RTOS Revs Up SoCs Based On MIPS32 Cores

Like the MIPS32 4K processor architecture, the VRTX real-time operating systems (RTOSs) are targeted for use in system-on-chip (SoC) designs, such as set-top boxes, digital cameras, routers and handheld devices, where, according to the company, memory efficiency and low power consumption are as important as the RTOS's features and performance. The VRTX product family consists of the VRTXsa scalable architecture and the VRTXmc microcontroller versions. Upwardly compatible with VRTXsa at the application program interface (API) level, the VRTXmc is a compact real-time executive that provides task management and scheduling with negligible intrusion. For resource-constrained applications, it offers a fast, lightweight means of controlling the application tasks and maintaining efficient use of processing power.
The VRTXsa is offered as a full-featured, memory-efficient RTOS that provides a comprehensive feature set and a wide range of configuration and scalability options. It is a functional super-set of VRTXmc and offers reduced interrupt and task-switch latency, wide I/O support, non-intrusive memory protection, and a set of RTOS system calls.