A Clash of Worldviews: RTOS Model vs. Actor Model
2026-06-06 No Comments
The geocentric model of the universe is intuitive and perfectly aligned with common sense. After all, we see the sun, planets, and stars circling an
Tag: RTOS
The geocentric model of the universe is intuitive and perfectly aligned with common sense. After all, we see the sun, planets, and stars circling an
Every few years an RTOS vendor rediscovers the fact that developers are tired of creating multiple tasks just to handle multiple events. The latest example
Blocking occurs every time a program waits in line for something to happen. For instance, the basic Arduino “Blink” example turns the LED on and
What are the main programming paradigms in embedded software? Which of them can be mixed together and which are like “oil and water”? NOTE: Embedded.fm
Is it possible to be agile and do modeling, state-machine design and code generation? You bet! Modern event-driven approach with asynchronous active objects, hierarchical state
Due to prevalent blocking, RTOS-based designs are generally difficult to reconcile with the Open-Closed Principle. In contrast, event-driven approach is naturally “Open for Extension and Closed for Modifications”.
Key Concept: A Real-Time Event Framework (RTEF) is an implementation of the Active Object design pattern specifically designed for real-time embedded systems. RTEF provides the
Key Concept: A sequential program explicitly waits in-line, for the expected events in various places in the execution path. This explicit waiting for events is
If you’d like to understand how a Real-Time Operating System (RTOS) really works, here is a free video course for you: RTOS Part-1: Threads as
An RTOS (Real-Time Operating System) is the most universally accepted way of designing and implementing embedded software. It is the most sought after component of
The demise of the ESD Magazine marks the end of an era. In his recent post “Trends in Embedded Software Design“, the magazine insider Michael
For a number of years I’ve been getting questions regarding protothreads and comparisons to state machines. Here is what I think: Protothreads in a Nutshell
Recently I’ve been involved in a discussion on the LinkedIn Real-Time Embedded Engineering group, which I started with the question “Is an RTOS really the
In my previous post, “RTOS Considered Harmful”, I have identified blocking as the main cause of the particular brittleness and inflexibility of the programs based
I have to confess that I’ve been experiencing a severe writer’s block lately. It’s not that I’m short of subjects to talk about, but I’m
As hundreds of commercial and other RTOS offerings can attest, the greatest demand for third-party software in the embedded systems community is for the RTOS.
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