uCOS-III-NXP-LPC1768 - The Real-Time Kernel

Jean J.
Labrosse
Weston, FL 33326
Micrim Press
1290 Weston Road, Suite 306
Weston, FL 33326
USA
www.micrium.com
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Copyright 2010 by Micrim Press except where noted otherwise. Published by Micrim Press.
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this publication may be
reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval
system, without the prior written permission of the publisher; with the exception that the
program listings may be entered, stored, and executed in a computer system, but they may not
be reproduced for publication.
The programs and code examples in this book are presented for instructional value. The
programs and examples have been carefully tested, but are not guaranteed to any particular
purpose. The publisher does not offer any warranties and does not guarantee the accuracy,
adequacy, or completeness of any information herein and is not responsible for any errors or
omissions. The publisher assumes no liability for damages resulting from the use of the
information in this book or for any infringement of the intellectual property rights of third parties
that would result from the use of this information.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2010930936
Library of Congress subject headings:
1. Embedded computer systems
2. Real-time data processing
3. Computer software - Development
For bulk orders, please contact Micrim Press at: +1 954 217 2036
100-uCOS-III-NXP-LPC1768-001
ISBN: 978-0-9823375-5-4
To my loving and caring wife, Manon,

and our two children James and Sabrina.
Table of Contents
Part I: C/OS-III The Real-Time Kernel
Foreword to C/OS-III by Jack Ganssle.......................................... 19
Preface .................................................................................................. 21
Chapter 1
1-1
1-2
1-3
1-4
1-5
1-6
1-7
1-8
1-9
1-10
1-11
Introduction ........................................................................................... 23
Foreground/Background Systems ....................................................... 24
Real-Time Kernels................................................................................. 25
RTOS (Real-Time Operating System)................................................... 27
C/OS-III................................................................................................ 27
C/OS, C/OS-II and C/OS-III Features Comparison ....................... 32
How the Book is Organized.................................................................. 34
C/Probe ............................................................................................... 34
Conventions .......................................................................................... 35
Chapter Contents.................................................................................. 36
Licensing ............................................................................................... 40
Contacting Micrium............................................................................... 40
Chapter 2
2-1
2-2
2-3
2-4
2-5
2-6
2-7
2-8
Directories and Files ............................................................................. 41

Application Code .................................................................................. 44
CPU........................................................................................................ 45
Board Support Package (BSP) ............................................................. 46
C/OS-III, CPU Independent Source Code ......................................... 47
C/OS-III, CPU Specific Source Code ................................................. 51
C/CPU, CPU Specific Source Code ................................................... 52
C/LIB, Portable Library Functions...................................................... 54
Summary ............................................................................................... 55
Table of Contents
Chapter 3
3-1
3-2
Getting Started with C/OS-III ............................................................. 59

Single Task Application ........................................................................ 60
Multiple Tasks Application with Kernel Objects .................................. 68
Chapter 4
4-1
4-1-1
4-2
4-2-1
4-3
4-4
Critical Sections .................................................................................... 77

Disabling Interrupts............................................................................... 78
Measuring Interrupt Disable Time ........................................................ 78
Locking the Scheduler .......................................................................... 79
Measuring Scheduler Lock Time.......................................................... 80
C/OS-III Features with Longer Critical Sections................................ 81
Summary ............................................................................................... 82
Chapter 5
5-1
5-2
5-3
5-4
5-5
5-5-1
5-5-2
5-6
5-6-1
5-6-2
5-6-3
5-6-4
5-6-5
5-7
Task Management ................................................................................ 83

Assigning Task Priorities ...................................................................... 92
Determining the Size of a Stack ........................................................... 94
Detecting Task Stack Overflows .......................................................... 95
Task Management Services ................................................................. 99
Task Management Internals ............................................................... 100
Task States.......................................................................................... 100
Task Control Blocks (TCBs)................................................................ 105
Internal Tasks ...................................................................................... 114
The Idle Task (OS_IdleTask()) ............................................................. 115
The Tick Task (OS_TickTask()) ........................................................... 117
The Statistic Task (OS_StatTask()) ..................................................... 124
The Timer Task (OS_TmrTask()) ......................................................... 127
The ISR Handler Task (OS_IntQTask()) .............................................. 128
Summary ............................................................................................. 129
Chapter 6
6-1
6-2
6-3
6-4
The Ready List .................................................................................... 131

Priority Levels...................................................................................... 132
The Ready List .................................................................................... 136
Adding Tasks to the Ready List ......................................................... 139
Summary ............................................................................................. 140
Chapter 7
7-1
7-2
Scheduling........................................................................................... 141
Preemptive Scheduling....................................................................... 142
Scheduling Points ............................................................................... 144
7-3
7-4
7-4-1
7-4-2
7-4-3
7-5
Round-Robin Scheduling ................................................................... 146

Scheduling Internals ........................................................................... 149
OSSched() ........................................................................................... 150
OSIntExit()............................................................................................ 151
OS_SchedRoundRobin() ..................................................................... 152
Summary ............................................................................................. 154
Chapter 8
8-1
8-2
8-3
Context Switching............................................................................... 155

OSCtxSw() ........................................................................................... 158
OSIntCtxSw() ....................................................................................... 161
Summary ............................................................................................. 163
Chapter 9
9-1
9-2
9-3
9-4
9-5
9-6
9-6-1
9-6-2
9-7
9-8
9-9
Interrupt Management ........................................................................ 165

Handling CPU Interrupts..................................................................... 166
Typical C/OS-III Interrupt Service Routine (ISR).............................. 167
Short Interrupt Service Routine (ISR) ................................................. 170
All Interrupts Vector to a Common Location ..................................... 171
Every Interrupt Vectors to a Unique Location ................................... 173
Direct and Deferred Post Methods .................................................... 174
Direct Post Method............................................................................. 174
Deferred Post Method ........................................................................ 177
Direct vs. Deferred Post Method........................................................ 180
The Clock Tick (or System Tick)......................................................... 181
Summary ............................................................................................. 183
Chapter 10
10-1
Pend Lists (or Wait Lists) .................................................................... 185

Summary ............................................................................................. 190
Chapter 11
11-1
11-2
11-3
11-4
11-5
11-6
Time Management .............................................................................. 191

OSTimeDly()......................................................................................... 192
OSTimeDlyHMSM() ............................................................................. 197
OSTimeDlyResume() ........................................................................... 199
OSTimeSet() and OSTimeGet() ........................................................... 200
OSTimeTick() ....................................................................................... 200
Summary ............................................................................................. 200
Table of Contents
Chapter 12
12-1
12-2
12-3
12-4
12-4-1
12-4-2
12-4-3
12-4-4
12-5
Timer Management ............................................................................. 201

One-Shot Timers ................................................................................. 203
Periodic (no initial delay)..................................................................... 204
Periodic (with initial delay).................................................................. 204
Timer Management Internals.............................................................. 205
Timer Management Internals - Timers States ................................... 205
Timer Management Internals - OS_TMR............................................ 206
Timer Management Internals - Timer Task ........................................ 208
Timer Management Internals - Timer List .......................................... 211
Summary ............................................................................................. 216
Chapter 13
13-1
13-2
13-3
13-3-1
13-3-2
13-3-3
13-3-4
13-3-5
13-4
13-4-1
13-5
13-6
13-7
Resource Management....................................................................... 217

Disable/Enable Interrupts ................................................................... 220
Lock/Unlock ........................................................................................ 222
Semaphores ........................................................................................ 223
Binary Semaphores............................................................................. 225
Counting Semaphores ........................................................................ 232
Notes on Semaphores ........................................................................ 234
Semaphore Internals (for resource sharing) ...................................... 235
Priority Inversions ............................................................................... 240
Mutual Exclusion Semaphores (Mutex) ............................................. 242
Mutual Exclusion Semaphore Internals ............................................. 247
Should You Use a Semaphore Instead of a Mutex? ......................... 253
Deadlocks (or Deadly Embrace)......................................................... 253
Summary ............................................................................................. 258
Chapter 14
14-1
14-1-1
14-1-2
14-1-3
14-1-4
14-2
14-2-1
14-2-2
14-2-3
14-3
14-3-1
Synchronization .................................................................................. 259

Semaphores ........................................................................................ 260
Unilateral Rendezvous ........................................................................ 262
Credit Tracking.................................................................................... 265
Multiple Tasks Waiting on a Semaphore ........................................... 267
Semaphore Internals (for synchronization) ........................................ 268
Task Semaphore ................................................................................. 275
Pending (i.e., Waiting) on a Task Semaphore.................................... 276
Posting (i.e., Signaling) a Task Semaphore ....................................... 277
Bilateral Rendezvous .......................................................................... 279
Event Flags.......................................................................................... 281
Using Event Flags ............................................................................... 283
14-3-2
14-4
14-5
Event Flags Internals .......................................................................... 287

Synchronizing Multiple Tasks............................................................. 294
Summary ............................................................................................. 296
Chapter 15
15-1
15-2
15-3
15-4
15-5
15-6
15-7
15-8
15-9
15-10
Message Passing ................................................................................ 297

Messages ............................................................................................ 298
Message Queues ................................................................................ 298
Task Message Queue ......................................................................... 300
Bilateral Rendezvous .......................................................................... 301
Flow Control ........................................................................................ 302
Keeping the Data in Scope................................................................. 304
Using Message Queues...................................................................... 307
Clients and Servers............................................................................. 315
Message Queues Internals ................................................................. 316
Summary ............................................................................................. 319
Chapter 16
16-1
Pending On Multiple Objects.............................................................. 321

Summary ............................................................................................. 329
Chapter 17
17-1
17-2
17-3
17-4
17-5
Memory Management......................................................................... 331

Creating a Memory Partition .............................................................. 332
Getting a Memory Block from a Partition .......................................... 336
Returning a Memory Block to a Partition........................................... 337
Using Memory Partitions .................................................................... 338
Summary ............................................................................................. 341
Chapter 18
18-1
18-2
18-3
18-4
Porting C/OS-III................................................................................. 343

C/CPU................................................................................................ 346
C/OS-III Port...................................................................................... 349
Board Support Package (BSP) ........................................................... 351
Summary ............................................................................................. 353
Chapter 19
19-1
19-2
19-3
Run-Time Statistics............................................................................. 355

General Statistics Run-Time............................................................ 356
Per-Task Statistics Run-Time.......................................................... 360
Kernel Object Run-Time................................................................... 363
9
Table of Contents
19-4
19-5
19-6
OS_DBG.C Static ............................................................................. 366

OS_CFG_APP.C Static..................................................................... 379
Summary ............................................................................................. 381
Appendix A
A-1
A-2
A-3
A-4
A-5
A-6
A-7
A-8
A-9
A-10
A-11
A-12
A-13
A-14
A-15
A-16
A-17
A-18
A-19
A-20
A-21
A-22
A-23
A-24
A-25
A-26
A-27
A-28
A-29
A-30
A-31
A-32
A-33
C/OS-III API Reference Manual........................................................ 383

Task Management .............................................................................. 384
Time Management .............................................................................. 386
Mutual Exclusion Semaphores Resource Management ................ 387
Event Flags Synchronization ........................................................... 388
Semaphores Synchronization.......................................................... 389
Task Semaphores Synchronization................................................. 390
Message Queues Message Passing ............................................... 391
Task Message Queues Message Passing ...................................... 392
Pending on Multiple Objects .............................................................. 393
Timers .................................................................................................. 394
Fixed-Size Memory Partitions Memory Management .................... 395
OSCtxSw() ........................................................................................... 396
OSFlagCreate() .................................................................................... 398
OSFlagDel() ......................................................................................... 400
OSFlagPend() ...................................................................................... 402
OSFlagPendAbort() ............................................................................. 406
OSFlagPendGetFlagsRdy()................................................................. 409
OSFlagPost() ....................................................................................... 411
OSIdleTaskHook() ............................................................................... 413
OSInit() ................................................................................................. 415
OSInitHook() ........................................................................................ 417
OSIntCtxSw() ....................................................................................... 418
OSIntEnter() ......................................................................................... 420
OSIntExit()............................................................................................ 422
OSMemCreate()................................................................................... 423
OSMemGet()........................................................................................ 426
OSMemPut() ........................................................................................ 428
OSMutexCreate()................................................................................. 430
OSMutexDel() ...................................................................................... 432
OSMutexPend() ................................................................................... 434
OSMutexPendAbort().......................................................................... 438
OSMutexPost() .................................................................................... 440
OSPendMulti() ..................................................................................... 442
10
A-34
A-35
A-36
A-37
A-38
A-39
A-40
A-41
A-42
A-43
A-44
A-45
A-46
A-47
A-48
A-49
A-50
A-51
A-52
A-53
A-54
A-55
A-56
A-57
A-58
A-59
A-60
A-61
A-62
A-63
A-64
A-65
A-66
A-67
A-68
A-69
A-70
A-71
OSQCreate() ........................................................................................ 446

OSQDel() .............................................................................................. 448
OSQFlush() .......................................................................................... 450
OSQPend()........................................................................................... 452
OSQPendAbort() ................................................................................. 456
OSQPost()............................................................................................ 459
OSSafetyCriticalStart() ........................................................................ 462
OSSched() ........................................................................................... 463
OSSchedLock() ................................................................................... 465
OSSchedRoundRobinCfg() ................................................................. 467
OSSchedRoundRobinYield() .............................................................. 469
OSSchedUnlock() ................................................................................ 471
OSSemCreate().................................................................................... 473
OSSemDel() ......................................................................................... 475
OSSemPend() ...................................................................................... 478
OSSemPendAbort()............................................................................. 481
OSSemPost() ....................................................................................... 484
OSSemSet() ......................................................................................... 487
OSStart() .............................................................................................. 489
OSStartHighRdy()................................................................................ 491
OSStatReset()...................................................................................... 493
OSStatTaskCPUUsageInit() ................................................................ 495
OSStatTaskHook()............................................................................... 497
OSTaskChangePrio()........................................................................... 499
OSTaskCreate() ................................................................................... 501
OSTaskCreateHook() .......................................................................... 512
OSTaskDel()......................................................................................... 514
OSTaskDelHook() ................................................................................ 516
OSTaskQPend()................................................................................... 518
OSTaskQPendAbort().......................................................................... 521
OSTaskQPost().................................................................................... 523
OSTaskRegGet().................................................................................. 526
OSTaskRegSet() .................................................................................. 529
OSTaskReturnHook() .......................................................................... 532
OSTaskResume()................................................................................. 534
OSTaskSemPend() .............................................................................. 536
OSTaskSemPendAbort()..................................................................... 539
OSTaskSemPost() ............................................................................... 541
11
Table of Contents
A-72
A-73
A-74
A-75
A-76
A-77
A-78
A-79
A-80
A-81
A-82
A-83
A-84
A-85
A-86
A-87
A-88
A-89
A-90
A-91
A-92
A-93
OSTaskSemSet() ................................................................................. 543

OSTaskStatHook()............................................................................... 545
OSTaskStkChk() .................................................................................. 547
OSTaskStkInit().................................................................................... 550
OSTaskSuspend() ............................................................................... 555
OSTaskSwHook() ................................................................................ 557
OSTaskTimeQuantaSet() .................................................................... 560
OSTickISR() ......................................................................................... 562
OSTimeDly()......................................................................................... 564
OSTimeDlyHMSM() ............................................................................. 567
OSTimeDlyResume() ........................................................................... 570
OSTimeGet() ........................................................................................ 572
OSTimeSet() ........................................................................................ 574
OSTimeTick() ....................................................................................... 576
OSTimeTickHook() .............................................................................. 577
OSTmrCreate() .................................................................................... 579
OSTmrDel() .......................................................................................... 584
OSTmrRemainGet() ............................................................................. 586
OSTmrStart()........................................................................................ 588
OSTmrStateGet() ................................................................................. 590
OSTmrStop()........................................................................................ 592
OSVersion().......................................................................................... 595
Appendix B
B-1
B-2
B-3
C/OS-III Configuration Manual ......................................................... 597

C/OS-III Features (OS_CFG.H) ......................................................... 601
Data Types (OS_TYPE.H).................................................................... 611
C/OS-III Stacks, Pools and other (OS_CFG_APP.H) ....................... 612
Appendix C
C-1
C-2
C-3
C-4
C-4-1
C-4-2
C-4-3
C-4-4
Migrating from C/OS-II to C/OS-III................................................. 617

Differences in Source File Names and Contents............................... 620
Convention Changes .......................................................................... 623
Variable Name Changes ..................................................................... 629
API Changes........................................................................................ 630
Event Flags.......................................................................................... 631
Message Mailboxes ............................................................................ 633
Memory Management......................................................................... 635
Mutual Exclusion Semaphores........................................................... 636
12
C-4-5
C-4-6
C-4-7
C-4-8
C-4-9
C-4-10
C-4-11
Message Queues ................................................................................ 638

Semaphores ........................................................................................ 640
Task Management .............................................................................. 642
Time Management .............................................................................. 646
Timer Management ............................................................................. 647
Miscellaneous ..................................................................................... 649
Hooks and Port ................................................................................... 651
Appendix D
D-1
D-2
D-3
D-4
D-5
MISRA-C:2004 and C/OS-III ............................................................. 655

MISRA-C:2004, Rule 8.5 (Required) ................................................... 656
MISRA-C:2004, Rule 8.12 (Required) ................................................. 656
Appendix E
Bibliography ........................................................................................ 661
Appendix F
Licensing Policy .................................................................................. 663
Part II: C/OS-III and the NXP LPC1768

Foreword by Geoff Lees and Reinhard Keil....................................... 667
Chapter 1
1-1
1-2
1-3
Introduction ......................................................................................... 669

The KEIL MCB1700............................................................................. 670
Part II Chapter Contents..................................................................... 673
Acknowledgements ............................................................................ 675
Chapter 2
2-1
2-1-1
2-1-2
2-2
The ARM Cortex-M3 and the NXP LPC1768 ..................................... 677

The Cortex CPU .................................................................................. 678
The Program Status Register ............................................................. 680
Stacking and Interrupts ...................................................................... 680
Nested Vector Interrupt Controller (NVIC) ......................................... 681
13
Table of Contents
2-3
2-4
2-5
2-6
2-7
2-8
Exception Vector Table....................................................................... 682

SysTick (System Tick)......................................................................... 683
Memory Map ....................................................................................... 684
Instruction Set ..................................................................................... 685
Debugging Features ........................................................................... 686
The NXP LPC1768............................................................................... 687
Chapter 3
3-1
3-2
3-3
3-4
3-5
3-6
3-7
3-7-1
3-8
3-8-1
3-8-2
3-8-3
3-8-4
Setup ................................................................................................... 689

Downloading Keil Vision ................................................................... 690
Downloading Keil MCB1700 and LPC17xx Documentation ............. 691
Downloading C/Probe ...................................................................... 691
C/OS-III Library ................................................................................. 692
C/TCP-IP, C/DHCPc and C/TFTPs Library................................. 693
C/FS Library ...................................................................................... 694
C/OS-III Projects for this Book......................................................... 694
Example Projects Folders................................................................... 695
Connecting the Keil MCB1700 Board to a PC................................... 698
Power Supply & Debugging................................................................ 698
Serial Ports .......................................................................................... 698
C/Probe Interface.............................................................................. 699
Ethernet Connection ........................................................................... 699
Chapter 4
4-1
4-2
4-3
4-4
4-5
DMA-Based LED Blinking................................................................... 701

Example Description........................................................................... 701
Opening and Running the Project ...................................................... 703
Running C/Probe .............................................................................. 705
How the Example Project Works........................................................ 710
Summary ............................................................................................. 718
Chapter 5
5-1
5-2
5-2-1
5-2-2
5-3
LCD Display......................................................................................... 719

Graphical User Interface (GUI) Implementation................................. 721
Font and Image Support..................................................................... 726
Summary ............................................................................................. 727
14
Chapter 6
6-1
6-2
6-2-1
6-2-2
6-2-3
6-2-4
6-2-5
6-3
6-4
6-4-1
6-4-2
6-4-3
6-5
Ringtone Player................................................................................... 729

Requirements ...................................................................................... 731
Ringtone Player Architecture ............................................................. 734
Audio Manager.................................................................................... 736
Implementation of the Audio Manager on the LPC17xx ................... 739
RingTone Files .................................................................................... 743
Analysis with C/Probe....................................................................... 743
Audio Signal Analysis ......................................................................... 745
Sample Rate ........................................................................................ 746
Total Harmonic Distortion................................................................... 748
Note Frequency and Note Duration ................................................... 749
Summary ............................................................................................. 750
Chapter 7
7-1
7-1-1
7-1-2
7-1-3
7-2
7-2-1
7-3
Playing Audio Wave Files ................................................................... 751

Application Modes .............................................................................. 753
Playing the Songs ............................................................................... 753
Updating the microSD card................................................................ 753
How the Example Project Runs.......................................................... 756
Wave File Format ................................................................................ 757
C/Probe ............................................................................................. 760
Appendix A
A-1
A-2
A-2-1
A-2-2
A-2-3
A-2-4
A-2-5
A-2-6
A-2-7
A-2-8
A-2-9
A-2-10
C/OS-III Port for the Cortex-M3 ....................................................... 763

OS_CPU.H ........................................................................................... 764
OS_CPU_C.C....................................................................................... 766
OS_CPU_C.C OSIdleTaskHook() ..................................................... 766
OS_CPU_C.C OSInitHook() .............................................................. 767
OS_CPU_C.C OSStatTaskHook() .................................................... 768
OS_CPU_C.C OSTaskCreateHook() ................................................ 769
OS_CPU_C.C OSTaskDelHook()...................................................... 770
OS_CPU_C.C OSTaskReturnHook() ................................................ 771
OS_CPU_C.C OSTaskStkInit() ......................................................... 772
OS_CPU_C.C OSTaskSwHook() ...................................................... 775
OS_CPU_C.C OSTimeTickHook() .................................................... 778
OS_CPU_C.C OS_CPU_SysTickHandler()....................................... 779
15
Table of Contents
A-2-11
A-3
A-3-1
A-3-2
A-3-3
OS_CPU_C.C OS_CPU_SysTickInit()............................................... 780

OS_CPU_A.ASM.................................................................................. 780
OS_CPU_A.ASM OSStartHighRdy() ................................................ 781
OS_CPU_A.ASM OSCtxSw() and OSIntCtxSw() ............................. 782
OS_CPU_A.ASM OS_CPU_PendSVHandler() ................................. 783
Appendix B
B-1
B-2
B-3
B-4
B-5
B-5-1
B-5-2
B-6
B-6-1
B-6-2
B-6-3
B-7
C/CPU Port for the Cortex-M3 ......................................................... 785

