An Overview of the nMPRA and nHSE Microarchitectures for Real-Time Applications

Area of Science:

• Computer Engineering
• Embedded Systems
• Real-Time Systems

Background:

• Advancements in embedded systems and IoT enable microsecond temporal resolutions in real-time control systems.
• Current real-time operating systems (RTOSs) face challenges with non-deterministic behavior due to hazards and software implementation delays, impacting deadline adherence.
• Efficient central processing unit (CPU) utilization and task execution predictability are crucial for real-time systems (RTSs).

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and deploy innovative hardware solutions for improving RTOS performance.
• To enhance the predictability of thread execution and satisfy timing constraints in real-time systems.
• To implement hardware structures for static and dynamic task scheduling and RTOS mechanisms.

Main Methods:

• Design and implementation of novel hardware architectures for RTOS functions.
• Development of a high-performing microarchitecture for critical RTOS operations.
• Validation of the proposed architectures for feasible scheduling under high CPU utilization.

Main Results:

• The designed hardware implementations aim to significantly reduce delays associated with RTOS mechanisms.
• A validated microarchitecture is expected to achieve thread context switching and event response times of a single clock cycle.
• The proposed solutions ensure feasible scheduling even with near-maximum CPU utilization.

Conclusions:

• Hardware implementation of RTOS functions offers a viable solution to overcome software-induced delays and improve real-time system performance.
• The developed microarchitecture provides a significant advancement in achieving minimal latency for critical real-time operations.
• This research contributes to more robust and efficient real-time control systems, particularly for demanding applications with strict timing requirements.