LINUX EMBEDDED SYSTEMS TRENDS

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LINUX EMBEDDED SYSTEMS TRENDS

• Steven C. Zupfer
• 07/15/02

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Agenda

• Major Linux trends
• Embedded systems market
• Embedded systems requirements changing
• Linux embedded systems
• Embedded Linux Consortium
• Embedded Linux advantages disadvantages
• Embedded v. Realtime
• Survey Results
• Summary
• References

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Major Linux Trends

• Vendor rivalry Oracle, IBM, SAP promoting Linux
  competitive position v. Microsoft
• Component chaos underlying OS less important.
  Linux viewed component-based
• Appliance computing - Embedded arena
• International computing China Mexico want to
  catch up quickly. Less knowledge base.
• Collegiate computing Linux very familiar

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Embedded Systems

• 80 of microprocessors go to embedded computing
  applications (v. desktop appls)
• Examples telecom, industrial control, consumer
  electronics, retail POS autom, military sys,
  avionics, medical equip
• 50 of embedded device mfr develop maintain
  their own in-house developed proprietary OS
• Finely tuned functionality, Low resource use
• Not flexible, Not powerful for complex appls of
  network connections, incompatible with Internet
  Protocol (IP), Costly

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Embedded Sys Requirements Changing

• Embedded devices are everywhere
• All Embedded 1999 .9B to 2003 1.6B
• Networking technologies to communicate over the
  Internet
• Device application complexity growing
• Cost reduction every penny counts in
  competitive markets
• Time-to-market critical to beat competition
• Open source code wanted understand, tweak

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Linux Embedded Systems

• Linux embedded sys near zero in 98, 99
• 12 Linux embedded sys in 00 for 4th place in
  non-in-house dev. embedded OS
• 38 - 45 of embedded sys developers consider for
  new projects 2nd only to mkt leader, Wind
  Rivers VxWorks
• Embedded Linux Consortium formed 3/02
• Main competitors In-house developed OS Windows
  CE

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Embedded Linux Consortium

• Formed in March 2002
• To promote use of Linux in embedded sys
• Working on certification program any certified
  application works on any certified embedded Linux
  distribution
• Members include Intel, Motorola, Sony, Sharp,
  Red Hat

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Linux Embedded Systems Advantages

• Superb reputation for reliability and robustness
• Stable
• Inexpensive
• Broad range of development tools by embedded
  world standards
• Lots of embedded sys drivers readily available
• Extensive documentation

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Linux Embedded Systems Advantages

• Especially attractive to non-realtime dedicated
  OS, e.g. set-top boxes, embedded servers
• Where primary issues are economics and
  time-to-market
• Increasingly, software cost is primary embedded
  sys cost component
• Software development is major scheduling
  bottleneck

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Linux Embedded Systems Advantages

• Open Source - any one can understand and modify
  it to needs
• Linux modular structure (Windows is not)
• Full Linux 10MB
• Trim Linux floppy disk

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Linux Embedded Systems Disadvantages

• Not Realtime system, e.g. process control,
  mission critical applications
• Linux size but resources on embedded sys is
  growing as processor memory prices fall
• Not always single vendor support
• Lack of Standards So, ELC working on cert
  program for embedded versions of Linux

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Embedded v. Realtime

• Distinction is important to Linux
• Realtime sys need determinacy i.e. guarantee
  a given operation will be completed in a given
  time period
• Embedded sys includes soft realtime, or
  near-realtime where critical time period is
  long enough to be met
• Linux designed to allow interrupt of processes
  and not for determinacy

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Embedded v. Realtime

• Linux is not a realtime sys but, can be modified
  to meet soft realtime constraints
• But, groups are developing true realtime Linux
  versions through add-on modules

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Survey Results
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Survey Results
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Survey Results
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Survey Results
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Embedded OS 2001 sort
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Embedded OS 2002 Projected
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Summary

• Embedded sys is a growth market
• Device mfrs moving from in-house developed
  embedded OS to outsourced
• Linux has good reputation in marketplace
• Linux embedded sys trends - potential 1
  outsourced embedded OS within a couple of years

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References

• www.infoworld.com/articles/op/xml/00/08/14/000814o
  pvizard.xml
• www.linuxdevices.com/articles/AT3611822672.html
• www.linuxdevices.com/articles/AT8151978006.html
• www.linuxworld.com/linuxworld/lw-2000-05/lw-05-emb
  edded.html
• www.zdnet.com.au/printfriendly?AT2000029592-20265
  353
• www.linuxdevices.com/articles/AT4705998392.html
• www.linuxdevices.com/articles/AT2492406168.html