Concurrent and Real-Time Programming in Java

Real-time and embedded systems have to respond to externally generated input stimuli within a finite and predictable time. Their correctness depends not only on... » 

Real-time and embedded systems have to respond to externally generated input stimuli within a finite and predictable time. Their correctness depends not only on the logical results of the computations, but also on the time at which those results are produced.

Just over 10 years since its first conception, Java augmented by the Real-Time Specification for Java (RTSJ), is one of the most exciting developments in real-time systems. The approach has been to extend the concurrency model to sup-port real-time programming abstractions, and to provide a complementary approach to memory management that removes the temporal uncertainties of garbage collection.

The book starts with an introduction to concurrent and real-time programming. It then describes the concurrency model of Java, summarizing both its strengths and weaknesses. Examples abound, and a case study of concurrent searching is presented. The book then provides a detailed introduction to and examination of the RTSJ.

Topics include: the new memory management model, the augmented clock and time facilities, scheduling, asynchronous event handlers, real-time threads, asynchronous transfer of control, resource control, access to physical and access to raw memory.

A standard real-time case study - that of an automobile cruise control system - is given which demonstrates the efficacy of many of the new facil-ities. Before concluding, the book considers the use of Java and the RTSJ for high-integrity systems programming. «