CPU_CORE.C ...................................................................................... 785
CPU_CORE.H ...................................................................................... 786
CPU_DEF.H ......................................................................................... 786
CPU_CFG.H......................................................................................... 786
C/CPU Functions in BSP.C .............................................................. 787
C/CPU Functions in BSP.C, CPU_TS_TmrInit() ............................... 788
C/CPU Functions in BSP.C, CPU_TS_TmrRd()................................ 788
CPU.H .................................................................................................. 789
CPU.H #defines ................................................................................ 789
CPU.H Data Types ........................................................................... 790
CPU.H Function Prototypes ............................................................ 793
CPU_A.ASM ........................................................................................ 793
Appendix C
C-1
C-2
Micrims C/Probe ............................................................................ 795

C/Probe is a Windows-Based Application................................... 798
Assigning a Variable to an Object ...................................................... 800
Appendix D
803
D-1
D-1-1
D-1-2
D-1-3
D-2
D-3
D-4
D-5
Debugging with ARM CoreSight Technology on Cortex-M3 Processors
16
Serial Wire Viewer (SWV) .................................................................... 804

DAP: Real-Time Memory Read and Write.......................................... 805
Embedded Trace Macrocell (ETM)..................................................... 806
Breakpoints and Watchpoints............................................................ 806
What Kind of Data can the Serial Wire Viewer Display? ................... 807
Debug Ports: JTAG, SWD and SWJ ................................................... 807
Hardware Connections: Connecting to a Target ............................... 808
Usefulness of the Trace ...................................................................... 809
Appendix E
Schematics.......................................................................................... 811
Appendix F
Bibliography ........................................................................................ 819
Appendix G
Licensing Policy .................................................................................. 821
Index ............................................................................................................................. 823
17
Table of Contents
18
Foreword to C/OS-III by Jack Ganssle

Your system has to read a keyboard and update the display. Thats pretty easy to handle in
a simple loop.
Oh, wait, then theres the A/D converter which needs service once a millisecond. The data
is noisy so ten samples must be averaged and the result fed into a computation which is
sent to the display. But you cant do the math till the results of the encoder become
available, and that can only be read on 20 msec intervals.
But dont forget to monitor the radiation source; if it goes out of limits a safety protocol has
to be invoked to avoid harming users. That has to be monitored every 250 milliseconds.
How would one write this code? Sure, its possible to write an interrupt handler that takes
clock ticks and then, via a number of tortured loops, sequences off the proper activities. Itll
be tough to debug and harder to maintain. You can be sure the boss will come in, redfaced, wondering why the heck the system only looks at safety parameters every quarter
second when any idiot knows the rate should be 0.230 sec, no matter how he wrote the
spec. The loops grow more complex and the program ever more convoluted.
This is a very old problem, one solved by the use of a Real-Time Operating System (RTOS).
Write each activity as a separate task. The code is simple, crystal clear, and easy to change.
An old problem, yes. But theres surprisingly little written about the use of an RTOS. Jean
Labrosse wrote one of the first and best books on the subject: the first edition of this
volume. Im told the first edition, and the subsequent second edition, are the best selling
books ever published about embedded systems, and Im not surprised. Extremely-well
written, they covered the subject in depth and with finesse. He wrote using the C/OS and
C/OS-II RTOSes as examples.
19
Foreword to C/OS-III by Jack Ganssle
Now Jean and the crew at Micrim have a new and hugely improved version of that RTOS:
C/OS-III. Where C/OS-II is a commercial quality product, one that even meets the highest
safety-critical requirements, C/OS-III takes that quality and reliability level to even the most
demanding applications.
Jean has supplemented the new RTOS with this book. Its much weightier than his previous
RTOS books as this volume goes in depth into the nuances of using an operating system in
real applications. C/OS-III lays out the rationale behind an RTOS, and then in a very
logical fashion presents each of the resources provided by an RTOS and how one goes
about using those features in a product. Though C/OS-III is used as an example, it is not
presented as the canonical RTOS, and users of any real-time operating system will find this
material immensely useable.
I have long counted Jean a friend, and have great respect for his perfectionism. That is clear
when reading the C/OS source code, which is probably the most beautiful code I have
read, and, since it has been used in products certified to DO-178B level A, also works!
That perfectionism also manifests itself in this book, in which its clear he has taken pains to
get every fact right, every drawing clear, all while maintaining a very consistent style.
This is a book by an engineer, for engineers (including engineering students). Devoid of
fluff, its packed with information about using an RTOS in a real system today. What do I
need to do to get started? What are all those files? Where is the information I need located?
Are you using an RTOS? If so, read this book. If youre not using one, read this book; not
every embedded system needs an operating system, but there are too many that have been
cobbled together through the painful use of ad hoc loops that an RTOS would vastly
improve.
20
Preface
WHAT IS C/OS-III?
C/OS-III (pronounced Micro C O S Three) is a scalable, ROMable, preemptive real-time
kernel that manages an unlimited number of tasks. C/OS-III is a third-generation kernel
and offers all of the services expected from a modern real-time kernel, such as resource
management, synchronization, inter-task communications, and more. However, C/OS-III
offers many unique features not found in other real-time kernels, such as the ability to
complete performance measurements at run-time, to directly signal or send messages to
tasks, achieve pending on multiple kernel objects, and more.
WHY A NEW C/OS VERSION?
The C/OS series, first introduced in 1992, has undergone a number of changes over the
years based on feedback from thousands of people using and deploying its evolving
versions.
C/OS-III is the sum of this feedback and experience. Rarely used C/OS-II features were
eliminated and newer, more efficient features and services, were added. Probably the most
common request was to add round robin scheduling, which was not possible for C/OS-II,
but is now a feature of C/OS-III.
C/OS-III also provides additional features that better exploit the capabilities of todays
newer processors. Specifically, C/OS-III was designed with 32-bit processors in mind,
although it certainly works well with 16- and even several 8-bit processors.
21
Preface
C/OS-III GOALS
The main goal of C/OS-III is to provide a best-in-class real-time kernel that literally shaves
months of development time from an embedded-product schedule. Using a commercial
real-time kernel such as C/OS-III provides a solid foundation and framework to the design
engineer dealing with the growing complexity of embedded designs.
Another goal for C/OS-III, and therefore this book, is to explain inner workings of a
commercial-grade kernel. This understanding will assist the reader in making logical design
decisions and informed tradeoffs between hardware and software that make sense.
22
Chapter
1
Introduction
Real-time systems are systems whereby the correctness of the computed values and their
timeliness are at the forefront. There are two types of real-time systems, hard and soft real time.
What differentiates hard and soft real-time systems is their tolerance to missing deadlines
and the consequences associated with those misses. Correctly computed values after a
deadline has passed are often useless.
For hard real-time systems, missing deadlines is not an option. In fact, in many cases,
missing a deadline often results in catastrophe, which may involve human lives. For soft
real-time systems, however, missing deadlines is generally not as critical.
Real-time applications cover a wide range, but many real-time systems are embedded. An embedded
system is a computer built into a system and not acknowledged by the user as being a computer.
The following list shows just a few examples of embedded systems:
Aerospace
Communications
Process control
Flight management systems

Jet engine controls
Weapons systems
Routers
Switches
Cell phones
Chemical plants
Factory automation
Food processing
Audio
Computer peripherals
Robots
MP3 players
Amplifiers and tuners
Printers
Scanners
Video
Automotive
Domestic
Air conditioning units

Thermostats
White goods
Antilock braking systems

Climate control
Engine controls
Navigation systems (GPS)
Broadcasting equipment
HD Televisions
And many more
Office automation
FAX machines / copiers
Real-time systems are typically more complicated to design, debug, and deploy than
non-real-time systems.
23
1
Chapter 1
1-1 FOREGROUND/BACKGROUND SYSTEMS

Small systems of low complexity are typically designed as foreground/background systems
or super-loops. An application consists of an infinite loop that calls modules (i.e., tasks) to
perform the desired operations (background). Interrupt Service Routines (ISRs) handle
asynchronous events (foreground). Foreground is also called interrupt level; background is
called task level.
Critical operations that should be performed at the task level must unfortunately be handled
by the ISRs to ensure that they are dealt with in a timely fashion. This causes ISRs to take
longer than they should. Also, information for a background module that an ISR makes
available is not processed until the background routine gets its turn to execute, which is
called the task-level response. The worst-case task-level response time depends on how
long a background loop takes to execute since the execution time of typical code is not
constant, the time for successive passes through a portion of the loop is nondeterministic.
Furthermore, if a code change is made, the timing of the loop is affected.
Most high-volume and low-cost microcontroller-based applications (e.g., microwave ovens,
telephones, toys, etc.) are designed as foreground/background systems.
6XSHU/RRS
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/RRS
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Figure 1-1 Foreground/Background (SuperLoops) systems
24
1
Introduction
1-2 REAL-TIME KERNELS

A real-time kernel is software that manages the time and resources of a microprocessor,
microcontroller or Digital Signal Processor (DSP).
The design process of a real-time application involves splitting the work into tasks, each
responsible for a portion of the job. A task (also called a thread) is a simple program that
thinks it has the Central Processing Unit (CPU) completely to itself. On a single CPU, only
one task executes at any given time.
The kernel is responsible for the management of tasks. This is called multitasking. Multitasking
is the process of scheduling and switching the CPU between several tasks. The CPU switches
its attention between several sequential tasks. Multitasking provides the illusion of having
multiple CPUs and maximizes the use of the CPU. Multitasking also helps in the creation of
modular applications. One of the most important aspects of multitasking is that it allows the
application programmer to manage the complexity inherent in real-time applications.
Application programs are easier to design and maintain when multitasking is used.
C/OS-III is a preemptive kernel, which means that C/OS-III always runs the most
important task that is ready to run as shown in Figure 1-2.
:DLWIRU(YHQW
/RZ3ULRULW\
7DVN
(YHQWWKDW
+LJK3ULRULW\7DVN
LV:DLWLQJIRU
7LPH
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,QILQLWH
/RRS
+LJK3ULRULW\
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/RRS

/RZ3ULRULW\
7DVN
Figure 1-2 C/OS-III is a preemptive kernel
25
1
Chapter 1
F1-2(1)
A low-priority task is executing.
F1-2(2)
An interrupt occurs, and the CPU vectors to the ISR responsible for servicing
the interrupting device.
F1-2(3)
The ISR services the interrupt device, but actually does very little work. The ISR
will signal or send a message to a higher-priority task that will be responsible
for most of the processing of the interrupting device. For example, if the
interrupt comes from an Ethernet controller, the ISR simply signals a task,
which will process the received packet.
F1-2(4)
When the ISR finishes, C/OS-III notices that a more important task has been
made ready to run by the ISR and will not return to the interrupted task, but
instead context switch to the more important task.
F1-2(5)
The higher-priority task executes and performs the necessary processing in

response to the interrupt device.
F1-2(6)
When the higher-priority task completes its work, it loops back to the
beginning of the task code and makes a C/OS-III function call to wait for the
next interrupt from the device.
F1-2(7)
The low-priority task resumes exactly at the point where it was interrupted, not
knowing what happened.
Kernels such as C/OS-III are also responsible for managing communication between tasks,
and managing system resources (memory and I/O devices).
A kernel adds overhead to a system because the services provided by the kernel require
time to execute. The amount of overhead depends on how often these services are invoked.
In a well-designed application, a kernel uses between 2% and 4% of a CPUs time. And,
since C/OS-III is software that is added to an application, it requires extra ROM (code
space) and RAM (data space).
Low-end single-chip microcontrollers are generally not able to run a real-time kernel such
as C/OS-III since they have access to very little RAM. C/OS-III requires between 1 Kbyte
and 4 Kbytes of RAM, plus each task requires its own stack space. It is possible for
C/OS-III to work on processors having as little as 4 Kbytes of RAM.
26
1
Introduction
Finally, C/OS-III allows for better use of the CPU by providing approximately 70
indispensable services. After designing a system using a real-time kernel such as C/OS-III,
you will not return to designing a foreground/background system.
1-3 RTOS (REAL-TIME OPERATING SYSTEM)

A Real Time Operating System generally contains a real-time kernel and other higher-level
services such as file management, protocol stacks, a Graphical User Interface (GUI), and
other components. Most additional services revolve around I/O devices.
Micrim offers a complete suite of RTOS components including: C/FS (an Embedded File
System), C/TCP-IP (a TCP/IP stack), C/GUI (a Graphical User Interface), C/USB (a USB
device, host and OTG stack), and more. Most of these components are designed to work
standalone. Except for C/TCP-IP, a real-time kernel is not required to use the components
in an application. In fact, users can pick and choose only the components required for the
application. Contact Micrim (www.micrium.com) for additional details and pricing.
1-4 C/OS-III
C/OS-III is a scalable, ROMable, preemptive real-time kernel that manages an unlimited
number of tasks. C/OS-III is a third-generation kernel, offering all of the services expected
from a modern real-time kernel including resource management, synchronization, inter-task
communication, and more. However, C/OS-III also offers many unique features not found
in other real-time kernels, such as the ability to perform performance measurements at run
time, directly signal or send messages to tasks, and pending (i.e., waiting) on such multiple
kernel objects as semaphores and message queues.
Here is a list of features provided by C/OS-III:
Source Code: C/OS-III is provided in ANSI-C source form to licensees. The source code
for C/OS-III is arguably the cleanest and most consistent kernel code available. Clean
source is part of the corporate culture at Micrim. Although many commercial kernel
vendors provide source code for their products, unless the code follows strict coding
standards and is accompanied by complete documentation with examples to show how the
27
1
Chapter 1
code works, these products may be cumbersome and difficult to harness. With this book,
you will gain a deep understanding of the inner workings of C/OS-III, which will protect
your investment.
Intuitive Application Programming Interface (API): C/OS-III is highly intuitive. Once
familiar with the consistent coding conventions used, it is simple to predict the functions to
call for the services required, and even predict which arguments are needed. For example, a
pointer to an object is always the first argument, and a pointer to an error code is always the
last one.
Preemptive multitasking: C/OS-III is a preemptive multi-tasking kernel and therefore,
C/OS-III always runs the most important ready-to-run task.
Round robin scheduling of tasks at equal priority: C/OS-III allows multiple tasks to
run at the same priority level. When multiple tasks at the same priority are ready to run, and
that priority level is the most important level, C/OS-III runs each task for a user-specified
time called a time quanta. Each task can define its own time quanta, and a task can also
give up the CPU to another task at the same priority if it does not require the full time
quanta.
Low interrupt disable time: C/OS-III has a number of internal data structures and
variables that it needs to access atomically. To ensure this, C/OS-III is able to protect these
critical regions by locking the scheduler instead of disabling interrupts. Interrupts are
therefore disabled for very little time. This ensures that C/OS-III is able to respond to some
of the fastest interrupt sources.
Deterministic: Interrupt response with C/OS-III is deterministic. Also, execution times of
most services provided by C/OS-III are deterministic.
Scalable: The footprint (both code and data) can be adjusted based on the requirements of
the application. This assumes access to the source code for C/OS-III since adding and
removing features (i.e., services) is performed at compile time through approximately 40
#defines (see OS_CFG.H). C/OS-III also performs a number of run-time checks on
arguments passed to C/OS-III services. Specifically, C/OS-III verifies that the user is not
passing NULL pointers, not calling task level services from ISRs, that arguments are within
allowable range, and options specified are valid, etc.. These checks can be disabled (at
compile time) to further reduce the code footprint and improve performance. The fact that
C/OS-III is scalable allows it to be used in a wide range of applications and projects.
28
1
Introduction
Portable: C/OS-III can be ported to a large number of CPU architectures. Most C/OS-II ports
are easily converted to work on C/OS-III with minimal changes in just a matter of minutes and
therefore benefit from more than 45 CPU architectures already supported by C/OS-II.
ROMable: C/OS-III was designed especially for embedded systems and can be ROMed
along with the application code.
Run-time configurable: C/OS-III allows the user to configure the kernel at run time.
Specifically, all kernel objects such as tasks, stacks, semaphores, event-flag groups, message
queues, number of messages, mutual exclusion semaphores, memory partitions and timers, are
allocated by the user at run time. This prevents over-allocating resources at compile time.
Unlimited number of tasks: C/OS-III supports an unlimited number of tasks. From a
practical standpoint, however, the number of tasks is actually limited by the amount of
memory (both code and data space) that the processor has access to. Each task requires its
own stack space and, C/OS-III provides features to allow stack growth of the tasks to be
monitored at run-time.
C/OS-III does not impose any limitations on the size of each task, except that there be a
minimum size based on the CPU used.
Unlimited number of priorities: C/OS-III supports an unlimited number of priority
levels. However, configuring C/OS-III for between 32 and 256 different priority levels is
more than adequate for most applications.
Unlimited number of kernel objects: C/OS-III allows for any number of tasks,
semaphores, mutual exclusion semaphores, event flags, message queues, timers, and
memory partitions. The user at run-time allocates all kernel objects.
Services: C/OS-III provides all the services expected from a high-end real-time kernel,
such as task management, time management, semaphores, event flags, mutexes, message
queues, software timers, fixed-size memory pools, etc.
Mutual Exclusion Semaphores (Mutexes): Mutexes are provided for resource
management. Mutexes are special types of semaphores that have built-in priority
inheritance, which eliminate unbounded priority inversions. Accesses to a mutex can be
nested and therefore, a task can acquire the same mutex up to 250 times. Of course, the
mutex owner needs to release the mutex an equal number of times.
29
1
Chapter 1
Nested task suspension: C/OS-III allows a task to suspend itself or another task.
Suspending a task means that the task will not be allowed to execute until the task is
resumed by another task. Suspension can be nested up to 250 levels deep. In other words,
a task can suspend another task up to 250 times. Of course, the task must be resumed an
equal number of times for it to become eligible to run on the CPU.
Software timers: Define any number of one-shot and/or periodic timers. Timers are
countdown counters that perform a user-definable action upon counting down to 0. Each
timer can have its own action and, if a timer is periodic, the timer is automatically reloaded
and the action is executed every time the countdown reaches zero.
Pend on multiple objects: C/OS-III allows an application to wait (i.e., pend) on multiple
events at the same time. Specifically, a task can wait on multiple semaphores and/or
message queues to be posted. The waiting task wakes up as soon as one of the events
occurs.
Task Signals: C/OS-III allows an ISR or task to directly signal a task. This avoids having to
create an intermediate kernel object such as a semaphore or event flag just to signal a task,
and results in better performance.
Task Messages: C/OS-III allows an ISR or a task to send messages directly to a task. This
avoids having to create and use a message queue, and also results in better performance.
Task registers: Each task can have a user-definable number of task registers. Task
registers are different than CPU registers. Task registers can be used to hold errno type
variable, IDs, interrupt disable time measurement on a per-task basis, and more.
Error checking: C/OS-III verifies that NULL pointers are not passed, that the user is not
calling task-level services from ISRs, that arguments are within allowable range, that options
specified are valid, that a handler is passed to the proper object as part of the arguments to
services that manipulate the desired object, and more. Each C/OS-III API function returns
an error code concerning the outcome of the function call.
Built-in performance measurements: C/OS-III has built-in features to measure the
execution time of each task, stack usage of each task, number of times a task executes, CPU
usage, ISR-to-task and task-to-task response time, peak number of entries in certain lists,
interrupt disable and scheduler lock time on a per-task basis, and more.
30
1
Introduction
Can easily be optimized: C/OS-III was designed so that it could easily be optimized
based on the CPU architecture. Most data types used in C/OS-III can be changed to make
better use of the CPUs natural word size. Also, the priority resolution algorithm can easily
be written in assembly language to benefit from special instructions such as bit set and
clear, as well as count-leading-zeros (CLZ), or find-first-one (FF1) instructions.
Deadlock prevention: All of the C/OS-III pend services include timeouts, which help
avoid deadlocks.
Tick handling at task level: The clock tick manager in C/OS-III is accomplished by a
task that receives a trigger from an ISR. Handling delays and timeouts by a task greatly
reduces interrupt latency. Also, C/OS-III uses a hashed delta list mechanism, which further
reduces the amount of overhead in processing delays and timeouts of tasks.
User definable hooks: C/OS-III allows the port and application programmer to define
hook functions, which are called by C/OS-III. A hook is simply a defined function that
allows the user to extend the functionality of C/OS-III. One such hook is called during a
context switch, another when a task is created, yet another when a task is deleted, etc.
Timestamps: For time measurements, C/OS-III requires that a 16-bit or 32-bit free running
counter be made available. This counter can be read at run time to make time
measurements of certain events. For example, when an ISR posts a message to a task, the
timestamp counter is automatically read and saved as part of the message posted. When the
recipient receives the message, the timestamp is provided to the recipient, and by reading
the current timestamp, the time it took for the message to be received can be determined.
Built-in support for Kernel Awareness debuggers: This feature allows kernel
awareness debuggers to examine and display C/OS-III variables and data structures in a
user-friendly way, but only when the debugger hits a breakpoint. Instead of a static view of
the environment the kernel awareness support in C/OS-III is also used by C/Probe to
display the same information at run-time.
Object names: Each C/OS-III kernel object can have a name associated with it. This
makes it easy to recognize what the object is assigned to. Assign an ASCII name to a task, a
semaphore, a mutex, an event flag group, a message queue, a memory partition, and a
timer. The object name can have any length, but must be NUL terminated.
31
1
Chapter 1
1-5 C/OS, C/OS-II AND C/OS-III FEATURES COMPARISON

