Keil ARM RT-Kernel and RT-Library

ARM RT-Kernel and RT-Library

The RTX Real-Time Kernel is a real-time kernel for ARM7, ARM9, and Cortex-M3 devices. It allows you to create programs that simultaneously perform multiple functions or tasks. This is often required in an embedded application.

The RealView Real-Time Library is a collection of tightly-coupled libraries that are designed to solve the real-time and communication challenges of embedded systems based on ARM powered MCU devices.

RTX Real-Time Kernel

RTX Kernel

Mutex	Memory Pool	Mailbox	Delay & Interval	Event & Semaphore
Scheduler

While it is certainly possible to create real-time programs without an RTOS (by executing one or more functions or tasks in a loop), there are numerous scheduling, maintenance, and timing issues that an RTOS like the RTX Real-Time Kernel solves for you.

The RTX Real-Time Kernel allows flexible scheduling of system resources like CPU and memory and offers several ways to communicate between tasks. It is a powerful RTOS that is easy to use and that works with a wide-variety of ARM derivatives.

Programs written for the RTX Real-Time Kernel use standard C constructs and are compiled with the RealView Compilation Tools provided in the MDK-ARM Development Kit. Additions to the C language allow you to easily declare task functions without the need for complex stack and variable frame configuration. Real-time programs written using the RTX Real-Time Kernel require only that you include a special header file and link the RTX library into your program.

Real-Time Library

The RealView Real-Time Library is designed to solve several common challenges for embedded developers including:

Real-Time Library

Flash File System	TCP/IP Networking	CAN Interface	USB Device Interface
RTX Kernel

Multitasking (which allows you to manage several jobs or tasks on a single CPU).
Real-Time Control (which allows you to configure tasks so that operations execute within a defined period of time).
Inter-Task Communication (which allows tasks in your system to communicate with each other).
Internet Connection via Ethernet or Serial (Modem).
Embedded Web Server including CGI scripting.
E-mail Notification via SMTP.

In addition, the RealView Real-Time Library includes several drivers that interface the RTX Real-Time Kernel to various communication interfaces:

CAN Interface
CAN Interface Hardware Layer Drivers are available for STMicroelectronics STR71x, STR73x, STR75x, and STR91x devices.
USB Device Interface
A USB Device Interface for standard Windows device classes is available for Philips LPC2000 devices.

While it is possible to implement an embedded program without using a real-time kernel, a proven kernel like RL-ARM saves time and makes software development easier.

The RealView MDK-ARM. includes the RTX Real-Time Kernel but not the RTX Real-Time Kernel Source Code, Flash File System, TCP/IP Protocol Suite, or USB/CAN Drivers.

Specifications

Feature	Product
Feature	RL-ARM Real-Time Library	MDK-ARM Real-Time Kernel
Features
RTX Real-Time Kernel
Kernel Source Code
Flash File System
TCP/IP Protocol Suite
CAN Interface
USB Device Interface
Multitasking
Round-Robin
Preemptive
Cooperative
Task Specifications
Priority Levels	255	255
Defined Tasks (max)	Unlimited	Unlimited
Active Tasks (max)	256	256
Context Switch Time	< 5 µsec (At 60MHz)	< 5 µsec (At 60MHz)
Interrupt Lock-Out Time	1.8 µsec (At 60MHz)	1.8 µsec (At 60MHz)
Memory Requirements
CODE Space	< 5K Bytes	< 5K Bytes
RAM Space	≈500 Bytes min	≈500 Bytes min
Timers/Signals
Timeouts
Intervals
User Timers (max)	Unlimited	Unlimited
Signals
Signals (max)	16 per task	16 per task
Inter-Task Communication
Semaphores (counting)
Semaphores (max)	Unlimited	Unlimited
Mailboxes
Mailboxes (max)	Unlimited	Unlimited
Mailbox Size	Unlimited (Default 20)	Unlimited (Default 20)

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