Quake2.Net White Paper

Related to my last post, here's a quote from the quake2.net whitepaper:

Quake2.NET Whitepaper

"Getting existing projects into managed code is useful since it offers a lot of design
freedom, for example:
• Use garbage collection or manage memory yourself.
• Use .NET Framework methods or Window API calls directly.
• Use .NET Framework classes or existing libraries (STL for example).
However, usefulness only matters if the managed application has the performance
you require. Running Quake II.NET in the timedemo test indicates the managed
version performs about 85% as fast as the native version. The performance of the
managed version was acceptable and testers did not notice a difference between the
two versions."

Vertigo Software Quake II .NET

Vertigo Software Quake II .NET

This is really cool! I would love to see if game developers could actually benifit from managed code. I know a lot of games are driven by scripting languages but could there be some advantage to writing the rest with managed code? I'm sure there is...but we'll just have to see.

Ned Batchelder: July 2003

Ned Batchelder: July 2003: "Another fun Matrix-inspired short: This one is a live performance of a ping-pong game as it would be played in the Matrix. The technique is very low-tech, but very well done, complete with bullet time, gravity-defying action, and dramatic camera angles, all performed live on Japanese TV. "

Loved it!!

Real time systems + .NET

Lately I've been doing a lot of PLC interfacing with .NET. It poses an interesting challenge. On one side you have a highly scalable web/windows systems with multi users sending many requests. On the other side you have an extremely solid system with a very finite series of states. Making the two talk together nicely is quite an interesting and fun challenge.

One of the problems that we were having last year was the state of the PLC getting out of sync with the application system. PLCs are not meant to respond to multi requests. One idea I'm implementing to fix it is a super-singleton like object to queue incoming request and send them out to the PLC in series.

So far it's turning out okay, but I'm looking forward to production system "hum". That will put a huge smile on my face :)


I was looking at some smaller PLCs for home use. I was thinking of automating my sprinkler system with one. The MicroLogix 1000 looks about the right size. Here's some of the features:

- 24V dc inputs and relay outputs with a 24V dc power supply
- RS-232 communication port configurable for EtherNet/IP communication thru an EtherNet/IP-to-RS-232 interface
- controller contains the power supply, processor, and all its I/O circuits packaged in a single unit

I found one on ebay for 125 bucks. Not bad.

One wild idea I have is to use it to program Christmas tree lights. Ahhhh...maybe then I'll be motivated to hang the lights ;-)

Power Tabs RSS

Quickly becoming my most watched rss feed

Specialized specialist?

Thoughts running through my head at the moment...

If you were to specialize in a specific section of our industry which would it be? Would it be fairly new areas like...Tablet Computing? or Grid Computing? Exciting areas like game engine design? Audio software? Or would you prefer more established areas like data warehousing or business systems design?