REAL TIME OPERATING SYSTEM

PROGRAMMING-I: C/OS-II and

VxWorks

Lesson-9:
Basic RTOS Functions in VxWorks

2008 Chapter-9 L9: "Embedded Systems - Architecture, Programming 1

and Design" , Raj Kamal, Publs.: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
 RTOS Programming Tools:
MicroC/OS-II and VxWorks
Lesson 9:
Basic RTOS Functions in VxWorks

2008 Chapter-9 L9: "Embedded Systems - Architecture, Programming 2

and Design" , Raj Kamal, Publs.: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
 1. VxWorks Features

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and Design" , Raj Kamal, Publs.: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
 WindRiver VxWorks
High-performance, Unix-like,
multitasking Environment scalable and
hierarchical RTOS
Host and target based development
approach
Supports Device Software Optimization
a new methodology that enables
development and running of device
software faster, better and more reliably
2008 Chapter-9 L9: "Embedded Systems - Architecture, Programming 4
and Design" , Raj Kamal, Publs.: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
 VxWorks RTOS Kernel

VxWorks 6.x processor abstraction

layer
The layer enables application design
for new versions later by just changing
the layer-hardware interface
Supports advanced processor
architectures ARM, ColdFire, MIPS,
Intel, SuperH,
2008 Chapter-9 L9: "Embedded Systems - Architecture, Programming 5
and Design" , Raj Kamal, Publs.: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
 VxWorks RTOS Kernel
Hard real time applications
Supports kernel mode execution of
tasks
Supports open source Linux and TIPC
(transparent inter process
communication) protocol

2008 Chapter-9 L9: "Embedded Systems - Architecture, Programming 6

and Design" , Raj Kamal, Publs.: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
 VxWorks RTOS Kernel
Provides for the preemption points at
kernel
Provides preemptive as well as round
robin scheduling,
Support POSIX standard asynchronous
IOs
Support UNIX standard buffered I/Os

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and Design" , Raj Kamal, Publs.: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
 VxWorks RTOS Kernel

PTTS 1.1 (Since Dec. 2007)

IPCs in TIPC for network and clustered
system environment
POSIX 1003.1b standard IPCs and
interfaces additional availability
Separate context for tasks and ISRs
[Each task has a separate TCB, while
ISRs a common stack]
2008 Chapter-9 L9: "Embedded Systems - Architecture, Programming 8
and Design" , Raj Kamal, Publs.: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
 VxWorks RTOS Kernel

Schedules the ISRs separately and has
special functions for interrupt handling

Watchdog timers

Virtual I/O devices including the pipes

and sockets (Sections 7.14 and 7.15)

Virtual Memory Management
functions

2008 Chapter-9 L9: "Embedded Systems - Architecture, Programming 9

and Design" , Raj Kamal, Publs.: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
 VxWorks RTOS Kernel

Power management functions that

enhance the ability to control power
consumption

Automatic detection and reporting of
common memory and other errors

Interconnect functions that support
large number of protocols

APIs for IPv4/IPv6 dual mode stack

2008 Chapter-9 L9: "Embedded Systems - Architecture, Programming 10

and Design" , Raj Kamal, Publs.: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
 Host-Target Development Approach

Host Windows, Linux or Unix for

Embedded Development and cross
compiled for target system processor

RTOS ROM resident code downloaded
to the using TCP/IP or serial port to a
target board

Target has no virtual memory support
and needed kernel functions are at the
target ROM
2008 Chapter-9 L9: "Embedded Systems - Architecture, Programming 11
and Design" , Raj Kamal, Publs.: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
 Scalability

Scalable OS only needed OS
functions become part of the
application codes

Configuration file includes the user
definitions for the needed IPC
functions needed

2008 Chapter-9 L9: "Embedded Systems - Architecture, Programming 12

and Design" , Raj Kamal, Publs.: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
 Hierarchical

RTOS kernel extendibility and
interfaces hierarchy includes timers,
signals, TCP/IP Sockets, queuing
functions library, NFS, RPCs,
Berkeley Port and Sockets, Pipes, Unix
compatible loader, language
interpreter, shell, debugging tools and
linking loader for Unix.

2008 Chapter-9 L9: "Embedded Systems - Architecture, Programming 13

and Design" , Raj Kamal, Publs.: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
 Protected Environment
Protection features for example, if a
task is expecting a message from another
task, which is being deleted by using the
task-delete function, then RTOS inhibits
the deletion
No priority inversion problem
the task gets an inherited priority when option
of priority inheritance selected

2008 Chapter-9 L9: "Embedded Systems - Architecture, Programming 14

and Design" , Raj Kamal, Publs.: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
 Header Files
VxWorks.h header file
kernelLib.h kernel library functions
header file
taskLib.h tasks library functions
header file
sysLib.h system library functions
header file

2008 Chapter-9 L9: "Embedded Systems - Architecture, Programming 15

and Design" , Raj Kamal, Publs.: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
 VxWorks Basic Functions

