Real-Time Systems

Introduction to Real-Time Systems

Real-time Systems -- Introduction

Real-time systems are defined as those
systems in which the correctness of the
system depends not only on the logical
result of computation, but also on the
time at which the results are produced.
Hard real-time systems (e.g., Avionic

control).

Firm real-time systems (e.g., Banking).

Soft real-time systems (e.g., Video on

Real-time Systems -- Introduction

Hard Deadline:
Penalty due to missing deadline is a higher

order of magnitude than the reward in meeting

the deadline
Firm Deadline:
Penalty and reward are in the same order of

magnitude
Soft Deadline:
Penalty often lesser magnitude than reward
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A typical REAL-TIME System

Example Car driver

Mission: Reaching the destination safely.
Controlled System: Car.
Operating environment: Road conditions.
Controlling System

- Human driver: Sensors - Eyes and Ears of the driver.

- Computer: Sensors - Cameras, Infrared receiver, and
Laser telemeter.

Controls: Accelerator, Steering wheel, Break-pedal.

Actuators: Wheels, Engines, and Brakes.
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Example Car driver (contd)

Critical tasks: Steering and breaking.
Non-critical tasks: Turning on radio.
Performance is not an absolute one. It measures the

goodness of the outcome relative to the best outcome

possible under a given circumstance.

Cost of fulfilling the mission Efficient solution.

Reliability of the driver Fault-tolerance is a must.
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Real-Time Systems - Issues

Resource Management (RM) Issues
Scheduling, Fault-tolerance, Resource reclaiming,

Communication

Architectural Issues
Computing subsystem, Communication subsystem,

I/O subsystem

Software Issues
Requirements, specification, and verification, Real-

time languages, Real-time databases

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Preemptive vs Non-preemptive scheduling

Preemptive Scheduling
Task execution is preempted and resumed later
Preemption occurs to execute higher priority task.
Offers higher schedulability
Involves higher scheduling overhead due to context

switching
Non-preemptive Scheduling
Once a task starts executing, it completes its full

execution
Offers lower schedulability
Less overhead due to less context switching
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Architectural Issues
Predictability in Instruction execution time,

Memory access, Context switching, Interrupt

handling.
RT systems usually avoid caches and superscalar

features.
Support for error handling (self-checking circuitry,

voters, system monitors).

Support for fast and reliable communication

(routing, priority handling, buffer and timer

Introduction: Summary
Real-time systems require logical correctness and timeliness.
Real-time system consists of a controlling system, controlled

system, and the environment.

Real-time systems are classified as: hard, firm, and soft RT

systems.

Workload (tasks) are periodic, aperiodic.

The notion of predictability is very important in real-time systems.
Important issues include:
scheduling, resource reclaiming, fault-tolerance,

communication, architectural issues, system specification and

verification, programming languages, and databases.
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Role of an OS in Real Time Systems

Standalone Applications
Often no OS involved
Micro controller based Embedded Systems

Some Real Time Applications are huge &

complex
Multiple threads
Complicated Synchronization Requirements
Filesystem / Network / Windowing support
OS primitives reduce the software design time

Real-Time Operating System

An RTOS is an OS for response time-controlled and eventcontrolled processes. It is very essential for large scale
embedded systems.
RTOS occupy little space from 10 KB to 100KB
The main task of a RTOS is to manage the
resources of the computer such that a particular operation
executes in precisely the same amount of time every time it
occur.

Renesas automotive dashboard

platform.

Features of RTOSs
Scheduling.
Resource Allocation.
Interrupt Handling.
Other issues like kernel size.

Scheduling in RTOS
More information about the tasks are

known
No of tasks
Resource Requirements
Release Time
Execution time
Deadlines

Being a more deterministic system better

scheduling algorithms can be devised.

Scheduling Algorithms in RTOS

Clock Driven Scheduling
Weighted Round Robin Scheduling
Priority Scheduling

(Greedy / List / Event Driven)

Scheduling Algorithms in RTOS

(contd)
Clock Driven
All parameters about jobs (release time/
execution time/deadline) known in advance.
Schedule can be computed offline or at some
regular time instances.
Minimal runtime overhead.
Not suitable for many applications.

Scheduling Algorithms in RTOS

(contd)
Weighted Round Robin
Jobs scheduled in FIFO manner
Time quantum given to jobs is proportional to its weight
Example use : High speed switching network

QOS guarantee.

Not suitable for precedence constrained jobs.

Job A can run only after Job B. No point in giving time quantum to Job B before
Job A.

Job1 = Total time to complete 250 ms (quantum 100 ms).

First allocation = 100 ms.

