Connecting Real-Time and Non-Real-Time Components

In this paper we describe a solution to the problem of communication between real-time and non-real-time components in a split container architecture. The split architecture carries forward an experience we gained in the The Dresden Real-Time Operating System Project (DROPS) [8]: Often, only small parts of applications need to be real-time capable. Furthermore, often these parts require only a small fraction of the complex services, which the remainder of the application needs. Therefore, we proposed the splitting of applications in these two parts, whereas the small real-time part runs directly on our fast real-time capable L4 microkernel and the remainder runs on a off-the-shelf operating system [14]. Consequently, using this approach for a component-container architecture, we can support real-time components and standard components in one system. In this paper we focus on the connections between both component types. We draft a buffer component which represents a non-real-time component in the real-time container. This component allows using non-real-time component’s complex services from real-time components, without giving up the real-time.