System Level OS initiate, start, system

timer clock rate set, ISR enter and exit,
enable and disable
Task Service Functions initiate,
resume, activate, run, suspend, (now or
after delay)
Task control functions

2008 Chapter-9 L9: "Embedded Systems - Architecture, Programming 16

and Design" , Raj Kamal, Publs.: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
 VxWorks Basic Functions
IPCs Semaphore, Queue and Pipes,
POSIX IPCs
No Mailbox
Queue permit array of messages
Network Functions
IO Functions

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and Design" , Raj Kamal, Publs.: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
 2. Signal (Software interrupt from
task) Handling

2008 Chapter-9 L9: "Embedded Systems - Architecture, Programming 18

and Design" , Raj Kamal, Publs.: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
 Signal

IPC signal used for exception handling

or handling software interrupt event
Signal-servicing routine a C function,
which executes on occurrence of an
interrupt or exception.
Signal connect function connects the
function with an interrupt vector

2008 Chapter-9 L9: "Embedded Systems - Architecture, Programming 19

and Design" , Raj Kamal, Publs.: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
 3. Semaphore Functions

2008 Chapter-9 L9: "Embedded Systems - Architecture, Programming 20

and Design" , Raj Kamal, Publs.: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
 Semaphore functions for Synchronization

event signal flag,

mutually exclusive access using resource
key (mutex) and
counting mechanism using three type of
semaphores in the tasks and ISRs
P-V semaphore functions when POSIX
library included

2008 Chapter-9 L9: "Embedded Systems - Architecture, Programming 21

and Design" , Raj Kamal, Publs.: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
 Two ways in which a pending task
among the pending tasks unblock
Provides for (a) as per task priority
(b) as a FIFO, when accepting or
taking an IPC

2008 Chapter-9 L9: "Embedded Systems - Architecture, Programming 22

and Design" , Raj Kamal, Publs.: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
 4. Queues Functions

2008 Chapter-9 L9: "Embedded Systems - Architecture, Programming 23

and Design" , Raj Kamal, Publs.: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
 Queue
Instead of queuing the message
pointers in C/OS-II , provides for
queuing of the messages.
Queues can be used for priority posting
of message using post front as in
C/OS-II

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and Design" , Raj Kamal, Publs.: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
 Queue
Provides for two ways in which a
pending task among the pending tasks
can unblock (a) as per task priority
(b) as a FIFO, when accepting or
taking an IPC

2008 Chapter-9 L9: "Embedded Systems - Architecture, Programming 25

and Design" , Raj Kamal, Publs.: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
 5. Virtual device Functions

2008 Chapter-9 L9: "Embedded Systems - Architecture, Programming 26

and Design" , Raj Kamal, Publs.: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
 5. Virtual device Functions

Pipe Drivers for inter-process
communications as an I/O virtual device

Network-transparent sockets.

Network drivers for shared memory and
Ethernet.

RAM "disk" drivers for memory resident
files

files

2008 Chapter-9 L9: "Embedded Systems - Architecture, Programming 27

and Design" , Raj Kamal, Publs.: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
 6. Task Service Functions

2008 Chapter-9 L9: "Embedded Systems - Architecture, Programming 28

and Design" , Raj Kamal, Publs.: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
 Task functions
Task creation and activation distinct
states
Functions for the task creating,
running, waiting, suspending
(inhibiting task-execution) and
resuming, spawning (creating followed
by activating), task-pending cum
suspending and pending cum
suspension with timeout functions
2008 Chapter-9 L9: "Embedded Systems - Architecture, Programming 29
and Design" , Raj Kamal, Publs.: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
7. VxWorks Functions naming Basics

2008 Chapter-9 L9: "Embedded Systems - Architecture, Programming 30

and Design" , Raj Kamal, Publs.: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
 VxWorks Naming Basics

No OS or OS_ prefix for functions

For example, taskInit ( ) - a
VxWorks function, which initiates a
task

Prefix VX_ for the options and macros

For example, VX_PIVATE_ENV

VX_NO_STACK_FILL|

2008 Chapter-9 L9: "Embedded Systems - Architecture, Programming 31

and Design" , Raj Kamal, Publs.: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
 Summary

2008 Chapter-9 L9: "Embedded Systems - Architecture, Programming 32

and Design" , Raj Kamal, Publs.: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
We learnt
VxWorks basic features in the
functions
high performance,
scalable and hierarchical
OS initiate and start
scheduling
error handling
system clock and service
time delay
2008 Chapter-9 L9: "Embedded Systems - Architecture, Programming 33
and Design" , Raj Kamal, Publs.: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
We learnt
task,
memory
pipes,
files
network
IPC

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and Design" , Raj Kamal, Publs.: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
 End of Lesson 9 on
Basic RTOS Functions in VxWorks

2008 Chapter-9 L9: "Embedded Systems - Architecture, Programming 35

and Design" , Raj Kamal, Publs.: McGraw-Hill, Inc.