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ThreadX

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Eclipse ThreadX
DeveloperExpress Logic (original)
Microsoft (former)
Eclipse (current)
Written inC
Working stateCurrent
Source modelOpen source
Initial release1997; 27 years ago (1997)
Latest release6.4.1[1] / February 28, 2024; 9 months ago (2024-02-28)
Repositorygithub.com/eclipse-threadx/threadx/
Marketing targetEmbedded systems, IoT
Update methodRe-install
Package managerNone
PlatformsARC, ARM, Blackfin, CEVA, C6x, MIPS, NXP, PIC, PowerPC, RISC-V, RX, SH, SHARC, TI, V850, Xtensa, x86, Coldfire, others
Kernel typeEmbedded, deterministic, real-time microkernel, picokernel
Default
user interface		Embedded UI support (GUIX)
LicenseMIT License (as of 2023)
Official websitethreadx.io

ThreadX is a highly deterministic, embedded real-time operating system (RTOS) programmed mostly in the language C. It was originally released in 1997 as ThreadX when Express Logic first developed it, later it was renamed to Azure RTOS (2019) after Express Logic was purchased by Microsoft,[2] then most recently it was renamed again to Eclipse ThreadX (2023), or "ThreadX" in its short form, after it transitioned to free open source model under the stewardship of the Eclipse Foundation.[3]

History

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In 1997, ThreadX was first released and marketed by Express Logic of San Diego, California, United States. It was developed by William Lamie,[4] who was also the original author of Nucleus and PX5 RTOS, and was President and CEO of Express Logic. ThreadX version 4 was introduced in 2001, version 5 was introduced in 2005, then version 6 was introduced in 2020 (latest major version). FileX – the embedded file system for ThreadX was introduced in 1999. NetX – the embedded TCP/IP networking stack for ThreadX was introduced in 2002. USBX – the embedded USB support for ThreadX was introduced in 2004. ThreadX SMP for SMP multi-core environments was introduced in 2009. ThreadX Modules was introduced in 2011. ThreadX achieved safety certifications for: TÜV IEC 61508 in 2013, and UL 60730 in 2014. GUIX – the embedded UI for ThreadX was introduced in 2014.

On April 18, 2019, Microsoft purchased Express Logic for an undisclosed sum and it was renamed to Azure RTOS.[2]

On November 21, 2023, Microsoft announced Azure RTOS would be transitioning to an open source model under the stewardship of the Eclipse Foundation, and making the project available under the permissive MIT License.[3] With Eclipse Foundation as the new home, Azure RTOS was renamed to Eclipse ThreadX, or "ThreadX" in its short form.

Overview

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The name ThreadX was derived from the threads that are used as the executable elements, and the letter X represents context switching, i.e., it switches threads.

ThreadX provides priority-based, preemptive scheduling, fast interrupt response, memory management, interthread communication, mutual exclusion, event notification, and thread synchronization features. Major distinguishing technology characteristics of ThreadX include preemption-threshold, priority inheritance, efficient timer management, fast software timers, picokernel design, event-chaining, and small size: minimal size on an ARM architecture processor is about 2 KB.

ThreadX supports multi-core processor environments via either asymmetric multiprocessing (AMP) or symmetric multiprocessing (SMP). Application thread isolation with memory management unit (MMU) or memory protection unit (MPU) memory protection is available with ThreadX Modules.

ThreadX has extensive safety certifications from Technischer Überwachungsverein (TÜV, English: Technical Inspection Association) and UL (formerly Underwriters Laboratories) and is Motor Industry Software Reliability Association MISRA C compliant.

ThreadX is the foundation of Express Logic's X-Ware Internet of things (IoT) platform, which also includes embedded file system support (FileX), embedded UI support (GUIX), embedded Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) and cloud connectivity (NetX/NetX Duo), and Universal Serial Bus (USB) support (USBX). ThreadX has won high appraisal from developers and is a very popular RTOS.[5] As of 2017, according to marketing research firm VDC Research, the ThreadX RTOS has become one of the most popular RTOSes in the world, having been deployed in over 6.2 billion devices, including consumer electronics, medical devices, data networking applications, and SoCs.[6]

Technology

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ThreadX implements a priority-based, preemptive scheduling algorithm with a proprietary feature called preemption-threshold. The latter has been shown to provide greater granularity within critical sections, reduce context switches, and has been the subject of academic research on guaranteeing scheduling.[7]

ThreadX provides a unique construct called event chaining,[8] where the application can register a callback function on all application programming interfaces (APIs) that can signal an external event. This helps applications chain together various public objects in ThreadX such that one thread can effectively block on multiple objects.

ThreadX also provides counting semaphores, mutexes with optional priority inheritance, event flags, message queues, software timers, fixed sized block memory, and variable sized block memory. All APIs in ThreadX that block on resources also have an optional timeout.

ThreadX offers multi-core processor support via either AMP or SMP. Application code isolation is available through ThreadX Modules component.

