Real Time Operating Systems – Hard VS Soft RTOS

Real-Time Operating Systems – Hard VS Soft RTOS

Real-time operating systems are specially designed to strictly follow the time limits. The actual focus of the real-time operating system is to complete the given task within the time limits.

Examples of real-time operating systems

  1. The operating system of the microwave oven.
  2. The operating system of the Washing machine.
  3. The operating system of the airplane.
  4. The operating system of digital cameras and many more.

The quick response of the process is a must in real-time operating systems. There is no chance of any kind of delay for the completion of any process. A little delay can cause several dangerous issues.

If we see the example of real-time operating systems in our daily life, then we can see that our brain works like a real-time operating system.  If you

see that a truck is coming towards you with a high speed, then you quickly Move your car to another direction.  in this example, while you are driving,  you are brain works like a real-time operating system.

Types of Real-Time systems

There are two main types of real-time operating systems;

  1.  Hard real-time operating systems
  2.  Soft real-time operating systems

Hard real-time operating systems

Hard real-time operating systems strictly and most strictly follows the time. Here, strictly means most strictly. A little delay can cause breakdown is the failure of the real-time operating systems.  Now let’s see the examples of real-time operating systems;

  1. The real-time operating system for ICU in hospitals
  2. The Real-time operating systems for military weapons
  3. The real-time operating system for missile systems
  4. The Real-time operating systems for airplanes
  5. The real-time operating systems for fire extinguisher
Hard Real Time Operating Systems RTOS
Figure: Hard Real-Time Operating Systems RTOS

Soft real-time operating systems

Some real-time operating systems watch just like the hard real-time operating system.  the only difference is that hard real-time operating system strictly and most strictly follows the time,  while soft Real Time systems are not so much strict like a hard real-time operating system.

Soft Real-Time Operating Systems RTOS
Figure: Soft Real-Time Operating Systems RTOS

it means that if a customer comes and ask us to develop a real-time operating system,  then we can ask him/her that he/she requires a soft real-time operating system are hard real-time operating system.  The cost of a hard real-time operating system is higher than the soft real-time operating system.

Suppose we give a task to the soft real-time operating systems, and the operating system failed to complete the task within the given time, then, in this case, real-time systems reschedule the task and again try to complete the task.

Soft real-time operating systems can have a big task ok that is a mixture of real-time task ok and non-real time task.  In this case, the priority for process execution will be given to the real-time task. When the real-time task will complete the operating system allows the non-real time task to complete its execution. Today most of the operating systems are the real-time operating system just like Linux.

Advantages of Real-Rime operating systems

Task switching

Real-time operating systems are designed in such a way that starts switching is a very quick process. Normal traditional operating systems takes a lot of time while switching from one person to another process. The real-time operating system complete the task switching only within some of the microseconds.

Focus execution

The main focus of real-time operating systems is to handle the task in execution,  and just a little focus is on the task in waiting.

Approximately Error free

Real-time operating systems are designed very carefully. https://t4tutorials.com/types-of-software-testing/ Different kinds of software testing techniques are applied to the real-time operating system to test the system. This detailed testing makes the real-time operating system approximately error-free.

Maximum resource utilization

Real-time operating systems are designed to secretly follow the task within a given time. This is not simple and easy to complete the task within time. The real-time operating system utilizes all the hardware efficiently and completely.  The main focus of the real-time operating system is not to save energy or resources. So we can see that the real-time operating system utilize the resources completely and very efficiently.

Usage in embedded systems

Real-time operating systems can also work with embedded systems.

All-time performance

Real-time operating systems are designed to works for 24 hours a day and every day.