Real-time operating system
- What is a real-time operating system?
- The relationship between the TRON project and ITRON
- Who should learn real-time operating system
- Is it better to learn real-time operating systems than operating systems like Windows and Linux?
- What was the reason for choosing ITRON in the real-time operating system?
What is a real-time operating system?
Operating System (OS: Operating System) is a kind of software called basic software to run a computer.
Types of general operating systems
For everyone, the OS around you is the computer-oriented OS installed on computers and servers such as Windows, MacOS, and Linux, and the OSs such as iOS and Android installed on smartphones are famous. Usually you may not realize that installing the operating system on your computer will improve convenience. For users, you can obtain uniform operability and use various services. For application developers, as long as you remember the technology required for development, you can use it.
What is a real-time operating system?
An operating system can also be installed in an embedded device, and this operating system is called a real-time operating system. Real-time operating system is commonly called and does not represent a specific product, such as Windows.
The relationship between the TRON project and ITRON
In 1984, the TRON project was initiated by Professor Ken Sakamura from the University of Tokyo. The purpose was to study the OS specifications for everything that envisages the use of computers. One of the projects is to study the specifications of real-time operating systems for embedded devices, and its name is the project called ITRON. In other words, ITRON is the specification of a real-time operating system.
What are the ITRON specifications?
ITRON is a specification, but it may not be very good. The person who implemented the introduction to microcomputers saw the interface manual. The ITRON specification defines the interface specification in the real-time operating system. It defines the functions that a real-time operating system should provide, and clearly defines these functions as interfaces.
For example, the very important keyword "task" appears in a real-time operating system. In this task, the interface's "function name is the cre_tsk parameter and the return value is this" function form. This is the ITRON specification.
ITRON is an old OS specification from the times. Now, as the successor operating system, T-Kernel is constantly evolving to adapt to today's products. However, the foundation of T-Kernel is always ITRON, and learning about ITRON will contact T-Kernel. Don't think that learning ITRON is futile.
Who should learn real-time operating system
- Those engaged in embedded development, those who are developing or planning to use real-time operating systems to develop software.
- Need to develop a certain scale of people in embedded development.
- I don't know what the operating system is, but I need to develop software on the operating system, such as Windows and Linux.
- People who have an impeccable
sense of exploration for the improvement of their own development skills Knowledge of real-time operating systems is not necessarily required, but the scope of development will change significantly depending on whether or not they have this weapon.
Is it better to learn real-time operating systems than operating systems like Windows and Linux?
For developers related to general-purpose OS such as Windows and Linux, they may think that learning real-time operating systems is meaningless.
First of all, the operating system is a very large-scale software system. Especially operating systems such as Windows and Linux are huge. If you don't understand what the operating system will do, then it is very difficult to challenge the battle.
In contrast, ITRON is the essential function of the OS, that is, only the crystalline OS called the "kernel" is extracted.
Even in operating systems such as Windows and Linux, the basic structure of the core kernel is made with similar ideas. Therefore, learning this kernel part in ITRON will gain an advantage when learning general operating systems. This is why I think it is better to learn ITRON first.
As the next step for knowing ITRON, I think it’s good to challenge OS like Windows and Linux as an upgrade.
What was the reason for choosing ITRON in the real-time operating system?
There are many options for real-time operating systems such as ITRON, VxWorks and FreeRTOS.
The breadth and technical value of ITRON's market scale
ITRON is now the dominant OS in the world of embedded devices. ITRON's successor OS T-Kernel also adds up. About 60% of embedded devices equipped with OS are used.
In other words, to master ITRON's technology is to obtain the basic technology of embedded development.
Software that meets ITRON specifications is free
There are also paid software, but as a free operating system that complies with ITRON specifications, "TOPPERS" and "HOS" have been released.
The higher the cost of learning an operating system, the greater the difficulty of learning, so the use of free operating systems is a great advantage.