OS2 World Community Forum

OS/2, eCS & ArcaOS - Technical => Hardware => Topic started by: Martin Iturbide on January 16, 2024, 07:48:56 pm

Title: OS/2 for Industrial Use
Post by: Martin Iturbide on January 16, 2024, 07:48:56 pm
Hello

Just a friendly reminder that I like to collect information on how OS/2 is used in industrial machinery.

I share my findings with all of you here: https://www.os2world.com/wiki/index.php/OS/2_Related_Industrial_Machinery

Please, if you know any other Industrial Machine that uses OS/2, please let me know.
Pictures of the machine, pictures of any special card it may use, software screenshots, catalogs, manuals are welcome.

What is kind of awesome is when we try to replace only the PC part of this machinery with a modern PC and maybe with ArcaOS. Depending on the machinery it is challenging to try to find a PCI card that may replace an old ISA one. Sometimes is possible, sometimes not.

Regards
Title: Re: OS/2 for Industrial Use
Post by: Sergey Posokhov on January 17, 2024, 12:29:22 am
Laser stereolithography:
http://shatura.laser.ru/WWW.LASER.RU/rapid/index.html
http://shatura.laser.ru/WWW.LASER.RU/rapid/LSOI250.html
http://shatura.laser.ru/WWW.LASER.RU/rapid/LS250_spec.html
http://shatura.laser.ru/WWW.LASER.RU/rapid/LS350.html
http://shatura.laser.ru/WWW.LASER.RU/rapid/LS350_spec.html
character encoding is "KOI8-R".

Gas drilling:
http://ru2.halfos.ru/os2about/drilling/index.html
http://ru2.halfos.ru/rdm2/articles/xobject/index.html
http://ru2.halfos.ru/rdm2/articles/conf/index.html
http://amt-s.spb.ru

Heating control:
https://www.startatom.ru

There were at least three S/360 emulators (on military plants).
Rumors once said about food production line (a software from Germany).
A system for space satellites monitoring etc.
They all extinct now.
Title: Re: OS/2 for Industrial Use
Post by: Martin Iturbide on January 19, 2024, 09:16:20 pm
Thanks for the feedback Sergey.

I will translate it and see what I can summarize on the wiki about those solutions.

Regards
Title: Re: OS/2 for Industrial Use
Post by: Bogdan on January 19, 2024, 09:20:36 pm
PCs cannot replace PLCs, a Soft-PLC is not a PLC CPU equivalent. The same applies to Slot-PLCs.

Solutions based on OS/2 were mostly used for SCADA or HMI systems - completely irrelevant these days.
Title: Re: OS/2 for Industrial Use
Post by: Martin Iturbide on May 12, 2024, 09:43:11 pm
Hello

Just today a community member sent me a link about a different industrial device that uses ArcaOS.
But I don't understand right if it is a device for wireless testing and what exactly it does.

It sell a product that bundles ArcaOS on a VirtualBox OVA and I guess with their software:
- Cassini Virtual Workstation & OS License
- https://roos.com/parts/RIK0126A
It is used for "offline development" but I have no idea what is that for.

The site has good tutorials to support their product with ArcaOS, like:
- Configuring TCP/IP Settings on Cassini EPC (OS/2, eCS, ArcOS) (https://roos.com/docs/JBAT-7CLVPD?Open)
- Update to the latest Firefox web browser (ArcaOS) (https://roos.com/docs/RBEH-C7TKU5?Open)

Any ideas to explain me better what are they selling?

Regards

Title: Re: OS/2 for Industrial Use
Post by: Remy on May 12, 2024, 11:31:18 pm
Hello

Just today a community member sent me a link about a different industrial device that uses ArcaOS.
But I don't understand right if it is a device for wireless testing and what exactly it does.

It sell a product that bundles ArcaOS on a VirtualBox OVA and I guess with their software:
- Cassini Virtual Workstation & OS License
- https://roos.com/parts/RIK0126A
It is used for "offline development" but I have no idea what is that for.

The site has good tutorials to support their product with ArcaOS, like:
- Configuring TCP/IP Settings on Cassini EPC (OS/2, eCS, ArcOS) (https://roos.com/docs/JBAT-7CLVPD?Open)
- Update to the latest Firefox web browser (ArcaOS) (https://roos.com/docs/RBEH-C7TKU5?Open)

Any ideas to explain me better what are they selling?

Regards

https://roos.com/software.html
Title: Re: OS/2 for Industrial Use
Post by: Neil Waldhauer on May 13, 2024, 03:27:26 pm
I visited him at his shop a few years ago and sold him an eComStation computer. He seemed very interested in Parallel ports. He makes Automated Test Equipment, but he didn't reveal much about his customers.
Title: Re: OS/2 for Industrial Use
Post by: Roderick Klein on May 13, 2024, 03:54:57 pm
Universal instruments from the US uses/used(?) OS/2 on there chip machines.
Title: Re: OS/2 for Industrial Use
Post by: Martin Iturbide on May 13, 2024, 06:57:35 pm
https://roos.com/software.html

Thanks for the link.  It has a good screenshot of the OS/2 software running.

It says:
Quote
Accurate measurements are made not only by using the right equipment, but also employing the right practices. The software environment dynamically builds VNA, spectrum analyzer, and power meter functionality from the instrument configuration and resource interconnections. Combined with a code base of over 30 years of microwave test and measurement experience, Cassini delivers streamlined multi-instrument test in a simple, more powerful test work flow. This expert system software enables a user to design and execute sophisticated microwave measurements accurately and reliably every time.