Safety certification

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ThreadX (and FileX and NetX Duo) have been precertified by SGS-TÜV Saar to the following safety standards: IEC 61508 SIL 4, IEC 62304 Class C, ISO 26262 ASIL D, and EN 50128 SW-SIL 4.

ThreadX (and FileX and NetX Duo) have been precertified by UL to the following safety standards: UL/IEC 60730, UL/IEC 60335, UL 1998

ThreadX has also been certified to DO-178 standards by various military and aerospace companies. It is supported by popular Transport Layer Security (SSL/TLS) libraries such as wolfSSL.[9]

Packaging

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As of 2017, ThreadX is packaged as part of X-Ware IoT Platform in full source code and with no runtime royalty payment.

Major components

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The major ThreadX components are:

ThreadX

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ThreadX is the real-time operating system (RTOS).

FileX & LevelX

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FileX is an optional file system for ThreadX. It supports FAT12, FAT16, FAT32, and exFAT file systems. The latter extends FAT file sizes beyond 4 GB, which is useful for large video files.

It also offers fault tolerance and supports direct NOR and NAND flash memory media through optional flash wear leveling product called LevelX.

GUIX

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GUIX is an optional graphical user interface (GUI) for ThreadX. It provides a 2D computer graphics system that supports multiple display devices with a variety of screen resolutions and color depths. Many predefined graphical widgets are available. A Windows WYSIWYG host tool called GUIX Studio automatically generates C code for GUIX to execute at runtime.

NetX Duo

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NetX Duo is an optional TCP/IP network system for ThreadX. It supports both IPv4 and IPv6 networking with IPsec network security. TCP and UDP socket layers are provided by TLS / DTLS. Optional protocols include ARP, Auto IP, DHCP, DNS, DNS-SD, FTP, HTTP, ICMP, IGMP, mDNS, POP3, PPP, PPPoE, RARP, TFTP, SNTP, SMTP, SNMP, and Telnet. IoT Cloud protocol support includes CoAP, MQTT, and LWM2M. NetX Duo also supports Thread and 6LoWPAN. In 2017, ThreadX and NetX Duo became a Thread Certified Product.[10]

USBX

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USBX is an optional Universal Serial Bus (USB) system for ThreadX. It supports both host / device / on-the-go (OTG). Host controller support includes EHCI, OHCI, and proprietary USB host controllers.

It supports these USB Device Classes: Audio, Asix, CDC/ACM, CDC/ECM, DFU, GSER, HID, PIMA, Printer, Prolific, RNDIS, and Storage.

TraceX

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TraceX is optional host software that provides a graphical view of ThreadX RTOS events. It requires Windows XP or later.

Supported ports

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Products using ThreadX

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Some examples of products that use ThreadX:

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Releases · eclipse-rtos/Threadx". GitHub.
  2. ^ a b Janakiram, MSV (April 21, 2019). "How Does The Express Logic Acquisition Help Microsoft and the IoT Ecosystem". Forbes.
  3. ^ a b "Microsoft Contributes Azure RTOS to Open Source". Microsoft. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  4. ^ Cole, Bernard; McConnel, Toni (September 3, 2010). "Bill Lamie: Story of a man and his real-time operating systems". Embedded. AspenCore.
  5. ^ Carbone, John. "High Performance RTOS "ThreadX": Express Logic: Enabling Shorter Time to Market and Reduced Development Cost". Renesas.
  6. ^ "IoT & Embedded Operating Systems". VDC Research. Retrieved 2018-07-31.
  7. ^ Wang, Yun; Saksena, Manas. "Scheduling Fixed-Priority Tasks with Preemption Threshold" (PDF). Department of Computer Science. University of Utah.
  8. ^ "Event Chaining Enables Real-Time Systems to Respond to Multiple Real-Time Events More Efficient" (PDF). Express Logic.
  9. ^ "wolfSSL with Improved ThreadX/NetX Support". wolfSSL. 2018-01-16. Retrieved 2019-02-13.
  10. ^ "Thread Certified Products". Thread Group. Archived from the original on 2018-06-14. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h "Eclipse - ThreadX - ThreadX Overview". GitHub. Archived from the original on December 3, 2024.
  12. ^ a b "Eclipse - ThreadX - RTOS Docs". GitHub. Archived from the original on December 3, 2024.
  13. ^ "Hewlett Packard". Green Hills Software. Archived from the original on December 8, 2024.
  14. ^ "The Intel Management Engine". bitkeks.eu. December 5, 2017. Archived from the original on April 23, 2024.
  15. ^ Lamie, William E. (January 13, 2006). "Case study: NASA's "Deep Impact" employs embedded systems to score bullseye 80 million miles away". Military Embedded Systems. Archived from the original on April 4, 2015. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  16. ^ nachoparker (February 2, 2019). "What's Wrong with the Raspberry Pi". Own Your Bits. Archived from the original on 2022-05-31. Retrieved 2024-03-09.

Further reading

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ThreadX documentation
RTOS comparison
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