Real-Time Systems

1 Introduction

Real-Time Systems - 1.1 - © Prof. B. Mysliwetz 2024

Rosenheim Technical University of Applied Sciences
 Real-Time Systems
Contents

0 STARTUP - Course Objectives & Overview, Organizational Issues

1 INTRODUCTION - Examples & Application Areas of Real-Time Systems
Technical Terms and Definitions; Hard vs. Soft Real-Time Requirements
2 OPERATING SYSTEMS FUNDAMENTALS - Architecture & Working Principles;
Processes, Threads, Tasks; Scheduling Principles and Variants
3 REAL-TIME SYSTEMS CONCEPTS - Real-Time Software Design; Rate Monotonic
Approach (RMA) for Priority Assignment; Reentrant Functions; Semaphores
Mutual Exclusion; Shared Resources; Synchronization; Deadlock; Priority Inversion
4 RTOS OVERVIEW - Categories & Features; Commercial RTOS & RT-Kernels
5 INTRODUCTION TO MicroC/OS-II - Key Features; System Calls; Task Structure;
Application Structure; System Specific Special Tasks; Configuration
6 SPECIAL TOPICS - Software Metrics & Uncertainty; Testing & Debugging; Buffer
Size Calculation; Performance Optimization Techniques

Real-Time Systems - 1.2 - © Prof. B. Mysliwetz 2024

Rosenheim Technical University of Applied Sciences
1 INTRODUCTION

Learning Objectives

What are typical application fields of real-time software ?

What are key concepts and technical terms in the context of

real-time applications ?

Real-Time Systems - 1.3 - © Prof. B. Mysliwetz 2024

Rosenheim Technical University of Applied Sciences
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Application Areas of Real-Time Systems (i)

Consumer Electronics Devices

Camcorder, Camera, VCR, Set-Top Box ...

Computer Peripherals
Printer, Scanner, Modem

Office Equipment
Fax Machines, Copiers ...

Industrial Automation & Process Control

Car Assembly Lines, Welding Robots, Chemical Plants, Power Plants

Automotive Electronics
Engine Control, Nav-System, Airbags, Anti-Skid System, Active Roll-Stability ...

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1.1 Application Areas of Real-Time Systems (ii)

Telecommunication Equipment
Switches, Routers ...

Electronic Measurement & Diagnostic Instruments

Aerospace & Military Equipment

Mars-Rover Control, Airbus A-3xx Digital Flight Control System ...

Medical Instruments

Domestic Applications
Kitchen Oven, Microwave ...

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1.2 Examples of Real-Time Systems (i)

Example A Low-Cost Controller/Inverter for Sensorless BLDC Motor

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1.2 Examples of Real-Time Systems (ii)

Example A Low-Cost Controller Electronics for Sensorless BLDC Motor

Input Passive coil induction voltage measurements

Output PWM (pulse width modulated) transistor switching signals

Processor e.g. Atmel AT89C2051-24 (8051 family, 8 Bit, 24 MHz)

e.g. STM32F100 (ARM Cortex-M, 32 Bit, 72 MHz)

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1.2 Examples of Real-Time Systems (iii)

Example B Automotive Electronics

Bosch / VDO Car Dashboard Display Unit for BMW, Mercedes

Processor(s) e.g. Siemens 80C167 (16-Bit RISC, 40 MHz, CAN-Interface)

Processor(s) e.g. TI TMS570xxx (ARM Cortex-M), Freescale MPC 55xx …

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Rosenheim Technical University of Applied Sciences
1.2 Examples of Real-Time Systems (iv)

Example B Automotive Electronics

Bosch / VDO Car Dashboard Display Unit for BMW, Mercedes

Processor(s) e.g. Siemens 80C167 (16-Bit RISC, 40 MHz, CAN-Interface)

Processor(s) e.g. TI TMS570xxx (ARM Cortex-M), Freescale MPC 55xx …

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Rosenheim Technical University of Applied Sciences
1.2 Examples of Real-Time Systems (v)

