Towards a software framework for building highly flexible component-based embedded operating systems

Emerging new computing models make embedded systems become more ubiquitous and pervasive. To adapt the dynamic computing environment, future embedded operating system (EOS) is required to be highly flexible: the static image composition can be configured and the runtime structure can dynamically evolve. In this paper, we present a software framework for building such an EOS through a component-based approach. One unique feature of our framework is its ability of supporting black-box software reuse. This capability permits components from third-party systems to be reused, and frees component developers from the burden of meeting certain implementation constraints imposed by the component model. Based on a flexible binding model, the component runtime service that resides in the nucleus of this framework provides reconfiguration functions to support runtime changes in components and connectors at different levels. To evaluate this framework, we have reorganized uC/OS-II into a component-based one, and we also have implemented a prototype system named as TICK which consists of both native components and reused components. Experiment results show the performance cost induced by our framework is controllable and acceptable.