Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
1
A GENERAL VIEW
1.1
INTRODUCTION
Real-time systems are computing systems that must react within precise time con-
straints to events in the environment. As a consequence, the correct behavior of these
systems depends not only on the value of the computation but also on the time at
which the results are produced [SR88]. A reaction that occurs too late could be use-
less or even dangerous. Today, real-time computing plays a crucial role in our society,
since an increasing number of complex systems rely, in part or completely, on com-
puter control. Examples of applications that require real-time computing include the
following:
Chemical and nuclear plant control,
control of complex production processes,
railway switching systems,
automotive applications,
flight control systems,
environmental acquisition and monitoring,
telecommunication systems,
medical systems,
industrial automation,
robotics,
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