Example B Automotive Electronics

Bosch / VDO Car Dashboard Display Unit for BMW, Mercedes

Processor(s) e.g. Siemens 80C167 (16-Bit RISC, 40 MHz, CAN-Interface)

Processor(s) e.g. TI TMS570xxx (ARM Cortex-M), Freescale MPC 55xx …

Real-Time Systems - 1.10 - © Prof. B. Mysliwetz 2024

Rosenheim Technical University of Applied Sciences
1.2 Examples of Real-Time Systems (vi)

Example B Automotive Electronics

Bosch / VDO Car Dashboard Display Unit for BMW, Mercedes

Processor(s) e.g. Siemens 80C167 (16-Bit RISC, 40 MHz, CAN-Interface)

Processor(s) e.g. TI TMS570xxx (ARM Cortex-M), Freescale MPC 55xx …

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Rosenheim Technical University of Applied Sciences
1.2 Examples of Real-Time Systems (vii)

CAN-Protocol Specification for Bosch/BMW E46 Dashboard Display Unit

(‘Kombiinstrument’) includes explicit timing (range) requirements

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1.2 Examples of Real-Time Systems (viii)

Example C

Airbus A-320
Digital Flight Control
System

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Rosenheim Technical University of Applied Sciences
1.2 Examples of Real-Time Systems (ix)

Example C Airbus A-320 Digital Flight Control System / Autopilot

Input x-, y-, z-accelerometer signals

Attitude/rate gyroscope signals
GPS position measurements
…
User input (e.g. panel switch/push button)

Output Actuator control signals

Cockpit displays update
…
Warning messages (e.g. voice output)

Processor(s) e.g. redundant / multiple [ 80186, 68000 ] ...

e.g. Freescale MPC 5xxx ‘lock-step’ multicores

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1.2 Examples of Real-Time Systems (x)

Example D EAGLE Engine Control Unit

https://www.th-rosenheim.de/forschung-entwicklung/kompetenzfelder-und-
projekte/technologien-der-digitalisierung/eagle/

https://bc.pressmatrix.com/de/profiles/56a5af20946e/editions/ab65d2a8434cc8de7607/
pages/page/28

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 Student Development Project
Electric Auxiliary Propulsion for a Glider
1.2 Examples of Real-Time Systems (xi)

Example D EAGLE Engine Control Unit

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Rosenheim Technical University of Applied Sciences
1.2 Examples of Real-Time Systems (xii)

Example D EAGLE Engine Control Unit (Task-Cycletimes)

/**
* *******************************************************************
* @file AppTasks.c
* @author Daniel Beck, EEIT-Master Project WS2015/2016
* Markus Frejek, EEIT-Master Project SS2017
* @date 24.03.2017
* @brief ECU Application Task Definitions for uC/OS-III
*
* TCYCLE_STATEMACHINE_TASK 50ms == 20Hz exec. rate
* TCYCLE_MOTCON_TASK 100ms == 10Hz exec. rate
* TCYCLE_BMS_TASK 100ms == 10Hz exec. rate
* TCYCLE_LCDOUT_TASK 200ms == 5Hz exec. rate
* TCYCLE_DATALOG_TASK 1000ms == 1Hz exec. rate
* TCYCLE_TERMINALIO_TASK 1000ms == 1Hz exec. rate
*
* Changes:
* 11.06.2016 d.beck flash file logging added
Real-Time Systems - 1.18 - © Prof. B. Mysliwetz 2024
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1.3 Technical Terms and Definitions (i)

Real-Time [Computer] System

A computer running programs that have explicit timing constraints or deadlines,

i.e. maximum allowed reaction/latency times after an event and/or maximum
period times per processing cycle. Such programs must be not only logically
correct but also correct with respect to timing.

Real-time does not refer to any absolute reaction time values. It just means 'fast
enough‘ relative to the technical process being controlled/monitored, e.g.

