LynuxWorks Ups the Ante in RTOS Market With Introduction of LynxOS 4.0.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

Embedded Systems Conference 2002

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 11, 2002

Popular Real-Time Operating System Sets New Industry Benchmark for

Performance, Enhanced Networking and Linux Compatibility

Building upon its expanding success with the most advanced and open embedded operating systems and tools solutions portfolio, LynuxWorks today announced the general availability of its next major revision to its popular LynxOS real time operating system (RTOS). LynxOS 4.0 raises the bar for RTOS vendors by adding Linux binary compatibility and enhancements in networking, porting support, and performance.

Squarely positioned to set a new industry benchmark for performance and openness, LynxOS 4.0 adds an array of new enhancements that have been designed to attract customers away from using similar products offered by Wind River, QNX, and other off-the-shelf or in-house proprietary operating systems. LynuxWorks is offering LynxOS 4.0 as a stand-alone solution with a selection of tools, or as part of several new industry specific software solutions designed to further streamline the development process (see related release).

"With this new version of LynxOS, our customers can leverage significant technological advances such as increased real-time performance and the latest in networking technologies," said Inder Singh, CEO of LynuxWorks. "In addition, with the application binary interface (ABI) compatibility, we offer unprecedented levels of openness and compatibility between Linux and LynxOS, which gives customers a strategic advantage when using our products. For the first time, embedded developers can truly plan long-term and be assured that as their products and market requirements change, they can quickly migrate between operating systems, or add new products that are compatible with very little effort."

LynxOS has a long history of technology leadership, meeting the most rigorous performance and compatibility demands of real-time and embedded applications. The operating system has been a popular choice among embedded developers for more than thirteen years in key industries, including telecommunications, Mil/aero, automotive, and office, industrial and retail automation. Unparalleled in its hard real-time response, stability and open standard interfaces, LynxOS provides the full determinism and reliability necessary for mission-critical and real-time embedded applications.

Unique in the high-performance RTOS world, LynxOS also offers its users the Linux processing model, POSIX conformance and open, standard application programming interfaces (APIs). The result is that OEMs have access to a larger pool of programming talent, and a greater choice of compatible applications and tools, decreasing overall development times and related costs for new embedded products.

30 Percent Performance Boost

Recent internal tests show that LynxOS 4.0 task response has been improved over the previous release by over 30 percent. It exhibits true linear scalability, remaining deterministic regardless of the number of tasks performed at any point. Absolute determinism and kernel threading allow for interrupt routines to be short and fast, ensuring predictable response even in the presence of heavy I/O. Systems based on LynxOS are able to perform their multiple tasks more reliably and deterministically than previously possible.

True ABI Compatibility

The only hard real-time operating system to offer true application binary interface (ABI) compatibility to Linux, LynxOS 4.0 lets users run Linux applications unmodified under LynxOS or to augment real-time applications on LynxOS with applications from Linux. The innovative capability eliminates porting and maintenance issues when migrating existing Linux applications to the hard real-time LynxOS platform. The compatibility is implemented through the use of dynamically linked shared libraries for minimum intrusion into the kernel, providing flexibility while maintaining stability and compatibility.

Updated for Advanced Networking

LynxOS 4.0 gives developers access to state-of-the-art networking technology. The new networking capabilities make it the most advanced of all the commercial RTOS offerings, with features such as IPSec, IPv6 and an integrated firewall. The TCP/IP stack has been enhanced for reentrancy, determinism and performance, and includes the latest protocols for networking and routing, such as OSPFv2, BGP-4 and RIPv2. Tests, with small packets where 100BaseT wire speed is not a limiting factor, showed performance increases by more than 90 percent over the previous LynxOS release. This is due to enhancements to the new stack for better throughput and drivers optimized for speed. Gigabit Ethernet support is also provided with performance at up to 93% of wire speed. This will enable LynxOS users to quickly deploy systems with the latest in networking technology.

About LynuxWorks

LynuxWorks, the technology leader in the embedded software market, provides complete solutions that incorporate operating systems, software development products and services for the world's most successful communications, aerospace/defense, and consumer products companies. Established in 1988, the company is a founding member of the real-time operating systems (RTOS) industry, and a leading participant in the Embedded Linux Consortium (ELC). LynuxWorks' headquarters are located in San Jose, California. The company focuses on leading the embedded software market in performance and openness and its products include the open-source BlueCat Linux and the scalable, Linux-compatible LynxOS real-time operating system. World class companies use LynuxWorks' products, including: 3Com, Alcatel, Boeing, Ericsson, Hewlett Packard, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Lockheed Martin, Lucent Technologies, Marconi, Mitsubishi, Motorola, NEC USA, Raytheon, TRW and Xerox. For more information, please visit www.lynuxworks.com.

Note to Editors: Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. LynxOS is a registered trademark and BlueCat is a trademark of LynuxWorks, Inc. All other brand names and trademarks mentioned in this document are the properties of their respective holders.