Chapter 1 : Introduction to Real Time

and Embedded Systems

Admas University
School of Postgraduate Program
Department of Computer Science
Dr. Mesfin Abebe Haile (2022)
 Outline

 Introduction to Real Time and Embedded Systems (RTESs)

 Basic Terminologies and Definitions
 Characteristics of RTES
 Types of RT and ESs
 Application of RT and ESs

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 Introduction to RTES

 What is RT ESs?
 Real-time systems are computer systems that monitor, respond to, or
control an external environment.
 This environment is connected to the computer system through
sensors, actuators, and other input-output interfaces.

 It may consist of physical or biological objects of any form and

structure.
 Often humans are part of the connected external world, but a wide
range of other natural and artificial objects, as well as animals, are
also possible.
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 Introduction to RTES

 An embedded system is an electronic system that are designed

to perform a dedicated function within a larger system.
 Real-time systems provide:
Guaranteed worst-case response times to critical events, as
well as
Acceptable average-case response times to noncritical events.

 When a real-time system is designed as an embedded component,

it is called a real-time embedded system.

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 Introduction to RTES

 The computer system must meet various timing and other

constraints that are imposed on it by the real-time behaviour of
the external world to which it is interfaced.
 Hence comes the name real time.

 Another name for many of these systems is reactive systems,

because their primary purpose is to respond to or react to
signals from their environment.
 A real-time computer system may be a component of a larger
system in which it is embedded; reasonably, such a computer
component is called an embedded system.
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 Types of RTES

 Based on timing requirements.

 A real-time system can be classified based on the acceptability
of missing its timing constraints.

 If missing a timing constraint is absolutely unacceptable, for

instance, if this could result in a loss of human life, we call this
a hard real-time system.
 The pacemaker in a typical example.

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 Types of RTES

 If missing a timing constraint is acceptable but undesirable we

call it a soft real-time system.
 Email systems, wireless routers, and your cable box all have real-
time constraints that they are designed to meet.
 Even so, the consequences of missing those deadlines are often
small or insignificant, e.g., you might get annoyed because your
favourite TV show has to buffer for a second.
 When a soft real-time system misses a deadline for a given
operation, the operation does not immediately lose all of its value.
 Instead, the value diminishes over time—i.e., it decreases toward
zero as time moves farther beyond the deadline.
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 Types of RTES

 Many systems exist on a spectrum from hard to soft, where it

is not unacceptable to miss a deadline.

 Systems that lie within this spectrum are often referred to as

firm real-time systems.
 In a hard real-time system, a missed deadline creates not only a
complete loss of value but also a negative value, i.e., harm.

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 Types of RTES

 DVD Player, MP3 Player

 Car Engine (Combustion, automatic gear)
 Medical, Military and Air navigation controller
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 Characteristics of RTES

 A real-time embedded system has certain distinguishing

characteristics.
 The term is used ambiguously due to the varying time
constraints for real-time systems.

 For instance, a real-time system needs an application to meet

the average deadlines of a set time with minimal variability
while processing an external event.
 This can be the case for heating process, mixing control or
display processes.

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 Characteristics of RTES

 On the other hand, time deadlines for a critical real-time

system are very strict.
 These deadlines must be met in every case.
 An example of such a case is when a controlled radiation
dose has to be delivered to a sample.

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 Characteristics of RTES

 Sufficient time
 A critical real-time system requires adequate time for processing
an external stimulus.

 This is known as the response time and it lies within a

predetermined value in all possible situations.

 Basically, a real-time system is characterized by correctness that

involves both the logical outputs correctness and timeliness.

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 Characteristics of RTES

 Time Constraints
 Clearly, time constraints are what distinguish real-time
and embedded systems.

 These systems can be soft, firm or hard systems.

 In a hard real-time system, if time constraints are not met, system
failure occurs.

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 Characteristics of RTES

 Time Constraints
 In a firm real-time system, time constraints have to be met in a
majority of cases.
 However, missing few deadlines can be tolerated.

 With a soft real-time system, there is a degradation of

performance with any failure to meet time constraints.
 However, a catastrophic failure of the system will not occur.

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 Characteristics of RTES

 Sometimes ordinary OSs with real-time features can be used in

soft and firm real-time applications.
 However, RTOS’s are mostly necessary in hard real-time
systems.

 The choice of an operating system plays a very critical role in

the design of an application as well as how time constraints of
an application are met.
 That’s why it is very important to understand the
characteristics of a real-time embedded system in order to
determine whether it is appropriate for your app.
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 Application of RTES

 Applications and examples of real-time systems are ubiquitous

and proliferating, appearing as part of our commercial,
government, military, medical, educational, and cultural
infrastructures.
 Applications:
 Vehicle systems for automobiles, subways, aircraft, railways, and
ships;
 Traffic control for highways, airspace, railway tracks, and
shipping lanes;
 Process control for power plants, chemical plants, and consumer
products such as soft drinks and beer;
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 Application of RTES

 Applications:
 Medical systems for radiation therapy, patient monitoring, and
defibrillation;
 Military uses such as firing weapons, tracking, and command and
control;
 Manufacturing systems with robots;
 Telephone, radio, and satellite communications;
 Computer games;
 Multimedia systems that provide text, graphic, audio, and video
interfaces;

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 Application of RTES

 Applications:
 Household systems for monitoring and controlling appliances;
 Building managers that control such entities as heat, lights,
doors, and elevators – HVAC.

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 Example of RTES

 Car engine  Air Traffic Management

 Cell phone  Satellite Flight
 Set-top box Management
 Car navigation  Satellite Ground Control
 Industrial control  TV Receiver
 Telecom switch  Flight Control
 Global Positioning System  Electric Shaver
 Toaster

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 Summary

 A real-time system has been described as one which "controls

an environment by receiving data, processing them, and
returning the results sufficiently quickly to affect the
environment at that time".

 The term "real-time" is also used in simulation to mean that

the simulation's clock runs at the same speed as a real clock,
and in process control and enterprise systems to mean
"without significant delay".

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 Summary

 Real-time software may use one or more of the following:

 Synchronous programming languages,
 Real-time operating systems, and
 Real-time networks, each of which provide essential
frameworks on which to build a real-time software
application.

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 Question & Answer

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 Thank You !!!

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