Archive for June, 2013

Men Without RTOS

Warning: Engineering / computer science discussion ahead. Proceed with caution. Actually, it’s not that bad. Non-engineers might also appreciate this post, as long as they are familiar with the 80s.

I was given the assignment at work of providing a summary of RTOS (real-time operating system) differences. We use 3 different types of embedded operating systems in our various modules, and management was looking at another one to meet customer requirements.

For this application, there is a regular RTOS and a safety (or safe) RTOS for critical equipment. (If you are unfamiliar with those options, here are search results for safe RTOS so you can get more details.)

My summary is that a normal RTOS runs the expected tasks in one common environment, whereas the safety OS runs different tasks in different threads so they are isolated from each other memory- and context-wise.

If that’s still not making sense, maybe this will:

You can task if you want to
You can leave your threads behind
Because your threads don’t task
And if they don’t task
Well they’re no threads of mine

Safety
OS

I’m hoping management wants me to present my summary at the next department meeting so I can put that on a slide.

He pursues them, passing on in safety,
By a way he had not been traversing with his feet.

Isaiah 41:3