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The growth of smart IoT devices with feature-rich applications and the need to interact with cloud-based services are placing new requirements on embedded IoT software developers. Wearables, portable medical devices, energy management systems, and other smart connected devices are often based on resource-limited systems. IoT systems can have limited memory, so a single monolithic application cannot always be loaded at startup with all the software required for the breadth of services. IoT systems that have limited memory resources must run applications based on current need, and with the ability to free memory resources when the application is no longer required. Large applications must be parsed into smaller algorithms and loaded sequentially as modules, only when needed to conserve memory resources.
The management of software on IoT devices requires the ability to upgrade applications and/or load new modules using cloud- based services. This requires that the real-time operating system (RTOS) makes use of the memory protection units on the reduced instruction set computing (RISC) designed microprocessors, such as the ARM Cortex-M, which are a group of 32-bit RISC processor cores licensed by ARM Holdings that are intended for use as microcontrollers. These memory protection units isolate software modules for dynamic linking and loading (DLL), so software can be loaded from system memory as needed, or from cloud-based services to upgrade a system, provision the device, or provide fee-based software.
Today's complex IoT devices can also combine multiple wireless connections, driving the need for consolidated wireless solutions that support multiple protocols on a single device. Bringing wireless connectivity to IoT devices requires that the RTOS supports connectivity solutions, such as the Texas Instruments TI's WiLink 8 combo with 2.4 and 5GHz dual-band throughput, Wi-Fi 802.11 capabilities, and dual-mode Bluetooth and Bluetooth low energy technology. The low power features of the WiLink 8 modules require support based on the RTOS' power management framework to better optimize power consumption and extend battery life. These pre-integrated solutions help enable IoT developers to bring to market connected devices with the security protocols that support multiple wireless modes in a single chip for medical, industrial and other IoT products.
IoT node devices also require low-power solutions to interface with cloud-based services supporting IP protocols. This requires the RTOS to make use of constrained application protocol (CoAP) to bridge IoT nodes that are power constrained or have limited system resources, yet require cloud access. Utilizing IP standards, the RTOS with CoAP provides a representational state transfer (REST) software framework architecture used for creating scalable web services with datagram transport layer security (DTLS) and user datagram protocol (UDP) over IP for transport, making it more efficient to cloud services.
An example of an RTOS that appears to meet the requirements of IoT is Mentor Graphics Corporation's Embedded Nucleus RTOS for connected embedded devices. The Nucleus RTOS process model designed for ARM Cortex-M-based cores is designed to provide application DLL capabilities for IoT devices, which can be reconfigured, updated, and/or provisioned using cloud-based services to utilize remote software services. This allows embedded developers to dynamically modify application software during system operation, keeping the target up to date, even in mission-critical environments. The Nucleus RTOS solution provides the IoT middleware, scalable footprint, power management, and security required for IoT connected devices.
The lightweight Nucleus process model leverages the memory protection unit (MPU) of Cortex-M0+, Cortex-M3, and Cortex-M4 cores to create protected regions in memory that can be used for dynamic application loading and unloading at system startup or afterward during run time. It also includes CoAP with DTLS security support, and support for the TI WiLink 8 module solution for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless combo connectivity.
ARC understands IoT adoption will be evolution, not revolution, but its rate of adoption will clearly be linked to the ease of embedding and deploying these capabilities into the "things" itself. That is why interaction with cloud-based services, and the ability for developers to maximize the capability of these resource and power constrained devices, is critical for a more rapid adoption of IoT. RTOS' designed for IoT, such as Mentor Graphics Corporation's Embedded Nucleus, are helping to accelerate that adoption.