[citation needed] LynxOS is mostly used in real-time embedded systems, in applications for avionics, aerospace, the military,[2] industrial process control and telecommunications.
[3] LynxOS components are designed for absolute determinism (hard real-time performance), which means that they respond within a known period of time.
Predictable response times are ensured even in the presence of heavy input/output (I/O) due to the kernel's unique threading model, which allows interrupt routines to be very short and fast.
U.S. patent 5,469,571 was granted to Lynx November 21, 1995: "Operating System Architecture using Multiple Priority Light Weight kernel Task-based Interrupt Handling."
In 2003, Lynx introduced a specialized version of LynxOS named LynxOS-178, especially for use in avionics applications that require certification to industry standards such as DO-178B.