into a real-time kernel. Because the system is divided into a real time subsystem and into a Windows user interface, the subsystem can be recompiled and reloaded during operation. This characteristic represents one of the substantial extensions of current technologies and forms the key qualities of the system.

An added quality of the SOP system is its user- friendliness. An ergonomic user interface makes

an intuitive operation of the system possible. Its distinctive graphical interface allows for an individual configuration of the system. Depending on the kind of task, the interface can be configured to display key elements of the production of components, the development of surface-descriptions, or the analysis of surface structures.

The use of the SOP control system is not necessarily limited to the employment at ultra-