And there is a link to the Cassini 16 device brochure: https://roos.com/parts/CASSINI/$file/CASSINI.pdf

I don't know if I'm over simplifying it, but I think this device is to test wireless devices, I don't know if chipsets or full devices. Looks that is tests frequencies from 0 to 90Ghz.

Maybe this is out of my league to understand. I want to know if the Cassini 16 device can be managed/administrated with OS/2. Or the Cassini device is a stand alone device and the "RI System Software - Desktop (Cassini Virtual Workstation & OS License)" (that comes in a OVA with ArcaOS) it is to interpret the testing data.

Regards

PD: By the way, this is only for fun to add more things to the Wiki page. I don't know about wireless frequencies, I don't work on that field.
- https://www.os2world.com/wiki/index.php?title=OS/2_Related_Industrial_Machinery
Title: Re: OS/2 for Industrial Use
Post by: Martin Iturbide on January 01, 2026, 07:42:03 pm
Hello

I got the tip of another Industrial Machine that used to had OS/2.  It seems to be something like a "Kensington Laboratories Wafer Mapper/Sorter "

If someone has more information about it or what it does, please let me know.

I found this one on ebay, but I'm not sure it comes bundle with OS/2. It comes with a IBM PC-350 machine.
- https://www.ebay.com/itm/166980104291

I just want to publish any public information on how it works and what it does at the OS2World wiki.

Regards
Title: Re: OS/2 for Industrial Use
Post by: Steven Levine on January 02, 2026, 07:08:36 am
As google tells us:  A wafer sorter is an automated system designed to handle, sort, align, identify, and transfer wafers between cassettes or process tools. It ensures that wafers are correctly oriented, placed in the right sequence, and mapped accurately for downstream processes.

A wafer sorter is one of several systems that make up a semiconductor wafer production line.

The CSMT-2 is an older model and the control software is OS/2 based.  I don't know exactly how many are still in production use, but they are definitely still in use on some production lines.
Title: Re: OS/2 for Industrial Use
Post by: Martin Iturbide on January 02, 2026, 03:28:40 pm
Thanks for the reply Steven.

I'm creating the wiki page for it.
- https://www.os2world.com/wiki/index.php?title=Kensington_CSMT-2_Compact_Wafer_Transfer_Sorting_Mapping_Tool_Sorter_8%22_-_167586

The Kensington CSMT-4 seems to be also from those days, it has an IBM PC 300. If someone knows if it used also OS/2, please let me know.
- https://caeonline.com/buy/wafer-handlers/kensington-csmt-4/293657400

Any more information on these models are welcome, manuals, config.sys, software screenshots, program .exe names, etc.

Regards
Title: Re: OS/2 for Industrial Use
Post by: Steven Levine on January 04, 2026, 06:22:38 am
The versions you are looking at are OS/2 based.  The one's I know of are no longer running the original PC-300s.
Title: Re: OS/2 for Industrial Use
Post by: RTAN on January 04, 2026, 11:48:43 pm
Hi Martin,

I'm getting an error message when trying to visit your new wiki page - it seems like you have an errant ["] in the link URL (i.e. it doesn't like the quote symbol that you're using, it's translating it to [%22] but that's not working properly).

https://www.os2world.com/wiki/index.php?title=Kensington_CSMT-2_Compact_Wafer_Transfer_Sorting_Mapping_Tool_Sorter_8%22_-_167586

Quote
MediaWiki internal error.

Original exception: [aVrtnW3CDVDcAort5kss7QAAAEo] 2026-01-04 22:45:49: Fatal exception of type "Error"

Exception caught inside exception handler.

Set $wgShowExceptionDetails = true; at the bottom of LocalSettings.php to show detailed debugging information.

Best,
Richard.
Title: Re: OS/2 for Industrial Use
Post by: Martin Iturbide on January 05, 2026, 01:04:18 am
Hello Richard.

Can you please try it again? I was updating the wiki script this afternoon.  I see that it works, can you confirm it on your side?

Regards
Title: Re: OS/2 for Industrial Use
Post by: RTAN on January 07, 2026, 01:27:04 pm
Working perfectly now - thanks Martin!
Title: Re: OS/2 for Industrial Use
Post by: Martin Iturbide on January 07, 2026, 08:14:16 pm
Thanks Steven
The versions you are looking at are OS/2 based.  The one's I know of are no longer running the original PC-300s.

If you have any other extra information you can share, like which card did the OS/2 PC had, to be included on the wiki, I will appreciate that.

Regards
Title: Re: OS/2 for Industrial Use
Post by: Doug Clark on January 11, 2026, 06:37:34 pm
I think mainframe control might qualify as "industrial use" - although must of us have seen this "use" in past.

Right at the new year the Youtube gods decided I needed to see
Daily driving a 1998 IBM s/390 Mainframe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn1E2On_sok

which led me to the video
IBM Mainframe in my College Apartment, with Ancient Linux and SNA Networking!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MldoPkd349M
which shows quite a bit of OS/2 as the controlling program for the mainframe

She also has this, which isn't industrial use but might be interesting.
IBM OS/2 Servers Demo: OS/2 2.11 SMP, Warp Server, WSeB
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtwkTRh-kPM
Title: Re: OS/2 for Industrial Use
Post by: Martin Iturbide on January 12, 2026, 12:58:13 pm
Hello Doug

I have this page about OS/2 and the Mainframe:
- https://www.os2world.com/wiki/index.php?title=OS/2_and_the_Mainframe

I'm linking these videos, it was kind of cool to see a more extended video about "Support Elements" (https://youtu.be/MldoPkd349M?t=421)

Regards