Table 1-1 shows the evolution of C/OS over the years, comparing the features available in
each version.
Feature
C/OS
C/OS-II
C/OS-III
1992
1998
2009
Book
Yes
Yes
Yes
Source code available
Yes
Yes
Year introduced
Yes
(Licensees only)
Preemptive Multitasking
Yes
Yes
Yes
Maximum number of tasks
64
255
Unlimited
Number of tasks at each priority level
Unlimited
Round Robin Scheduling
No
No
Yes
Semaphores
Yes
Yes
Yes
Mutual Exclusion Semaphores
No
Yes
Yes (Nestable)
Event Flags
No
Yes
Yes
Message Mailboxes
Yes
Yes
No (not needed)
Message Queues
Yes
Yes
Yes
Fixed Sized Memory Management
No
Yes
Yes
Signal a task without requiring a semaphore
No
No
Yes
Send messages to a task without requiring a

message queue
No
No
Yes
Software Timers
No
Yes
Yes
Task suspend/resume
No
Yes
Yes (Nestable)
Deadlock prevention
Yes
Yes
Yes
Scalable
Yes
Yes
Yes
Code Footprint
3K to 8K
6K to 26K
6K to 20K
Data Footprint
1K+
1K+
1K+
Yes
Yes
Yes
ROMable
32
1
Introduction
Feature
C/OS
C/OS-II
C/OS-III
Run-time configurable
No
No
Yes
Compile-time configurable
Yes
Yes
Yes
ASCII names for each kernel object
No
Yes
Yes
Pend on multiple objects
No
Yes
Yes
Task registers
No
Yes
Yes
Built-in performance measurements
No
Limited
Extensive
User definable hook functions
No
Yes
Yes
Time stamps on posts
No
No
Yes
Built-in Kernel Awareness support
No
Yes
Yes
Optimizable Scheduler in assembly language
No
No
Yes
Tick handling at task level
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Number of services
~20
~90
~70
MISRA-C:1998
No
Yes
(except 10 rules)
N/A
MISRA-C:2004
No
No
Yes
(except 7 rules)
DO178B Level A and EUROCAE ED-12B
No
Yes
In progress
Medical FDA pre-market notification (510(k))

and pre-market approval (PMA)
No
Yes
In progress
SIL3/SIL4 IEC for transportation and nuclear systems
No
Yes
In progress
IEC-61508
No
Yes
In progress
Table 1-1 C/OS-II and C/OS-III Features Comparison Chart
33
1
Chapter 1
1-6 HOW THE BOOK IS ORGANIZED

This book consists of two books in one.
Part I describes C/OS-III and is not tied to any specific CPU architecture. Here, the reader
will learn about real-time kernels through C/OS-III. Specifically, critical sections, task
management, the ready list, scheduling, context switching, interrupt management, wait lists,
time management, timers, resource management, synchronization, memory management,
how to use C/OS-IIIs API, how to configure C/OS-III, and how to port C/OS-III to
different CPU architectures, are all covered.
Part II describes the port of a popular CPU architecture. Here, learn about this CPU
architecture and how C/OS-III gets the most out of the CPU. Examples are provided to
actually run code on the evaluation board that is available with this book.
As I just mentioned, this book assumes the presence of an evaluation board that allows the
user to experiment with the wonderful world of real-time kernels, and specifically
C/OS-III. The book and board are complemented by a full set of tools that are provided
free of charge either in a companion CD/DVD, or downloadable through the Internet. The
tools and the use of C/OS-III are free as long as they are used with the evaluation board,
and there is no commercial intent to use them on a project. In other words, there is no
additional charge except for the initial cost of the book, evaluation board and tools, as long
as they are used for educational purposes.
The book also comes with a trial version of an award-winning tool from Micrim called
C/Probe. The trial version allows the user to monitor and change up to five variables in a
target system.
1-7 C/PROBE
C/Probe is a Microsoft Windows based application that enables the user to visualize
variables in a target at run time. Specifically, display or change the value of any variable in a
system while the target is running. These variables can be displayed using such graphical
elements as gauges, meters, bar graphs, virtual LEDs, numeric indicators, and many more.
Sliders, switches, and buttons can be used to change variables. This is accomplished
without the user writing a single line of code!
34
1
Introduction
C/Probe interfaces to any target (8-, 16-, 32-, 64-bit, or even DSPs) through one of the
many interfaces supported ( J-Tag, RS-232C, USB, Ethernet, etc.). C/Probe displays or
changes any variable (as long as they are global) in the application, including C/OS-IIIs
internal variables.
C/Probe works with any compiler/assembler/linker able to generate an ELF/DWARF or
IEEE695 file. This is the exact same file that the user will download to the evaluation board
or a final target. From this file, C/Probe is able to extract symbolic information about
variables, and determine where variables are stored in RAM or ROM.
C/Probe also allows users to log the data displayed into a file for analysis of the collected
data at a later time. C/Probe also provides C/OS-III kernel awareness as a built-in feature.
The trial version that accompanies the book is limited to the display or change of up to five
variables.
C/Probe is a tool that serious embedded software engineers should have in their toolbox. The full
version of C/Probe is included when licensing C/OS-III. See www.micrium.com for more details.
1-8 CONVENTIONS
There are a number of conventions in this book.
First, notice that when a specific element in a figure is referenced, the element has a
number next to it in parenthesis. A description of this element follows the figure and in this
case, the letter F followed by the figure number, and then the number in parenthesis. For
example, F3-4(2) indicates that this description refers to Figure 3-4 and the element (2) in
that figure. This convention also applies to listings (starts with an L) and tables (starts with
a T).
Second, notice that sections and listings are started where it makes sense. Specifically, do
not be surprised to see the bottom half of a page empty. New sections begin on a new
page, and listings are found on a single page, instead of breaking listings on two pages.
Third, code quality is something Ive been avidly promoting throughout my whole career. At
Micrim, we pride ourselves in having the cleanest code in the industry. Examples of this
are seen in this book. I created and published a coding standard in 1992 that was published
35
1
Chapter 1
in the original C/OS book. This standard has evolved over the years, but the spirit of the
standard has been maintained throughout. The Micrim coding standard is available for
download from the Micrim website, www.micrium.com
One of the conventions used is that all functions, variables, macros and #define constants
are prefixed by OS (which stands for Operating System) followed by the acronym of the
module (e.g., Sem), and then the operation performed by the function. For example
OSSemPost() indicates that the function belongs to the OS (C/OS-III), that it is part of
the Semaphore services, and specifically that the function performs a Post (i.e., signal)
operation. This allows all related functions to be grouped together in the reference manual,
and makes those services intuitive to use.
Notice that signaling or sending a message to a task is called posting, and waiting for a
signal or a message is called pending. In other words, an ISR or a task signals or sends a
message to another task by using OS???Post(), where ??? is the type of service: Sem,
TaskSem, Flag, Mutex, Q, and TaskQ. Similarly, a task can wait for a signal or a message by
calling OS???Pend().
1-9 CHAPTER CONTENTS

Figure 1-3 shows the layout and flow of Part I of the book. This diagram should be useful to
understand the relationship between chapters. The first column on the left indicates
chapters that should be read in order to understand C/OS-IIIs structure. The second
column shows chapters that are related to additional services provided by C/OS-III. The
third column relates to chapters that will help port C/OS-III to different CPU architectures.
The top of the fourth column explains how to obtain valuable run-time and compile-time
statistics from C/OS-III. This is especially useful if developing a kernel awareness plug-in
for a debugger, or using C/Probe. The middle of column four contains the C/OS-III API
and configuration manuals. Reference these sections regularly when designing a product
using C/OS-III. Finally, the bottom of the last column contains miscellaneous appendices.
36
1
Introduction
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Figure 1-3 C/OS-III Book Layout
Chapter 1, Introduction. This chapter.

Chapter 2, Directories and Files. This chapter explains the directory structure and files
needed to build a C/OS-III-based application. Learn about the files that are needed, where
they should be placed, which module does what, and more.
Chapter 3, Getting Started with C/OS-III. In this chapter, learn how to properly
initialize and start a C/OS-III-based application.
Chapter 4, Critical Sections. This chapter explains what critical sections are, and how
they are protected.
37
1
Chapter 1
Chapter 5, Task Management. This chapter is an introduction to one of the most important
aspects of a real-time kernel, the management of tasks in a multitasking environment.
Chapter 6, The Ready List. In this chapter, learn how C/OS-III efficiently keeps track of
all of the tasks that are waiting to execute on the CPU.
Chapter 7, Scheduling. This chapter explains the scheduling algorithms used by
C/OS-III, and how it decides which task will run next.
Chapter 8, Context Switching. This chapter explains what a context switch is, and
describes the process of suspending execution of a task and resuming execution of a
higher-priority task.
Chapter 9, Interrupt Management. Here is how C/OS-III deals with interrupts and an
overview of services that are available from Interrupt Service Routines (ISRs). Learn how
C/OS-III supports nearly any interrupt controller.
Chapter 10, Pend Lists (or Wait Lists). Tasks that are not able to run are most likely
blocked waiting for specific events to occur. Pend Lists (or wait lists), are used to keep track
of tasks that are waiting for a resource or event. This chapter describes how C/OS-III
maintains these lists.
Chapter 11, Time Management. In this chapter, learn about C/OS-IIIs services that allow
users to suspend a task until some time expires. With C/OS-III, specify to delay execution of a
task for an integral number of clock ticks or until the clock-tick counter reaches a certain value.
The chapter will also show how a delayed task can be resumed, and describe how to get the
current value of the clock tick counter, or set this counter, if needed.
Chapter 12, Timer Management. C/OS-III allows users to define any number of
software timers. When a timer expires, a function can be called to perform some action.
Timers can be configured to be either periodic or one-shot. This chapter also explains how
the timer-management module works.
Chapter 13, Resource Management. In this chapter, learn different techniques so that
tasks share resources. Each of these techniques has advantages and disadvantages that will
be discussed. This chapter also explains the internals of semaphores, and mutual exclusion
semaphore management.
38
1
Introduction
Chapter 14, Synchronization. C/OS-III provides two types of services for

synchronization: semaphores and event flags and these are explained in this chapter, as well
as what happens when calling specific services provided in this module.
Chapter 15, Message Passing. C/OS-III allows a task or an ISR to send messages to a
task. This chapter describes some of the services provided by the message queue
management module.
Chapter 16, Pending on multiple objects. In this chapter, see how C/OS-III allows an
application to pend (or wait) on multiple kernel objects (semaphores or message queues) at
the same time. This feature makes the waiting task ready to run as soon as any one of the
objects is posted (i.e., OR condition), or a timeout occurs.
Chapter 17, Memory Management. Here is how C/OS-IIIs fixed-size memory partition
manager can be used to allocate and deallocate dynamic memory.
Chapter 18, Porting C/OS-III. This chapter explains, in generic terms, how to port
C/OS-III to any CPU architecture.
Chapter 19, Run-Time Statistics. C/OS-III provides a wealth of information about the
run-time environment, such as number of context switches, CPU usage (as a percentage),
stack usage on a per-task basis, C/OS-III RAM usage, maximum interrupt disable time,
maximum scheduler lock time, and more.
Appendix A, C/OS-III API Reference Manual. This appendix provides a alphabetical
reference for all user-available services provided by C/OS-III.
Appendix B, C/OS-III Configuration Manual. This appendix describes how to
configure a C/OS-III-based application. OS_CFG.H configures the C/OS-III features
(semaphores, queues, event flags, etc.), while OS_CFG_APP.H configures the run-time
characteristics (tick rate, tick wheel size, stack size for the idle task, etc.).
Appendix C, Migrating from C/OS-II to C/OS-III. C/OS-III has its roots in C/OS-II and,
in fact, most of the C/OS-II ports can be easily converted to C/OS-III. However, most APIs have
changed from C/OS-II to C/OS-III, and this appendix describes some of the differences.
Appendix D, MISRA-C:2004 rules and C/OS-III. C/OS-III follows most of the
MISRA-C:2004, except for 7 of these rules.
39
1
Chapter 1
Appendix E, Bibliography.
Appendix F, Licensing C/OS-III.
1-10 LICENSING
This book contains C/OS-III precompiled in linkable object form, an evaluation board, and
tools (compiler/assembler/linker/debugger). Use C/OS-III for free, as long as it is only
used with the evaluation board that accompanies this book. You will need to purchase a
license when using this code in a commercial project, where the intent is to make a profit.
Users do not pay anything beyond the price of the book, evaluation board and tools, as
long as they are used for educational purposes.
You will need to license C/OS-III if you intend to use C/OS-III in a commercial product
where you intend to make a profit. You need to purchase this license when you make the
decision to use C/OS-III in a design, not when you are ready to go to production.
If you are unsure about whether you need to obtain a license for your application, please
contact Micrim and discuss your use with a sales representative.
1-11 CONTACTING MICRIUM

Do not hesitate to contact Micrim should you have any licensing questions regarding
C/OS-III.
Micrim
Weston, FL 33326
USA
Phone: +1 954 217 2036
Fax: +1 954 217 2037
E-mail: Licensing@Micrium.com
Web: www.Micrium.com
40
Chapter
2
Directories and Files
C/OS-III is fairly easy to use once it is understood exactly which source files are needed to
make up a C/OS-III-based application. This chapter will discuss the modules available for
C/OS-III and how everything fits together.
Figure 2-1 shows the C/OS-III architecture and its relationship with hardware. Of course,
in addition to the timer and interrupt controller, hardware would most likely contain such
other devices as Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitters (UARTs), Analog to Digital
Converters (ADCs), Ethernet controller(s) and more.
This chapter assumes development on a Windows-based platform and makes references
to typical Windows-type directory structures (also called Folder). However, since C/OS-III
is available in source form, it can also be used on Unix, Linux or other development
platforms.
The names of the files are shown in upper case to make them stand out. However, file
names are actually lower case.
41
Chapter 2
2
C/OS-III Configuration
Application Code
OS_CFG.H
OS_CFG_APP.H
APP.C
APP.H
(8)
(1)
C/OS-III
C/LIB
CPU Independent
Libraries
OS_CFG_APP.C
OS_TYPE.H
OS_CORE.C
OS_DBG.C
OS_FLAG.C
OS_INT.C
OS_MEM.C
OS_MSG.C
OS_MUTEX.C
OS_PEND_MULTI.C
OS_PRIO.C
OS_Q.C
OS_SEM.C
OS_STAT.C
OS_TASK.C
OS_TICK.C
OS_TIME.C
OS_TMR.C
OS.H
OS_VAR.C
LIB_ASCII.C
LIB_ASCII.H
LIB_DEF.H
LIB_MATH.C
LIB_MATH.H
LIB_MEM_A.ASM
LIB_MEM.C
LIB_MEM.H
LIB_STR.C
LIB_STR.H
(4)
C/OS-III
C/CPU
BSP
CPU Specific
CPU Specific
Board Support Package
(5)
(6)
OS_CPU.H
OS_CPU_A.ASM
OS_CPU_C.C
CPU
(3)
CPU.H
CPU_A.ASM
CPU_CORE.C
BSP.C
BSP.H
(7)
(2)
*.C
*.H
Software/Firmware
Hardware
CPU
Timer
Interrupt
Controller
Figure 2-1 C/OS-III Architecture
42

2
F2-1(1)
The application code consists of project or product files. For convenience,

these are simply called APP.C and APP.H, however an application can contain
any number of files that do not have to be called APP.*. The application code
is typically where one would find main().
F2-1(2)
Semiconductor manufacturers often provide library functions in source form for

accessing the peripherals on their CPU or MCU. These libraries are quite useful
and often save valuable time. Since there is no naming convention for these
files, *.C and *.H are assumed.
F2-1(3)
The Board Support Package (BSP) is code that is typically written to interface
to peripherals on a target board. For example such code can turn on and off
Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), turn on and off relays, or code to read switches,
temperature sensors, and more.
F2-1(4)
This is the C/OS-III processor-independent code. This code is written in

highly portable ANSI C and is available to C/OS-III licensees only.
F2-1(5)
This is the C/OS-III code that is adapted to a specific CPU architecture and is
called a port. C/OS-III has its roots in C/OS-II and benefits from being able
to use most of the 45 or so ports available for C/OS-II. C/OS-II ports,
however, will require small changes to work with C/OS-III. These changes are
described in Appendix C, Migrating from C/OS-II to C/OS-III on page 617.
F2-1(6)
At Micrim, we like to encapsulate CPU functionality. These files define

functions to disable and enable interrupts, CPU_??? data types to be
independent of the CPU and compiler used, and many more functions.
F2-1(7)
C/LIB is of a series of source files that provide common functions such as

memory copy, string, and ASCII-related functions. Some are occasionally used to
replace stdlib functions provided by the compiler. The files are provided to
ensure that they are fully portable from application to application and especially,
from compiler to compiler. C/OS-III does not use these files, but C/CPU does.
F2-1(8)
C/OS-III conguration files defines C/OS-III features (OS_CFG.H) to include

in the application, and specifies the size of certain variables and data structures
expected by C/OS-III (OS_CFG_APP.H), such as idle task stack size, tick rate,
size of the message pool, etc.
43
Chapter 2
2
2-1 APPLICATION CODE

When Micrim provides example projects, they are placed in a directory structure shown
below. Of course, a directory structure that suits a particular project/product can be used.
\Micrium
\Software
\EvalBoards
\<manufacturer>
\<board_name>
\<compiler>
\<project name>
\*.*
\Micrium
This is where we place all software components and projects provided by Micrim. This
directory generally starts from the root directory of the computer.
\Software
This sub-directory contains all software components and projects.
\EvalBoards
This sub-directory contains all projects related to evaluation boards supported by Micrim.
\<manufacturer>
This is the name of the manufacturer of the evaluation board. The < and > are not part
of the actual name.
\<board name>
This is the name of the evaluation board. A board from Micrim will typically be called
uC-Eval-xxxx where xxxx represents the CPU or MCU used on the board. The < and
> are not part of the actual name.
\<compiler>
This is the name of the compiler or compiler manufacturer used to build the code for the
evaluation board. The < and > are not part of the actual name.
44

2
\<project name>
The name of the project that will be demonstrated. For example, a simple C/OS-III project
might have a project name of OS-Ex1. The -Ex1 represents a project containing only
C/OS-III. The project name OS-Probe-Ex1 contains C/OS-III and C/Probe.
\*.*
These are the project source files. Main files can optionally be called APP*.*. This directory
also contains configuration files OS_CFG.H, OS_CFG_APP.H and other required source files.
2-2 CPU
The directory where you will find semiconductor manufacturer peripheral interface source
files is shown below. Any directory structure that suits the project/product may be used.
\Micrium
\Software
\CPU
\<manufacturer>
\<architecture>
\*.*
\Micrium
The location of all software components and projects provided by Micrim.
\Software
\CPU
This sub-directory is always called CPU.
\<manufacturer>
Is the name of the semiconductor manufacturer providing the peripheral library.
\<architecture>
The name of the specific library, generally associated with a CPU name or an architecture.
\*.*
Indicates library source files. The semiconductor manufacturer names the files.
45
Chapter 2
2
2-3 BOARD SUPPORT PACKAGE (BSP)

The Board Support Package (BSP) is generally found with the evaluation or target board as
it is specific to that board. In fact, when well written, the BSP should be used for multiple
projects.
\Micrium
\Software
\EvalBoards
\<manufacturer>
\<board name>
\<compiler>
\BSP
\*.*
\Micrium
Contains all software components and projects provided by Micrim.
\Software
\EvalBoards
This sub-directory contains all projects related to evaluation boards.
\<manufacturer>
The name of the manufacturer of the evaluation board. The < and > are not part of the
actual name.
\<board name>
The name of the evaluation board. A board from Micrim will typically be called
uC-Eval-xxxx where xxxx is the name of the CPU or MCU used on the evaluation board.
The < and > are not part of the actual name.
\<compiler>
The name of the compiler or compiler manufacturer used to build code for the evaluation
board. The < and > are not part of the actual name.
46

2
\BSP
This directory is always called BSP.
\*.*
The source files of the BSP. Typically all of the file names start with BSP. It is therefore
normal to find BSP.C and BSP.H in this directory. BSP code should contain such functions
as LED control functions, initialization of timers, interface to Ethernet controllers and more.
2-4 C/OS-III, CPU INDEPENDENT SOURCE CODE

The files in these directories are available to C/OS-III licensees (see Appendix F, Licensing
Policy on page 663).
\Micrium
\Software
\uCOS-III
\Cfg\Template
\OS_APP_HOOKS.C
\OS_CFG.H
\OS_CFG_APP.H
\Source
\OS_CFG_APP.C
\OS_CORE.C
\OS_DBG.C
\OS_FLAG.C
\OS_INT.C
\OS_MEM.C
\OS_MSG.C
\OS_MUTEX.C
\OS_PEND_MULTI.C
\OS_PRIO.C
\OS_Q.C
\OS_SEM.C
\OS_STAT.C
\OS_TASK.C
\OS_TICK.C
\OS_TIME.C
47
Chapter 2
2
\OS_TMR.C
\OS_VAR
\OS.H
\OS_TYPE.H
\Micrium
\Software
\uCOS-III
This is the main C/OS-III directory.
\Cfg\Template
This directory contains examples of configuration files to copy to the project directory. You
will then modify these files to suit the needs of the application.
OS_APP_HOOKS.C shows how to write hook functions that are called by C/OS-III.
Specifically, this file contains eight empty functions.
OS_CFG.H specifies which features of C/OS-III are available for an application. The file
is typically copied into an application directory and edited based on which features are
required from C/OS-III. If C/OS-III is provided in linkable object code format, this file
will be provided to indicate features that are available in the object file. See
Appendix B, C/OS-III Configuration Manual on page 597.
OS_CFG_APP.H is a configuration file to be copied into an application directory and
edited based on application requirements. This file enables the user to determine the
size of the idle task stack, the tick rate, the number of messages available in the
message pool and more. See Appendix B, C/OS-III Configuration Manual on
page 597.
\Source
The directory containing the CPU-independent source code for C/OS-III. All files in this
directory should be included in the build (assuming you have the source code). Features
that are not required will be compiled out based on the value of #define constants in
OS_CFG.H and OS_CFG_APP.H.
48