Second allocation = 100 ms.
Third allocation = 100 ms butjob1self-terminates after 50 ms.
Total CPU time ofjob1= 250 ms

Scheduling Algorithms in RTOS

(contd)
Priority Scheduling

(Greedy/List/Event Driven)
Processor never left idle when there are ready tasks
Processor allocated to processes according to priorities
Priorities
static
- at design time
Dynamic - at runtime

Process

Average

Burst
Time

Priority

Waiting
Time

Turnaround
Time

10

16

16

18

18

19

8.2

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Nested Preemption Priority Scheduling

Timeline for Priority-based Preemptive Scheduling

Resource Allocation in RTOS

Resource Allocation
The issues with scheduling applicable here.
Resources can be allocated in
Weighted Round Robin
Priority Based

Some resources are non preemptible

Dynamic Memory Allocation in RTOS
Device I/O and Time Management

Solutions to Priority Inversion

Non Blocking Critical Section
Higher priority Thread may get blocked by

unrelated low priority thread

Priority Ceiling
Each resource has an assigned priority
Priority of thread is the highest of all priorities

of the resources its holding

Priority Inheritance
The thread holding a resource inherits the

priority of the thread blocked on that resource

Other RTOS issues

Interrupt Latency should be very small
Kernel has to respond to real time events
Interrupts should be disabled for minimum

possible time

For embedded applications Kernel Size

should be small

Should fit in ROM

Sophisticated features can be removed

No Virtual Memory
No Protection

Peripheral devices and protocols

Interfacing
Serial/parallel ports, USB, I2C, PCMCIA, IDE
Communication
Serial, Ethernet, Low bandwidth radio, IrDA,
802.11b based devices
User Interface
LCD, Keyboard, Touch sensors, Sound, Digital
pads, Webcams
Sensors
A variety of sensors using fire, temperature,
pressure, water level, seismic, sound, vision

Example of Rtos
Wind River Systems
VxWorks
pSOS
QNX Software Systems
QNX
Mentor Graphics
VRTX
Palm Computing
PalmOS
Mobile OS
SymbianOS

Linux based
Embedded Debian Project
convert Debian to an
embedded OS
ETLinux
for PC104 SBCs
uCLinux
for microprocessors that
dont have MM
uLinux (muLinux)
distro fits on a single
floppy

RT-Linux
Introduction

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Contents
Real-Time Operating System (RTOS) Vs. General Purpose OS

(GPOS)

Can Linux provide real-time guarantees?

Commercial RTOSs
RTLinux Vs. Linux: Architectural comparison
RTLinux Vs. Linux: Code perspective

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RTOS Vs. GPOS

RTOS
needs deterministic timing behavior
Works under worst case assumptions

GPOS
high throughput and fairness
Optimizes for the average case

Hence, the design objectives of the OSs are

different
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Can Linux provide real-time guarantees?

-- No!!

Linux
non-preemptible kernel
A system call might take long time to complete
Tasks can be released only with 10ms precision
Virtual memory

Introduces unpredictable amount of delays

Variable priority
Each task is assigned a priority which varies over the
time; this is to achieve fairness

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Can Linux provide real-time guarantees?

-- No!! (contd..)
Linux
Linux will batch several operations for efficient use of H/W

delaying all tasks

Linux also reorders requests from multiple processes for H/W

efficiency

Linux does not preempt low priority task in a system call,

instead queues the high priority task

Linux makes high priority tasks to wait for low priority tasks to

release resources

Therefore, Linux cannot provide real-time

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Commercial RTOS
RTLinux Monolithic kernel with loadable modules

QNX Microkernel approach

VxWorks Monolithic kernel

LynxOS Microkernel

ARTS, Spring, KURT, RTAI, etc.

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RTLinux: Overview
Open source Linux project
Supports x86, PowerPC, Alpha
Available as a patch to the regular Linux kernel
Provides an RT API for developers
Runs Linux kernel as lowest priority process

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Linux Kernel
User Processes

System libraries
Device drivers
I/O

Linux kernel
Hardware Interrupts

Hardware

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RTLinux Kernel

Linux is executed in the background

User Processes

Real Time Tasks

System libraries
Device drivers

I/O
Direct
h/w
access

Linux kernel

Software Interrupts

RT-Scheduler

RTLinux Plug-in
I/O

Hardware Interrupts

Hardware
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Linux Kernel: code

perspective

THE
controller

User

Process

M1
M2

M2

M3

Linux Monolithic kernel core

M4
RAM

Kernel Loadable Modules

Module M2 service
(system call)

DISK

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THE
RTLinux Kernel: code perspective

RT Load
command

controller

Load RT core

RTM2
RTM3
M1

Linux Monolithic kernel core

M2

RT-Core Module

M3
RAM

Kernel Loadable Modules

RT core

DISK
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