Introducing QoS support in Bluetooth Piconetwith a Class-Based EDF Scheduling

In this paper, we focus on the Bluetooth wireless network, analyzing its ability to support Quality of Service (QoS) requirements defined by the application. In particular, we are interested in two QoS parameters: (i) an application constraint denoting the importance degree of a message, and (ii) its delivery deadline. The QoS perceived by the application depends on the efficiency of the scheduling schemes chosen at the medium access layer. We define the minimal knowledge level required by a scheduling scheme to support these QoS constraints. As an example of classical scheduling schemes, we analyze performances of One-Round Robin (1-RR) and show that it does not provide a sufficient service differentiation. To achieve better service differentiation, we first present enhancements accounting locally for the two QoS parameters. These enhancements are applied to 1-RR scheduling scheme and we then give a comparison between the two versions. These comparisons are done by evaluating in each class, the average message response time and the percentage of messages missing their deadline. We then introduce enhancements in the intra-piconet scheduling. So, we define a new Bluetooth global scheduling, called Class-Based Earliest Deadline First (CB-EDF) that takes into account both locally and globally these two QoS parameters. Simulation results show that CB-EDF achieves a good service differentiation and allows the coexistence of messages with different application constraints on the same ACL link. Moreover, CB-EDF is a flexible solution that adapts itself to the provided knowledge level

Real-time and fault tolerance in distributed control software

Closed loop control systems typically contain multitude of spatially distributed sensors and actuators operated simultaneously. So those systems are parallel and distributed in their essence. But mapping this parallelism onto the given distributed hardware architecture, brings in some additional requirements: safe multithreading, optimal process allocation, real-time scheduling of bus and network resources. Nowadays, fault tolerance methods and fast even online reconfiguration are becoming increasingly important. All those often conflicting requirements, make design and implementation of real-time distributed control systems an extremely difficult task, that requires substantial knowledge in several areas of control and computer science. Although many design methods have been proposed so far, none of them had succeeded to cover all important aspects of the problem at hand. [1] Continuous increase of production in embedded market, makes a simple and natural design methodology for real-time systems needed more then ever

Towards an HLA Run-time Infrastructure with Hard Real-time Capabilities

Our work takes place in the context of the HLA standard and its application in real-time systems context. The HLA standard is inadequate for taking into consideration the different constraints involved in real-time computer systems. Many works have been invested in order to providing real-time capabilities to Run Time Infrastructures (RTI) to run real time simulation. Most of these initiatives focus on major issues including QoS guarantee, Worst Case Transit Time (WCTT) knowledge and scheduling services provided by the underlying operating systems. Even if our ultimate objective is to achieve real-time capabilities for distributed HLA federations executions, this paper describes a preliminary work focusing on achieving hard real-time properties for HLA federations running on a single computer under Linux operating systems. Our paper proposes a novel global bottom up approach for designing real-time Run time Infrastructures and a formal model for validation of uni processor to (then) distributed real-time simulation with CERTI

Centralized vs distributed communication scheme on switched ethernet for embedded military applications

Current military communication network is a generation old and is no longer effective in meeting the emerging requirements imposed by the future embedded military applications. Therefore, a new interconnection system is needed to overcome these limitations. Two new communication networks based upon Full Duplex Switched Ethernet are presented herein in this aim. The first one uses a distributed communication scheme where equipments can emit their data simultaneously, which clearly improves system’s throughput and flexibility. However, migrating all existing applications into a compliant form could be an expensive step. To avoid this process, the second proposal consists in keeping the current centralized communication scheme. Our objective is to assess and compare the real time guarantees that each proposal can offer. The paper includes the functional description of each proposed communication network and a military avionic application to highlight proposals ability to support the required time constrained communications