Real-Time Systems Inc. Recent Projects

Recent Projects

Cable television headend equipment

Designed microprocessor hardware and software to control broadband fiber-optic laser transmitters, receivers, and optical amplifiers. The transmitters and amplifiers required servo control of laser temperature, laser bias, and modulation depth. All of these servos were accomplished in assembler and C++ code running on Motorola 68HC11 and 68HC12 microprocessors. These products are in volume production, shipping world-wide.

Designed microprocessor-based front panel controllers for commercial satellite receivers with menu based user interfaces, real-time receiver control, and processor-based frequency-locked tuning loops. Also designed protocols and embedded controllers for a distributed control system of cable-television headend equipment. Multiple products, some in volume production (over 10,000/year).

Sawmill automation sensors

Designed embedded software and DSP code for a laser/CCD non-contact log profile scanner. A high-speed pattern-matching algorithm extracts the target's shape from the pattern of illuminated pixels in a linear CCD. UDP/IP over Ethernet is used to transfer large amounts of data in real time to sawmill optimizing systems. Now in production. The system delivers 100 scans per second on a 26 MHz Motorola 68HC16, and includes a user interface on a desktop computer running Linux.

Designed hardware and embedded software for a non-contact laser ranging sensor system. This system consists of many inexpensive sensor heads connected to concentrator units. The sensor heads send 1000 measurements per second via RS-485 links to the concentrator, which synchronizes the measurements from 16 heads and forwards them to a master computer via UDP.

Personal communications systems

Designed microprocessor hardware and software for several different systems of base-station extenders for personal communications systems (PCS). Systems were comprised of multiple Motorola 68HC11's, programmed in assembler, monitored in real-time by a desktop PC running a graphical user interface.

Marine steering systems

Designed the complete hardware and software solution for a LORAN-C adaptor for marine autopilots. This unit bolts on to an existing analog autopilot, causing the vessel to follow a fixed track, even in the presence of wind and currents.

Designed analog and digital hardware for a microprocessor-controlled gyro-compass and radar interface for a VME-bus radar mapping console.

Hydroelectric generator monitoring

Provided embedded software for a protective system which monitors in real time the air gap between rotor and stator in a hydroelectric generators. The system phase-locks to the generator rotation, which allows checking for both absolute rotation-to-rotation gap violations. (Zilog Z8000 processor, programmed in assembler.) Provided embedded software and graphical user interface software for a patrtial discharge monitoring system. This system counts millivolt pulses present on the output of a hydroelectric generator due to arcing within the generator's insulation. The counts are then transmitted to a master via modem for statistical analysis.

Golf course management system

Designed embedded software for golf course information network system. This system is uses Real Time Systems own embedded operating system software and TCP/IP protocol stack communicating via radio and IRDA links. Differential GPS provides precise position information to the golfers and course managers. A handheld graphical user interface shows the players' positions on course maps. (Hitachi SH7707 processor, programmed in C++.)