| Company / developer | RoweBots |
|---|---|
| Programmed in | C |
| OS family | Unix-like POSIX Embedded Linux Real-time operating systems |
| Working state | Current |
| Source model | Open source |
| Latest stable release | 4.0 / August 2008 |
| Marketing target | SoC products |
| Available programming languages(s) | C |
| Update method | Open Source Controlled Updates |
| Supported platforms | Microchip pic Coldfire SHARC TI ARM Renesas FPGA |
| Kernel type | tiny tiny embedded Linux compatible |
| License | Open Source[1] |
| Official website | Unison Operating System |
The Unison Operating System is a real-time operating system (RTOS) optimized for system-on-a-chip (SoC), multi-core and digital signal processor (DSP) systems. It is open source. It offers Linux compatibility while being much smaller than Linux. The current version of Unison is completely POSIX compliant, offering application portability and very low cost hardware implementation options primary for embedded microcontrollers, but also for distributed multi-core and multiprocessor systems like autonomous robots and vehicles. It is so tiny that it takes a minimum of 1K byte to run 2 threads.
Unison was developed as a runtime for powerful real-time embedded heterogeneous multiprocessors which were used for military signal processing. The entire goal of Unison was to provide a software infrastructure that would support the construction of inexpensive, lower power, mobile and portable super computers. Unison successfully met this goal and has been deployed in thousands of systems in the field.
Unison uses the Remedy Debugger, the Eclipse development environment, MPLAB, HEW on Microsoft Windows, Linux and Solaris. It uses the most familiar development environment for users on the platform in question. Unison has common technology and elements with DSPnano RTOS.
Unison has its roots in the Harmony Operating System developed by W. Morven Gentleman, Unix with POSIX in 1994, and pSOS+ developed by Software Components Group.
Unison was the flagship product of Multiprocessor Toolsmiths which became RoweBots Research Inc.