Special issue on embedded real-time applications
Daniela De VenutoReal-Time Systems
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Abstract
As computing platforms are becoming more powerful and energy efficient, embedded real-time systems are spreading in emerging application domains, from small autonomous robots to unmanned aerial vehicles, medical wearable devices, and intelligent sensors and actuators for the Internet of Things. Many of such systems are required to interact with the surrounding environment, reacting to events within stringent deadlines, also guaranteeing security and safety features. In addition, the heavy use of machine learning algorithms for perception and control tasks is increasing the complexity of the software architecture, which is often organized in modular components with different levels of criticality. One common way to manage such a software complexity is to partition the computational resources available on the platform into a set of execution domains coordinated by a hypervisor, which encapsulates each software component into a virtual machine, while guaranteeing safety, security, and predictability properties. The four papers collected in this special issue address some of the crucial topics highlighted above, presenting them in different application contexts. The articles are extended versions of papers carefully selected over twenty-four works presented at the 7th Italian Workshop on Embedded Systems (IWES 2022), held at Politecnico di Bari, Bari, Italy, on September 22-23 of 2022, and went through a rigorous and
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Guest Editorial <newline/>Special Section on Real-Time and (Networked) Embedded Systems—II
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Separation of concerns for resilient embedded real-time
Many embedded applications, specifically safety-critical ones, have strict real-time constraints. In the very worst case, missing a deadline can be catastrophic. Therefore, many approaches have been developed and successfully deployed whereby time is explicitly used to schedule the application tasks. A very important design paramater is a guaranteed Worst Case Execution Time (WCET). While this approach can be justified partly for historical reasons but also for reasons of simplicity, modern many-core processors pose a significant challenge as the chips combine multiple tightly coupled processing cores, fast caches to alleviate slow memory and complex peripherals. All these elements result in a statistical execution behaviour whereby a measure like WCET is no longer practical. In this paper we advocate that this situation requires a different approach to programming, i.e. one based on events and concurrency with time no longer being a strict design parameter but rather a consequence of the program execution. It is a consequence of applying a separation of concerns to execution in space and time. Benchmarks obtained with the latest version of VirtuosoNext Designer, a fine-grain partitioning multi-core RTOS, illustrate that this is not only feasible but also with no compromise on the real-time behavior. In the latest implementation this was extended to real-time fault recovery making systems much more resilient than with the traditional approach.
Embedded Systems in Real Time Applications, Design & Architecture [Student Paper
Necessit y is the moth er of invention and embedded system s are inventions that were fuelled by the idea of making pre-program s to perform a dedicat ed narrow range of funct ions as part of large sy stem s. Usual ly with minimal end user int eractions, the 'giant leap tech nology' in future embedded system s is based on instr uction-orient ed design but not on design-oriented in structi ons. Embedded syst ems and real time operating syst ems (RTOS) are fast achi evi ng ubiquity, blurring the lines between sci ence fiction and hard reality. In general an RTOS h as the following futures: 1. multitaski n; 2. process threads that can be prioritized; 3.A suffici ent number of interrupt levels. An embedded syst em is any device controlled by instructions st ored on a chip. These devices are u sually controlled by a microprocessor that execut es the instructions stored on a ROM chi p. Embedded system s are used in navigati on tools like global positioni ng sy stem (GPS), automated teller machines (ATMs), networking eq uipment, digital video cameras, mobile phones, aerospace applications, telecom applicatio ns, etc. We concern ourselves wit h the development and implementation of model-based, realtime, embedded, hybrid control software. In particular, we target intelligent cruise control appli cations, including Adapti ve Crui se Control (ACC), in which a forward-loo king range sen sor (radar or Lidar, usually) is used to follow a vehi cle, and Coo perati ve ACC (CACC), a variation in which wirel ess communi cations are used t o supplem ent the forward looking sensor. We discu ss modeling on automated v ehicl es. Our approach emphasizes the mai ntenance of a si ngle m odel throughout the devel opment process, with particular emphasi s on "tigh t-loop."