2
OS_CFG_APP.C declares variables and arrays based on the values in OS_CFG_APP.H.

OS_CORE.C contains core functionality for C/OS-III such as OSInit() to initialize C/OS-III,
OSSched() for the task level scheduler, OSIntExit() for the interrupt level scheduler, pend
list (or wait list) management (see Chapter 10, Pend Lists (or Wait Lists) on page 185), ready
list management (see Chapter 6, The Ready List on page 131), and more.
OS_DBG.C contains declarations of constant variables used by a kernel aware debugger
or C/Probe.
OS_FLAG.C contains the code for event flag management. See Chapter 14,
Synchronization on page 259 for details about event flags.
OS_INT.C contains code for the interrupt handler task, which is used when
OS_CFG_ISR_POST_DEFERRED_EN (see OS_CFG.H) is set to 1. See Chapter 9, Interrupt
Management on page 165 for details regarding the interrupt handler task.
OS_MEM.C contains code for the C/OS-III fixed-size memory manager, see Chapter 17,
Memory Management on page 331.
OS_MSG.C contains code to handle messages. C/OS-III provides message queues and
task specific message queues. OS_MSG.C provides common code for these two services.
See Chapter 15, Message Passing on page 297.
OS_MUTEX.C contains code to manage mutual exclusion semaphores, see Chapter 13,
Resource Management on page 217.
OS_PEND_MULTI.C contains the code to allow code to pend on multiple semaphores or
message queues. This is described in Chapter 16, Pending On Multiple Objects on
page 321.
OS_PRIO.C contains the code to manage the bitmap table used to keep track of which
tasks are ready to run, see Chapter 6, The Ready List on page 131. This file can be
replaced by an assembly language equivalent to improve performance if the CPU used
provides bit set, clear and test instructions, and a count leading zeros instruction.
49
Chapter 2
2
OS_Q.C contains code to manage message queues. See Chapter 15, Message Passing
on page 297.
OS_SEM.C contains code to manage semaphores used for resource management and/or
synchronization. See Chapter 13, Resource Management on page 217 and Chapter 14,
Synchronization on page 259.
OS_STAT.C contains code for the statistic task, which is used to compute the global
CPU usage and the CPU usage of each of tasks. See Chapter 5, Task Management on
page 83.
OS_TASK.C contains code for managing tasks using OSTaskCreate(), OSTaskDel(),
OSTaskChangePrio(), and many more. See Chapter 5, Task Management on page 83.
OS_TICK.C contains code to manage tasks that have delayed themselves or that are
pending on a kernel object with a timeout. See Chapter 5, Task Management on
page 83.
OS_TIME.C contains code to allow a task to delay itself until some time expires. See
Chapter 11, Time Management on page 191.
OS_TMR.C contains code to manage software timers. See Chapter 12, Timer
Management on page 201.
OS_VAR.C contains the C/OS-III global variables. These variables are for C/OS-III to
manage and should not be accessed by application code.
OS.H contains the main C/OS-III header file, which declares constants, macros,
C/OS-III global variables (for use by C/OS-III only), function prototypes, and more.
OS_TYPE.H contains declarations of C/OS-III data types that can be changed by the
port designed to make better use of the CPU architecture. In this case, the file would
typically be copied to the port directory and then modified. C/OS-III in linkable object
library format provides this file to enable the user to know what each data type maps
to. See Appendix B, C/OS-III Configuration Manual on page 597.
50

2
2-5 C/OS-III, CPU SPECIFIC SOURCE CODE

The C/OS-III port developer provides these files. See also Chapter 18, Porting C/OS-III
on page 343.
\Micrium
\Software
\uCOS-III
\Ports
\<architecture>
\<compiler>
\OS_CPU.H
\OS_CPU_A.ASM
\OS_CPU_C.C
\Micrium
\Software
\uCOS-III
The main C/OS-III directory.
\Ports
The location of port files for the CPU architecture(s) to be used.
\<architecture>
This is the name of the CPU architecture that C/OS-III was ported to. The < and > are
not part of the actual name.
\<compiler>
The name of the compiler or compiler manufacturer used to build code for the port. The <
and > are not part of the actual name.
The files in this directory contain the C/OS-III port, see Chapter 18, Porting C/OS-III on
page 343 for details on the contents of these files.
51
Chapter 2
2
OS_CPU.H contains a macro declaration for OS_TASK_SW(), as well as the function

prototypes for at least the following functions: OSCtxSw(), OSIntCtxSw() and
OSStartHighRdy().
OS_CPU_A.ASM contains the assembly language functions to implement at least the
following functions: OSCtxSw(), OSIntCtxSw() and OSStartHighRdy().
OS_CPU_C.C contains the C code for the port specific hook functions and code to
initialize the stack frame for a task when the task is created.
2-6 C/CPU, CPU SPECIFIC SOURCE CODE

C/CPU consists of files that encapsulate common CPU-specific functionality and CPU and
compiler-specific data types. See Chapter 18, Porting C/OS-III on page 343.
\Micrium
\Software
\uC-CPU
\CPU_CORE.C
\CPU_CORE.H
\CPU_DEF.H
\Cfg\Template
\CPU_CFG.H
\<architecture>
\<compiler>
\CPU.H
\CPU_A.ASM
\CPU_C.C
\Micrium
\Software
52

2
\uC-CPU
This is the main C/CPU directory.
CPU_CORE.C contains C code that is common to all CPU architectures. Specifically, this
file contains functions to measure the interrupt disable time of the
CPU_CRITICAL_ENTER() and CPU_CRITICAL_EXIT() macros, a function that emulates a
count leading zeros instruction and a few other functions.
CPU_CORE.H contains function prototypes for the functions provided in CPU_CORE.C
and allocation of the variables used by the module to measure interrupt disable time.
CPU_DEF.H contains miscellaneous #define constants used by the C/CPU module.
\Cfg\Template
This directory contains a configuration template file (CPU_CFG.H) that must be copied to the
application directory to configure the C/CPU module based on application requirements.
CPU_CFG.H determines whether to enable measurement of the interrupt disable time,
whether the CPU implements a count leading zeros instruction in assembly language, or
whether it will be emulated in C, and more.
\<architecture>
The name of the CPU architecture that C/CPU was ported to. The < and > are not part
of the actual name.
\<compiler>
The name of the compiler or compiler manufacturer used to build code for the C/CPU
port. The < and > are not part of the actual name.
The files in this directory contain the C/CPU port, see Chapter 18, Porting C/OS-III on
page 343 for details on the contents of these files.
CPU.H contains type definitions to make C/OS-III and other modules independent of
the CPU and compiler word sizes. Specifically, one will find the declaration of the
CPU_INT16U, CPU_INT32U, CPU_FP32 and many other data types. This file also specifies
whether the CPU is a big or little endian machine, defines the CPU_STK data type used
by C/OS-III, defines the macros OS_CRITICAL_ENTER() and OS_CRITICAL_EXIT(),
and contains function prototypes for functions specific to the CPU architecture, and more.
53
Chapter 2
2
CPU_A.ASM contains the assembly language functions to implement code to disable and
enable CPU interrupts, count leading zeros (if the CPU supports that instruction), and
other CPU specific functions that can only be written in assembly language. This file
may also contain code to enable caches, setup MPUs and MMU, and more. The
functions provided in this file are accessible from C.
CPU_C.C contains C code of functions that are based on a specific CPU architecture but
written in C for portability. As a general rule, if a function can be written in C then it
should be, unless there is significant performance benefits available by writing it in
assembly language.
2-7 C/LIB, PORTABLE LIBRARY FUNCTIONS

C/LIB consists of library functions meant to be highly portable and not tied to any specific
compiler. This facilitates third-party certification of Micrim products. C/OS-III does not
use any C/LIB functions, however the C/CPU assumes the presence of LIB_DEF.H for
such definitions as: DEF_YES, DEF_NO, DEF_TRUE, DEF_FALSE, DEF_ON, DEF_OFF and more.
\Micrium
\Software
\uC-LIB
\LIB_ASCII.C
\LIB_ASCII.H
\LIB_DEF.H
\LIB_MATH.C
\LIB_MATH.H
\LIB_MEM.C
\LIB_MEM.H
\LIB_STR.C
\LIB_STR.H
\Cfg\Template
\LIB_CFG.H
\Ports
\<architecture>
\<compiler>
\LIB_MEM_A.ASM
54

2
\Micrium
\Software
\uC-LIB
This is the main C/LIB directory.
\Cfg\Template
This directory contains a configuration template file (LIB_CFG.H) that are required to be
copied to the application directory to configure the C/LIB module based on application
requirements.
LIB_CFG.H determines whether to enable assembly language optimization (assuming there
is an assembly language file for the processor, i.e., LIB_MEM_A.ASM) and a few other
#defines.
2-8 SUMMARY
Below is a summary of all directories and files involved in a C/OS-III-based project. The
<-Cfg on the far right indicates that these files are typically copied into the application
(i.e., project) directory and edited based on the project requirements.
\Micrium
\Software
\EvalBoards
\<manufacturer>
\<board name>
\<compiler>
\<project name>
\APP.C
\APP.H
\other
\CPU
\<manufacturer>
\<architecture>
\*.*
55
Chapter 2
2
\uCOS-III
\Cfg\Template
\OS_APP_HOOKS.C
\OS_CFG.H
\OS_CFG_APP.H
\Source
\OS_CFG_APP.C
\OS_CORE.C
\OS_DBG.C
\OS_FLAG.C
\OS_INT.C
\OS_MEM.C
\OS_MSG.C
\OS_MUTEX.C
\OS_PEND_MULTI.C
\OS_PRIO.C
\OS_Q.C
\OS_SEM.C
\OS_STAT.C
\OS_TASK.C
\OS_TICK.C
\OS_TIME.C
\OS_TMR.C
\OS_VAR.C
\OS.H
\OS_TYPE.H
\Ports
\<architecture>
\<compiler>
\OS_CPU.H
\OS_CPU_A.ASM
\OS_CPU_C.C
\uC-CPU
\CPU_CORE.C
\CPU_CORE.H
\CPU_DEF.H
\Cfg\Template
\CPU_CFG.H
56
<-Cfg
<-Cfg
<-Cfg
<-Cfg

2
\<architecture>
\<compiler>
\CPU.H
\CPU_A.ASM
\CPU_C.C
\uC-LIB
\LIB_ASCII.C
\LIB_ASCII.H
\LIB_DEF.H
\LIB_MATH.C
\LIB_MATH.H
\LIB_MEM.C
\LIB_MEM.H
\LIB_STR.C
\LIB_STR.H
\Cfg\Template
\LIB_CFG.H
\Ports
\<architecture>
\<compiler>
\LIB_MEM_A.ASM
<-Cfg
57
Chapter 2
2
58
Chapter
3
Getting Started with C/OS-III
C/OS-III provides services to application code in the form of a set of functions that
perform specific operations. C/OS-III offers services to manage tasks, semaphores,
message queues, mutual exclusion semaphores and more. As far as the application is
concerned, it calls the C/OS-III functions as if they were any other functions. In other
words, the application now has access to a library of approximately 70 new functions.
In this chapter, the reader will appreciate how easy it is to start using C/OS-III. Refer to
Appendix A, C/OS-III API Reference Manual on page 383, for the full description of
several of the C/OS-III services presented in this chapter.
It is assumed that the project setup (files and directories) is as described in the previous
chapter, and that a C compiler exists for the target processor that is in use. However, this
chapter makes no assumptions about the tools or the processor that is used.
59
Chapter 3
3-1 SINGLE TASK APPLICATION

Listing 3-1 shows the top portion of a simple application file called APP.C.
/*
***********************************************************************************************
*
INCLUDE FILES
***********************************************************************************************
*/
#include <app_cfg.h>
(1)
#include <bsp.h>
#include <os.h>
/*
***********************************************************************************************
*
LOCAL GLOBAL VARIABLES
***********************************************************************************************
*/
static OS_TCB
AppTaskStartTCB;
(2)
static CPU_STK
AppTaskStartStk[APP_TASK_START_STK_SIZE];
(3)
/*
***********************************************************************************************
*
FUNCTION PROTOTYPES
***********************************************************************************************
*/
static void AppTaskStart (void *p_arg);
(4)
Listing 3-1 APP.C (1st Part)
L3-1(1)
As with any C programs, include the necessary headers to build the

application.
APP_CFG.H is a header file that configures the application. For our example,
APP_CFG.H contains #define constants to establish task priorities, stack sizes,
and other application specifics.
BSP.H is the header file for the Board Support Package (BSP), which defines
#defines and function prototypes, such as BSP_Init(), BSP_LED_On(),
OS_TS_GET() and more.
60
OS.H is the main header file for C/OS-III, and includes the following header files:
OS_CFG.H
CPU.H
CPU_CFG.H
CPU_CORE.H
OS_TYPE.H
OS_CPU.H
L3-1(2)
We will be creating an application task and it is necessary to allocate a task

control block (OS_TCB) for this task.
L3-1(3)
Each task created requires its own stack. A stack must be declared using the
CPU_STK data type. The stack can be allocated statically as shown here, or
dynamically from the heap using malloc(). It should not be necessary to free
the stack space, because the task should never be stopped, and the stack will
always be used.
L3-1(4)
This is the function prototype of the task that we will create.
Most C applications start at main() as shown in Listing 3-2.
61
Chapter 3
void
main (void)
{
OS_ERR
err;
BSP_IntDisAll();
OSInit(&err);
if (err != OS_ERR_NONE) {
/* Something didnt get initialized correctly ...
*/
/* ... check OS.H for the meaning of the error code, see OS_ERR_xxxx */
}
OSTaskCreate((OS_TCB
*)&AppTaskStartTCB,
(CPU_CHAR
*)App Task Start,
(OS_TASK_PTR )AppTaskStart,
(void
*)0,
(OS_PRIO
)APP_TASK_START_PRIO,
(CPU_STK
*)&AppTaskStartStk[0],
(CPU_STK_SIZE)APP_TASK_START_STK_SIZE / 10,
(CPU_STK_SIZE)APP_TASK_START_STK_SIZE,
(OS_MSG_QTY )0,
(OS_TICK
)0,
(void
*)0,
(OS_OPT
)(OS_OPT_TASK_STK_CHK | OS_OPT_TASK_STK_CLR),
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
(9)
(10)
(11)
(OS_ERR
*)&err);
(12)
/* The task didnt get created. Lookup the value of the error code ... */
/* ... in OS.H for the meaning of the error
*/
}
OSStart(&err);
(13)
/* Your code is NEVER supposed to come back to this point.
*/
}
}
Listing 3-2 APP.C (2nd Part)
L3-2(1)
Start main() by calling a BSP function that disables all interrupts. On most
processors, interrupts are disabled at startup until explicitly enabled by application
code. However, it is safer to turn off all peripheral interrupts during startup.
L3-2(2)
Call OSInit(), which is responsible for initializing C/OS-III. OSInit()

initializes internal variables and data structures, and also creates two (2) to five (5)
internal tasks. At a minimum, C/OS-III creates the idle task (OS_IdleTask()),
which executes when no other task is ready to run. C/OS-III also creates the
tick task, which is responsible for keeping track of time.
62
Depending on the value of #define constants, C/OS-III will create the statistic
task (OS_StatTask()), the timer task (OS_TmrTask()), and the interrupt
handler queue management task (OS_IntQTask()). Those are discussed in
Chapter 5, Task Management on page 83.
Most of C/OS-IIIs functions return an error code via a pointer to an OS_ERR
variable, err in this case. If OSInit() was successful, err will be set to
OS_ERR_NONE. If OSInit() encounters a problem during initialization, it will
return immediately upon detecting the problem and set err accordingly. If this
occurs, look up the error code value in OS.H. Specifically, all error codes start
with OS_ERR_.
It is important to note that OSInit() must be called before any other C/OS-III
function.
L3-2(3)
Create a task by calling OSTaskCreate(). OSTaskCreate() requires 13

arguments. The first argument is the address of the OS_TCB that is declared for this
task. Chapter 5, Task Management on page 83 provides additional information
about tasks.
L3-2(4)
OSTaskCreate() allows a name to be assigned to each of the tasks. C/OS-III

stores a pointer to the task name inside the OS_TCB of the task. There is no
limit on the number of ASCII characters used for the name.
L3-2(5)
The third argument is the address of the task code. A typical C/OS-III task is
implemented as an infinite loop as shown:
void MyTask (void *p_arg)

{
/* Do something with p_arg.
while (1) {
/* Task body */
}
}
The task receives an argument when it first starts. As far as the task is
concerned, it looks like any other C function that can be called by the code.
However, the code must not call MyTask(). The call is actually performed
through C/OS-III.
63
Chapter 3
L3-2(6)
The fourth argument of OSTaskCreate() is the actual argument that the task
receives when it first begins. In other words, the p_arg of MyTask(). In the
example a NULL pointer is passed, and thus p_arg for AppTaskStart() will
be a NULL pointer.
The argument passed to the task can actually be any pointer. For example, the
user may pass a pointer to a data structure containing parameters for the task.
L3-2(7)
The next argument to OSTaskCreate() is the priority of the task. The

priority establishes the relative importance of this task with respect to the
other tasks in the application. A low-priority number indicates a high
priority (or more important task). Set the priority of the task to any value
between 1 and OS_CFG_PRIO_MAX-2, inclusively. Avoid using priority #0, and
priority OS_CFG_PRIO_MAX-1, because these are reserved for C/OS-III.
OS_CFG_PRIO_MAX is a compile time configuration constant, which is declared
in OS_CFG.H.
L3-2(8)
The sixth argument to OSTaskCreate() is the base address of the stack

assigned to this task. The base address is always the lowest memory location of
the stack.
L3-2(9)
The next argument specifies the location of a watermark in the tasks stack
that can be used to determine the allowable stack growth of the task. See
Chapter 5, Task Management on page 83 for more details on using this
feature. In the code above, the value represents the amount of stack space (in
CPU_STK elements) before the stack is empty. In other words, in the example,
the limit is reached when there is 10% of the stack left.
L3-2(10)
The eighth argument to OSTaskCreate() specifies the size of the tasks stack in
number of CPU_STK elements (not bytes). For example, if allocating 1 Kbyte of
stack space for a task and the CPU_STK is a 32-bit word, then pass 256.
L3-2(11)
The next three arguments are skipped as they are not relevant for the current
discussion. The next argument to OSTaskCreate() specifies options. In this
example, we specify that the stack will be checked at run time (assuming the
statistic task was enabled in OS_CFG.H), and that the contents of the stack will
be cleared when the task is created.
64
L3-2(12)
The last argument of OSTaskCreate() is a pointer to a variable that will

receive an error code. If OSTaskCreate() is successful, the error code will be
OS_ERR_NONE otherwise, look up the value of the error code in OS.H (See
OS_ERR_xxxx) to determine the problem with the call.
L3-2(13)
The final step in main() is to call OSStart(), which starts the multitasking
process. Specifically, C/OS-III will select the highest-priority task that was
created before calling OSStart(). The highest-priority task is always
OS_IntQTask() if that task is enabled in OS_CFG.H (through the
OS_CFG_ISR_POST_DEFERRED_EN constant). If this is the case, OS_IntQTask()
will perform some initialization of its own and then C/OS-III will switch to the
next most important task that was created.
A few important points are worth noting. For one thing, create as many tasks as you want
before calling OSStart(). However, it is recommended to only create one task as shown in
the example because, having a single application task allows C/OS-III to determine how
fast the CPU is, in order to determine the percentage of CPU usage at run-time. Also, if the
application needs other kernel objects such as semaphores and message queues then it is
recommended that these be created prior to calling OSStart(). Finally, notice that that
interrupts are not enabled. This will be discussed next by examining the contents of
AppTaskStart(), which is shown in Listing 3-3.
65
Chapter 3
static
void
AppTaskStart (void *p_arg)
(1)
{
OS_ERR
err;
p_arg = p_arg;
BSP_Init();
CPU_Init();
BSP_Cfg_Tick();
BSP_LED_Off(0);
while (1) {
BSP_LED_Toggle(0);
OSTimeDlyHMSM((CPU_INT16U) 0,
(CPU_INT16U) 0,
(CPU_INT16U) 0,
(CPU_INT32U)100,
(OS_OPT
)OS_OPT_TIME_HMSM_STRICT,
(OS_ERR
*)&err);
/* Check for err */
}
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
Listing 3-3 APP.C (3rd Part)
L3-3(1)
As previously mentioned, a task looks like any other C function. The argument
p_arg is passed to AppTaskStart() by OSTaskCreate(), as discussed in the
previous listing description.
L3-3(2)
BSP_Init() is a Board Support Package (BSP) function that is responsible for

initializing the hardware on an evaluation or target board. The evaluation
board might have General Purpose Input Output (GPIO) lines that might
need to be configured, relays, sensors and more. This function is found in a
file called BSP.C.
L3-3(3)
CPU_Init() initializes the C/CPU services. C/CPU provides services to measure

interrupt latency, receive time stamps, and provides emulation of the count leading
zeros instruction if the processor used does not have that instruction and more.
L3-3(4)
BSP_Cfg_Tick() sets up the C/OS-III tick interrupt. For this, the function
needs to initialize one of the hardware timers to interrupt the CPU at a rate of:
OSCfg_TickRate_Hz,
which
is
defined
in
OS_CFG_APP.H
(See
OS_CFG_TICK_RATE_HZ).
66
L3-3(5)
BSP_LED_Off() is a function that will turn off all LEDs because the function is
written so that a zero argument means all the LEDs.
L3-3(6)
Most C/OS-III tasks will need to be written as an infinite loop.
L3-3(7)
This BSP function toggles the state of the specified LED. Again, a zero indicates
that all the LEDs should be toggled on the evaluation board. Simply change the
zero to 1 and this will cause LED #1 to toggle. Exactly which LED is LED #1?
That depends on the BSP developer. Specifically, encapsulate access to
LEDs through such functions as BSP_LED_On(), BSP_LED_Off() and
BSP_LED_Toggle(). Also, we prefer to assign LEDs logical values (1, 2, 3, etc.)
instead of specifying which port and which bit on each port.
L3-3(8)
Finally, each task in the application must call one of the C/OS-III functions
that will cause the task to wait for an event. The task can wait for time to
expire (by calling OSTimeDly(), or OSTimeDlyHMSM()), or wait for a signal or a
message from an ISR or another task. Chapter 11, Time Management on
page 191 provides additional information about time delays.
67
Chapter 3
3-2 MULTIPLE TASKS APPLICATION WITH KERNEL OBJECTS

The code of Listing 3-4 through Listing 3-8 shows a more complete example and contains
three tasks: a mutual exclusion, semaphore, and a message queue.
/*
***********************************************************************************************
*
INCLUDE FILES
***********************************************************************************************
*/
#include <app_cfg.h>
#include <bsp.h>
#include <os.h>
/*
***********************************************************************************************
*
LOCAL GLOBAL VARIABLES
***********************************************************************************************
*/
static OS_TCB
AppTaskStartTCB;
(1)
static OS_TCB
AppTask1_TCB;
static OS_TCB
AppTask2_TCB;
static OS_MUTEX
AppMutex;
(2)
static OS_Q
AppQ;
(3)
static CPU_STK
AppTaskStartStk[APP_TASK_START_STK_SIZE];
(4)
static CPU_STK
AppTask1_Stk[128];
static CPU_STK
AppTask2_Stk[128];
/*
***********************************************************************************************
*
FUNCTION PROTOTYPES
***********************************************************************************************
*/
static void AppTaskStart (void *p_arg);
(5)
static void AppTask1
(void *p_arg);
static void AppTask2
(void *p_arg);
Listing 3-4 APP.C (1st Part)
68
L3-4(1)
Allocate storage for the OS_TCBs of each task.
L3-4(2)
A mutual exclusion semaphore (a.k.a. a mutex) is a kernel object (a data

structure) that is used to protect a shared resource from being accessed by
more than one task. A task that wants to access the shared resource must
obtain the mutex before it is allowed to proceed. The owner of the resource
relinquishes the mutex when it has finished accessing the resource. This
process is demonstrated in this example.
L3-4(3)
A message queue is a kernel object through which Interrupt Service Routines

