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 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 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

Survey Results

Survey Results

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

• www.infoworld.com/articles/op/xml/00/08/14/000814opvizard.xml

• www.linuxdevices.com/articles/AT3611822672.html• www.linuxdevices.com/articles/AT8151978006.html• www.linuxworld.com/linuxworld/lw-2000-05/lw-05-

embedded.html• www.zdnet.com.au/printfriendly?AT=2000029592-

20265353• www.linuxdevices.com/articles/AT4705998392.html• www.linuxdevices.com/articles/AT2492406168.html