Real-Time Operating Systems An Overview of RoBIOS

Real-Time Operating Systems Correctness of the system depends on: Correctness of the system depends on: Correctness of the result Correctness of the result Timely reception of the result, i.e. receive result before deadline Timely reception of the result, i.e. receive result before deadline Types of RTOS’s Types of RTOS’s Hard RTOS – nuclear power plant, heart monitor, some robotics Hard RTOS – nuclear power plant, heart monitor, some robotics Soft RTOS – some robotics Soft RTOS – some robotics

RoBIOS: Real-Time Robot Operating System Designed to control robotic platforms built at the University of Western Australia by Thomas Bräunl, et. al. Designed to control robotic platforms built at the University of Western Australia by Thomas Bräunl, et. al. Including: Including: Androids Androids Hexapods Hexapods Eyebot Vehicles Eyebot Vehicles

RoBIOS: Real-Time Robot Operating System

RoBIOS: Benefits to Programming Robots Has methods to interact with all on- board I/O devices Has methods to interact with all on- board I/O devices No having to create drivers by hand! No having to create drivers by hand! No having to worry about low-level details of hardware devices! No having to worry about low-level details of hardware devices! Software libraries and cross compiler allow use of C programming language to develop programs Software libraries and cross compiler allow use of C programming language to develop programs

RoBIOS: Inputs and Outputs Inputs Inputs From the Environment From the Environment From the Program/Programmer From the Program/Programmer Outputs Outputs

RoBIOS: Inputs from the Environment Microphone Microphone Detect sounds Detect sounds Not high enough quality for voice recognition Not high enough quality for voice recognition Color Camera Color Camera Image detection Image detection Predefined functions to parse image Predefined functions to parse image Infrared Position Sensitive Detector Infrared Position Sensitive Detector Uses infrared beams to detect distances Uses infrared beams to detect distances Keeps robot from running into things if used correctly Keeps robot from running into things if used correctly

RoBIOS: Inputs from the Program/Programmer Soft Buttons Soft Buttons Four buttons whose meanings change as the menu above them does Four buttons whose meanings change as the menu above them does RS232 – Serial Port RS232 – Serial Port Used to download programs Used to download programs Can be used for wired communication Can be used for wired communication Parallel Port Parallel Port Can be used to transmit images from camera back to a PC Can be used to transmit images from camera back to a PC A/D – Wireless Communication A/D – Wireless Communication From bot-to-bot and supposedly from bot-to-computer and computer-to-bot From bot-to-bot and supposedly from bot-to-computer and computer-to-bot

RoBIOS: Outputs Audio Audio Can play simple sound files Can play simple sound files LCD Screen LCD Screen Great for testing, can be used to display text or black/white images Great for testing, can be used to display text or black/white images Movement Movement Servos and motors controlling camera movement and wheels/legs Servos and motors controlling camera movement and wheels/legs

RoBIOS: Other Useful Functions Multi-threading Multi-threading Older versions only allowed very limited and primitive multi-threading Older versions only allowed very limited and primitive multi-threading Recent new version allows for pre- emptive multi-threading Recent new version allows for pre- emptive multi-threading Semaphores Semaphores Aid in their creation and updating Aid in their creation and updating Timer Timer Allows programmer to check internal time Allows programmer to check internal time Interrupts Interrupts Can enable and disable CPU interrupts Can enable and disable CPU interrupts