(ISRs) and/or tasks send messages to other tasks. The sender formulates a
message and sends it to the message queue. The task(s) wanting to receive
these messages wait on the message queue for messages to arrive. If there are
already messages in the message queue, the receiver immediately retrieves
those messages. If there are no messages waiting in the message queue, then
the receiver will be placed in a wait list associated with the message queue.
This process will be demonstrated in this example.
L3-4(4)
Allocate a stack for each task.
L3-4(5)
The user must prototype the tasks.
Listing 3-5 shows the entry point for C, main().
69
Chapter 3
void
main (void)
{
OS_ERR
err;
BSP_IntDisAll();
OSInit(&err);
/* Check for err */
OSMutexCreate((OS_MUTEX
(CPU_CHAR
(OS_ERR
/* Check for err */
*)&AppMutex,
*)My App. Mutex,
*)&err);
(1)
OSQCreate
((OS_Q
*)&AppQ,
(CPU_CHAR
*)My App Queue,
(OS_MSG_QTY )10,
(OS_ERR
*)&err);
/* Check for err */
(2)
*)&AppTaskStartTCB,
(CPU_CHAR
*)App Task Start,
(OS_TASK_PTR )AppTaskStart,
(3)
(void
*)0,
(OS_PRIO
)APP_TASK_START_PRIO,
(CPU_STK
*)&AppTaskStartStk[0],
(CPU_STK_SIZE)APP_TASK_START_STK_SIZE / 10,
(CPU_STK_SIZE)APP_TASK_START_STK_SIZE,
(OS_MSG_QTY )0,
(OS_TICK
)0,
(void
*)0,
(OS_OPT
(OS_ERR
*)&err);
/* Check for err */
OSStart(&err);
/* Check for err */
}
Listing 3-5 APP.C (2nd Part)
70
L3-5(1)
Creating a mutex is simply a matter of calling OSMutexCreate(). Specify the

address of the OS_MUTEX object that will be used for the mutex. Chapter 13,
Resource Management on page 217 provides additional information about
mutual exclusion semaphores.
You can assign an ASCII name to the mutex, which is useful when debugging.
L3-5(2)
Create the message queue by calling OSQCreate() and specifying the address
of the OS_Q object. Chapter 15, Message Passing on page 297 provides
additional information about message queues.
Assign an ASCII name to the message queue.
Specify how many messages the message queue is allowed to receive. This
value must be greater than zero. If the sender sends messages faster than they
can be consumed by the receiving task, messages will be lost. This can be
corrected by either increasing the size of the message queue, or increasing the
priority of the receiving task.
L3-5(3)
The first application task is created.
Listing 3-6 shows how to create other tasks once multitasking as started.
71
Chapter 3
static void AppTaskStart (void *p_arg)

{
OS_ERR err;
p_arg = p_arg;
BSP_Init();
CPU_Init();
BSP_Cfg_Tick();
*)&AppTask1_TCB,
(CPU_CHAR
*)App Task 1,
(OS_TASK_PTR )AppTask1,
(void
*)0,
(OS_PRIO
)5,
(CPU_STK
*)&AppTask1_Stk[0],
(CPU_STK_SIZE)0,
(CPU_STK_SIZE)128,
(OS_MSG_QTY )0,
(OS_TICK
)0,
(void
*)0,
(OS_OPT
(OS_ERR
*)&err);
*)&AppTask2_TCB,
(CPU_CHAR
*)App Task 2,
(OS_TASK_PTR )AppTask2,
(void
*)0,
(OS_PRIO
)6,
(CPU_STK
*)&AppTask2_Stk[0],
(CPU_STK_SIZE)0,
(CPU_STK_SIZE)128,
(OS_MSG_QTY )0,
(OS_TICK
)0,
(void
*)0,
(OS_OPT
(OS_ERR
*)&err);
BSP_LED_Off(0);
while (1) {
BSP_LED_Toggle(0);
OSTimeDlyHMSM((CPU_INT16U) 0,
(CPU_INT16U) 0,
(CPU_INT16U) 0,
(CPU_INT32U)100,
(OS_OPT
)OS_OPT_TIME_HMSM_STRICT,
(OS_ERR
*)&err);
}
(1)
(2)
Listing 3-6 APP.C (3rd Part)
72
L3-6(1)
Create Task #1 by calling OSTaskCreate(). If this task happens to have a

higher priority than the task that creates it, C/OS-III will immediately start
Task #1. If the created task has a lower priority, OSTaskCreate() will return to
AppTaskStart() and continue execution.
L3-6(2)
Task #2 is created and if it has a higher priority than AppTaskStart(),

C/OS-III will immediately switch to that task.
static void AppTask1 (void *p_arg)

{
OS_ERR err;
CPU_TS ts;
p_arg = p_arg;
while (1) {
OSTimeDly ((OS_TICK
)1,
(OS_OPT
)OS_OPT_TIME_DLY,
(OS_ERR
*)&err);
OSQPost
((OS_Q
*)&AppQ,
(void
*)1;
(OS_MSG_SIZE)sizeof(void *),
(OS_OPT
)OS_OPT_POST_FIFO,
(OS_ERR
*)&err);
OSMutexPend((OS_MUTEX *)&AppMutex,
(OS_TICK
)0,
(OS_OPT
)OS_OPT_PEND_BLOCKING;
(CPU_TS
*)&ts,
(OS_ERR
*)&err);
/* Access shared resource */
OSMutexPost((OS_MUTEX *)&AppMutex,
(OS_OPT
)OS_OPT_POST_NONE,
(OS_ERR
*)&err);
}
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
Listing 3-7 APP.C (4th Part)
L3-7(1)
The task starts by waiting for one tick to expire before it does anything useful.
If the C/OS-III tick rate is configured for 1000 Hz, the task will execute every
millisecond.
73
Chapter 3
L3-7(2)
The task then sends a message to another task using the message queue AppQ.
In this case, the example shows a fixed message 1, but the message could
have consisted of the address of a buffer, the address of a function, or whatever
would need to be sent.
L3-7(3)
The task then waits on the mutual exclusion semaphore since it needs to access
a shared resource with another task. If the resource is already owned by
another task, AppTask1() will wait forever for the mutex to be released by its
current owner. The forever wait is specified by passing 0 as the second
argument of the call.
L3-7(4)
When OSMutexPend() returns, the task owns the resource and can therefore
access the shared resource. The shared resource may be a variable, an array, a
data structure, an I/O device, etc.
L3-7(5)
When the task is done with the shared resource, it must call OSMutexPost() to
release the mutex.
static void AppTask2 (void *p_arg)

{
OS_ERR
err;
void
*p_msg;
OS_MSG_SIZE msg_size;
CPU_TS
ts;
CPU_TS
ts_delta;
p_arg = p_arg;
while (1) {
p_msg = OSQPend((OS_Q
*)&AppQ,
(OS_MSG_SIZE *)&msg_size,
(OS_TICK
)0,
(OS_OPT
)OS_OPT_PEND_BLOCKING,
(CPU_TS
*)&ts,
(OS_ERR
*)&err);
ts_delta = OS_TS_GET() ts;
/* Process message received */
}
(1)
(2)
(3)
Listing 3-8 APP.C (5th Part)
74
L3-8(1)
Task #2 starts by waiting for messages to be sent through the message queue
AppQ. The task waits forever for a message to be received because the third
argument specifies an infinite timeout.
When the message is received p_msg will contain the message (i.e., a pointer
to something). Both the sender and receiver must agree as to the meaning
of the message. The size of the message received is saved in msg_size.
Note that p_msg could point to a buffer and msg_size would indicate the
size of this buffer.
Also, when the message is received, ts will contain the timestamp of when the
message was sent. A timestamp is the value read from a fairly fast free-running
timer. The timestamp is typically an unsigned 32-bit (or more) value.
L3-8(2)
Knowing when the message was sent allows the user to determine how long it
took this task to get the message. Reading the current timestamp and
subtracting the timestamp of when the message was sent allows users to know
how long it took for the message to be received. Note that the receiving task
may not get the message immediately since ISRs or other higher-priority tasks
might execute before the receiver gets to run.
L3-8(3)
Proceed with processing the received message.
75
Chapter 3
76
Chapter
4
Critical Sections
A critical section of code, also called a critical region, is code that needs to be treated
indivisibly. There are many critical sections of code contained in C/OS-III. If a critical
section is accessible by an Interrupt Service Routine (ISR) and a task, then disabling
interrupts is necessary to protect the critical region. If the critical section is only accessible
by task level code, the critical section may be protected through the use of a preemption
lock.
Within C/OS-III, the critical section access method depends on which ISR post method
is used by interrupts (see Chapter 9, Interrupt Management on page 165). If
OS_CFG_ISR_POST_DEFERRED_EN is set to 0 (see OS_CFG.H) then C/OS-III will disable
interrupts when accessing internal critical sections. If OS_CFG_ISR_POST_DEFERRED_EN is
set to 1 then C/OS-III will lock the scheduler when accessing most of its internal critical
sections.
Chapter 9, Interrupt Management on page 165 discusses how to select the method to use.
C/OS-III defines one macro for entering a critical section and two macros for leaving:
OS_CRITICAL_ENTER(),
OS_CRITICAL_EXIT() and
OS_CRITICAL_EXIT_NO_SCHED()
These macros are internal to C/OS-III and must not be invoked by the application code.
However, if you need to access critical sections in your application code, consult
Chapter 13, Resource Management on page 217.
77
Chapter 4
4-1 DISABLING INTERRUPTS

When setting OS_CFG_ISR_POST_DEFERRED_EN to 0, C/OS-III will disable interrupts before
entering a critical section and re-enable them when leaving the critical section.
OS_CRITICAL_ENTER() invokes the C/CPU macro CPU_CRITICAL_ENTER() that, in turn,
calls CPU_SR_Save(). CPU_SR_Save() is a function typically written in assembly language
that saves the current interrupt disable status and then disables interrupts. The saved
interrupt disable status is returned to the caller and in fact, it is stored onto the callers stack
in a variable called cpu_sr.
OS_CRITICAL_EXIT() and OS_CRITICAL_EXIT_NO_SCHED() both invoke the C/CPU
macro CPU_CRITICAL_EXIT(), which maps to CPU_SR_Restore(). CPU_SR_Restore() is
passed the value of the saved cpu_sr variable to re-establish interrupts the way they were
prior to calling OS_CRITICAL_ENTER().
The typical code for the macros is shown in Listing 4-1.
#define
#define
#define
OS_CRITICAL_ENTER()
OS_CRITICAL_EXIT()
{ CPU_CRITICAL_ENTER(); }
{ CPU_CRITICAL_EXIT(); }
{ CPU_CRITICAL_EXIT(); }
Listing 4-1 Critical section code Disabling interrupts
4-1-1 MEASURING INTERRUPT DISABLE TIME

C/CPU provides facilities to measure the amount of time interrupts are disabled. This is
done by setting the configuration constant CPU_CFG_TIME_MEAS_INT_DIS_EN to 1 in
CPU_CFG.H.
The measurement is started each time interrupts are disabled and ends when interrupts are
re-enabled. The measurement keeps track of two values: a global interrupt disable time, and
an interrupt disable time for each task. Therefore, it is possible to know how long a task
disables interrupts, enabling the user to better optimize their code.
The per-task interrupt disable time is saved in the tasks OS_TCB during a context switch (see
OSTaskSwHook() in OS_CPU_C.C and described in Chapter 8, Context Switching on
page 155).
78
Critical Sections
4
The unit of measure for the measured time is in CPU_TS (timestamp) units. It is necessary to
find out the resolution of the timer used to measure these timestamps. For example, if the
timer used for the timestamp is incremented at 1 MHz then the resolution of CPU_TS is
1 microsecond.
Measuring the interrupt disable time obviously adds measurement artifacts and thus
increases the amount of time the interrupts are disabled. However, as far as the
measurement is concerned, measurement overhead is accounted for and the measured
value represents the actual interrupt disable time as if the measurement was not present.
Interrupt disable time is obviously greatly affected by the speed at which the processor
accesses instructions and thus, the memory access speed. In this case, the hardware
designer might have introduced wait states to memory accesses, which affects overall
performance of the system. This may show up as unusually long interrupt disable times.
4-2 LOCKING THE SCHEDULER

When setting OS_CFG_ISR_POST_DEFERRED_EN to 1, C/OS-III locks the scheduler before
entering a critical section and unlocks the scheduler when leaving the critical section.
OS_CRITICAL_ENTER() simply increments OSSchedLockNestingCtr to lock the scheduler.
This is the variable the scheduler uses to determine whether or not the scheduler is locked.
It is locked when the value is non-zero.
OS_CRITICAL_EXIT() decrements OSSchedLockNestingCtr and when the value reaches
zero, invokes the scheduler.
OS_CRITICAL_EXIT_NO_SCHED() also decrements OSSchedLockNestingCtr, but does not
invoke the scheduler when the value reaches zero.
The code for the macros is shown in Listing 4-2.
79
Chapter 4
4
#define
#define
#define
OS_CRITICAL_ENTER()
OS_CRITICAL_EXIT()
\
CPU_CRITICAL_ENTER();
OSSchedLockNestingCtr++;
CPU_CRITICAL_EXIT();
\
\
\
OSSchedLockNestingCtr--;
if (OSSchedLockNestingCtr == (OS_NESTING_CTR)0) {
OSSched();
} else {
}
\
\
\
\
\
\
\
\
OSSchedLockNestingCtr--;
\
\
\
}
{
}
{
Listing 4-2 Critical section code Locking the Scheduler
4-2-1 MEASURING SCHEDULER LOCK TIME

C/OS-III provides facilities to measure the amount of time the scheduler is locked. This is done
by setting the configuration constant OS_CFG_SCHED_LOCK_TIME_MEAS_EN to 1 in OS_CFG.H.
The measurement is started each time the scheduler is locked and ends when the scheduler
is unlocked. The measurement keeps track of two values: a global scheduler lock time, and
a per-task scheduler lock time. It is therefore possible to know how long each task locks the
scheduler allowing the user to better optimize code.
The per-task scheduler lock time is saved in the tasks OS_TCB during a context switch (see
OSTaskSwHook() in OS_CPU_C.C and described in Chapter 8, Context Switching on
page 155).
The unit of measure for the measured time is in CPU_TS (timestamp) units so it is necessary to
find the resolution of the timer used to measure the timestamps. For example, if the timer used
for the timestamp is incremented at 1 MHz then the resolution of CPU_TS is 1 microsecond.
80
Critical Sections
4
Measuring the scheduler lock time adds measurement artifacts and thus increases the
amount of time the scheduler is actually locked. However, measurement overhead is
accounted for and the measured value represents the actual scheduler lock time as if the
measurement was not present.
4-3 C/OS-III FEATURES WITH LONGER CRITICAL SECTIONS

Table 4-1 shows several C/OS-III features that have potentially longer critical sections.
Knowledge of these will help the user decide whether to direct C/OS-III to use one critical
section over another.
Feature
Reason
Multiple tasks at the same priority
Although this is an important feature of C/OS-III, multiple

tasks at the same priority create longer critical sections.
However, if there are only a few tasks at the same priority,
interrupt latency would be relatively small.
If multiple tasks are not created at the same priority, use the
interrupt disable method.
Event Flags
Chapter 14, Synchronization on page 259
If multiple tasks are waiting on different events, going through

all of the tasks waiting for events requires a fair amount of
processing time, which means longer critical sections.
If only a few tasks (approximately one to five) are waiting on
an event flag group, the critical section would be short
enough to use the interrupt disable method.
Pending on multiple objects is probably the most complex
Chapter 16, Pending On Multiple Objects on

page 321
feature provided by C/OS-III, requiring interrupts to be

disabled for fairly long periods of time should the interrupt
disable method be selected. If pending on multiple objects, it
is highly recommended that the user select the
scheduler-lock method.
If the application does not use this feature, the interrupt
disable method is an alternative.
Broadcast on Post calls

See OSSemPost() and OSQPost() descriptions in
C/OS-III disables interrupts while processing a post to

multiple tasks in a broadcast.
Appendix A, C/OS-III API Reference Manual on

page 383.
When not using the broadcast option, you can use the
interrupt disable method.
Table 4-1 Disabling interrupts or locking the Scheduler
81
Chapter 4
4-4 SUMMARY
C/OS-III needs to access critical sections of code, which it protects by either disabling
interrupts (OS_CFG_ISR_POST_DEFERRED_EN set to 0 in OS_CFG.H), or locking the scheduler
(OS_CFG_ISR_POST_DEFERRED_EN set to 1 in OS_CFG.H).
The application code must not use:
OS_CRITICAL_ENTER()
OS_CRITICAL_EXIT()
When setting CPU_CFG_TIME_MEAS_INT_DIS_EN in CPU_CFG.H, C/CPU measures the
maximum interrupt disable time. There are two values available, one for the global
maximum and one for each task.
When setting OS_CFG_SCHED_LOCK_TIME_MEAS_EN to 1 in OS_CFG.H, C/OS-III will
measure the maximum scheduler lock time.
82
Chapter
5
Task Management
The design process of a real-time application generally involves splitting the work to be
completed into tasks, each responsible for a portion of the problem. C/OS-III makes it
easy for an application programmer to adopt this paradigm. A task (also called a thread) is
a simple program that thinks it has the Central Processing Unit (CPU) all to itself. On a
single CPU, only one task can execute at any given time.
C/OS-III supports multitasking and allows the application to have any number of tasks. The
maximum number of task is actually only limited by the amount of memory (both code and
data space) available to the processor. Multitasking is the process of scheduling and switching
the CPU between several tasks (this will be expanded upon later). The CPU switches its
attention between several sequential tasks. Multitasking provides the illusion of having multiple
CPUs and, actually maximizes the use of the CPU. Multitasking also helps in the creation of
modular applications. One of the most important aspects of multitasking is that it allows the
application programmer to manage the complexity inherent in real-time applications.
Application programs are typically easier to design and maintain when multitasking is used.
Tasks are used for such chores as monitoring inputs, updating outputs, performing
computations, control loops, update one or more displays, reading buttons and keyboards,
communicating with other systems, and more. One application may contain a handful of
tasks while another application may require hundreds. The number of tasks does not
establish how good or effective a design may be, it really depends on what the application
(or product) needs to do. The amount of work a task performs also depends on the
application. One task may have a few microseconds worth of work to perform while
another task may require tens of milliseconds.
Tasks look like just any other C function except for a few small differences. There are two
types of tasks: run-to-completion (Listing 5-1) and infinite loop (Listing 5-2). In most
embedded systems, tasks typically take the form of an infinite loop. Also, no task is allowed
to return as other C functions can. Given that a task is a regular C function, it can declare
local variables.
83
Chapter 5
When a C/OS-III task begins executing, it is passed an argument, p_arg. This argument is a
pointer to a void. The pointer is a universal vehicle used to pass your task the address of a
variable, a structure, or even the address of a function, if necessary. With this pointer, it is
possible to create many identical tasks, that all use the same code (or task body), but, with
different run-time characteristics. For example, one may have four asynchronous serial ports
that are each managed by their own task. However, the task code is actually identical. Instead
of copying the code four times, create the code for a generic task that receives a pointer to a
data structure, which contains the serial ports parameters (baud rate, I/O port addresses,
interrupt vector number, etc.) as an argument. In other words, instantiate the same task code
four times and pass it different data for each serial port that each instance will manage.
A run-to-completion task must delete itself by calling OSTaskDel(). The task starts,
performs its function, and terminates. There would typically not be too many such tasks in
the embedded system because of the overhead associated with creating and deleting
tasks at run-time. In the task body, one can call most of C/OS-IIIs functions to help
perform the desired operation of the task.

{
OS_ERR err;
/* Local variables
/* Do something with p_arg

/* Task initialization
/* Task body ... do work!
OSTaskDel((OS_TCB *)0, &err);
*/
*/
*/
*/
Listing 5-1 Run-To-Completion task
With C/OS-III, call either C or assembly language functions from a task. In fact, it is
possible to call the same C function from different tasks as long as the functions are
reentrant. A reentrant function is a function that does not use static or otherwise global
variables unless they are protected (C/OS-III provides mechanisms for this) from multiple
access. If shared C functions only use local variables, they are generally reentrant (assuming
that the compiler generates reentrant code). An example of a non-reentrant function is the
famous strtok() provided by most C compilers as part of the standard library. This function
is used to parse an ASCII string for tokens. The first time you call this function, you specify
84
Task Management
the ASCII string to parse and what constitute tokens. As soon as the function finds the first
token, it returns. The function remembers where it was last so when called again, it can
extract additional tokens, which is clearly non-reentrant.
The use of an infinite loop is more common in embedded systems because of the repetitive
work needed in such systems (reading inputs, updating displays, performing control
operations, etc.). This is one aspect that makes a task different than a regular C function.
Note that one could use a while (1) or for (;;) to implement the infinite loop, since
both behave the same. The one used is simply a matter of personal preference. At Micrium,
we like to use while (DEF_ON). The infinite loop must call a C/OS-III service (i.e.,
function) that will cause the task to wait for an event to occur. It is important that each task
wait for an event to occur, otherwise the task would be a true infinite loop and there would
be no easy way for other tasks to execute. This concept will become clear as more is
understood regarding C/OS-III.

