I am looking for a definitive ("one stop shop") introductory book for
real-time programming.

The book should not be enslaved to any particular processor or RTOS,
but rather would explain the concepts first and then only use a
specific processor or RTOS for examples.

Most importantly, the book should do an excellent and exhaustive job
explaining mutexes, semaphores, task synchronization, and
inter-process communications.

I've been looking and there are a couple candidates, but I'm not sure
which one to get.

Any recommendations?

Thanks for any help.

From:	Michael E. Thomadakis
Subject:	Re: What is the best RTOS book?
Date:	Mon, 27 Dec 2004 04:43:57 GMT

Good textbooks I would recommend are, in decreasing order of preference:

1) Liu, J.W.S. (2000): Real-Time Systems Prentice Hall

2) Buttazzo, G.C. (1997): Hard Real-Time Computing: Predictable Scheduling
Algorithms and Applications, Kluwer Academic Publishers.

3) Real-Time Systems, C. M. Krishna/ Kang G. Shin, McGraw-Hill ISBN:
0070570434

There are many other good textbooks, but the 1) above will give you a good
introduction to issues underlying RT systems.

-MT

On Fri, 21 May 2004, viktor wrote:

v > Date: 21 May 2004 07:51:31 -0700
v > From: viktor
v > Newsgroups: comp.programming.threads, comp.realtime
v > Subject: What is the best RTOS book?
v >
v > I am looking for a definitive ("one stop shop") introductory book for
v > real-time programming.
v >
v > The book should not be enslaved to any particular processor or RTOS,
v > but rather would explain the concepts first and then only use a
v > specific processor or RTOS for examples.
v >
v > Most importantly, the book should do an excellent and exhaustive job
v > explaining mutexes, semaphores, task synchronization, and
v > inter-process communications.
v >
v > I've been looking and there are a couple candidates, but I'm not sure
v > which one to get.
v >
v > Any recommendations?
v >
v > Thanks for any help.
v >

From:	Bruce
Subject:	Re: What is the best RTOS book?
Date:	Mon, 27 Dec 2004 04:43:42 GMT

In comp.realtime
viktorvich@yahoo.com (viktor) wrote:

>I am looking for a definitive ("one stop shop") introductory book for
>real-time programming.
>
>The book should not be enslaved to any particular processor or RTOS,
>but rather would explain the concepts first and then only use a
>specific processor or RTOS for examples.
>
>Most importantly, the book should do an excellent and exhaustive job
>explaining mutexes, semaphores, task synchronization, and
>inter-process communications.
>
>I've been looking and there are a couple candidates, but I'm not sure
>which one to get.

Frankly, for an intro and yet indepth RTOS text, I would recommend UCOSO-II
wich also comes with full source code. The into chapters cover RTOS
commonality very well.

From:	Ed Skinner
Subject:	Re: What is the best RTOS book?
Date:	Mon, 27 Dec 2004 04:43:43 GMT

On Sat, 22 May 2004 01:27:30 +0000, Bruce wrote:

> In comp.realtime
> viktorvich@yahoo.com (viktor) wrote:
>
>>I am looking for a definitive ("one stop shop") introductory book for
>>real-time programming.
>>
>>The book should not be enslaved to any particular processor or RTOS, but
>>rather would explain the concepts first and then only use a specific
>>processor or RTOS for examples.
>>
>>Most importantly, the book should do an excellent and exhaustive job
>>explaining mutexes, semaphores, task synchronization, and inter-process
>>communications.
>>
>>I've been looking and there are a couple candidates, but I'm not sure
>>which one to get.
>
> Frankly, for an intro and yet indepth RTOS text, I would recommend
> UCOSO-II wich also comes with full source code. The into chapters cover
> RTOS commonality very well.

I will second this recommendation. The second chapter, Real-Time Systems
Concepts has the clearest explanations of the various "gadgets" used in
almost all RTOSs. The book comes with source code and the remaining
chapters describe the code, and how to use it, in considerable detail.
(For study/student use, no license is needed for the code.)

