Real-Time Systems Development with RTEMS and Multicore Processors

The proliferation of multicore processors in embedded systems for IoT and CPS makes real-time embedded application development challenging. The book "Real-Time Systems Development with RTEMS and Multicore Processors" provides a comprehensive guide to developing real-time embedded applications using the RTEMS Real-Time Executive for Multiprocessor Systems (RTEMS) RTOS. It covers cross-compilation, concurrent programming models, real-time scheduling theory and algorithms, application programmer interfaces (APIs), design and implementation of RTOS features, and challenges introduced by multicore hardware. The book is free, open-source software and is available under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC-BY-SA) International license.

Format: Hardback
Length: 518 pages
Publication date: 23 November 2020
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Inc

The proliferation of multicore processors in the embedded market for Internet-of-Things (IoT) and Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) presents significant challenges for developing real-time embedded applications. The underlying theory that makes multicore real-time possible is the concept of parallelism, which allows multiple cores to work together to execute tasks concurrently. This theory influences application design by requiring developers to consider the potential for parallelism in their algorithms and to design their software to take advantage of it. When is a real-time operating system (RTOS) useful? An RTOS is useful when real-time performance is required, such as in applications that control critical systems or that require fast response times. RTOS features include task scheduling, interrupt handling, and memory management, among others. A mature RTOS helps manage the complexity of multicore hardware by providing a standardized and predictable environment for software development. Real-Time Systems Development with RTEMS and Multicore Processors provides concrete advice and examples for constructing useful, feature-rich applications. RTEMS is a free, open-source software that supports multi-processor systems for over a dozen CPU architectures and over 150 specific system boards in applications spanning the range of IoT and CPS domains. The book focuses on enabling real-time embedded software engineering while providing sufficient theoretical foundations and hardware background to understand the rationale for key decisions in RTOS and application design and implementation. The topics covered in the book include cross-compilation for embedded systems development, concurrent programming models used in real-time embedded software, real-time scheduling theory and algorithms used in wide practice, usage and comparison of two application programmer interfaces (APIs) in real-time embedded software: POSIX and the RTEMS Classic APIs, design and implementation in RTEMS of commonly found RTOS features for schedulers, task management, and time management, and more. Cross-compilation for embedded systems development is a critical aspect of real-time embedded software development. It allows developers to compile their software for multiple target platforms, which can save time and reduce the risk of errors. RTEMS supports cross-compilation for a wide range of CPU architectures and system boards, making it easy to develop software for different platforms. Concurrent programming models used in real-time embedded software are essential for achieving high performance and reliability. RTEMS supports a variety of concurrent programming models, including multithreading, multiprocessing, and real-time scheduling. Multithreading allows multiple threads to execute concurrently, while multiprocessing allows multiple processors to execute concurrently. Real-time scheduling is used to ensure that tasks are executed in a timely manner, even in the presence of interrupts. Real-time scheduling theory and algorithms are used in wide practice to achieve high performance and reliability in real-time embedded systems. RTEMS supports a variety of real-time scheduling algorithms, including fixed-priority scheduling, priority inheritance, and dynamic priority scheduling. Fixed-priority scheduling is used to assign tasks to processors based on their priority, while priority inheritance is used to assign tasks to processors based on the priority of their parent tasks. Dynamic priority scheduling is used to adjust the priority of tasks based on the current state of the system. Usage and comparison of two application programmer interfaces (APIs) in real-time embedded software: POSIX and the RTEMS Classic APIs are important for developers to understand. POSIX is a widely used API for developing real-time embedded software, while the RTEMS Classic APIs are designed specifically for RTEMS. The RTEMS Classic APIs provide a more efficient and predictable environment for software development, while the POSIX APIs are more flexible and widely used. Design and implementation in RTEMS of commonly found RTOS features for schedulers, task management, and time management are essential for achieving high performance and reliability in real-time embedded systems. RTEMS supports a variety of RTOS features, including task scheduling, interrupt handling, and memory management, among others. Task scheduling is used to assign tasks to processors, while interrupt handling is used to handle interrupts that occur during the execution of tasks. Memory management is used to manage the memory resources of the system. In conclusion, the proliferation of multicore processors in the embedded market for IoT and CPS presents significant challenges for developing real-time embedded applications. The underlying theory that makes multicore real-time possible is the concept of parallelism, which allows multiple cores to work together to execute tasks concurrently. RTEMS is a free, open-source software that supports multi-processor systems for over a dozen CPU architectures and over 150 specific system boards in applications spanning the range of IoT and CPS domains. The book provides concrete advice and examples for constructing useful, feature-rich applications, and focuses on enabling real-time embedded software engineering while providing sufficient theoretical foundations and hardware background to understand the rationale for key decisions in RTOS and application design and implementation.

Weight: 946g
Dimension: 165 x 241 x 39 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780815365976