LINUX EMBEDDED SYSTEMS TRENDS Steven C. Zupfer 07/15/02

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“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”

“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

Survey Results

Embedded OS – 2001 sort

Embedded OS – 2002 Projected

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

References zard.xmlwww.infoworld.com/articles/op/xml/00/08/14/000814opvi zard.xml embedded.htmlwww.linuxworld.com/linuxworld/lw /lw-05- embedded.html www.zdnet.com.au/printfriendly?AT=