MicroC/OS-II: The Real-Time Kernel
Jean J. Labrosse
R&D Books
ISBN 0-87930-543-6
http://www.uCOS-II.com/

From:	Ed Skinner
Subject:	Re: What is the best RTOS book?
Date:	Mon, 27 Dec 2004 04:43:44 GMT

On Sat, 22 May 2004 09:04:23 -0700, Ed Skinner wrote:

> On Sat, 22 May 2004 01:27:30 +0000, Bruce wrote:
>
>> In comp.realtime
>> viktorvich@yahoo.com (viktor) wrote:
>>
>>>I am looking for a definitive ("one stop shop") introductory book for
>>>real-time programming.
>>>
>>>The book should not be enslaved to any particular processor or RTOS, but
>>>rather would explain the concepts first and then only use a specific
>>>processor or RTOS for examples.
>>>
>>>Most importantly, the book should do an excellent and exhaustive job
>>>explaining mutexes, semaphores, task synchronization, and inter-process
>>>communications.
>>>
>>>I've been looking and there are a couple candidates, but I'm not sure
>>>which one to get.
>>
>> Frankly, for an intro and yet indepth RTOS text, I would recommend
>> UCOSO-II wich also comes with full source code. The into chapters cover
>> RTOS commonality very well.
>
> I will second this recommendation. The second chapter, Real-Time Systems
> Concepts has the clearest explanations of the various "gadgets" used in
> almost all RTOSs. The book comes with source code and the remaining
> chapters describe the code, and how to use it, in considerable detail.
> (For study/student use, no license is needed for the code.)
>
> MicroC/OS-II: The Real-Time Kernel
> Jean J. Labrosse
> R&D Books
> ISBN 0-87930-543-6
> http://www.uCOS-II.com/

And after checking the above web-site, I see there's a second edition
available that is rated even better. This same author also has a second
book that looks interesting. These books aren't cheap but, as I say, the
MicroC/OS-II book is just about the best I've seen in 30 years and, based
on the fact that he's published a second book, I'm going to spend the
money and buy both (even though I have the first edition of the first
book) based on Mr. Labrosse's reputation.
Good luck!

From:	Kamal R. Prasad
Subject:	Re: What is the best RTOS book?
Date:	Mon, 27 Dec 2004 04:43:41 GMT

viktorvich@yahoo.com (viktor) wrote in message news:...
> I am looking for a definitive ("one stop shop") introductory book for
> real-time programming.
>
Then comp.programming.threads isn't the right forum for that question.

> The book should not be enslaved to any particular processor or RTOS,
> but rather would explain the concepts first and then only use a
> specific processor or RTOS for examples.
>

Difficult to get an authoritative book that meets your requirement. In
either case, the RTOS will have very few design elements that are tied
to the hw and reflected in the API (in which case it won't be a well
designed RTOS).
I referred to one book on uCos -but most of my theories/notions are
home-grown(a result of hallicunating on the job). Note that many of
the early pioneers of RTOS'es are now moving towards (freeware) UNIX,
because of the problems/restrictions associated with those
implementations as well as the increased cpu+memory being made
available by modern technology -which allows for a fatter OS to be
loaded onto the embedded device.

> Most importantly, the book should do an excellent and exhaustive job
> explaining mutexes, semaphores, task synchronization, and
> inter-process communications.
>

Check out any std book on UNIX -as the same provides these facilities.
The only major differences between UNIX and an RTOS providing the same
as the protected memory model (kernel v userspace), and interrupt
handling -which is relegated to the kernel level.

regards
-kamal

> I've been looking and there are a couple candidates, but I'm not sure
> which one to get.
>
> Any recommendations?
>
> Thanks for any help.

From:	Joe Seigh
Subject:	Re: What is the best RTOS book?
Date:	Mon, 27 Dec 2004 04:43:42 GMT

"Kamal R. Prasad" wrote:
>
> viktorvich@yahoo.com (viktor) wrote in message news:...
>
> > Most importantly, the book should do an excellent and exhaustive job
> > explaining mutexes, semaphores, task synchronization, and
> > inter-process communications.
> >
>
> Check out any std book on UNIX -as the same provides these facilities.
> The only major differences between UNIX and an RTOS providing the same
> as the protected memory model (kernel v userspace), and interrupt
> handling -which is relegated to the kernel level.
>

RTOS tend to have bounded response times and stuff like that, so you
can make assumptions that aren't generally valid in a normal multi-threaded
environment. But because of the bounded response time restrictions, there
are some things you cannot do in a real time environment.

Also, most RT environements tend to be on a uniprocessor microcontroller. There
are some techniques that you can get away with on uniprocessors that don't
work on multiprocessors. It will be interesting to see what happens when that
4-way ARM microprocessor becomes widely available.

