uC/OS-III, The Real-Time Kernel, or a High Performance, Scalable, ROMable, Preemptive, Multitasking Kernel for Microproc
This book puts the spotlight on how a real-time kernel works. Using Micrium's uC/OS-III as a reference, the book consists of two complete parts. The first describes real-time kernels in generic terms. Part II provides examples to the reader, using STMicroelectronics' STM32F107 microcontroller, based on the popular ARM Cortex-M3 architecture. A companion evaluation board (uC/Eval-STM32F107) NOT INCLUDED, and tools (IAR Systems Embedded Workbench for ARM), enable the reader to be up and running quickly, and have an amazing hands-on experience, leading to a high level of proficiency. This book is written for serious embedded systems programmers, consultants, hobbyists, and students interested in understanding the inner workings of a real-time kernel. uC/OS-III is not just a great learning platform, but also a full commercial-grade software package, ready to be part of a wide range of products. uC/OS-III is a highly portable, ROMable, scalable, preemptive real-time, multitasking kernel designed specifically to address the demanding requirements of today's embedded systems. uC/OS-III is the successor to the highly popular uC/OS-II real-time kernel but can use most of uC/OS-II's ports with minor modifi cations. Some of the features of uC/OS-III are: Preemptive multitasking with round-robin scheduling of tasks at the same priority Supports an unlimited number of tasks and other kernel objects Rich set of services: semaphores, mutual exclusion semaphores with full priority inheritance, event flags, message queues, timers, fixed-size memory block management, and more Built-in performance measurements
Why Read This Book
You will get a clear, implementation‑level explanation of how a preemptive RTOS works and how to bring it up on real hardware. The book mixes theory (scheduling, synchronization, timing) with hands‑on examples and porting guidance using uC/OS‑III on an STM32 Cortex‑M3, so you'll be able to both understand and apply kernel concepts to production firmware.
Who Will Benefit
Embedded firmware engineers and system integrators with basic MCU and C experience who need to implement, port, or optimize a commercial/production RTOS for real‑time systems.
Level: Intermediate — Prerequisites: Working knowledge of C, basic microcontroller architecture (interrupts, NVIC), and familiarity with embedded toolchains; familiarity with ARM Cortex‑M basics is helpful.
Key Takeaways
- Explain the core RTOS concepts (tasks, context switching, priorities, preemption) and how they map to kernel data structures.
- Configure and integrate uC/OS‑III on an ARM Cortex‑M3 (STM32F107) target, including ISR handling and system tick setup.
- Implement task synchronization and communication using semaphores, mutexes, message queues, and events.
- Port the kernel to new hardware and toolchains while keeping ROMability and deterministic behavior.
- Measure and optimize kernel performance, memory usage, and responsiveness for real‑time constraints.
Topics Covered
- Part I: RTOS Fundamentals — What Is a Real‑Time Kernel?
- Kernel Architecture and Design Principles
- Tasks, Context Switching, and Scheduling
- Interrupts, ISR Design, and Kernel Interaction
- Time Management, Delays, and Timeouts
- Inter‑task Communication: Semaphores, Mutexes, Queues, Events
- Memory Management, Reentrancy, and ROMable Design
- Porting uC/OS‑III to a New Processor/Toolchain
- Part II: Practical Example — STM32F107 (Cortex‑M3) Implementation
- Integrating with Device Drivers and BSP
- Performance Measurement, Debugging, and Optimization
- Advanced Features, Configuration, and Safety Considerations
- Appendices: API Reference, Build/Toolchain Notes, Sample Code
Languages, Platforms & Tools
How It Compares
More hands‑on and kernel‑specific than generic RTOS texts (e.g., Qing Li's Real‑Time Concepts); complements Labrosse's earlier uC/OS‑II material by covering uC/OS‑III's scalability and newer API and is more focused on a commercial kernel than FreeRTOS guides.
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