Introduction to embedded and real-time systems
An embedded system is a specialized computer system that is part of a larger system or machine. Embedded systems can also be thought of as information processing subsystems integrated in a larger system. As part of a larger system it largely determines its functionality. An embedded system usually contains an embedded processor. Many appliances that have a digital interface --microwaves, VCRs, cars --utilize embedded systems. Some embedded systems include an operating system. Others are very specialized resulting in the entire logic being implemented as a single program. These systems are embedded into some device for some specific purpose other than to provide general purpose computing . A typical embedded system is shown in .
SPHERE: A Multi-SoC Architecture for Next-Generation Cyber-Physical Systems Based on Heterogeneous Platforms
IEEE Access, 2021
This paper presents SPHERE, a project aimed at the realization of an integrated framework to abstract the hardware complexity of interconnected, modern system-on-chips (SoC) and simplify the management of their heterogeneous computational resources. The SPHERE framework leverages hypervisor technology to virtualize computational resources and isolate the behavior of different subsystems running on the same platform, while providing safety, security, and real-time communication mechanisms. The main challenges addressed by SPHERE are discussed in the paper along with a set of new technologies developed in the context of the project. They include isolation mechanisms for mixed-criticality applications, predictable I/O virtualization, the management of time-sensitive networks with heterogeneous traffic flows, and the management of field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA) to provide efficient implementations for cryptography modules, as well as hardware acceleration for deep neural networks. The SPHERE architecture is validated through an autonomous driving use-case. INDEX TERMS Cyber-physical systems, embedded systems, real-time systems, hypervisor, FPGA.
Misconceptions about real-time computing: A serious problem for next-generation systems
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Predictable and monitored execution for cots-based real-time embedded systems
2010
Modern real-time embedded systems are moving from federated architectures, where logical applications and subsystems are implemented on different hardware components, to progressively more integrated architectures which use extensive sharing of different physical resources. These systems employ multiple active components, such as CPU cores, HW processors, coprocessors and peripherals, which can all autonomously perform computational and commu-5.
Real-time operating systems for embedded computing
Proceedings of the 1998 IEEE/ACM international conference on Computer-aided design - ICCAD '98, 1998
We survey the state-of-the-art in real-time operating systems (RTOSs) from the system synthesis point of view. RTOSs have a very long research history which provides important theoretical results and useful industrial implementations. Convergence of applications, technology, and market trends of embedded systems implies a strong need for new generation of RTOS. Therefore, new system synthesis problem areas, notably hardware/software co-design and synthesis for systems-on-silicon (SOS), are opening up new avenues for RTOS research and development. This paper starts with a survey of classical academic and industrial RTOS work and continues with a survey of recent results related to co-design and design systems-on-silicon. We conclude by outlining future directions for the SOS RTOS.
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The Proceedings of First Work-in-Progress Session of The CSI International Symposium on Real-Time and Embedded Systems and Technologies
ArXiv, 2019
The present volume contains the proceedings of RTEST WiP 2018, chaired by Marco Caccamo, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. This event has been organized by the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Tehran, in conjunction with the Department of Computer Engineering at Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran. The topics of interest in RTEST WiP span over all theoretical and application-oriented aspects, reporting design, analysis, implementation, evaluation, and empirical results, of real-time and embedded systems, internet-of-things, and cyber-physical systems. The program committee of RTEST 2018 consists of 54 top researchers in the mentioned fields from top universities, industries, and research centers around the world. RTEST 2018 has received a total of 41 submissions, out of which we have accepted 14 regular papers and 4 work-in-progress papers. Each submission has been reviewed by 3 to 5 independent referees, for its quality, origina...
Real-Time Embedded Systems
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Workshop on Next Generation Real-Time Embedded Systems (NG-RES 2020)
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Recent growing frameworks such as the IoT, IIot, Cloud/Fog/Edge computing, CPS, etc, bring the networking platforms on which they rely to the spotlight, as first class citizens of an increasingly software-dependent landscape. As a result, networks play an increasingly central role in supporting the needed system-wide properties. In particular, we have been working to provide openness and adaptivity together with timeliness guarantees. This combination seems fundamental to support inherently dynamic applications in a resource efficient way, covering not only the cases of systems of systems, systems with variable number of users, components or resources but also systems that undergo frequent live maintenance and even reconfiguration during their lifetime. Examples range from autonomous vehicles to collaborative robotics, remote interactions, fog/edge computing, flexible manufacturing, etc. We postulate that combining openess and adaptivity with guaranteed timeliness can only be achiev...
