#0002 - Baremetal, POSIX, and the Future of RTOS

The Embedded Frontier

Summary
This podcast episode discusses using bare metal and real-time operating systems (RTOS) in embedded systems development. It highlights the steady adoption of RTOS in the industry and the continued relevance of bare metal development, particularly in 8-bit microcontrollers. The episode explores the future of RTOS, including the rise of open-source options like Eclipse ThreadX and Zephyr. It also discusses different models for designing RTOS-based applications, such as the independent, dependent, and POSIX interface models. The episode concludes by encouraging listeners to stay informed about RTOS advancements and learn how to architect applications using RTOS effectively.

Takeaways

• Bare metal development and real-time operating systems (RTOS) are both relevant and widely used in embedded systems development.
• RTOS adoption has remained steady, with about two-thirds of embedded systems using an RTOS and the remaining third using bare metal techniques.
• The future of RTOS includes the rise of open-source options like Eclipse ThreadX and Zephyr, which offer commercial-quality RTOS at open-source costs.
• Different models for designing RTOS-based applications include the independent model, dependent model, and POSIX interface model.

Chapters

1. Introduction to Bare Metal Development (00:00:00)

2. The Use of Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS) (00:02:26)

3. The Role of Microcontrollers in RTOS Adoption (00:05:15)

4. Choosing the Right RTOS (00:09:09)

5. The Future of Real-Time Operating Systems (00:14:21)

6. Different Models for RTOS-Based Applications (00:18:15)

7. Conclusion (00:32:39)