{
/* Local variables
/* Do something with p_arg

while (DEF_ON) {
/* Task body, as an infinite loop.
:
:
/* Must call one of the following services:
/*
OSFlagPend()
/*
OSMutexPend()
/*
OSPendMulti()
/*
OSQPend()
/*
OSSemPend()
/*
OSTimeDly()
/*
OSTimeDlyHMSM()
/*
OSTaskQPend()
/*
OSTaskSemPend()
/*
OSTaskSuspend()
(Suspend self)
/*
OSTaskDel()
(Delete self)
:
:
}
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
Listing 5-2 Infinite Loop task
85
Chapter 5
The event the task is waiting for may simply be the passage of time (when OSTimeDly() or
OSTimeDlyHMSM() is called). For example, a design may need to scan a keyboard every 100
milliseconds. In this case, simply delay the task for 100 milliseconds then see if a key was
pressed on the keyboard and, possibly perform some action based on which key was
pressed. Typically, however, a keyboard scanning task should just buffer an identifier
unique to the key pressed and use another task to decide what to do with the key(s) pressed.
Similarly, the event the task is waiting for could be the arrival of a packet from an Ethernet
controller. In this case, the task would call one of the OS???Pend() calls (pend is
synonymous with wait). The task will have nothing to do until the packet is received. Once
the packet is received, the task processes the contents of the packet, and possibly moves
the packet along a network stack.
Its important to note that when a task waits for an event, it does not consume CPU time.
Tasks must be created in order for C/OS-III to know about tasks. Create a task by simply
calling OSTaskCreate(). The function prototype for OSTaskCreate() is shown below:
void
OSTaskCreate (OS_TCB
OS_CHAR
OS_TASK_PTR
void
OS_PRIO
CPU_STK
CPU_STK_SIZE
CPU_STK_SIZE
OS_MSG_QTY
OS_TICK
void
OS_OPT
OS_ERR
*p_tcb,
*p_name,
p_task,
*p_arg,
prio,
*p_stk_base,
stk_limit,
stk_size,
q_size,
time_slice,
*p_ext,
opt,
*p_err)
A complete description of OSTaskCreate() and its arguments is provided in Appendix A,

C/OS-III API Reference Manual on page 383. However, it is important to understand that
a task needs to be assigned a Task Control Block (i.e., TCB), a stack, a priority and a few
other parameters which are initialized by OSTaskCreate(), as shown in Figure 5-1.
86
Task Management

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63

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5HJLVWHUV
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Figure 5-1 OSTaskCreate() initializes the tasks TCB and stack
F5-1(1)
When calling OSTaskCreate(), one passes the base address of the stack
(p_stk_base) that will be used by the task, the watermark limit for stack
growth (stk_limit) which is expressed in number of CPU_STK entries before
the stack is empty, and the size of that stack (stk_size), also in number of
CPU_STK elements.
F5-1(2)
When specifying OS_OPT_TASK_STK_CHK + OS_OPT_TASK_STK_CLR in the opt

argument of OSTaskCreate(), C/OS-III initializes the tasks stack with all zeros.
87
Chapter 5
F5-1(3)
C/OS-III then initializes the top of the tasks stack with a copy of the CPU
registers in the same stacking order as if they were all saved at the beginning of
an ISR. This makes it easy to perform context switches as we will see when
discussing the context switching process. For illustration purposes, the
assumption is that the stack grows from high memory to low memory, but the
same concept applies for CPUs that use the stack in the reverse order.
F5-1(4)
The new value of the stack pointer (SP) is saved in the TCB. Note that this is
also called the top-of-stack.
F5-1(5)
The remaining fields of the TCB are initialized: task priority, task name, task
state, internal message queue, internal semaphore, and many others.
Next, a call is made to a function that is defined in the CPU port, OSTaskCreateHook()
(see OS_CPU_C.C). OSTaskCreateHook() is passed the pointer to the new TCB and this
function allows you (or the port designer) to extend the functionality of OSTaskCreate().
For example, one could printout the contents of the fields of the newly created TCB onto a
terminal for debugging purposes.
The task is then placed in the ready-list (see Chapter 6, The Ready List on page 131) and
finally, if multitasking has started, C/OS-III will invoke the scheduler to see if the created
task is now the highest priority task and, if so, will context switch to this new task.
The body of the task can invoke other services provided by C/OS-III. Specifically, a task
can create another task (i.e., call OSTaskCreate()), suspend and resume other tasks (i.e.,
call OSTaskSuspend() and OSTaskResume() respectively), post signals or messages to
other tasks (i.e., call OS??Post()), share resources with other tasks, and more. In other
words, tasks are not limited to only make wait for an event function calls.
Figure 5-2 shows the resources with which a task typically interacts.
88
Task Management
Task Stack
(RAM)
Priority
(2)
(4)
CPU_STK MyTaskStk[???]
Task Code
(1)
MyTask (void *p_arg)
void
{
/* Local variables
*/
/* Task Initialization */
for (;;) {
Wait for event to occur;
Process event;
}
}
Variables
(RAM)
CPU
Registers
(3)
(5)
I/O
(Optional)
Device(s)
(6)
(Optional)
Figure 5-2 Tasks interact with resources
F5-2(1)
An important aspect of a task is its code. As previously mentioned, the code

looks like any other C function, except that it is typically implemented as an
infinite loop. Also, a task is not allowed to return.
F5-2(2)
Each task is assigned a priority based on its importance in the application.

C/OS-IIIs job is to decide which task will run on the CPU. The general rule is
that C/OS-III will run the most important ready-to-run task (highest priority).
With C/OS-III, a low priority number indicates a high priority. In other words,
a task at priority 1 is more important than a task at priority 10.
C/OS-III supports a compile-time user configurable number of different
priorities (see OS_PRIO_MAX in OS_CFG.H). Thus, C/OS-III allows the user to
determine the number of different priority levels the application is allowed to
use. Also, C/OS-III supports an unlimited number of tasks at the same priority.
For example, C/OS-III can be configured to have 64 different priority levels
and one can assign dozens of tasks at each priority level.
See section 5-1 Assigning Task Priorities on page 92.
89
Chapter 5
F5-2(3)
A task has its own set of CPU registers. As far as a task is concerned, the task
thinks it has the actual CPU all to itself.
F5-2(4)
Because C/OS-III is a preemptive kernel, each task must have its own stack
area. The stack always resides in RAM and is used to keep track of local
variables, function calls, and possibly ISR (Interrupt Service Routine) nesting.
Stack space can be allocated either statically (at compile-time) or dynamically

(at run-time). A static stack declaration is shown below. This declaration is
made outside of a function.
static CPU_STK MyTaskStk[???];
or,
CPU_STK MyTaskStk[???];
Note that ??? indicates that the size of the stack (and thus the array) depends
on the task stack requirements. Stack space may be allocated dynamically by
using the C compilers heap management function (i.e., malloc()) as shown
below. However, care must be taken with fragmentation. If creating and
deleting tasks, the process of allocating memory might not be able to provide a
stack for the task(s) because the heap will eventually become fragmented. For
this reason, allocating stack space dynamically in an embedded system is
typically allowed but, once allocated, stacks should not be deallocated. Said
another way, its fine to create a tasks stack from the heap as long as you dont
free the stack space back to the heap.
90
Task Management
void SomeCode (void)

{
CPU_STK *p_stk;
:
:
p_stk = (CPU_STK *)malloc(stk_size);
if (p_stk != (CPU_STK *)0) {
Create the task and pass it p_stk as the base address of the stack;
}
:
:
}
See section 5-2 Determining the Size of a Stack on page 94.

F5-2(5)
A task can also have access to global variables. However, because C/OS-III is
a preemptive kernel care must be taken with code when accessing such
variables as they may be shared between multiple tasks. Fortunately, C/OS-III
provides mechanisms to help with the management of such shared resources
(semaphores, mutexes and more).
F5-2(6)
A task may also have access to one or more Input/Output (I/O) devices (also
known as peripherals). In fact, it is common practice to assign tasks to manage
I/O devices.
91
Chapter 5
5-1 ASSIGNING TASK PRIORITIES

5
Sometimes task priorities are both obvious and intuitive. For example, if the most important
aspect of the embedded system is to perform some type of control and it is known that the
control algorithm must be responsive then it is best to assign the control task(s) a high
priority while display and operator interface tasks are assigned low priority. However, most
of the time, assigning task priorities is not so cut and dry because of the complex nature of
real-time systems. In most systems, not all tasks are considered critical, and non-critical
tasks should obviously be given low priorities.
An interesting technique called rate monotonic scheduling (RMS) assigns task priorities
based on how often tasks execute. Simply put, tasks with the highest rate of execution are
given the highest priority. However, RMS makes a number of assumptions, including:
All tasks are periodic (they occur at regular intervals).
Tasks do not synchronize with one another, share resources, or exchange data.
The CPU must always execute the highest priority task that is ready to run. In other
words, preemptive scheduling must be used.
Given a set of n tasks that are assigned RMS priorities, the basic RMS theorem states that all
task hard real-time deadlines are always met if the following inequality holds true:
Where Ei corresponds to the maximum execution time of task i, and Ti corresponds to the
execution period of task i. In other words, Ei/Ti corresponds to the fraction of CPU time
required to execute task i.
Table 5-1 shows the value for size n(21/n 1) based on the number of tasks. The upper
bound for an infinite number of tasks is given by ln(2), or 0.693, which means that
meeting all hard real-time deadlines based on RMS, CPU use of all time-critical tasks should
be less than 70 percent!
92
Task Management
Note that one can still have (and generally does) non time-critical tasks in a system and thus
use close to 100 percent of the CPUs time. However, using 100 percent of your CPUs time
is not a desirable goal as it does not allow for code changes and added features. As a rule of
thumb, always design a system to use less than 60 to 70 percent of the CPU.
RMS says that the highest rate task has the highest priority. In some cases, the highest rate
task might not be the most important task. The application dictates how to assign priorities.
However, RMS is an interesting starting point.
n(21/n-1)
Number of Tasks
1
1.00
0.828
0.779
0.756
0.743
Infinite
0.693
Table 5-1 Allowable CPU usage based on number of tasks
93
Chapter 5
5-2 DETERMINING THE SIZE OF A STACK

5
The size of the stack required by the task is application specific. When sizing the stack,
however, one must account for the nesting of all the functions called by the task, the
number of local variables to be allocated by all functions called by the task, and the stack
requirements for all nested interrupt service routines. In addition, the stack must be able to
store all CPU registers and possibly Floating-Point Unit (FPU) registers if the processor has a
FPU. As a general rule in embedded systems, avoid writing recursive code.
It is possible to manually figure out the stack space needed by adding all the memory
required by all function call nesting (1 pointer each function call for the return address),
plus all the memory required by all the arguments passed in those function calls, plus
storage for a full CPU context (depends on the CPU), plus another full CPU context for each
nested ISRs (if the CPU doesnt have a separate stack to handle ISRs), plus whatever stack
space is needed by those ISRs. Adding all this up is a tedious chore and the resulting
number is a minimum requirement. Most likely one would not make the stack size that
precise in order to account for surprises. The number arrived at should probably be
multiplied by some safety factor, possibly 1.5 to 2.0. This calculation assumes that the exact
path of the code is known at all times, which is not always possible. Specifically, when
calling a function such as printf() or some other library function, it might be difficult or
nearly impossible to even guess just how much stack space printf() will require. In this
case, start with a fairly large stack space and monitor the stack usage at run-time to see just
how much stack space is actually used after the application runs for a while.
There are really cool and clever compilers/linkers that provide this information in a link
map. For each function, the link map indicates the worst-case stack usage. This feature
clearly enables one to better evaluate stack usage for each task. It is still necessary to add
the stack space for a full CPU context plus, another full CPU context for each nested ISR
(if the CPU does not have a separate stack to handle ISRs), plus whatever stack space is
needed by those ISRs. Again, allow for a safety net and multiply this value by some factor.
Always monitor stack usage at run-time while developing and testing the product as stack
overflows occur often and can lead to some curious behaviors. In fact, whenever someone
mentions that his or her application behaves strangely, insufficient stack size is the first
thing that comes to mind.
94
Task Management
5-3 DETECTING TASK STACK OVERFLOWS

5
1) Using an MMU or MPU
Stack overflows are easily detected if the processor has a Memory Management Unit (MMU)
or a Memory Protection Unit (MPU). Basically, MMUs and MPUs are special hardware
devices integrated alongside the CPU that can be configured to detect when a task attempts
to access invalid memory locations, whether code, data, or stack. Setting up an MMU or
MPU is well beyond the scope of this book.
2) Using a CPU with stack overflow detection
Some processors, however, do have simple stack pointer overflow detection registers. When
the CPUs stack pointer goes below (or above depending on stack growth) the value set in
this register, an exception is generated and the exception handler ensures that the offending
code does not do further damage (possibly issue a warning about the faulty code). The
.StkLimitPtr field in the OS_TCB (see Task Control Blocks) is provided for this purpose as
shown in Figure 5-3. Note that the position of the stack limit is typically set at a valid
location in the tasks stack with sufficient room left on the stack to handle the exception
itself (assuming the CPU does not have a separate exception stack). In most cases, the
position can be fairly close to &MyTaskStk[0].
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Figure 5-3 Hardware detection of stack overflows
95
Chapter 5
As a reminder, the location of the .StkLimitPtr is determined by the stk_limit

argument passed to OSTaskCreate(), when the task is created as shown below:
OS_TCB
MtTaskTCB;
CPU_STK MyTaskStk[1000];
OSTaskCreate(&MyTaskTCB,
MyTaskName,
MyTask,
&MyTaskArg,
MyPrio,
&MyTaskStk[0],
/* Stack base address
*/
100,
/* Set .StkLimitPtr to trigger exception at stack usage > 90% */
1000,
/* Total stack size (in CPU_STK elements)
*/
MyTaskQSize,
MyTaskTimeQuanta,
(void *)0,
MY_TASK_OPT,
&err);
Of course, the value of .StkLimitPtr used by the CPUs stack overflow detection hardware
needs to be changed whenever C/OS-III performs a context switch. This can be tricky
because the value of this register may need to be changed so that it first points to NULL,
then change the CPUs stack pointer, and finally set the value of the stack checking register
to the value saved in the TCBs .StkLimitPtr. Why? Because if the sequence is not
followed, the exception could be generated as soon as the stack pointer or the stack
overflow detection register is changed. One can avoid this problem by first changing the
stack overflow detection register to point to a location that ensures the stack pointer is
never invalid (thus the NULL as described above). Note that I assumed here that the stack
grows from high memory to low memory but the concept works in a similar fashion if the
stack grows in the opposite direction.
3) Software-based stack overflow detection
Whenever C/OS-III switches from one task to another, it calls a hook function
(OSTaskSwHook()), which allows the C/OS-III port programmer to extend the capabilities
of the context switch function. So, if the processor doesnt have hardware stack pointer
overflow detection, its still possible to simulate this feature by adding code in the context
switch hook function and, perform the overflow detection in software. Specifically, before a
task is switched in, the code should ensure that the stack pointer to load into the CPU does
not exceed the limit placed in .StkLimitPtr. Because the software implementation
96
Task Management
cannot detect the stack overflow as soon as the stack pointer exceeds the value of
.StkLimitPtr, it is important to position the value of .StkLimitPtr in the stack fairly far from
&MyTaskStk[0], as shown in Figure 5-4. A software implementation such as this is not as
reliable as a hardware-based detection mechanism but still prevents a possible stack
overflow. Of course, the .StkLimitPtr field would be set using OSTaskCreate() as shown
above but this time, with a location further away from &MyTaskStk[0].
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Figure 5-4 Software detection of stack overflows, monitoring .StkLimitPtr
4) Counting the amount of free stack space

Another way to check for stack overflows is to allocate more stack space than is anticipated
to be used for the stack, then, monitor and possibly display actual maximum stack usage at
run-time. This is fairly easy to do. First, the task stack needs to be cleared (i.e., filled with
zeros) when the task is created. Next, a low priority task walks the stack of each task
created, from the bottom (&MyTaskStk[0]) towards the top, counting the number of zero
entries. When the task finds a non-zero value, the process is stopped and the usage of the
stack can be computed (in number of bytes used or as a percentage). Then, adjust the size
of the stacks (by recompiling the code) to allocate a more reasonable value (either increase
or decrease the amount of stack space for each task). For this to be effective, however, run
97
Chapter 5
the application long enough for the stack to grow to its highest value. This is illustrated in
Figure 5-5. C/OS-III provides a function that performs this calculation at run-time,
OSTaskStkChk() and in fact, this function is called by OS_StatTask() to compute stack
usage for every task created in the application (to be described later).
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Figure 5-5 Software detection of stack overflows, walking the stack
98
Task Management
5-4 TASK MANAGEMENT SERVICES

5
C/OS-III provides a number of task-related services to call from the application. These
services are found in OS_TASK.C and they all start with OSTask???(). The type of service
they perform groups task-related services:
Group
Functions
General
OSTaskCreate()
OSTaskDel()
OSTaskChangePrio()
OSTaskRegSet()
OSTaskRegGet()
OSTaskSuspend()
OSTaskResume()
OSTaskTimeQuantaSet()
Signaling a Task
OSTaskSemPend()
(See also Chapter 14, Synchronization on page 259)
OSTaskSemPost()
OSTaskSemPendAbort()
Sending Messages to a Task

(See also Chapter 15, Message Passing on page 297)
OSTaskQPend()
OSTaskQPost()
OSTaskQPendAbort()
OSTaskQFlush()
Table 5-2 Task Management Services
A complete description of all C/OS-III task related services is provided in Appendix A,

C/OS-III API Reference Manual on page 383.
99
Chapter 5
5-5 TASK MANAGEMENT INTERNALS

5
5-5-1 TASK STATES

From a C/OS-III user point of view, a task can be in any one of five states as shown in
Figure 5-6. Internally, C/OS-III does not need to keep track of the dormant state and the
other states are tracked slightly differently. This will be discussed after a discussion on task
states from the users point of view. Figure 5-6 also shows which C/OS-III functions are
used to move from one state to another. The diagram is actually simplified as state
transitions are a bit more complicated than this.
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Figure 5-6 Five basic states of a task
100
Task Management
F5-6(1)
The Dormant state corresponds to a task that resides in memory but has not
been made available to C/OS-III.
A task is made available to C/OS-III by calling a function to create the task,
OSTaskCreate(). The task code actually resides in code space but C/OS-III
needs to be informed about it.
When it is no longer necessary for C/OS-III to manage a task, call the task
delete function, OSTaskDel(). OSTaskDel() does not actually delete the code
of the task, it is simply not eligible to access the CPU.
F5-6(2)
The Ready state corresponds to a ready-to-run task, but is not the most
important task ready. There can be any number of tasks ready and C/OS-III
keeps track of all ready tasks in a ready list (discussed later). This list is
sorted by priority.
F5-6(3)
The most important ready-to-run task is placed in the Running state. On a

single CPU, only one task can be running at any given time.
The task selected to run on the CPU is switched in by C/OS-III from the ready
state when the application code calls OSStart(), or when C/OS-III calls
either OSIntExit() or OS_TASK_SW().
As previously discussed, tasks must wait for an event to occur. A task waits for
an event by calling one of the functions that brings the task to the pending
state if the event has not occurred.
F5-6(4)
Tasks in the Pending state are placed in a special list called a pend-list (or wait
list) associated with the event the task is waiting for. When waiting for the
event to occur, the task does not consume CPU time. When the event occurs,
the task is placed back into the ready list and C/OS-III decides whether the
newly readied task is the most important ready-to-run task. If this is the case,
the currently running task will be preempted (placed back in the ready list) and
the newly readied task is given control of the CPU. In other words, the newly
readied task will run immediately if it is the most important task.
101
Chapter 5
Note that the OSTaskSuspend() function unconditionally blocks a task and this
task will not actually wait for an event to occur but in fact, waits until another
task calls OSTaskResume() to make the task ready to run.
F5-6(5)
Assuming that CPU interrupts are enabled, an interrupting device will suspend
execution of a task and execute an Interrupt Service Routine (ISR). ISRs are
typically events that tasks wait for. Generally speaking, an ISR should simply
notify a task that an event occurred and let the task process the event. ISRs
should be as short as possible and most of the work of handling the
interrupting devices should be done at the task level where it can be managed
by C/OS-III. ISRs are only allowed to make Post calls (i.e., OSFlagPost(),
OSQPost(), OSSemPost(), OSTaskQPost() and OSTaskSemPost()). The only
post call not allowed to be made from an ISR is OSMutexPost() since mutexes,
as will be addressed later, are assumed to be services that are only accessible at
the task level.
As the state diagram indicates, an interrupt can interrupt another interrupt. This
is called interrupt nesting and most processors allow this. However,
interrupt nesting easily leads to stack overflow if not managed properly.
Internally, C/OS-III keeps track of task states using the state machine shown in Figure 5-7.
The task state is actually maintained in a variable that is part of a data structure associated
with each task, the tasks TCB. The task state diagram was referenced throughout the design
of C/OS-III when implementing most of C/OS-IIIs services. The number in parentheses is
the state number of the task and thus, a task can be in any one of eight (8) states (see OS.H,
OS_TASK_STATE_???).
Note that the diagram does not keep track of a dormant task, as a dormant task is not
known to C/OS-III. Also, interrupts and interrupt nesting is tracked differently as will be
explained further in the text.
This state diagram should be quite useful to understand how to use several functions and
their impact on the state of tasks. In fact, Id highly recommend that the reader bookmark
the page of the diagram.
102
Task Management
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F5-7(1)
State 0 occurs when a task is ready to run. Every task wants to be ready to
run as that is the only way it gets to perform their duties.
F5-7(2)
A task can decide to wait for time to expire by calling either OSTimeDly() or
OSTimeDlyHMSM(). When the time expires or the delay is cancelled (by calling
OSTimeDlyResume()), the task returns to the ready state.
F5-7(3)
A task can wait for an event to occur by calling one of the pend (i.e., wait)
functions (OSFlagPend(), OSMutexPend(), OSQPend(), OSSemPend(),
OSTaskQPend(), or OSTaskSemPend()), and specify to wait forever for the
event to occur. The pend terminates when the event occurs (i.e., a task or an
ISR performs a post), the awaited object is deleted or, another task decides to
abort the pend.
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Chapter 5
F5-7(4)
A task can wait for an event to occur as indicated, but specify that it is willing
to wait a certain amount of time for the event to occur. If the event is not
posted within that time, the task is readied, then the task is notified that a
timeout occurred. Again, the pend terminates when the event occurs (i.e., a
task or an ISR performs a post), the object awaited is deleted or, another task
decides to abort the pend.
F5-7(5)
A task can suspend itself or another task by calling OSTaskSuspend(). The

only way the task is allowed to resume execution is by calling
OSTaskResume(). Suspending a task means that a task will not be able to run
on the CPU until it is resumed by another task.
F5-7(6)
A delayed task can also be suspended by another task. In this case, the effect is
additive. In other words, the delay must complete (or be resumed by
OSTimeDlyResume()) and the suspension must be removed (by another task
which would call OSTaskResume()) in order for the task to be able to run.
F5-7(7)
A task waiting on an event to occur may be suspended by another task. Again,

the effect is additive. The event must occur and the suspension removed (by
another task) in order for the task to be able to run. Of course, if the object that
the task is pending on is deleted or, the pend is aborted by another task, then
one of the above two condition is removed. The suspension , however, must be
explicitly removed.
F5-7(8)
A task can wait for an event, but only for a certain amount of time, and the
task could also be suspended by another task. As one might expect, the
suspension must be removed by another task (or the same task that
suspended it in the first place), and the event needs to either occur or timeout
while waiting for the event.
104
Task Management
5-5-2 TASK CONTROL BLOCKS (TCBs)

