Version highlights

This page provides an overview of feature highlights from individual Kithara RealTime Suite versions. The detailled change log can be found here.

11.17: CAN(-FD) Features and Race Condition Fix

This version includes several CAN(-FD) features as well as the correction of a rare critical error that could be triggered by a race condition when using spinlocks.

11.16: 200 Gigabit Ethernet

This version is the first to implement support for 200 Gigabit Ethernet with E810 controllers from Intel. The previous network speed usable within the Kithara real-time operating system has thus been doubled.

11.15: Rework: Interrupt Registration

This version includes a fundamental overhaul of the interrupt registration for devices in a real-time context. The resulting benefits are lower jitter during interrupt execution, improved allocation of interrupts to different CPUs as well as an increased number of interrupts that can be registered on a CPU.

11.14: Streamlining

Among the changes of this update, besides numerous improvements and bugfixes such as support for two CPUs as well as multiple Thunderbolt controllers, are several streamlining measures, which will allow us to optimize our development processes.

11.13: Processor groups

Among the changes of this update are improvements for processor groups in order to better support future Windows versions. That includes both an improved DMA allocation on NUMA systems as well as advanced support for Windows processor groups.

11.12: Additional Network functions

The update includes several new functions for the Network Module. Among them is support for flow control for the Intel controller E810 and the frame grabber card PGC-1000 as well as support for virtual network adapters on invidual VLANs.

11.11: Memory acceleration

Node local memory allocations on NUMA systems have been greatly improved. Additionally, performance when using unaligned interlocked memory accesses has been optimized. These performance measures are part of ongoing developments, that have already begun with 11.04 and will also continue with update 11.12.

11.04: Windows 11 22H2

Just like with the Windows 11 support, version 22H2 can be used with the Kithara real-time system from the start, thanks to tests with the insider preview program.

11.02: 100 Gigabit Ethernet

The implementation of the Ethernet controller E810-CQDA2 by Intel allows for network speeds in real time with up 100 gigabits per second. The utilized QSFP28 adapters transmit on four lanes with 25 Gbit/s each.

11.01: PGC-1000

The support for the GigE Vision frame grabber card PGC-1000 by PLC2 Design enables sophisticated real-time image capturing processes to almost completely offload the CPU. The PCIe plug-in card handles the entire conversion process of capturing GigE Vision data.

11.00: Windows 11

Just in time for the Windows 11 release, KRTS 11.00 supports the new Windows version as well. Thanks to previous extensive test series with the Insider preview version, compatibility with Kithara RealTime Suite has been ensured.

10.20: RAID 0

The extension of the Storage function for combining multiple NVME SSDs allows for multiplication of read and write speeds. Stripe depth can be freely configured according to requirements.

10.11: 40 Gigabit Ethernet

For the first time, real-time Ethernet with transfer speeds of up to 40 gigabits per second is made possible. Support for the controller XL710 by Intel and the corresponding QSFP+ connectors enables speeds of 1 × 40 Gbit/s or 4 × 10 Gbit/s.

10.10: Precision Time Protocol (PTP)

With PTP (IEEE 1588 v2), multiple network participants within a distributed system can be accurately synchronized with deviations in the sub-microsecond range. Aside from manually defining master and slave functionality, the "Best Master Clock Algorithm" (BMCA) can also be used, which determines the network participant with the most accurate system time in order to use it as reference for all other clocks. Both raw Ethernet and IP/UDP can be used as transport layer.

10.05: KiK64

The new KiK64, which enables 32-bit real-time applications on 64-bit systems, has been reworked. As a result, a single 32-bit EXE can be used on both 32-bit as well as 64-bit systems. In order to do so, depending on the target system, either a 32-bit DLL or a 64-bit DLL respectively needs to be made available as well as setting up a shared memory area.

10.04: Meltdown and Spectre

The processor security vulnerabilities Meltdown and Spectre as well as the extensive workarounds that came with consequent Windows updates, such as the isolation of page tables, caused serious complications and restrictions regarding the kernel. As a consequence, our software had to undergo in-depth measures. Due to the distinction between 32-bit and 64-bit versions, Windows 8 and 10 as well as Intel and AMD processors, meaning a total of eight configurations, a significant development effort had to be made with 10.04 to bring the software up-to-date.

10.03: CAN-FD

With support for CAN-FD (flexible data rate), another important interface for automotive development has been implemented.

10.02: Storage

The Storage function allows for significantly higher read and write speeds of NVMe SSDs than usually possible, even during continuous operation.

10.00: OpenCV

The image processing library OpenCV is now usable within KRTS for real-time machine vision. This also includes utilization of the instruction set expansion AVX2 in real time.