Entry requirements

Bachelor's degree including Computer Architecture MN1 and Operating Systems MN1 or the equivalent.

Learning outcomes

The course is to introduce a special class of time-sensitive computer systems known as real-time systems whose behaviour must satisfy timing-constraints (i.e. deadlines). They are often embedded in safety-critical applications such as modern vehicles, process control, and traffic control etc., and therefore they are also known as embedded systems. The goal of the course is to make students:

- To understand the basic requirements of real-time systems, and how to program such systems so that the requirements are met.

- To understand how these requirements have influenced the design of real-time programming languages and real-time operating systems.

- To understand the implementation and analysis techniques which enable the requirements to be realised.

Content

The course covers topics:

- Real Time Programming Language, Language support, e.g. Ada tasking

- Real Time Operating Systems (RTOS)

- System support: scheduling, resource handling

- Design and Analysis of RT Application Software

- Modelling and analysis

- Reliability and Fault-Tolerance

- Fault tolerant, failure recovery, exception handling

- Distributed real time systems

- Real Time Communication: TTCAN

Instruction

- Lectures

- Assignment including introductory lectures

- Programming labs

- Project

Assessment

The theoretical part covering 4.5 credits will be examined with exam and the practical part covering 3 credits will be examined with assignments.