Small-footprint verson of NDDS middleware demonstrates its versatility for satisfying a wide range of real-time communication requirements

SANTA CLARA, CA–January 23, 2006–In an iterative and collaborative development effort with an industrial automation giant, the networking experts at Real-Time Innovations (RTI) have created a modified version of RTI’s NDDS real-time publish-subscribe communication middleware that can be used in low-cost, memory-constrained applications. This new implementation of NDDS, which requires less than 100 kilobytes of memory, is currently deployed in a line of programmable logic controllers (PLCs).

Because the standard version of NDDS can be used in high-end PLCs, developers can now deploy a common communication scheme across industrial control networks that contains a full range of PLC cost and functionality options.

“By replacing homegrown communication middleware with NDDS, industrial automation manufacturers can have an open basis for interoperability when working with products from development partners. This gives their customers more flexibility in creating automated systems,” commented Dr. Robert Kindel, RTI’s vice president of engineering services.

RTI’s NDDS platform offers a rich publish-subscribe middleware environment along with fully integrated tools for system visualization, analysis and real-time debugging. The use of NDDS significantly reduces the time required to implement communication within a distributed real-time network while providing a more scalable, maintainable and manageable infrastructure. The open-architecture NDDS is the basis of the Object Management Group's (OMG’s) Data Distribution Service (DDS) standard.

For Industrial Automation, Smaller is Better
The reference implementation included NDDS in high-end PLCs together with a line of smaller smart sensors that were able to publish data to the same network. Working hand-in-hand with the customer during an 11-month development effort, RTI created a version of NDDS that implemented all use cases and feature sets while fitting within the constrained memory environment.

“We were able to deliver a version that was more feature-packed than anticipated with a smaller library size than planned—all in much less time than expected,” concluded Dr. Kindel.

The creation of NDDS for industrial automation applications highlights both the flexibility of NDDS and RTI’s ability to craft unique implementations for customers who previously believed they could not use an off-the-shelf product. RTI’s expertise in real-time networking and experience in embedded systems engineering ensures that its Professional Services team has the ability to work closely with customers, deliver custom solutions and dramatically decrease customers’ development time and resource requirements when creating real-time networks.

Availability
The standard RTI NDDS Developer Package is immediately available for a three-user perpetual license. Packages include NDDS middleware, NDDS tools and one year of support. NDDS is available on many operating systems, including Microsoft Windows, Sun Microsystems Solaris, Linux, LynuxWorks LynxOS, Wind River Systems VxWorks and Green Hills Software INTEGRITY solutions.

About RTI
Real-Time Innovations, Inc. (RTI, www.rti.com) the expert in real-time information networking, leads the industry with high performance standards-based software solutions for data-critical applications. Its products and consulting services provide the infrastructure for national railways, air traffic control, traffic monitoring, mission-critical combat systems, financial transaction processing and industrial automation. RTI's flagship product, NDDS, is middleware based on the Object Management Group's (OMG) Data Distribution Service (DDS). NDDS provides the essential foundation for real-time communication in a networked system and enables a new class of embedded to enterprise (e2E) applications. Raytheon, Nikon, Omron, Harmonic, Applied Materials, Schneider Automation, Boeing, Lockheed Martin and the US Military rely on RTI technology for their real-time, data-centric, distributed applications. Headquartered in the heart of Silicon Valley since 1991, RTI is a privately held company.

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RTI, Real-Time Innovations, NDDS and e2E are service marks, registered trademarks or trademarks of Real-Time Innovations, Inc. All other trademarks used in this document are the property of their respective owners.