• Car engine control system (e.g. for ignition/fuel injection) 

• Chemical process control system (e.g. for oil refinery plant) 

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Rosenheim Technical University of Applied Sciences
1.3 Technical Terms and Definitions (ii)

Hard vs. Soft Real-Time Requirements

Hard real-time requirements: timing constraints are explicitly defined (in

requirements specification) and must be strictly met under any circumstances,
i.e. even under worst case load conditions. Otherwise the system will not work
properly any more (or will not get certification  i.e. it is illegal to operate it). In
safety critical systems severe damage or even loss of lives may occur.

Soft real-time system: exceeding 'regular' time limits has no severe consequen-
ces - at most a certain degradation in quality of service, e.g.
• reaction time of a bank machine
• response time of a text editor after a keyboard input
• transmission rate of audio/video streaming data via internet

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1.3 Technical Terms and Definitions (iii)

Typically real-time systems have a combination of hard and soft timing

requirements.

Quality of Service = Usefulness of Results in Hard vs. Soft Real-Time Systems

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1.3 Technical Terms and Definitions (iv)

Jitter
Deviation from true periodicity of an assumed periodic signal or event; here
a task’s starting (or completion) time fluctuations vs. an ideal periodic
timing.

Atomic Operation
An atomic operation refers to one or a group of operations/instructions that
can not or must not be interrupted (related to -> mutual exclusion).

Critical Section [of Code]

A critical section (or region) of code is a piece of a program during which no
interrupt or task switch may occur. In case the execution time of a critical
section is short (compared to system wide timing) the standard approach is
to disable interrupts before executing the critical code and re-enabling them
again afterwards (related to -> shared resources & mutual exclusion).
Real-Time Systems - 1.22 - © Prof. B. Mysliwetz 2024
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1.3 Technical Terms and Definitions (v)

Embedded [Computer] System

A computer is integral part of = is embedded into a machine or technical system and
as such does not appear externally (often it has no user interface at all !).
Frequently real-time systems are also embedded systems, e.g. the engine
management (ignition / fuel injection control) system of a car.

There is a wide range in performance and variety of hardware platforms for real-
time embedded systems, e.g.:

• 8-Bit CPU, 10-20 MHz, 128-1024 Byte SRAM, 2-8 kByte ROM/FLASH,
application software implemented ‘bare-metal’ = without OS (e.g. ATmega8
family or 80x51 architecture, as in Example A)

• 32-Bit Singlecore-Microcontroller, ~50..200 MHz, 16..64 kByte SRAM, 32..256

kByte FLASH (e.g. ARM Cortex-M4, as in Example D)

• 64-Bit RISC MultiCore-CPU Cavium OCTEON III CN7xxx: up to 48 x MIPS64

cores under LINUX (e.g. mobile phone network processing in base station)

Real-Time Systems - 1.23 - © Prof. B. Mysliwetz 2024

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1.3 Technical Terms and Definitions (vi)

Embedded [Computer] System

Usually embedded real-time systems interact directly with a technical system
via so called process interfaces, i.e. specific digital and/or analog IO signals or
standardized network/field bus links (e.g. Ethernet, CAN-Bus, FlexRay).

Determinism / Deterministic Timing Behaviour

If a system's logic & timing is predictable under all conceivable, i.e. also worst
case, load conditions it is called deterministic.

Real-time [operating] systems / software for hard real-time applications must

have deterministic timing behaviour.

Resources [Hardware-, or OS-]

All entities a program needs when executing, i.e. the CPU, memory, IO devices,
or also OS managed objects like files, windows on display, semaphores ...

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1.3 Technical Terms and Definitions (vii)

Target, Target System, Target Hardware

The hardware-environment for which a program or an OS is designed.

Target Architecture

The underlying processor / core architecture == CPU family, e.g.

• x51

• Intel 80x86 (x86)

• Freescale (Motorola/IBM) PowerPC == MPC 55xx, MPC 7xx, MPC 8xx …

• ARM Cortex-M, ARM Cortex-R, ARM Cortex-A …

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1.4 Review Questions

What is the difference between hard and soft real-time systems

response requirements ?

When is a system called deterministic with respect to timing ?

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Rosenheim Technical University of Applied Sciences