Real-Time Operating Systems

by Michael Barr

The question "What is the difference between a mutex and a semaphore?" is short and easily phrased.  Answering it is more difficult.  In this first installment of a series of articles on the proper use of a real-time operating system (RTOS), we examine the important differences between a mutex and a semaphore.

by Anthony Massa

The first task when using any new real-time operating system (RTOS) is to get it up and running on your hardware. The open-source eCos RTOS makes that part pretty easy.

by Dave Beal and Michael Barr

The rising popularity of Linux has spurred many embedded developers to consider it as an RTOS alternative. Here's the straight scoop on the legal implications for the proprietary parts of your firmware.

by Michael Barr

If you are considering using software developed by others, such as Linux, within your embedded system, you'll likely need an intellectual property lawyer to read the license agreements such as GPL. Here's a brief glossary of the licensing terminology that's enough to get you started.

by Michael Barr

In the market for a commercial RTOS? This article provides an overview of RTOSes and how you can select the best one for your project. It ends with a list of vendors and their products.

by David Kalinsky and Michael Barr

When tasks share resources, as they often do/must, strange things can and will happen. Priority inversions can be particularly difficult to anticipate. A basic understanding of the problem is key.

by Michael Barr

Every commercial RTOS employs a priority-based preemptive scheduler. This despite the fact that real-time systems vary in their requirements and real-time scheduling doesn't have to be so uniform. Multitasking and meeting deadlines is certainly not a one-size-fits-all problem.

by Jean Labrosse and Michael Barr

Most real-time operating systems employ preemptive schedulers. This primer on preemption also looks at the kind of multitasking it enables.