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Used in mini-embedded system,
XIPOS can get its optimum performance. It can suit the needs of
most real time requirements, and its comprehensive architecture
provides application developing powerful supports. On the machine
with MMU, the stability threats from application program can be
avoided completely. Embedded Linux has the same utility. To meet
the real time requirements or lacking MMU, embedded Linux may need
developer to do more extra work. XIPOS based on one original source
code, with the special portions that optimize the embedded device
and without the history burden like Linux, can run faster and cost
less resource. |
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Through writing AP for Xipos is not very
difficult, compared with embedded Linux, the lacking of AP is the
biggest disadvantage of Xipos. As graphic user interface is concerned,
there are many decent systems for Linux, such as MicroWindow, MiniGUI,
TinyX etc. With a Linux compatible library, application program
can be ported from Linux to Xipos easily. In this way, we port many
Linux AP, including about 30 MicroWindow based GUI applications.
These programs run well, but they cannot take the full advantages
of Xipos, because their supporting systems ( MicroWindow, MiniGUI,
etc.) use Linux feature.
Taking example for MicroWindow,
it can be configured in two working mode. Client/Server mode or
single process mode. Some PDA use single process GUI mode (this
doesn't mean such machine does not necessarily support multitasking
simultaneously. It is possible that there is only one GUI process
at the same time, interacting with users, generally occupying the
full screen. Other GUI processes, if exist, neither can paint, nor
can accept any inputs.), but their GUI processes cannot interact
with each other, which limits their usability greatly. Client/Server
mode need to switch process context when paints and accepts inputs,
which results in big system costs and delayed GUI process response.
In current embedded hardware environment, the adverse affection
is noticeable. Formerly, some companies cannot satisfy with the
performance on 60MHz RISC PDA ( running Linux), and abandoned C/S
mode GUI.
The former edition MiniGUI,
developed in mainland, bases on pthreads library. Its interface
runs in one process, which lowers GUI costs but does not facilitate
adding new application to the GUI environment. The whole GUI system
is not robust enough. Its later edition supports "Lite" configuration,
C/S mode based and having being optimized, but its simultaneous
displaying is limited.
The other two typical embedded
GUI systems, TinyX and QT/Embedded, are perfect and powerful. But
for the minimum system XIPOS can support, they are too big , occupying
too many system resources and running too slowly.
XIPOS supports mini-embedded
system with its own merits. XIPOS GUI is specially designed to take
full advantages of those merits for application programs. To protect
the investment in AP developing, XIPOS GUI can be deployed on Linux
or other simpler environment.
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