Joe Seigh

From:	Kamal R. Prasad
Subject:	Re: What is the best RTOS book?
Date:	Mon, 27 Dec 2004 04:43:43 GMT

Joe Seigh wrote in message news:<40AE57AD.60E1621F@xemaps.com>...
> "Kamal R. Prasad" wrote:
> >
> > viktorvich@yahoo.com (viktor) wrote in message news:...
> >
> > > Most importantly, the book should do an excellent and exhaustive job
> > > explaining mutexes, semaphores, task synchronization, and
> > > inter-process communications.
> > >
> >
> > Check out any std book on UNIX -as the same provides these facilities.
> > The only major differences between UNIX and an RTOS providing the same
> > as the protected memory model (kernel v userspace), and interrupt
> > handling -which is relegated to the kernel level.
> >
>
> RTOS tend to have bounded response times and stuff like that, so you

The response times are bounded in that -the executing code has full
control over all of the system resources. But, the RTOS provides v few
services to ensure a quality of service per-se. Some of the stuff that
requires realtime response is actually in-built into the application
running on top of the RTOS.

> can make assumptions that aren't generally valid in a normal multi-threaded

The multi-tasking feature of UNIX can be either curbed by setting
scheduling properties of the process to realtime, or by inserting that
code into the kernel. Its basically dependent on the scheduler to live
upto one's expectations of realtime processing.But its a fact that the
interrupt handlers(notably sys_clock()) will continue to execute -and
consume a few cycles while the high-priority process is executing.[
SCHED_FIFO+max priority provides the equivalent of realtime execution
within threads].
The only issues I have is that POSIX does not mandate a finite
response time/overhead on interfaces. For eg;- pthread_self() is not
required to be an inexpensive call [but could well have made a diff to
the RTOS programmer if it had been explicitly stated to be a macro].

> environment. But because of the bounded response time restrictions, there
> are some things you cannot do in a real time environment.
>
You can -it just requires re-inventing the wheel.

> Also, most RT environements tend to be on a uniprocessor microcontroller. There
> are some techniques that you can get away with on uniprocessors that don't
> work on multiprocessors. It will be interesting to see what happens when that
> 4-way ARM microprocessor becomes widely available.
>
> Joe Seigh

The RTOS code [both the OS and the application on top] will be
rendered unusable in that situation. So, that is one reason to migrate
from RTOS to UNIX[lke operating system].

regards
-kamal

From:	Pete Fenelon
Subject:	Re: What is the best RTOS book?
Date:	Mon, 27 Dec 2004 18:29:33 +0000

In comp.realtime viktor wrote:
> I am looking for a definitive ("one stop shop") introductory book for
> real-time programming.
>

No such thing exists. The nearest you might come is Burns and Wellings
"Real Time Systems and Their Programming Languages".

pete
--
pete@fenelon.com "there's no room for enigmas in built-up areas"

From:	Jogi Kuenstner
Subject:	Re: What is the best RTOS book?
Date:	Wed, 29 Dec 2004 02:25:40 +0100

viktor wrote:

> I am looking for a definitive ("one stop shop") introductory book for
> real-time programming.
>
> The book should not be enslaved to any particular processor or RTOS,
> but rather would explain the concepts first and then only use a
> specific processor or RTOS for examples.
>
> Most importantly, the book should do an excellent and exhaustive job
> explaining mutexes, semaphores, task synchronization, and
> inter-process communications.
>
> I've been looking and there are a couple candidates, but I'm not sure
> which one to get.
>
> Any recommendations?
>
> Thanks for any help.

I just started reading "Real-Time Concepts for Embedded Systems"
(ISBN: 1578201241).
It looks really promising, a rather complete overview about the
Real-time-concepts, and not about a specific RTOS.

Jogi
--
The particular mistake will not be repeated. There are plenty of
mistakes left that have not yet been used. A. Tanenbaum
JogiKue@kuenstner.de

From:	Paul Tarvydas
Subject:	Re: What is the best RTOS book?
Date:	Mon, 03 Jan 2005 11:07:52 -0500

> viktor wrote:
>
>> I am looking for a definitive ("one stop shop") introductory book for
>> real-time programming.

Ric Holt's books give the best explanation of RTOS principles I've seen,
including the description/innards of a sample kernel.

Concurrent Euclid, the Unix* System and Tunis
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0201106949/qid=1104767766/sr=1-9/ref=sr_1_9/103-5648021-7092601?v=glance&s=books

Structured Concurrent Programming With Operating Systems Applications
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0201029375/qid=1104767766/sr=1-7/ref=sr_1_7/103-5648021-7092601?v=glance&s=books