5
A task control block (TCB) is a data structure used by kernels to maintain information about
a task. Each task requires its own TCB and, for C/OS-III, the user assigns the TCB in user
memory space (RAM). The address of the tasks TCB is provided to C/OS-III when calling
task-related services (i.e., OSTask???() functions). The task control block data structure is
declared in OS.H as shown in Listing 5-3. Note that the fields are actually commented in
OS.H, and some of the fields are conditionally compiled based on whether or not certain
features are desired. Both are not shown here for clarity.
Also, it is important to note that even when the user understands what the different fields of
the OS_TCB do, the application code must never directly access these (especially change
them). In other words, OS_TCB fields must only be accessed by C/OS-III and not the code.
struct os_tcb {
CPU_STK
void
CPU_STK
OS_TCB
OS_TCB
OS_TCB
OS_TCB
OS_TICK_SPOKE
OS_CHAR
CPU_STK
OS_TASK_PTR
void
OS_PEND_DATA
OS_OBJ_QTY
CPU_TS
void
OS_MSG_SIZE
OS_MSG_Q
CPU_TS
CPU_TS
OS_FLAGS
OS_OPT
OS_FLAGS
*StkPtr;
*ExtPtr;
*StkLimitPtr;
*NextPtr;
*PrevPtr;
*TickNextPtr;
*TickPrevPtr;
*TickSpokePtr;
*NamePtr;
*StkBasePtr;
TaskEntryAddr;
*TaskEntryArg;
*PendDataTblPtr;
PendDataEntries;
TS;
*MsgPtr;
MsgSize;
MsgQ;
MsgQPendTime;
MsgQPendTimeMax;
FlagsPend;
FlagsOpt;
FlagsRdy;
105
Chapter 5
OS_REG
OS_SEM_CTR
RegTbl[OS_TASK_REG_TBL_SIZE];
SemCtr;
CPU_TS
CPU_TS
OS_NESTING_CTR
SemPendTime;
SemPendTimeMax;
SuspendCtr;
CPU_STK_SIZE
CPU_STK_SIZE
CPU_STK_SIZE
StkSize;
StkUsed;
StkFree;
OS_OPT
OS_TICK
OS_TICK
OS_TICK
OS_TICK
OS_TICK
OS_CPU_USAGE
OS_CTX_SW_CTR
CPU_TS
CPU_TS
OS_CYCLES
CPU_TS
CPU
OS_STATE
OS_STATUS
OS_STATE
OS_PRIO
OS_TCB
OS_TCB
CPU_CHAR
Opt;
TickCtrPrev;
TickCtrMatch;
TickRemain;
TimeQuanta;
TimeQuantaCtr;
CPUUsage;
CtxSwCtr;
CyclesDelta;
CyclesStart;
CyclesTotal;
IntDisTimeMax;
SchedLockTimeMax;
PendOn;
PendStatus;
TaskState;
Prio;
DbgNextPtr;
DbgPrevPtr;
DbgNamePtr;
};
Listing 5-3 OS_TCB Data Structure
.StkPtr
This field contains a pointer to the current top-of-stack for the task. C/OS-III allows each
task to have its own stack and each stack can be any size. .StkPtr should be the only field
in the OS_TCB data structure accessed from assembly language code (for the
context-switching code). This field is therefore placed as the first entry in the structure
making access easier from assembly language code (it will be at offset zero in the data
structure).
.ExtPtr
This field contains a pointer to a user-definable pointer to extend the TCB as needed. This
pointer is easily accessible from assembly language.
106
Task Management
.StkLimitPtr
The field contains a pointer to a location in the tasks stack to set a watermark limit for
stack growth and is determined from the value of the stk_limit argument passed to
OSTaskCreate(). Some processors have special registers that automatically check the
value of the stack pointer at run-time to ensure that the stack does not overflow.
.StkLimitPtr may be used to set this register during a context switch. Alternatively, if the
processor does not have such a register, this can be simulated in software. However, it is
not as reliable as a hardware solution. If this feature is not used then the value of
stk_limit can be set to 0 when calling OSTaskCreate(). See also section 5-3
Detecting Task Stack Overflows on page 95).
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.NextPtr and .PrevPtr

These pointers are used to doubly link OS_TCBs in the ready list. A doubly linked list allows
OS_TCBs to be quickly inserted and removed from the list.
.TickNextPtr and .TickPrevPtr
These pointers are used to doubly link OS_TCBs in the list of tasks waiting for time to expire
or to timeout from pend calls. Again, a doubly linked list allows OS_TCBs to be quickly
inserted and removed from the list.
107
Chapter 5
.TickSpokePtr
This pointer is used to know which spoke in the tick wheel the task is linked to. The tick
wheel will be described in Chapter 9, Interrupt Management on page 165.
.NamePtr
This pointer allows a name (an ASCII string) to be assigned to each task. Having a name is
useful when debugging, since it is user friendly compared to displaying the address of the
OS_TCB. Storage for the ASCII string is assumed to be in user space in code memory (ASCII
string declared as a const) or in RAM.
.StkBasePtr
This field points to the base address of the tasks stack. The stack base is typically the lowest
address in memory where the stack for the task resides. A task stack is declared as follows:
CPU_STK is the data type you must use to declare task stacks and ??? is the size of the stack
associated with the task. The base address is always &MyTaskStk[0].
.TaskEntryAddr
This field contains the entry address of the task. As previously mentioned, a task is declared
as shown below and this field contains the address of MyTask.
void MyTask (void *p_arg);
.TaskEntryArg
This field contains the value of the argument that is passed to the task when the task starts.
As previously mentioned, a task is declared as shown below and this field contains the
value of p_arg.
.PendDataTblPtr
C/OS-III allows the task to pend on any number of semaphores or message queues
simultaneously. This pointer points to a table containing information about the pended
objects.
108
Task Management
.PendDataEntries
This field works with the .PendDataTblPtr, indicating the number of objects a task is
pending on at the same time.
.TS
This field is used to store a time stamp of when an event that the task was waiting on
occurred. When the task resumes execution, this time stamp is returned to the caller.
.MsgPtr
When a message is sent to a task, this field contains the message received. This field only
exists in a TCB if message queue services (OS_CFG_Q_EN is set to 1 in OS_CFG.H), or task
message queue services, are enabled (OS_CFG_TASK_Q_EN is set to 1 in OS_CFG.H) at
compile time.
.MsgSize
When a message is sent to a task, this field contains the size (in number of bytes) of the
message received. This field only exists in a TCB if message queue services (OS_CFG_Q_EN
is set to 1 in OS_CFG.H), or task message queue services, (OS_CFG_TASK_Q_EN is set to 1 in
OS_CFG.H) are enabled at compile time.
.MsgQ
C/OS-III allows tasks or ISRs to send messages directly to tasks. Because of this, a message
queue is actually built into each TCB. This field only exists in a TCB if task message queue
services are enabled at compile time (OS_CFG_TASK_Q_EN is set to 1 in OS_CFG.H). .MsgQ is
used by the OSTaskQ???() services.
.MsgQPendTime
This field contains the amount of time for a message to arrive. When OSTaskQPost() is
called, the current time stamp is read and stored in the message. When OSTaskQPend()
returns, the current time stamp is read again and the difference between the two times is
stored in this variable. A debugger or C/Probe can be used to indicate the time taken for a
message to arrive by displaying this field.
This field is only available if setting OS_CFG_TASK_PROFILE_EN to 1 in OS_CFG.H.
109
Chapter 5
.MsgQPendTimeMax
This field contains the maximum amount of time it takes for a message to arrive. It is a peak
detector of the value of .MsgQPendTime. The peak can be reset by calling OSStatReset().
.FlagsPend
When a task pends on event flags, this field contains the event flags (i.e., bits) that the task
is pending on. This field only exists in a TCB if event flags services are enabled at compile
time (OS_CFG_FLAG_EN is set to 1 in OS_CFG.H).
.FlagsOpt
When a task pends on event flags, this field contains the type of pend (pend on any event
flag bit specified in .FlagsPend or all event flag bits specified in .FlagsPend). This field
only exists in a TCB if event flags services are enabled at compile time (OS_CFG_FLAG_EN is
set to 1 in OS_CFG.H).
.FlagsRdy
This field contains the event flags that were posted and that the task was waiting on. In
other words, it allows a task to know which event flags made the task ready to run. This
field only exists in a TCB if event flags services are enabled at compile time
(OS_CFG_FLAG_EN is set to 1 in OS_CFG.H).
.RegTbl[]
This field contains a table of registers that are task-specific. These registers are different than
CPU registers. Task registers allow for the storage of such task-specific information as task ID,
errno common in some software components, and more. Task registers may also store
task-related data that needs to be associated with the task at run time. Note that the data type for
elements of this array is OS_REG, which can be declared at compile time to be nearly anything.
However, all registers must be of this data type. This field only exists in a TCB if task registers
are enabled at compile time (OS_CFG_TASK_REG_TBL_SIZE is greater than 0 in OS_CFG.H).
.SemCtr
This field contains a semaphore counter associated with the task. Each task has its own semaphore
built-in. An ISR or another task can signal a task using this semaphore. .SemCtr is therefore used to
keep track of how many times the task is signaled. .SemCtr is used by OSTaskSem???() services.
110
Task Management
.SemPendTime
This field contains the amount of time taken for the semaphore to be signaled. When
OSTaskSemPost() is called, the current time stamp is read and stored in the OS_TCB
(see .TS). When OSTaskSemPend() returns, the current time stamp is read again and the
difference between the two times is stored in this variable. This field can be displayed by a
debugger or C/Probe to indicate how much time it took for the task to be signaled.
This field is only available when setting OS_CFG_TASK_PROFILE_EN to 1 in OS_CFG.H.
.SemPendTimeMax
This field contains the maximum amount of time it took for the task to be signaled. It is a peak
detector of the value of .SemPendTime. The peak can be reset by calling OSStatReset().
.SuspendCtr
This field is used by OSTaskSuspend() and OSTaskResume() to keep track of how many
times a task is suspended. Task suspension can be nested. When .SuspendCtr is 0, all
suspensions are removed. This field only exists in a TCB if task suspension is enabled at
compile time (OS_CFG_TASK_SUSPEND_EN is set to 1 in OS_CFG.H).
.StkSize
This field contains the size (in number of CPU_STK elements) of the stack associated with
the task. Recall that a task stack is declared as follows:
.StkSize is the value of ??? in the above array.
.StkUsed and .StkFree
C/OS-III is able to compute (at run time) the amount of stack space a task actually uses
and how much stack space remains. This is accomplished by a function called
OSTaskStkChk(). Stack usage computation assumes that the tasks stack is cleared when
the task is created. In other words, when calling OSTaskCreate(), it is expected that the
following options be specified: OS_TASK_OPT_STK_CLR and OS_TASK_OPT_STK_CHK.
OSTaskCreate() will then clear all the RAM used for the tasks stack.
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Chapter 5
C/OS-III provides an internal task called OS_StatTask() that checks the stack of each of
the tasks at run-time. OS_StatTask() typically runs at a low priority so that it does not
interfere with the application code. OS_StatTask() saves the value computed for each task
in the TCB of each task in these fields, which represents the maximum number of stack
bytes used and the amount of stack space still unused by the task. These fields only exist in
a TCB if the statistic task is enabled at compile time (OS_CFG_STAT_TASK_STK_CHK_EN is set
to 1 in OS_CFG.H).
.Opt
This field saves the options passed to OSTaskCreate() when the task is created (see
OS_TASK_OPT_??? in OS.H). Note that task options are additive.
.TickCtrPrev
This field stores the previous value of OSTickCtr when OSTimeDly() is called with the
OS_OPT_TIME_PERIODIC option.
.TickCtrMatch
When a task is waiting for time to expire, or pending on an object with a timeout, the task
is placed in a special list of tasks waiting for time to expire. When in this list, the task waits
for .TickCtrMatch to match the value of the tick counter (OSTickCtr). When a match
occurs, the task is removed from that list.
.TickRemain
This field is computed at run time by OS_TickTask() to compute the amount of time
(expressed in ticks) left before a delay or timeout expires. This field is useful for
debuggers or run-time monitors for display purposes.
.TimeQuanta and .TimeQuantaCtr
These fields are used for time slicing. When multiple tasks are ready to run at the same
priority, .TimeQuanta determines how much time (in ticks) the task will execute until it is
preempted by C/OS-III so that the next task at the same priority gets a chance to execute.
.TimeQuantaCtr keeps track of the remaining number of ticks for this to happen and is
loaded with .TimeQuanta at the beginning of the tasks time slice.
.CPUUsage
This field is computed by OS_StatTask() if OS_CFG_TASK_PROFILE_EN is set to 1 in
OS_CFG.H. .CPUUsage contains the CPU usage of a task in percent (0 to 100%).
112
Task Management
.CtxSwCtr
This field keeps track of how often the task has executed (not how long it has executed).
This field is generally used by debuggers or run-time monitors to see if a task is executing
(the value of this field would be non-zero and would be incrementing). The field is enabled
at compile time when OS_CFG_TASK_PROFILE_EN is set to 1.
.CyclesDelta
.CyclesDelta is computed during a context switch and contains the value of the current
time stamp (obtained by calling OS_TS_GET()) minus the value of .CyclesStart. This field
is generally used by debuggers or a run-time monitor to see how long a task takes to
execute. The field is enabled at compile time when OS_CFG_TASK_PROFILE_EN is set to 1.
.CyclesStart
This field is used to measure the execution time of a task. .CyclesStart is updated when
C/OS-III performs a context switch. .CyclesStart contains the value of the current time
stamp (it calls OS_TS_GET()) when a task switch occurs. This field is generally used by
debuggers or a run-time monitor to see how long a task takes to execute. The field is
enabled at compile time when OS_CFG_TASK_PROFILE_EN is set to 1.
.CyclesTotal
This field accumulates the value of .CyclesDelta, so it contains the total execution time of
a task. This is typically a 64-bit value because of the accumulation of cycles over time. Using
a 64-bit value ensures that we can accumulate CPU cycles for almost 600 years even if the
CPU is running at 1 GHz! Of course, its assumed that the compiler supports 64-bit data
types.
.IntDisTimeMax
This field keeps track of the maximum interrupt disable time of the task. The field is
updated only if C/CPU supports interrupt disable time measurements. This field is
available only if setting OS_CFG_TASK_PROFILE_EN to 1 in OS_CFG.H and C/CPUs
CPU_CFG_TIME_MEAS_INT_DIS_EN is defined in DCPU_CFG.H.
.SchedLockTimeMax
The field keeps track of the maximum scheduler lock time of the task.
This field is available only if you set OS_CFG_TASK_PROFILE_EN
OS_CFG_SCHED_LOCK_TIME_MEAS_EN is set to 1 in OS_CFG.H.
to
and
113
Chapter 5
.PendOn
This field indicates upon what the task is pending and contains OS_TASK_PEND_ON_???
(see OS.H).
.PendStatus
This field indicates the outcome of a pend and contains OS_STATUS_PEND_??? (see OS.H).
.TaskState
This field indicates the current state of a task and contains one of the eight (8) task states
that a task can be in, see OS_TASK_STATE_??? (see OS.H).
.Prio
This field contains the current priority of a task. .Prio is a value between 0 and
OS_CFG_PRIO_MAX-1. In fact, the idle task is the only task at priority OS_CFG_PRIO_MAX-1.
.DbgNextPtr
This field contains a pointer to the next OS_TCB in a doubly linked list of OS_TCBs. OS_TCBs
are placed in this list by OSTaskCreate(). This field is only present if OS_CFG_DBG_EN is set
to 1 in OS_CFG.H. the current priority of a task.
.DbgPrevPtr
This field contains a pointer to the previous OS_TCB in a doubly linked list of OS_TCBs.
OS_TCBs are placed in this list by OSTaskCreate(). This field is only present if
OS_CFG_DBG_EN is set to 1 in OS_CFG.H.
.DbgNamePtr
This field contains a pointer to the name of the object that the task is pending on when the
task is pending on an event flag group, a semaphore, a mutual exclusion semaphore or a
message queue. This information is quite useful during debugging and thus, this field is
only present if OS_CFG_DBG_EN is set to 1 in OS_CFG.H.
5-6 INTERNAL TASKS

During initialization, C/OS-III creates a minimum of two (2) internal tasks (OS_IdleTask()
and OS_TickTask()) and, three (3) optional tasks (OS_StatTask(), OS_TmrTask() and
OS_IntQTask()). The optional tasks are created based on the value of compile-time
#defines found in OS_CFG.H.
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Task Management
5-6-1 THE IDLE TASK (OS_IdleTask())

5
OS_IdleTask() is the very first task created by C/OS-III and always exists in a C/OS-IIIbased application. The priority of the idle task is always set to OS_CFG_PRIO_MAX-1. In fact,
OS_IdleTask() is the only task that is ever allowed to be at this priority and, as a
safeguard, when other tasks are created, OSTaskCreate() ensures that there are no other
tasks created at the same priority as the idle task. The idle task runs whenever there are no
other tasks that are ready to run. The important portions of the code for the idle task are
shown below (refer to OS_CORE.C for the complete code).
void OS_IdleTask (void *p_arg)

{
while (DEF_ON) {
OS_CRITICAL_ENTER();
OSIdleTaskCtr++;
OSTaskStatCtr++;
OS_CRITICAL_EXIT();
OSIdleTaskHook();
}
}
(1)
(2)
(3)
Listing 5-4 Idle Task
L5-4(1)
The idle task is a true infinite loop that never calls functions to wait for an
event. This is because, on most processors, when there is nothing to do, the
processor still executes instructions. When C/OS-III determines that there is
no other higher-priority task to run, C/OS-III parks the CPU in the idle task.
Instead of having an empty for loop doing nothing, this idle time is used to
do something useful.
L5-4(2)
Two counters are incremented whenever the idle task runs.

OSIdleTaskCtr is typically defined as a 32-bit unsigned integer (see OS.H).
OSIdleTaskCtr is reset once when C/OS-III is initialized. OSIdleTaskCtr is
used to indicate activity in the idle task. In other words, if one monitors and
displays OSIdleTaskCtr, one should expect to see a value between
0x00000000 and 0xFFFFFFFF. The rate at which OSIdleTaskCtr increments
depend on how busy the CPU is at running the application code. The faster the
increment, the less work the CPU has to do in application tasks.
115
Chapter 5
OSStatTaskCtr is also typically defined as a 32-bit unsigned integer (see OS.H)

and is used by the statistic task (described later) to get a sense of CPU
utilization at run time.
L5-4(3)
Every time through the loop, OS_IdleTask() calls OSIdleTaskHook(), which

is a function that is declared in the C/OS-III port for the processor used.
OSIdleTaskHook() allows the implementer of the C/OS-III port to perform
additional processing during idle time. It is very important for this code to not
make calls that would cause the idle task to wait for an event. This is
generally not a problem as most programmers developing C/OS-III ports
know to follow this simple rule.
OSIdleTaskHook() may be used to place the CPU in low-power mode for
battery-powered applications or to simply not waste energy as shown in the
pseudo-code below. However, doing this means that OSStatTaskCtr cannot
be used to measure CPU utilization (described later).
void OSIdleTaskHook (void)

{
/* Place the CPU in low power mode */
}
Typically, most processors exit low-power mode when an interrupt occurs.

