According to Ardence, the way general-purpose operating systems typically allocate bandwidth and processor power can significantly degrade voice and video communication applications. Windows XP (or Windows XP Embedded), for example, has 32 levels of priority with the highest priority assigned to the mouse, the company explains. When the user activates the mouse, Windows immediately stops processing whatever application is running in order to service the mouse interrupt. Consequently, VoIP calls can potentially be degraded simply by moving the mouse, Ardence says.
The PC Tuning Suite has two components -- Bandwidth on Demand (BonD), and Application Priority Technology (APT).
BonD ensures the performance of applications that require bandwidth, such as VoIP, by allocating the bandwidth needed for optimal performance without sacrificing the end users' ability to multitask, according to Ardence. BonD can be configured to run completely in the background, dynamically allocating bandwidth to preselected applications, or can be configured to display a software console that allows users to assign bandwidth priority manually. Application software requires no modification to work with BonD, according to the company.
BonD was first introduced last spring as part of the
Ardence Media Performance Platform (AMPP), a software reference platform.
The purpose of APT is to ensure that a particular application won't be slowed down by common software background activities. It implements "soft real time," in that it provides control over Windows processes -- but not so much control that it can starve the operating system of key resources, according to the company. APT provides an "intuitive" control panel for "easy" reprioritization and increased CPU allocation to desired applications, the company says.
The PC Tuning Suite targets both PC end users, and device manufacturers building Windows XP Embedded-based equipment such as IP set-top boxes, DVRs, home gateways, and multimedia clients, according to Ardence. The company will demonstrate the Suite at the National Instruments conference,
NIWeek, in Austin, Texas next month.
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