Re: Selecting embedded Linux for a new medical device project (LONG)

Thanks for your input, Steve. You're right-on regarding the cost of FDA
approvals and clinical trials.

I did over-simplify the description of our project, in order to keep this
post from becoming a software specification in itself.

We'll use an RTOS because we'll have several tasks/threads running, in order
to keep the design modular, so that some modules can be reused in a future
scaled-up or scaled-down product. Our system will have a cooling system
that's controlled by a PID algorithm, as well as other heating elements
that we're switching on and off based on thermistor reading inputs. Along
with the previously-mentioned touchscreen and footswitch inputs, and the GUI
screen output (where we'll be displaying time, temperature and power
output), it's easiest to break these up into separate tasks that have just
one thing to handle each.

We'll also be logging treatment data to a hard disk or disk-on-chip (or
memory card), which is indispensable during clinical trials. Finally, the
device will have a Setup and Calibration Mode whereby we can tweak treatment
parameters while we're running tests in our lab environment.

Dave


"Steve Calfee" <stevecalfee@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:Xns99C1AB3232113stevecalfeehotmailco@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi David,

Interesting project. Your company costs will be dominated by the
approvals and testing time. Everything else will disappear, in relation
to those.

You don't give much information. The only timing info you gave was 3
seconds for a beep and 10 ms for a input check. If those are your only
constraints I would consider a 8051 or a PIC with no operating system.

Why do we use an operating system at all and a RTOS in particular? To
allocate resources; sometimes control response time, cpu availability
etc. The big plus with an OS is I/O. Display drivers, control input
drivers, higher level things like tcp/ip or usb really need a decent OS.

If all you are doing is reading a pot for the foot control and doing
other similar, slow timing a much smaller no-os cpu is indicated. It
will make your testing much easier.

Regards, Steve



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