TimeCritical Computing

Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) are a large-scale network of computing systems characterized by their interaction with the physical world (sensors and actuators). CPS are the driving force behind modern civilization, being an integral part of technologies such as avionics including drones, autonomous vehicles, etc. These systems generally have hard real-time constraints that require the cyber components to process physical inputs and generate appropriate physical outputs within pre-defined temporal requirements. For example, think about obstacle detection and avoidance in autonomous vehicles. Such systems, also called time-critical computing systems, are the primary focus of this course.

In this course, you will learn the fundamental concepts of a Real-Time Operating System (RTOS). RTOS is the core software platform used in time-critical computing, just like an OS in a general-purpose computing system. You will learn RTOS techniques for processor scheduling, process synchronization, etc. You will also learn how such time-critical computing platforms are networked together using protocols that support real-time communication. Building on this foundation, you will also learn how to implement a time-critical system using a drone-based platform.