OMEn`Her`3TXT`Œ€L°í “XŽs(”¦–†8”¦–†8€0à0à1‚````````ÿÿÿû _______________________ 1st Release! _____________________________ / ___________________ \ Atari OMEn / Esquimalt Digital Logic Inc \ | / \ |version 2.46| 820 Dunsmuir Road | | | OMEn Herald | | is now | Victoria, BC | | | Volume 1 Number 3 | | available! | Canada V9A 5B7 | | | June 1994 | | Call for | Phone: (604) 384 0499 | | \___________________/ | Free 100% | Fax: (604) 384 0575 | \_______________________/ functional | Genie: CCarmichael (Pres)| demo! \_____________________________/ This newsletter keeps you up to date with OMEn developments. Give us your comments and suggestions. Newsletters #1 & 2 and the Atari OMEn demo are available in the Atari RT library on GENIE or from us. ___________________________________________________________________ / What Is OMEn? \ | | | The Open Multitasking Environment (OMEn) is an open architecture, | | true preemptive multitasking operating system based on the 680x0 | | processor family. It is also a graphical componentware environment| | where the user has free access to all commands and features, while| | running multiple OMEn application programs simultaneously. A | | SINGLE VERSION of an OMEn application program or I/O protocol | | manager will run on ALL COMPUTERS. | | | | OMEn is a modular system in which I/O function files are created | | and configured without reference to the system core. It can be | | interfaced by any developer to any type of hardware and to any | | type of software protocol, existing or new: printers, disk drives | | and file systems, networks, input devices, displays, industrial | | controls, MIDI, multi-media and so on. | | | | OMEn will run on 680x0 based computers (Mac, Atari, Amiga, [OEM?])| | including older low end models; PC via a 680x0 card; and new | | machines such as Power PC, Alpha IPX and Pentium by 680x0 | | emulation and other techniques. Implementation progress for | | individual machines is detailed in issues of the OMEn Herald. | | | | OMEn interface operation is nearer to UNIX X-Windows than to any | | other interface, but OMEn's size is a fraction of UNIX, and the | | generic object oriented drag-&-drop interface is unique. | \___________________________________________________________________/ OMEn General Progress A name has been coined for one of OMEn's major features: it's "componentware". Componentware was the feature article in April BYTE magazine. OMEn is a componentware operating system where applications and I/O managers become components of the system as a whole. OMEn for ATARI has been released and the OMEn software development system will be ready by the time you're reading this. Virtually all attention for the past four months has been focused on getting out OMEn for Atari and the OMEn software development package, and the documentation required for these. There was no OMEn Herald in April. Now that this project is complete, attention can be focused on portings to other computers and system and utility software improve- ments, as well as promotion and business contacts and contracts. The latest new improvement, just completed, is the ability to save video display mode and view size preferences for restoration next time OMEn is run. The first version Laserjet laser printer driver is also completed. Next on the agenda is improvements to the Text Ed program. Mac: The 68030 problem has been solved. Some newer model Macs, and some types of displays are still being uncooperative. The four main work areas to bring out a fully functional Macintosh version are (1) Colour Displays. The driver will be in the works shortly. (2) HFS disk management. (3) Solve the compatibility problems. (4) Misc. The same OMEn software runs on both the Atari and the Mac from GEM/DOS disks. Amiga: Although some routines are working, the Amiga porting contractor has been too busy with other work to complete his assignment, resulting in much delay to the Amiga version. The demise of Commodore leaves just three distinct systems in the low-cost spectrum of the computer manufacturing business: Atari (barely), Apple, and PC compatibles. The few low-volume Unix systems at the higher end don't seem to run each other's software. PC: The prototype circuit card has been fabricated but is not yet tested. The PC end software has not been written. A contract with a local software company for this work is pending further discussions. If it goes through or other arrangements can be made, the PC version could be out in three to six months; otherwise, it has a lower priority than the Mac and Amiga versions. Enthusiasm for OMEn related contracts by local companies should improve as OMEn starts to spread around and third party software is in the works. (Yes, there are interested developers.) ReleasED Date OMEn for ATARI (version 2.46) was finally released on "D-Day" (Demo- Disk-Distribution-Day), June 6th 1994. This was later than planned, but it seems like a fitting day as many copies went to Europe. OMEn 2.46 is greatly improved over the late March rendition previewed for June Atari ST Review magazine, and 2.47 is still improving. To receive the FREE demo or to order a licenced copy, just call, fax, or write. You can leave a message 24 hours a day, and it is safe to leave a credit card number. The demo is also available for downloading in archived form on GEnie and a number of local bulletin boards in different areas. Three More Good Reasons to Write Software For OMEn 1) Because of OMEn's modularity, third parties will be able to write software protocol managers and I/O port drivers for any protocol, device or I/O system just as easily as writing application software. For example, if you think Esquimalt Digital's audio manager isn't very good, or