I would strongly prefer a single main line of development.
My understanding is that BB was never intended as a true multitasking system
let alone as a real time system.
It would be an ambitious (research) project to incorporate such features and
it may have far reaching consequences (eg garbage collection).
The preferred way to add such features should be via additional
DLLs and platform specific modules whenever possible.
 
However, if requirements from real world applications cannot be met with
the existing core modules, such extensions may be incorporated
more quickly by OMS, in particular if the extensions are small
and binary compatible.
 
- Josef Templ

 

 

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Marco Ciot 
To: BLACKBOX@LISTS.OBERON.CH 
Sent: Monday, November 19, 2007 12:02 PM
Subject: Re: Inofficial BlackBox 2.0

-------- Original Message -------- 
Subject: 	Re: Inofficial BlackBox 2.0	
Date: 	Mon, 19 Nov 2007 11:09:41 +0100	
From: 	Marco Ciot <marco@ciot.org>	
To: 	Wojtek Skulski <skulski@pas.rochester.edu>	
References: 	<Pine.LNX.4.33L2.0711182125420.25921-100000@nowshell.pas.rochester.edu>	

Hi everybody!

Firstly just a remark or question regarding this mailing list:
Is it so, that your own posts are not delivered to oneself?

Following my replies:

Wojtek Skulski wrote: 

Marco:

  I am not sure it is a good idea to branch off a new version
of BlackBox competing for manpower and resorces with the main branch.
Anyone who is attracted to your branch will face an incompatibility
problem. It is therefore not realistic to expect the community
to support your effort. Sorry for expressing a discouraging
opinion.

Yes, there is a binary incompability. Sourcewise however it requires only minor changes if at all in order to recompile.

On the other hand, looking at your website I am thrilled to see
a phrase "Truly Cooperative Real Multi Tasking". I have not looked
into the details, but I know from experience that the present tasking
system  is an elegant, but somewhat undercooked part of the official
BlackBox. I have two major problems with the current official BlackBox
tasking system:

1) The tasking system is activated with only 20 Hz frequency, which can be
improved to about 100 Hz by recompiling the BlackBox. It is a bit slow,
compared with, for example, USB-2, where the USB frames are acquired
every millisecond. I have been able to process data from a slow A/D
converter with BlackBox, but a somewhat faster A/D converter is presenting
a problem. It would be good if the tasking system was called at higher
frequency. I know that Dough Danforth looked into using a Windows
1-ms timer, but I am not sure, how far he went in this direction.

Yes, the frequency can be increased. However there are limitations given by the OS. One cannot rely that BB is called at any defined frequency.

2) The tasking system freezes when one depresses a mouse button.
It is plain not acceptable to stop the data acquisition when using
the mouse.

This is the problem I really have solved.
I did this, because I could not accept it for an operational monitoring application.

I do not know if you have addressed these problems.

I am hoping that your solutions, if they are sound, will find a way
into the official release. I am advocating that you join Oberon
Microsystems this way or another and that both branches are merged into
one.

No, I do not expect this at all.
Oberon Microsystems has made its point clear about this.
Yes it was my original intention or wish that BB 2.0 would become the official successor of BB 1.5.
This is mainly not possible because of the risk of additional large support overhead related to my extensions.

On the other hand: I keep maintaining my branch, because I use it productively!
And if others who have faced the limitations of BB 1.x want to overcome these and contribute, then there could be great potential!

Thank you for your effort!

Wojtek

On Sat, 17 Nov 2007, Marco Ciot wrote:

That is my branch of BlackBox where I have extended many things
and done so in an elegant fashion.
If you'd like to have a look at it: http://blackbox.ciot.org
I had some time ago considered opening a separate mailing list
in order to push BB 2.0.
I didn't do it until now due to lack of interest.
Best regards
Marco

  

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