INtime

INtime Real-Time Operating System (RTOS) is a specialized software platform that provides deterministic real-time performance for embedded systems and industrial applications. Designed to meet the stringent requirements of precision-critical environments, INtime RTOS ensures that tasks are executed within fixed time constraints, which is essential for applications such as robotics, aerospace, telecommunications and automated manufacturing. 

Key features of INtime RTOS include a microkernel architecture that minimizes latency and maximizes system responsiveness, support for multi-core processing to increase computational efficiency, and robust communication interfaces for seamless integration with other systems. The platform is highly customizable, allowing developers to tailor it to specific operational requirements to optimize performance and resource utilization. 

INtime RTOS also offers comprehensive development tools and debugging capabilities, streamlining the process of creating, testing, and deploying real-time applications. As industries increasingly adopt advanced automation and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, INtime RTOS plays a pivotal role in ensuring that systems operate reliably and efficiently, adhering to stringent real-time constraints. 

INtime is a real-time operating system, designed to meet the rigorous demands of industrial automation and communication. It plays a crucial role in ensuring that time-critical operations in industrial settings are executed with precision and reliability.  

Real-Time Operating System (RTOS) Family 

It is part of a family of real-time operating systems that are specifically conceived to run time-critical operations with cycle times as low as 50μs. This capability is essential in industrial automation where processes such as motion control, process control, and machine operation require precise timing and deterministic execution to maintain efficiency and safety. 

Platform Compatibility 

It runs on single-core, hyper-threaded, and multi-core x86 PC platforms from Intel and AMD. This wide compatibility ensures that it can be deployed on a variety of hardware platforms, making it a versatile solution for different industrial automation needs. It supports two binary compatible usage configurations: INtime for Windows, where the INtime RTOS runs alongside Microsoft Windows, and INtime Distributed RTOS, for standalone operation. 

Integration with General-Purpose Operating Systems

One of the unique features of INtime is its ability to run concurrently with a general-purpose operating system (GPOS) like Windows on a single hardware platform. This allows for the seamless integration of real-time and non-real-time components of industrial automation systems, enabling the use of Windows-based applications and interfaces alongside time-critical INtime tasks. 

Event-Driven and Preemptive Scheduling

It helps to deliver high-performance determinism through its fully pre-emptive, event-driven operating system. This architecture is crucial for industrial automation applications where events such as sensor inputs or machine state changes must be responded to with minimal delay. Preemptive scheduling ensures that higher priority tasks can interrupt lower priority ones, which is essential for maintaining the timing requirements of critical operations. 

Support for Time-Sensitive Networking and Microsecond Determinism 

It also has the capability to integrate features for time-sensitive networking and ensures microsecond-precise timing. This is particularly important in industrial communication where data exchange between devices and control systems must occur within strict time constraints to ensure process integrity and safety. 

Scalability and Portability

INtime is designed to scale across x86 hardware platforms and can even scale across multiple hosts without code changes. Its architecture maximizes portability, allowing for easy transition to new hardware without the need for rebuilding or reconfiguring. This scalability and portability make INtime a future-proof solution for industrial automation systems that may need to evolve over time. 

Development and Integration Tools

The special device driver can integrate with Microsoft Visual Studio and provides hardware evaluation tools and migration libraries to speed the porting of existing code. Its object-based programming model, support for popular APIs, and compatibility with a range of real-time networking drivers and libraries simplify the development process and reduce the learning curve for developers. 

Contribution in Industrial Automation

INtime's capabilities make it well-suited for a wide range of industrial automation applications, including motion control, enterprise software, and human-machine interfaces (HMI). Its deterministic performance and support for real-time networking enable the reliable control and monitoring of industrial processes, ensuring that operations are carried out efficiently and safely. 

INtime's applications span a wide range of industries and use cases that require deterministic performance, real-time responsiveness, and the ability to integrate with general-purpose operating systems. Its versatility, reliability, and support for real-time communication protocols make it a powerful solution for industrial automation, embedded systems, and safety-critical applications. 

Industrial Automation 

It is extensively used in industrial automation for controlling machinery, production lines, and processes where timing precision and system reliability are critical. Its deterministic nature ensures that operations such as motion control and machine operation are executed within strict time constraints, which is essential for maintaining efficiency and safety in automated environments. It ensures real-time data exchange for coordinating production schedules and optimizing manufacturing processes. 

Motion Control

Its microsecond-level response times make it ideal for motion control applications where precise coordination of motors and actuators is required. It can handle complex motion trajectories and synchronization of multiple axes without compromising accuracy or performance. 

Process Control

For applications that involve monitoring and controlling chemical, physical, or biological processes, it provides the real-time capabilities needed to ensure that process variables stay within safe and efficient operating limits. INtime interfaces with sensors, actuators, and control systems to maintain optimal process conditions, ensure safety, and maximize efficiency. 

Machine Operation

INtime is used to control the operation of machines in manufacturing settings, where it coordinates the activities of various machine components to achieve desired outcomes with high precision and reliability.  In manufacturing plants, it facilitates the control and monitoring of industrial machinery and processes. It enables communication with PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers), CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machines, robotic arms, and other automated equipment. 

Medical Devices

INtime is used in medical devices where real-time monitoring and control of physiological parameters are critical for patient care. Its deterministic performance ensures that medical data is processed and acted upon in real-time, contributing to the safety and effectiveness of medical treatments. 

Robotics

It is used to control robotic arms and autonomous robots, where precise timing and coordination of movements are essential. Its real-time capabilities enable robots to interact with their environment in a controlled and predictable manner. It provides precise control over the movement and positioning of robotic arms, gantry systems, and automated guided vehicles (AGVs). 

Safety-Critical Applications

For applications where failure or timing errors could lead to catastrophic outcomes, such as in the aerospace and automotive industries, INtime provides the hard real-time performance and reliability needed to ensure system safety and compliance with industry standards. 

Embedded Systems and IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things)

In embedded systems and IoT applications, INtime provides low-level device drivers and communication interfaces for connecting embedded devices to the host system. It enables data acquisition, control, and monitoring in embedded industrial devices such as sensors, actuators, and embedded controllers. It also supports lightweight protocols optimized for resource-constrained embedded systems, such as MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport). 

As a leading technology and solution provider in industrial communication, Hilscher offers a range of products and services that enable machines to communicate with each other automatically, quickly and securely. One of the key components of the offering is the netX product family, which includes multiprotocol communication controllers and associated firmware that support various industrial communication protocols, including fieldbus and Industrial Ethernet. Based on this, Hilscher also offers embedded modules and PC cards that significantly reduce the development and integration effort for users. 

Hilscher offers a wide range of device drivers for quick integration of their communication interfaces. In addition to a C toolkit, drivers are available for all relevant operating systems such as Windows, Linux, QNX, VxWorks, INtime and IntervalZero.