you'd like to have audio run through your "Super Stereo Atari Cartridge" port instead of the internal system, that's a market opportunity instead of a compatibility problem. All audio in existing or new OMEn software can be re-routed through your system. Or, you could write a file protocol manager for Mac(HFS), Amiga, Unix, ISO9660 CD or Photo CD disks if you've worked with one of these disk formats. Or support Novell Netware, or currently unsupported printers? Anything but the small OMEn Core (copyright, patents pending) is fair game. Companies locked out of creating useful system level software products by current closed systems can gain a stake in their best areas of expertise with OMEn. Those making hardware accessories will have the ability to make their products compatible with existing and new software. OMEn users will be much less dependent on one company for improvements to the system as they are with other systems. PS: We'll sell source code for adaptation. Divide the size of the object file by 100 to obtain the price in Canadian dollars. I.E. the Dot Matrix Printer protocol at 4048 bytes, would be $40.48. * * * * * 2) OMEn makes assembly language portable. The biggest argument against coding in fast, compact assembly language is that code isn't "portable"; source code for programs can't be transferred from one machine or system to another. Since OMEn runs the SAME software on all machines, this will no longer be an issue. * * * * * 3) Poised for the future: Although OMEn is a 680x0 based system, it is possible to write I/O managers (as well as applications) in the language of any new RISC chip: Pentium, Power PC or Alpha IPX. It is intended to create cross-assemblers which will take Eazy Asm 68K source code and render RISC machine code for these systems instead of 680x0 code. This will generate full-speed drivers without source code changes. In addition, these new systems are capable of running 680x0 software by emulation. Other systems which have both a 680x0 and a RISC chip or a DSP can off-load I/O managers onto the non-680x0 while the applications' instructions are executed on the 680x0 to yield OMEn multi-processor systems of "blinding" speed. And although new RISC systems are in the news, older machines still form much of the software market. It will likely take some time for the new models to become a major share of a computer market which is already somewhat saturated. System Tidbits Working With Bitmapped Pictures The "_ConvertBitmap" system call converts bitmapped pictures between different numbers of colours and scales them to arbitrary sizes. Printer managers use "_ConvertBitmap" to generate an appropriate image from a picture that they couldn't otherwise print properly. The Colour Dot Matrix Printer protocol converts colour pictures to 16 colours at 80 by 72 DPI, using slight patterning for three of the colours. (People who see the pictures often think that they are colour inkjet printouts.) The first version "Laserjet" protocol converts all pictures to black & white, 300 DPI. The next version is to have a patterned gray scale at 150 or 100 DPI for colour pictures. Currently there are no dithering options when converting bitmaps to a lesser number of colours. The 16 colour palette was mathemat- ically designed. It does quite a presentable rendition of many 256 colour pictures. The four colour palette often does a fair monochrome showing of colour pictures as well. In addition, the "upward compatible colour palette" system allows four colour (four shade) bitmaps to display on a 16 or 256 colour device, and 16 colour pictures to show properly on a 256 colour pal- ette. Two colour images can be shown on any display or printer in any available colours. A coming version of OMEn will handle true colour. GEM/DOS Disks With OMEn OMEn's DOS Disk File protocol uses any GEM or DOS partition on a hard drive and any GEM or DOS format of 3-1/2 or 5-1/4 inch floppy disk on any machine including Macintosh. Fourteen character file names, four character file extensions, and file version numbers are permitted by making use of the ten unused bytes (!) in a DOS file entry. Upper and lower case names are allowed. If an OMEn file is copied or viewed from GEM or DOS, the extra information simply disappears and the remaining file name becomes upper case. Two minor compatibility problems occur: (A) when shortening the file name to eight characters causes a duplicate file name, and (B) some systems can't read lower case names (e.g. Falcon). Both problems are easily remedied by renaming the required file from OMEn and are minor beside the benefits. The OMEn system itself defines file names up to 47 characters plus additional file information, which is optionally saved to GEM/ DOS disks within the file itself. Industrial/Home/Office/Shop/Lab Control It is intended that OMEn be an excellent system for controlling things. An OMEn control system could run HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) equipment, fire alarms, security, lighting, school bells and synchronized clocks. A PC card with its own power and battery backup are planned for the future to provide high reliability, round the clock control for homes, schools, offices, labs and factories. Another company in Victoria is considering using OMEn in a proprietary MC68332 based control system. Graphical interface software to set up controls will allow any computer literate person to program and schedule these systems. This means the control system can be mass-marketed instead of being sold mainly to trained installers who are able to program in if-then-else BASIC like languages as is the case with current systems. nt systems. nt systems. nt systems. nt systems. nt systems. nt systems. nt systems.