Una plataforma tiempo real para ejecutar algoritmos de control

In this paper, the development process to implement a real -time platform for the PC104 based on free software is presented. The idea is to arrange a real-time operating system to execute the process control tasks. The system has been made using a basic kernel of Linux and the Real-Time for Application Interface (RTAI), in order to develop applications with strict time limitations on any Linux system. The hardware requirements for the system are related with the embedded devices based on PC104 architecture; these support all characteristics of I/O, communications, networking, etc. Using these characteristics, we generate a new optimal kernel for the system, which needs first being updated and improved to support the applications developed on RTAI. With this real time platform, we can use all potentialities of the operating system to design and implement sophisticated algorithms for the supervision and control of physical process. The platform implementation has the advantage of being of low cost, can be made of a simple way, does not require software licenses, does not depend on a specific manufacturer, can operate in industrial environment of high exigencies and, most important, it allows the implementation of control applications and industrial automation.