The real time operating system was designed to be used for real time applications. These applications are used for things such as mobile phones, household appliance controllers and programmable thermostats. The real time operating system is used in industrial robots, scientific research equipment and spacecraft.
The real time operating system is based on the speed of its performance rather than the actual amount of work it performs over a given period of time. Using special scheduling algorithms, the real time operating system has tools which are necessary to produce the desired end result. Some of these tools insure minimal interrupt latency as well as a minimal thread switching latency. The tools used in the real-time operating system are developed to permit speed and accuracy.
There are two types of real time operating systems. The first is designed for preemptive priority. This design is meant to switch tasks only if a higher priority requires service. This real time operating system is based on priority scheduling. It is an event-driven design. The second real time operating system is based on the idea of time-sharing. It is equipped to switch tasks according to a clock interrupt. It is also designed to switch tasks regarding events.
A very significant factor in the real time operating system is memory allocation. This feature is critical to perform the intended tasks of the real time operating system. Because these systems are used on the basis of time and accuracy, there needs to be sufficient memory to store the necessary data. With time being priority, there is no room for interruptions regarding locating data. A second detail to consider regarding memory allocation in the real time operating system is fragmentation. Since these machines often run for very long periods of time, perhaps even years without being rebooted, it is imperative to ensure the memory does not become fragmented. A real time operating system is equipped to handle these situations. The real time operating system is in a class of its own. For more information about the design and features of this operating system, browse the internet. A search for the real time operating system will produce plenty of useful information.