Real-Time Workshop

The Tornado Environment

This chapter describes how to create real-time programs for execution under VxWorks, which is part of the Tornado environment.

The VxWorks real-time operating system is available from Wind River Systems, Inc. It provides many UNIX-like features and comes bundled with a complete set of development tools.

Note    Tornado is an integrated environment consisting of VxWorks (a high-performance real-time operating system), application building tools (compiler, linker, make, and archiver utilities), and interactive development tools (editor, debugger, configuration tool, command shell, and browser).

This chapter discusses the run-time architecture of VxWorks-based real-time programs generated by Real-Time Workshop and provides specific information on program implementation. Topics covered include:

• Configuring device driver blocks and makefile templates
• Building the program
• Downloading the object file to the VxWorks target
• Executing the program on the VxWorks target
• Using the StethoScope data acquisition and graphical monitoring tool, which is available as an option with VxWorks. It allows you to access the output of any block in the model (in the real-time program) and display the data on the host.
• Using Simulink external mode to change model parameters and download them to the executing program on the VxWorks target. Note that you cannot use both external mode and StethoScope at the same time.

Confirming Your Tornado Setup Is Operational

Before beginning, you must install and configure Tornado on your host and target hardware, as discussed in the Tornado documentation. You should then run one of the VxWorks demonstration programs to ensure you can boot your VxWorks target and download object files to it. See the Tornado User's Guide for additional information about installation and operation of VxWorks and Tornado products.

Targeting Tornado for Real-Time Applications

VxWorks Library