Bellevue, WA - Microstar Laboratories, Inc. releases version 2.00 of the Accel32 for Linux software. This extends support to GNU/Linux distributions with kernel versions from 3.00 onward. Accel32 for Linux is offered under the BSD license for free download. This software compiles a Loadable Kernel Module (LKM) for the GNU/Linux system, enabling access to Data Acquisition Processor (DAP) boards running the embedded DAPL 2000 operating system.
DAP Board Operation under Linux
Linux practitioners are well aware of the benefits of running parallel processes configured by compact scripts. Data acquisition applications only 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 all of that to the DAPL 2000 software system 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. An application must, of course, accept all of the data it requests eventually.
Platform Support
DAP boards provide an Intel 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 PCIx (extended) I/O bus slots to host the DAP boards.
Availability
Accel32 for Linux, version 2.00, is available now for download from the Microstar Laboratories Web site at http://www.mstarlabs.com/software/linux.html