University of Michigan and QNX® advance understanding of global warming

Quick Facts    The Space Physics Research Laboratory at the University of Michigan is developing two radiometers - instruments that will measure the effects of global warming on permafrost levels and assess rainfall rates around the world.    These highly advanced instruments will employ the QNX realtime operating system.    University of Michigan chose the QNX® Neutrino® RTOS for its reliability and networking capabilities (which allow remote debugging) and for the experience and reputation of QNX Software Systems Ltd.

To deal effectively with global warming, we first need to better understand the phenomenon. The Space Physics Research Laboratory at the University of Michigan is developing a sophisticated instrument to do just that.

Attached to the underside of a small plane, this device - known as a synthetically thinned aperture radiometer (STARLight) - will measure the moisture content in soil and gauge the extent of permafrost in the Arctic from season to season and year to year. Geologists have traditionally analyzed permafrost depth by putting metal rods into the tundra, an accurate but time-consuming and resource-intensive process. By measuring the radiation intensity of a particular wavelength, the radiometer can assess permafrost depth from the air, allowing scientists to cover large areas in a short time.

Funded by the National Science Foundation, this project is one of two radiometer-based research undertakings in which the Space Physics Research Laboratory is engaged. The other, called Lightweight Rainfall Radiometer (LRR) and funded by NASA, involves using radiometers on aircraft to determine rainfall rates. Both projects are in the design phase, and both will rely heavily on the QNX Neutrino RTOS to process data from and send commands to the radiometers.

Reliability: the essential ingredient

"Reliability was our primary criterion for an operating system," says Mr. Stephen Musko, senior engineer in research with University of Michigan. "We needed a robust operating system. We also needed to know that our application has the highest priority and that we have the CPU when we need it. The QNX Neutrino RTOS promises us this performance and reliability because of its unique microkernel architecture."

Before selecting the QNX Neutrino RTOS, Mr. Musko attended a QNX course to learn more about the internal architecture. "Everything that I discovered about the system pleased me, from the reliability of the OS right down to the tools," says Mr. Musko. "QNX offered what we needed - networking capability and a simple microkernel architecture that implies reliability. The company's 20-year history impressed us as well."

The QNX Neutrino RTOS will be loaded onto PC/104 cards from Real Time Devices USA, Inc. These cards will be built into a shock-mounted, heavy-duty aluminum frame that will hang underneath the aircraft and connect to laptops inside using 10base-T Ethernet.

TCP/IP networking makes remote debugging easy

Thanks to the QNX Neutrino RTOS's TCP/IP networking capability, Mr. Musko will be able to debug the system even if a plane is 3,000 miles away - a vital consideration. In addition to TCP/IP, the Space Physics Research Laboratory will also use remote login, Telnet, and FTP protocols and employ an M-Systems DiskOnChip for remote data storage.

Mr. Musko expects that using the QNX Neutrino RTOS will streamline the development process. "We liked that QNX has a well-known standard runtime library," he says. "Using standard network protocols and utilities provided with the QNX Neutrino RTOS, rather than writing our own code, will save us a significant amount of time."

The QNX Neutrino RTOS: key to success

The projects will be deemed successful if the instruments accurately measure what they are supposed to measure. And the QNX Neutrino RTOS will play an essential role in achieving this success.

"I've used non-realtime systems for applications such as these before," says Mr. Musko, "and the operating systems get in the way - they're not meant to do realtime computing. Without a realtime OS like QNX Neutrino, there's no way that we could finish these projects in a reasonable amount of time."