RP1210 And 64-Bit Applications

Although 64-bit OEM applications are not currently being fielded, TMC is looking forward to the time that compilers will be targeted toward 64-bit applications. There are several issues with this:

• No OEMs have implemented 64-bit-only Windows applications and have fielded them. Many OEMs at this time have not stated an intention to accomplish this in the short-term.
• Service bay PCs are still primarily Windows 8/10, with a minimal number featuring 64-bit processors.
• There are some OEMs as of this writing who still do not formally support Windows 10.
• For the next 5-10 years, there will be a mixed environment where some applications will be 32-bit and some will be 64-bit. Therefore, the INI file scheme TMC RP 1210D has in place cannot be changed without large amounts of software engineering by every application and VDA vendor.
  • There are hundreds of applications that parse the current INI files, place that data into a data structure, and then display adapters for selection.
  • Parsing the RP 1210 environment is not simple; therefore, this cannot change drastically.
• A 64-bit application at this time cannot  load a 32-bit DLL; it must have a 64-bit DLL.

TMC's RP 1210D specification is addressing the future use of 64-bit RP1210 DLLs without changing the existing RP1210 INI file and parsing scheme. The Windows method of automatically picking the correct DLL based on whether the application is 32-bit or 64-bit will also work since the 32-bit DLL is loaded from \Windows\SysWOW64 and the 64-bit DLL is loaded from \Windows\System32 because they can share the same name (i.e., "VENDRX32.DLL").

TMC does not want to use 32-bit/64-bit implementations as a means for certain application providers to compile their application to 64-bit in an attempt to try and force end-users into using a specific 64-bit capable VDA before the majority of the VDA vendors have a chance to compile drivers to 64-bit as well. Therefore, for an application to be RP 1210-compliant, the application will be capable of using a 32-bit VDA's RP1210 DLL if that VDA does not provide a 64-bit DLL. In the future, when most VDA vendors have a 64-bit solution, the non-compliancy statement in the previous sentence will be revisited.

Even though RP 1210 went to an INI file called "RP121032.INI" as a way of distinguishing an old 16-bit machine/processor (RP1210.INI) from a more "current" 32-bit architecture, TMC will not be going from "RP121032.INI" to "RP121064.INI." Doing this would require an application to detect what type of operating system they were installed on, and then open the correct INI file. Doing this would also keep legacy applications that open "RP121032.INI" from opening legacy adapters that install their name to the "RP121032.INI" file. The current GetSystem-WindowsDirectory () + "\RP121032.INI" structure will remain moving forward.

At this time, a VDA vendor must provide a 32-bit DLL to be RP 1210-compiliant, while fielding a 64-bit DLL is optional.