.
Accel64 for Linux, version 1.00, is available now for download.
