Virtual Machine Framework for Windows®

VmfWin: The Windows Real-time Virtualization Platform

The KUKA Virtual Machine Framework together with the underlying RTOS Virtual Machine are a world-wide unique, sophisticated platform for running any arbitrary Real-time Operating System (RTOS) co-existently with Microsoft Windows®.
The real-time software may either run with high priority together with Windows on the same CPU core or it may exclusively facilitate one ore more CPU cores.
Running different real-time operating systems as well as different instances of the same RTOS on different CPU cores is possible.

Embedding an RTOS or Real-time Firmware into Windows®

Together with VmfWin the Mini RTOS and Mini BSP serve as a starting point for porting a new RTOS on top of this platform.
This simple example implementation shows how to use the platform's timer, interrupt controller and how to set up the processor memory management unit as well as starting further CPU cores to run a SMP system.

Features

Unique performance scalability: Single Core and Multi Core CPU Support

• Single Core (shared mode operation): Windows® runs in the idle loop of the real-time operating system
• Dual Core (exclusive mode operation): Windows® on first CPU Core, RTOS on second CPU Core
• Dual Core (shared mode operation): Windows may use the second CPU Core instead of the RTOS spinning around in its idle loop

Flexible CPU usage in a Multi-Core environment

• Execute any arbitrary RTOS on different CPU Cores
• CPU Cores may be connected together to form a SMP system
  (Example: 2 CPU Cores for Windows®, 2 CPU Cores for VxWorks SMP)
• RTOS SMP operation possible even on Dual-Core CPUs!

Sophisticated Platform

• The same RTOS-Image may run on a single core system or a multi core system just by changing configuration parameters
• Changing the RTOS-VM (maintenance) is possible without updating the RTOS-Image
• The RTOS-VM supports all Intel as well as AMD processors (processor virtualization like Intel-VT or AMD-V is not required)
• The same RTOS image runs on all PC hardware
• RTOS Device-Management: Assign the hardware devices to the appropriate RTOS in the Windows Device Manager
• 2 programmable virtual timers (at independent arbitrary cycle times).
• Timestamping and performance analysis functions.

Additional Services: Windows/RTOS Communication

• Shared Memory: Direct access to shared memory areas
• Shared Events: Notification using named events
• Data Access Synchronization: Interlocked Data Access
• Date and Time Synchronization
• Virtual Serial Channel
• Network Packet Library: basic Ethernet data transfer service

New Windows/RTOS platform can be built fast and simple

• No platform porting necessary, the RTOS-VM is a binary module
• RTOS adaptation is as simple as writing a new Board Support Package
• Hardware access usually via VMF function calls (no need to understand the complex PC hardware, especially of multi core systems).
• Network Packet Library: Getting Windows/RTOS network communication up and running very fast