Silicon real time operating system for embedded DSPs

Abstract

This paper presents a novel idea of silicon RTOS (sRTOS), a real time operating system in silicon. By implementing RTOS functionality in hardware optimizes context switching, operating system overhead and interrupt latency. The sRTOS accepts priority-based interrupts from external sources and makes corresponding tasks available in ready queue waiting for their turn to take charge of CPU. A kernel implemented in hardware schedules these tasks on priority basis. Corresponding to each task register-file banks are employed for fast context switching. Resources are allocated to the tasks on priority basis. The sRTOS is integrated with AVZ2I DSP (A VAZ Inc. single MAC DSP www.avaznet.com) for applications requiring zero cycle RTOS overheads