Real-Time Operating Systems for Small Microcontrollers

Abstract

Real-time operating systems have gained popularity in microcontroller- and processor-based embedded system design. This article discusses differences between RTOSs and generic operating systems, the advantages and disadvantages of using RTOSs for small microcontroller system development, and the benchmarking methods used for RTOSs. Benchmarking results for four RTOSs show no clear winner, with each RTOS performing better on some criteria than others.