Realtime OS

  • In embedded systems, real-time means system is designed to meet specified timing guarantees
  • In web, realtime generally meaning server pushing changes to client and streaming without constraints
  • Critical applications like control aircraft, rockets, robots, cars must respond quickly to sensors
    • there is specified deadline by which software must respond
    • Failure to meet the deadline will cause failure of entire system
    • aka Hard Real-time systems
  • Real time systems requirements
    • A real-time OS aka RTOS
      • restricted allocation of CPU time to processes
    • restricted dynamic memory allocation
    • restricted range of programming languages, libraries and tools which support and document the real time guarantees
    • Hence expensive to build