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Existing knowledge-based systems and development tools were never designed for real-time embedded computing environments since they have historically been used in non-real-time applications. Furthermore, fundamental design concepts for real-time performance have been virtually ignored in the design of languages, shells, and tools. Real-time knowledge-based systems pose unique engineering problems which must be identified in order to resolve these shortcomings. Our research has focused on developing a set of tools to support three real-time AI processing objectives: 1. real-time intelligent control of system resources; 2. predictable real-time knowledge-based system performance; and 3. demonstration of these technologies in an embedded environment running a real-time operating system. Reticular Systems, Inc. has developed a set of software tools for building real-time intelligent systems. This toolset is called ARTESIA: Advanced Real-Time Embedded System Tools for Intelligent Architectures. These tools include a low level real-time executive for intelligent control called TaskMaster TM . TaskMaster TM works with the real-time operating system (RTOS) and the knowledgebased programs that run on the RTOS to ensure that the most critical application tasks are accomplished prior to their respective deadlines and that all tasks are completed in a timely manner. TaskMaster TM accomplishes intelligent control by utilizing high-level knowledge about the application program's goals and beliefs as well as the relative priority of the applications. This information is used to generate schedules that meet the application tasks' deadlines. To demonstrate predictable run-times in production systems, we have developed two new expert system software tools: CLIPS-RT and CLIPS-RT Profiler. CLIPS-RT is a version of the CLIPS expert system shell (originally developed by NASA) that has been modified to operate in real-time embedded environments and provide dynamic worse-case run-time information. CLIPS-RT Profiler is a tool that allows the user to determine estimated response times to certain inputs and permits the user to alter the rule base to improve real-time performance. To adequately test TaskMaster TM and CLIPS-RT, we have integrated TaskMaster TM with a sophisticated situation assessment (SA) expert system into a VME embedded computer running a standard RTOS (VxWorks). SA is a sophisticated rotorcraft decision aide that permits the detection and recognition of external entities and infers high-level attributes about these entities [1-3].
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In the context of smart cities, with important population density, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) should be certified for flying. Virtualization techniques allow us to run several applications of different criticalities on the same hardware architecture in a spatially and temporally isolated manner. This makes it possible to adapt the certification cost of an application to its criticality level. We consider the case where each application is composed of a set of sporadic tasks that are executed into a dedicated Virtual Machine (VM). The set of VMs is monitored by a hypervisor that provides them an abstraction of the underlying hardware resources. The use of an hypervisor to isolate the applications hosted into their VMs results in a two-level hierarchical system. The VMs are scheduled at the first level then the tasks of each application are scheduled at the second level. The parameters of the tasks composing the different applications are known a priori and the main contribution of this paper is to provide a sizing method for the VMs. It consists in computing both period and slot duration for each VM such that its assigned tasks are schedulable (satisfy all the deadlines of the tasks).
Improving Predictability in Embedded Real-Time Systems
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Embedded Systems (Introduction - Jonathan Valvano.pdf
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2 : Embedded Real-Time Operating Systems 3 . 2 : General Principles
2001
finished. It is possible to avoid the problem by adding break points to the event handling code where the handling of urgent events can take place. On the other hand, the problem is not critical, if a powerful processor is available. The real-time properties of most embedded systems are based on the use of real-time operating systems. Application of such operating systems requires high expertise and much time. The resulting software is often heavy and hard to maintain. In this paper we present a class of application specific operating systems called ReaGOS. ReaGOS is based on a new architecture and an operating principle, where the operating system calls application programs but not vice versa. The new architecture saves both data and code memory and it is fast enough for embedded systems. The operating system is generated automatically from a high level graphical specification. Another method uses interrupt mechanisms to handle I/O driver events [5]. This method has some disadvanta...
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