MCED-H: An efficient scheduling policy for energy harvesting mixed-criticality real-time systems

Real-time systems traditionally rely on batteries, which have limited lifespans. Energy harvesting offers a sustainable alternative but introduces challenges due to the unpredictable nature of environmental energy sources. Integrating energy harvesting with mixed-criticality (MC) features further complicates system design. This paper presents the MCED-H algorithm, a novel approach for scheduling MC tasks in energy-constrained environments. MCED-H (Mixed-Criticality ED-H) is an enhanced scheduling algorithm based on ED-H, which itself is an extension of EDF for energy-harvesting systems, tailored specifically for mixed-criticality real-time applications. By employing virtual deadlines and adaptive mode switching, MCED-H effectively manages energy resources and ensures the timely completion of critical tasks. Experimental results demonstrate significant improvements in system reliability and energy efficiency compared to state-of-the-art techniques.