RoboticsConnection Blog: Microsoft Robotics Studio Services (MSRS) Post #1

Friday, September 22, 2006

Microsoft Robotics Studio Services (MSRS) Post #1

We have been hard at work integrating our products with Microsoft's new Robotics Studio. We had hoped to make Services for our products available for our customers before now, however, time just hasn't permitted.

What's the holdup?
Between developing new products, documenting products, shipping products, issuing new software releases, handling everyday business, and having some semblance of a life, it's been hard to find the time to complete the services. Not only are we learning how Robotics Studio works, but we're also writing, testing, and documenting the services we're developing.

What we've been doing over the past 3 months:
Our initial set of services (June 06) actaully communicated with our Serializer .NET library (which implements the Serializer Protocol). The Serializer .NET library then communicated w/ the Serializer. Although we did get these services running, there was very poor performace. This was due to the fact that the Serializer .NET library, as well as Robotics Studio, both used the threadpool. This caused massive threadpool contention.

So, Microsoft suggested that we simply implement the Serializer protocol in the Serializer Services, and keep the Serializer .NET library available for customers who want to use it in a .NET application (not Robotics Studio).

I must say that the Robotics Studio group at Microsoft has provided excellent and timely help to us, and has done so with open ears. That shows us that they're dedicated to making a great product, and that they listen to the customer.

When will they be available?
It looks like we'll have an initial set of services for our Serializer .NET Robot controller and Traxster Robot Kit available by the end of September. You will be able to use all of the functionality the Serializer .NET Robot controller provides, as well as drive around one of our Traxster Robot Kits, which use a Serializer as their main controller.

We are also providing some tutorials, and rich diagrams to help explain how our services work, and how customers can tap into them.

Once we have the basic services in place, we'll be adding additional services to support current and future products.

More to come...

-Jason Summerour

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