Operating System
A good operating system (OS) provides a solid interface to the hardware and allows the application to be managed in the most efficient manner possible. And regardless of what the OS is asked to do, it stays responsive to the overall system.
Nucleus OS Now OpenMAX™ IL Certified
Mentor’s Nucleus OS Multimedia Framework (MMF) is the first in the industry to receive Khronos Group’s OpenMAX IL certification. See what OpenMAX certification means to you.
So how does an operating system like Nucleus OS stay responsive?
From the very beginning, Nucleus OS was designed exclusively for real-time performance. It was conceived from the ground up for resource-constrained devices (frequency and memory) and for environments where squeezing out every cycle per watt was paramount. Thus, developers were able to focus on differentiating their products while confident their OS foundation would not adversely impact the system’s overall performance.
From a real-time kernel just a few years back, Nucleus OS has evolved into a complete OS comprised of kernel services, extensions, and APIs. Componentizing Nucleus OS into logically related functionality not only provides you with significant cost savings (customers don’t have to pay for what they don’t use), but also provides an easy route for reducing the amount of ROM and RAM required to run your system.
Why Nucleus OS Makes Good Design Sense
You’ll reduce your bill of materials costs
Like all of Nucleus OS, the Nucleus Kernel source code is provided at no additional cost. Its small size does not stress system resources (memory, cache, and CPU cycles) like some of the other OS options on the market today. As a result, you can minimize hardware costs while maximizing performance.
You can take advantage of easy-to-learn and use APIs
Nucleus OS offers a consistent, intuitive, easy-to-use and learn API. No mumbo jumbo, no jargon or cryptic abbreviations used in our APIs. You’ll receive whole words and complete documentation. This ensures that you’re productive from day one.
You’ll benefit from the designed-in deterministic, real-time response
Real-time applications are called real-time for a reason. Real-time execution requires deterministic, fast interrupt response, and fast context switching. Nucleus Kernel utilizes a two-layer interrupt mechanism that minimizes the amount of time spent in critical sections.
You’ll be able to develop with familiar APIs
ANSI C, POSIX real-time extensions, C++ for real-time, and micro-ITRON APIs are all available.
You’ll get guaranteed real-time responsiveness in multicore systems
Suitable for asymmetric, symmetric, and threaded architectures, Nucleus Inter-Processor Communications (IPC) is a flexible, high-speed, zero-copy mechanism for synchronization and communication on multicore chips.
You’ll have a memory management unit (MMU) at your fingertips
Increase quality and eliminate embarrassing recalls by finding bugs early. Nucleus MMU enables the MMU hardware and allows for a wide variety of services to be protected, from tasks to system objects to the entire kernel. You can reduce your time-to-market by using Nucleus MMU as a debugging tool during development, as well as for protection in your final product. As with all Nucleus products, Nucleus MMU applications are highly portable to any new CPU architecture.
You’ll be able to dynamically load, unload, and execute your application on a running target
The Nucleus OS DDL API allows you to easily introduce new sections of code into your existing application from a remote development host. It also provides for software updates in your product after deployment. Using Dynamic Download, you can speed up your download time and eliminate the overhead associated with rebuilding and linking your entire application.
As your needs grow, you can easily add additional Nucleus OS services with the knowledge they will work out-of-the-box with your current software design. Nucleus OS modular services include:
Nucleus Kernel
The efficiency of Nucleus Kernel will not stress system resources (memory, cache, CPU cycles, etc.) allowing you to minimize hardware costs while maximizing system performance. The hard, real-time performance of Nucleus Kernel makes it the top choice for real-time applications.
Nucleus Networking
Reviewing the overwhelming number of IP-based protocols can be excruciating. Nucleus Networking offers a complete range of communication protocols fully integrated and optimized for real-time embedded applications.
Nucleus Graphics and GUI
The GUI has become a key differentiator among today’s devices. See how Nucleus Graphics offers you complete management and control of displays and multimedia user interfaces. The days of simple, text-based screens are long gone.
Nucleus File System
Storing and retrieving data, and at the same time, managing multiple tasks while reaching across multiple standards-based file systems is no longer a trivial operation. Nucleus File System helps minimize the complexity.
Nucleus USB
USB has become the number one choice for connectivity in the world today. Taking advantage of everything USB offers can sometimes turn into a complex task. A proven, industry-certified solution like Nucleus USB makes the job easier.
Nucleus Bus Support
Bus system connectivity is quickly becoming the norm. Designing for these many technologies, CAN (and CANOpen), PCI (and PCI-X), SPI, and PC can often turn into a huge undertaking – something you may not have the time to do.
Nucleus Security/Encryption
Digital connectivity is pervasive in our society today. The potential for a security breach is high. Nucleus Security/Encryption provides a complete array of encryption and hashing technologies to help your customers overcome the risks.