Introduction to Real-Time
Operating Systems
David Burnett
Schedule
RTOS Background
Designing an RTOS
Designing with an RTOS
Solving Problems
Real-Time Products
Background: What’s a “Real
Time” System?
When correctness of results depend
on content and time
Hard or Soft: indicates how forgiving
the system is
What makes an OS Real-
Time?
Predictable (possibly deterministic
behavior), that’s all
Not necessarily fast
Byproduct: mediocre throughputs
How do they work?
Tasks are scheduled by OS
according to fixed priority (typically)
Tasks can’t directly interact; they
use messages or shared memory &
semaphores to communicate
Designing an RTOS:
Typical Features
Many POSIX Specs Exist
No virtual memory (swap file)
Shared memory capabilities
High-resolution timer(s)
Real-time signals/QoS
Designing an RTOS:
End Goal
Have known switching & scheduling
overhead
Avoid common problems like priority
inversion and deadlock
Designing an RTOS:
Common Problems
Priority inversion
High-level task stalled due to low-level
using shared resources, then a
medium-level task holding up the low-
level one
Solution: Priority inheritance – give
low-level task high-level priority
Mars Pathfinder had this problem
Designing an RTOS:
Common Problems (con’t)
Deadlock
Two semaphores locked out of order by
two tasks and circularly block each
other
Solution: “Instant Inheritance”
implementation of Priority Ceiling
Protocol – semaphores possibly needed
by higher processes become priority
tokens
Designing with an RTOS:
What do you need?
Task information
Priorities for each task
Worst-case runtime
Best-case period
Interference information
Deadline Monotonic Analysis (DMA)
calculations
Designing with an RTOS:
Interference via DMA
Finding maximum interference value
requires several bits of information:
How often & for how long higher tasks will
step in
How often & for how long lower tasks will use
higher semaphores to step in
How often & for how long the OS scheduler
will check on things (depends on number of
tasks)
How long the task switcher takes
Designing with an RTOS:
Interference via DMA(con’t)
Add everything up: acceptable?
Yes: that’s nice.
No: find a faster OS or CPU, clean your
code, etc.
Solving Problems
Logs
Time Machines
Memory Conservation
Real-Time Products
VxWorks
Support for equal priority
• Uses both priority-based preemption or
round-robin scheduling
Basic set of task communication
No memory protection
Includes pSOS support
Real-Time Products
QNX
Small memory footprint
Uses S/R/R task messaging
Dynamically start & stop filesystems,
network, serial, etc.
Bootable from ROM
VxWorks-compatible
Real-Time Products
QNX4
• Runs on x86 hardware
• Support for tons of peripherals
QNX6 (aka Nucleus)
• Runs on a variety of architectures,
optionally without an MMU
• Increasing peripheral support
• Tiny memory footprint
• “Photon” window manager
Real-Time Products
Linux
Is Linux
Runs on anything, even toasters
Hardware support for anything
Isn’t technically real-time, but can be
Real-Time Products
Compared to something like QNX:
• Lacks easy ROM booting
• Lacks driver priority control
• Can emulate S/R/R message style
• Patches can make kernel preemptible and
improve timer resolution, so that’s nice
Real-Time Products
Lots of details about the following RTOSes
available at:
http://www.mnis.fr/en/support/doc/rtos/book1.html
Linux
RTLinux
RTAI
RTEMS
QNX
VxWorks
LynxOS
And that’s not all!
Conclusion
Buying an RTOS is worth it
As Always, There’s More
Information Available
More RTOS Details
http://www.mnis.fr/en/support/doc/rtos/book1.ht
ml
Embedded Design DMA Article
http://www.ee.washington.edu/class/590/peckol/d
oc/upload/dma.pdf
Other Sources
http://developers.cogentrts.com/cogent/cogentdocs/gl-defs.html
http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Real-time_operating_system
http://www.embedded.com/story/OEG20011016S0120
http://www.amd.com/epd/desiging/fusionpartners/prodbytype/10.operating
/41.rtos
http://www.acceleratedtechnology.com/embedded/nuc_rtos.html
http://www.qnx.com/
http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/pSOS
http://www.mapusoft.com/latest_info/Port_from_pSOS.html
http://www.elecdesign.com/Articles/ArticleID/3608/3608.html
http://msdn.microsoft.com/embedded/
http://www.linuxworld.com.au/index.php/id;1032707288;fp;16;fpid;0
http://www.linuxdevices.com/articles/AT7794196024.html
http://www.linuxgazette.com/node/view/115
http://www.ose.com/products/product.php?product_id=10