Depending on the processor, however, the Interrupt Service Routine (ISR) may
have to write to special registers to return the CPU to its full or desired speed.
If the ISR wakes up a high-priority task (every task is higher in priority than the
idle task) then the ISR will not immediately return to the interrupted idle task,
but instead switch to the higher-priority task. When the higher-priority task
completes its work and waits for its event to occur, C/OS-III causes a context
switch to return to OSIdleTaskHook() just after the instruction that caused
the CPU to enter low-power mode. In turn, OSIdleTaskHook() returns to
OS_IdleTask() and causes another iteration through the for loop.
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Task Management
5-6-2 THE TICK TASK (OS_TickTask())

5
Nearly every RTOS requires a periodic time source called a Clock Tick or System Tick to
keep track of time delays and timeouts. C/OS-IIIs clock tick handling is encapsulated in
the file OS_TICK.C.
OS_TickTask() is a task created by C/OS-III and its priority is configurable by the user
through C/OS-IIIs configuration file OS_CFG_APP.H (see OS_CFG_TICK_TASK_PRIO).
Typically OS_TickTask() is set to a relatively high priority. In fact, the priority of this task is
set slightly lower than the most important tasks.
OS_TickTask() is used by C/OS-III to keep track of tasks waiting for time to expire or, for
tasks that are pending on kernel objects with a timeout. OS_TickTask() is a periodic task
and it waits for signals from the tick ISR (described in Chapter 9, Interrupt Management
on page 165) as shown in Figure 5-8.
Timer
(1)
10 to 1000 Hz
(3)
Tick
Task
Tick ISR
(2)
(4)
List of tasks
waiting for
time to expire
or to timeout
Figure 5-8 Tick ISR and Tick Task relationship
F5-8(1)
A hardware timer is generally used and configured to generate an interrupt at a

rate between 10 and 1000 Hz (see OS_CFG_TICK_RATE in OS_CFG_APP.H). This
timer is generally called the Tick Timer. The actual rate to use depends on such
factors as: processor speed, desired time resolution, and amount of allowable
overhead to handle the tick timer, etc.
The tick interrupt does not have to be generated by a timer and, in fact, it can
come from other regular time sources such as the power-line frequency (50 or
60 Hz), which are known to be fairly accurate over long periods of time.
117
Chapter 5
F5-8(2)
5
Assuming CPU interrupts are enabled, the CPU accepts the tick interrupt,
preempts the current task, and vectors to the tick ISR. The tick ISR must call
OSTimeTick() (see OS_TIME.C), which accomplishes most of the work needed
by C/OS-III. The tick ISR then clears the timer interrupt (and possibly reloads
the timer for the next interrupt). However, some timers may need to be taken
care of prior to calling OSTimeTick() instead of after as shown below.
void TickISR (void)
{
OSTimeTick();
/* Clear tick interrupt source
*/
/* Reload the timer for the next interrupt */
}
or,
void TickISR (void)
{
/* Clear tick interrupt source
*/
/* Reload the timer for the next interrupt */
OSTimeTick();
}
OSTimeTick() calls OSTimeTickHook() at the very beginning of

OSTimeTick() to give the opportunity to the C/OS-III port developer to react
as soon as possible upon servicing the tick interrupt.
F5-8(3)
OSTimeTick() calls a service provided by C/OS-III to signal the tick task and
make that task ready to run. The tick task executes as soon as it becomes the
most important task. The reason the tick task might not run immediately is that
the tick interrupt could have interrupted a task higher in priority than the tick
task and, upon completion of the tick ISR, C/OS-III will resume the
interrupted task.
F5-8(4)
When the tick task executes, it goes through a list of all tasks that are waiting
for time to expire or are waiting on a kernel object with a timeout. From this
point forward, this will be called the tick list. The tick task will make ready to
run all of the tasks in the tick list for which time or timeout has expired. The
process is explained below.
118
Task Management
C/OS-III may need to place literally hundreds of tasks (if an application has that many tasks)
in the tick list. The tick list is implemented in such a way that it does not take much CPU time
to determine if time has expired for those tasks placed in the tick list and, possibly makes
those tasks ready to run. The tick list is implemented as shown in Figure 5-9.
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Figure 5-9 Empty Tick List
F5-9(1)
The tick list consists of a table (OSCfg_TickWheel[]) and a counter

(OSTickCtr).
F5-9(2)
The table contains up to OS_CFG_TICK_WHEEL_SIZE entries, which is a compile

time configuration value (see OS_CFG_APP.H). The number of entries depends
on the amount of memory (RAM) available to the processor and the maximum
number of tasks in the application. A good starting point for
OS_CFG_TICK_WHEEL_SIZE may be: #Tasks / 4. It is recommended not to
make OS_CFG_TICK_WHEEL_SIZE an even multiple of the tick rate. If the tick
rate is 1000 Hz and one has 50 tasks in the application, avoid setting
OS_CFG_TICK_WHEEL_SIZE to 10 or 20 (use 11 or 23 instead). Actually, prime
numbers are good choices. Although it is not really possible to plan at compile
time what will happen at run time, ideally, the number of tasks waiting in each
entry of the table will be distributed uniformly.
119
Chapter 5
F5-9(3)
5
Each entry in the table contains three fields: .NbrEntriesMax, .NbrEntries

and .FirstPtr.
.NbrEntries indicates the number of tasks linked to this table entry.
.NbrEntriesMax keeps track of the highest number of entries in the table. This
value is reset when the application code calls OSStatReset().
.FirstPtr contains a pointer to a doubly linked list of tasks (through the tasks
OS_TCB) belonging to the list, at that table position.
The counter is incremented by OS_TickTask() each time the task is signaled by the tick ISR.
Tasks are automatically inserted in the tick list when the application programmer calls a
OSTimeDly???() function, or when an OS???Pend() call is made with a non-zero timeout value.
Example 5-1
Using an example to illustrate the process of inserting a task in the tick list, lets assume that
the tick list is completely empty, OS_CFG_TICK_WHEEL_SIZE is configured to 12, and the
current value of OSTickCtr is 10 as shown in Figure 5-10. A task is placed in the tick list
when OSTimeDly() is called and assume OSTimeDly() is called as follows:
:
OSTimeDly(1, OS_OPT_TIME_DLY, &err);
:
Referring to the C/OS-III reference manual in Appendix A, notice that this action indicates
to C/OS-III to delay the current task for 1 tick. Since OSTickCtr has a value of 10, the task
will be put to sleep until OSTickCtr reaches 11 or at the very next clock tick interrupt.
Tasks are inserted in the OSCfg_TickWheel[] table using the following equation:
MatchValue
= OSTickCtr + dly
Index into OSCfg_TickWheel[] = MatchValue % OS_CFG_TICK_WHEEL_SIZE
Where dly is the value passed in the first argument of OSTimeDly() or, 1 in this example.
We therefore obtain the following:
120
Task Management
MatchValue
= 10 + 1
Index into OSCfg_TickWheel[] = (10 + 1) % 12
or,
MatchValue
= 11
Index into OSCfg_TickWheel[] = 11
Because of the circular nature of the table (a modulo operation using the size of the
table), the table is referred to as a tick wheel and each entry is a spoke in the wheel.
The OS_TCB of the task being delayed is entered at index 11 in OSCfg_TickWheel[] (i.e.,
spoke 11 using the wheel analogy). The OS_TCB of the task is inserted in the first entry of
the list (i.e., pointed to by OSCfg_TickWheel[11].FirstPtr), and the number of entries at
spoke 11 is incremented (i.e., OSCfg_TickWheel[11].NbrEntries will be 1). Notice that
the OS_TCB also links back to &OSCfg_TickWheel[11] and the MatchValue are placed in
the OS_TCB field .TickCtrMatch. Since this is the first task inserted in the tick list at spoke
11, the .TickNextPtr and .TickPrevPtr both point to NULL.
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Figure 5-10 Inserting a task in the tick list
121
Chapter 5
OSTimeDly() takes care of a few other details. Specifically, the task is removed from
C/OS-IIIs ready list (described in Chapter 6, The Ready List on page 131) since the task
is no longer eligible to run (because it is waiting for time to expire). Also, the scheduler is
called because C/OS-III will need to run the next most important ready-to-run task.
If the next task to run also happens to call OSTimeDly() before the next tick arrives and
calls OSTimeDly() as follows:
:
OSTimeDly(13, OS_OPT_TIME_DLY, &err);
:
C/OS-III will calculate the match value and spoke as follows:

MatchValue
= 10 + 13
OSCfg_TickWheel[] spoke number = (10 + 13) % 12
or,
MatchValue
= 23
OSCfg_TickWheel[] spoke number = 11
The second task will be inserted at the same table entry as shown in Figure 5-11. Tasks
sharing the same spoke are sorted in ascending order such that the task with the least
amount of time remaining is placed at the head of the list.
122
Task Management
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Figure 5-11 Inserting a second task in the tick list
When the tick task executes (see OS_TickTask() and also OS_TickListUpdate() in
OS_TICK.C), it starts incrementing OSTickCtr and determines which table entry (i.e., which
spoke) needs to be processed. Then, if there are tasks in the list at this entry (i.e.,
.FirstPtr is not NULL), each OS_TCB is examined to determine whether the
.TickCtrMatch value matches OSTickCtr and, if so, we remove the OS_TCB from the list.
If the task is only waiting for time to expire, it will be placed in the ready list (described
later). If the task is pending on an object, not only will the task be removed from the tick
list, but it will also be removed from the list of tasks waiting on that object. The search
through the list terminates as soon as OSTickCtr does not match the tasks .TickCtrMatch
value; since there is no point in looking any further in the list.
Note that OS_TickTask() does most of its work in a critical section when the tick list is
updated. However, because the list is sorted, the critical section has a chance to be fairly short.
123
Chapter 5
5-6-3 THE STATISTIC TASK (OS_StatTask())

5
C/OS-III contains an internal task that provides such run-time statistics as overall CPU
utilization (0 to 100%), per-task CPU utilization (0-100%), and per-task stack usage.
The statistic task is optional in a C/OS-III application and its presence is controlled by a
compile-time configuration constant OS_CFG_STAT_TASK_EN defined in OS_CFG.H.
Specifically, the code is included in the build when OS_CFG_STAT_TASK_EN is set to 1.
Also, the priority of this task and the location and size of the statistic tasks stack is
configurable via OS_CFG_APP.H (OS_CFG_STAT_TASK_PRIO).
If the application uses the statistic task, it should call OSStatTaskCPUUsageInit() from the
first, and only the application task created in the main() function as shown in Listing 5-5.
The startup code should create only one task before calling OSStart(). The single task
created is, of course, allowed to create other tasks, but only after calling
OSStatTaskCPUUsageInit().
124
Task Management
void main (void)
(1)
{
OS_ERR err;
:
OSInit(&err);
(2)
/* Something wasnt configured properly, C/OS-III not properly initialized
}
/* (3) Create ONE task (well call it AppTaskStart() for sake of discussion)
:
OSStart(&err);
(4)
*/
*/
void AppTaskStart (void *p_arg)

{
OS_ERR err;
:
/* (5) Initialize the tick interrupt
#if OS_CFG_STAT_TASK_EN > 0
OSStatTaskCPUUsageInit(&err);
(6)
#endif
:
/* (7) Create other tasks
while (DEF_ON) {
/* AppTaskStart() body
}
}
*/
*/
*/
Listing 5-5 Proper startup for computing CPU utilization
L5-5(1)
The C compiler should start up the CPU and bring it to main() as is typical in
most C applications.
L5-5(2)
main() calls OSInit() to initialize C/OS-III. It is assumed that the statistics

task is enabled by setting OS_CFG_STAT_TASK_EN to 1 in OS_CFG_APP.H.
Always examine C/OS-IIIs returned error code to make sure the call was
done properly. Refer to OS.H for a list of possible errors, OS_ERR_???.
L5-5(3)
As the comment indicates, creates a single task called AppTaskStart() in the

example (its name is left to the creators discretion). When creating this task,
give it a fairly high priority (do not use priority 0 since its reserved for
C/OS-III).
125
Chapter 5
Normally, C/OS-III allows the user to create as many tasks as are necessary
prior to calling OSStart(). However, when the statistic task is used to compute
overall CPU utilization, it is necessary to create only one task.
L5-5(4)
Call OSStart() to let C/OS-III start the highest-priority task which,

should be AppTaskStart(). At this point, there should be either four or five
tasks created (the timer task is optional): C/OS-III creates up to four tasks
(OS_IdleTask(), OS_TickTask(), OS_StatTask() and OS_TaskTmr()), and
now AppTaskStart().
L5-5(5)
The start task should then configure and enable tick interrupts. This most likely
requires that the user initialize the hardware timer used for the clock tick and
have it interrupt at the rate specified by OS_CFG_STAT_TASK_RATE (see
OS_CFG_APP.H). Additionally, Micrim provides sample projects that include a
basic board-support package (BSP). The BSP initializes many aspects of the
CPU as well as the periodic time source required by C/OS-III. If available, the
user may utilize BSP services by calling BSP_Init() from the startup task. After
this point, no further time source initialization is required by the user.
L5-5(6)
Call OSStatTaskCPUUsageInit(). This function determines the maximum

value that OSStatTaskCtr (see OS_IdleTask()) can count up to for
1/OS_CFG_STAT_TASK_RATE second when there are no other tasks running in
the system (apart for the other C/OS-III tasks). For example, if the system
does not contain an application task and OSStatTaskCtr counts from 0 to
10,000,000 for 1/OS_CFG_STAT_TASK_RATE second, when adding tasks, and the
test is redone every 1/OS_CFG_STAT_TASK_RATE second, the OSStatTaskCtr
will not reach 10,000,000 and actual CPU utilization is determined as follows:
For example, if when redoing the test, OSStatTaskCtr reaches 7,500,000 the
CPU is busy 25% of its time running application tasks:
126
Task Management
L5-5(7)
AppTaskStart() can then create other application tasks as needed.

5
As previously described, C/OS-III stores run-time statistics for a task in each
tasks OS_TCB.
OS_StatTask() also computes stack usage of all created tasks by calling
OSTaskStkChk() and stores the return values of this function (free and used
stack space) in the .StkFree and .StkUsed field of the tasks OS_TCB,
respectively.
5-6-4 THE TIMER TASK (OS_TmrTask())

C/OS-III provides timer services to the application programmer. Code to handle timers is
found in OS_TMR.C.
The timer task is optional in a C/OS-III application and its presence is controlled by the
compile-time configuration constant OS_CFG_TMR_EN defined in OS_CFG.H. Specifically, the
code is included in the build when OS_CFG_TMR_EN is set to 1.
Timers are countdown counters that perform an action when the counter reaches zero. The
action is provided by the user through a callback function. A callback function is a function
that the user declares and that will be called when the timer expires. The callback can thus
be used to turn on or off a light, a motor, or perform whatever action needed. It is
important to note that the callback function is called from the context of the timer task. The
application programmer may create an unlimited number of timers (limited only by the
amount of available RAM). Timer management is fully described in Chapter 12, Timer
Management on page 201 and the timer services available to the application programmer
are described in Appendix A, C/OS-III API Reference Manual on page 383.
OS_TmrTask() is a task created by C/OS-III (this assumes setting OS_CFG_TMR_EN to 1 in
OS_CFG.H) and its priority is configurable by the user through C/OS-IIIs configuration
file OS_CFG_APP.H (see OS_CFG_TMR_TASK_PRIO). OS_TmrTask() is typically set to a
medium priority.
127
Chapter 5
OS_TmrTask() is a periodic task using the same interrupt source that was used to generate
clock ticks. However, timers are generally updated at a slower rate (i.e., typically 10 Hz) and
the timer tick rate is divided down in software. In other words, if the tick rate is 1000 Hz
and the desired timer rate is 10 Hz, the timer task will be signaled every 100th tick interrupt
as shown in Figure 5-12.
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Figure 5-12 Tick ISR and Timer Task relationship
5-6-5 THE ISR HANDLER TASK (OS_IntQTask())

When setting the compile-time configuration constant OS_CFG_ISR_POST_DEFERRED_EN in
OS_CFG.H to 1, C/OS-III creates a task (called OS_IntQTask()) responsible for deferring
the action of OS service post calls from ISRs.
As described in Chapter 4, Critical Sections on page 77, C/OS-III manages critical
sections either by disabling/enabling interrupts, or by locking/unlocking the scheduler. If
selecting the latter method (i.e., setting OS_CFG_ISR_POST_DEFERRED_EN to 1), C/OS-III
post functions called from interrupts are not allowed to manipulate such internal data
structures as the ready list, pend lists, and others.
When an ISR calls one of the post functions provided by C/OS-III, a copy of the data
posted and the desired destination is placed in a special holding queue. When all nested
ISRs complete, C/OS-III context switches to the ISR handler task (OS_IntQTask()), which
re-posts the information placed in the holding queue to the appropriate task(s). This extra
step is performed to reduce the amount of interrupt disable time that would otherwise be
necessary to remove tasks from wait lists, insert them in the ready list, and perform other
time-consuming operations.
128
Task Management
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OS_IntQTask() is created by C/OS-III and always runs at priority 0 (i.e., the highest
priority). If OS_CFG_ISR_POST_DEFERRED_EN is set to 1, no other task will be allowed to use
priority 0.
5-7 SUMMARY
A task is a simple program that thinks it has the CPU all to itself. On a single CPU, only one
task executes at any given time. C/OS-III supports multitasking and allows the application
to have any number of tasks. The maximum number of tasks is actually only limited by the
amount of memory (both code and data space) available to the processor.
A task can be implemented as a run-to-completion task in which the task deletes itself when
it is finished or more typically as an infinite loop, waiting for events to occur and processing
those events.
A task needs to be created. When creating a task, it is necessary to specify the address of an
OS_TCB to be used by the task, the priority of the task, and an area in RAM for the tasks
stack. A task can also perform computations (CPU bound task), or manage one or more I/O
(Input/Output) devices.
C/OS-III creates up to five internal tasks: the idle task, tick task, ISR handler task, statistics
task, and timer task. The idle and tick tasks are always created while statistics and timer
tasks are optional.
129
Chapter 5
130
Chapter
6
The Ready List
Tasks that are ready to execute are placed in the Ready List. The ready list consists of two
parts: a bitmap containing the priority levels that are ready and a table containing pointers
to all the tasks ready.
131
Chapter 6
6-1 PRIORITY LEVELS

6
Figures 5-1 to 5-3 show the bitmap of priorities that are ready. The width of the table
depends on the data type CPU_DATA (see CPU.H), which can either be 8-, 16- or 32-bits. The
width depends on the processor used.
C/OS-III allows up to OS_CFG_PRIO_MAX different priority levels (see OS_CFG.H). In
C/OS-III, a low-priority number corresponds to a high-priority level. Priority level zero (0)
is thus the highest priority level. Priority OS_CFG_PRIO_MAX-1 is the lowest priority level.
C/OS-III uniquely assigns the lowest priority to the idle task. No other tasks are allowed at
this priority level. If there are tasks that are ready-to-run at a given a priority level, then its
corresponding bit is set (i.e., 1) in the bitmap table. Notice in Figures 5-1 to 5-3 that priority
levels are numbered from left to right and, the priority level increases (moves toward lower
priority) with an increase in table index. The order was chosen to be able to use a special
instruction called Count Leading Zeros (CLZ), which is found on many modern processors.
This instruction greatly accelerates the process of determining the highest priority level.
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Figure 6-1 CPU_DATA declared as a CPU_INT08U
132
The Ready List
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133
Chapter 6
OS_PRIO.C contains the code to set, clear, and search the bitmap table. These functions are
internal to C/OS-III and are placed in OS_PRIO.C to allow them to be optimized in
assembly language by replacing OS_PRIO.C with an assembly language equivalent
OS_PRIO.ASM, when necessary.
Function
Description
OS_PrioGetHighest()
Find the highest priority level
OS_PrioInsert()
Set bit corresponding to priority level in the bitmap table
OS_PrioRemove()
Clear bit corresponding to priority level in the bitmap table
Table 6-1 Priority Level access functions
To determine the highest priority level that contains ready-to-run tasks, the bitmap table is
scanned until the first bit set in the lowest bit position is found using OS_PrioGetHighest().
The code for this function is shown in Listing 6-1.
OS_PRIO OS_PrioGetHighest (void)

{
CPU_DATA *p_tbl;
OS_PRIO
prio;
prio = (OS_PRIO)0;
p_tbl = &OSPrioTbl[0];
while (*p_tbl == (CPU_DATA)0) {
prio += sizeof(CPU_DATA) * 8u;
p_tbl++;
}
prio += (OS_PRIO)CPU_CntLeadZeros(*p_tbl);
return (prio);
(1)
(2)
(3)
Listing 6-1 Finding the highest priority level
L6-1(1)
134
OS_PrioGetHighest() scans the table from OSPrioTbl[] until a non-zero

entry is found. The loop will always terminate because there will always be a
non-zero entry in the table because of the idle task.
The Ready List
L6-1(2)
L6-1(3)
Each time a zero entry is found, we move to the next table entry and increment
prio by the width (in number of bits) of each entry. If each entry is 32-bits
wide, prio is incremented by 32.
Once the first non-zero entry is found, the number of leading zeros of that
entry is simply added and return the priority level back to the caller. Counting
the number of zeros is a CPU-specific function so that if a particular CPU has a
built-in CLZ instruction, it is up to the implementer of the CPU port to take
advantage of this feature. If the CPU used does not provide that instruction, the
functionality must be implemented in C.
The function CPU_CntLeadZeros() simply counts how many zeros there are in a CPU_DATA
entry starting from the left (i.e., most significant bit). For example, assuming 32 bits,
0xF0001234 results in 0 leading zeros and 0x00F01234 results in 8 leading zeros.
At first view, the linear path through the table might seem inefficient. However, if the number
of priority levels is kept low, the search is quite fast. In fact, there are several optimizations to
streamline the search. For example, if using a 32-bit processor and you are satisfied with
limiting the number of different priority levels to 64, the above code can be optimized as
shown in Listing 6-2. In fact, some processors have built-in Count Leading Zeros instructions
and thus, the code can be written with just a few lines of assembly language. Remember that
with C/OS-III, 64 priority levels does not mean that the user is limited to 64 tasks since with
C/OS-III, any number of tasks are possible at a given priority level.
OS_PRIO OS_PrioGetHighest (void)

{
OS_PRIO prio;
if (OSPrioTbl[0] != (OS_PRIO_BITMAP)0) {
prio = OS_CntLeadingZeros(OSPrioTbl[0]);
} else {
prio = OS_CntLeadingZeros(OSPrioTbl[1]) + 32;
}
return (prio);
}
Listing 6-2 Finding the highest priority level within 64 levels
135
Chapter 6
6-2 THE READY LIST

6
Tasks that are ready to run are placed in the Ready List. As shown in Figure 6-1, the ready
list is an array (OSRdyList[]) containing OS_CFG_PRIO_MAX entries, with each entry defined
by the data type OS_RDY_LIST (see OS.H). An OS_RDY_LIST entry consists of three fields:
.Entries, .TailPtr and .HeadPtr.
.Entries contains the number of ready-to-run tasks at the priority level corresponding to
the entry in the ready list. .Entries is set to zero (0) if there are no tasks ready to run at a
given priority level.
.TailPtr and .HeadPtr are used to create a doubly linked list of all the tasks that are
ready at a specific priority. .HeadPtr points to the head of the list and .TailPtr points to
its tail.
The index into the array is the priority level associated with a task. For example, if a task
is created at priority level 5 then it will be inserted in the table at OSRdyList[5] if that task
is ready to run.
Table 6-2 shows the functions that C/OS-III uses to manipulate entries in the ready list.
These functions are internal to C/OS-III and the application code must never call them.
Function
Description
OS_RdyListInit()
Initialize the ready list to empty (see Figure 6-4)
OS_RdyListInsert()
Insert a TCB into the ready list
OS_RdyListInsertHead()
Insert a TCB at the head of the list
OS_RdyListInsertTail()
Insert a TCB at the tail of the list
OS_RdyListMoveHeadToTail()
Move a TCB from the head to the tail of the list
OS_RdyListRemove()
Remove a TCB from the ready list
Table 6-2 Ready List access functions
136
The Ready List
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Assuming all internal C/OS-IIIs tasks are enabled, Figure 6-5 shows the state of the ready
list after calling OSInit() (i.e., C/OS-IIIs initialization). It is assumed that each C/OS-III
task had a unique priority. With C/OS-III, this does not have to be the case.
F6-4(1)
There is only one entry in OSRdyList[OS_CFG_PRIO_MAX-1], the idle task.
F6-4(2)
The list points to OS_TCBs. Only relevant fields of the TCB are shown. The
.PrevPtr and .NextPtr are used to form a doubly linked list of OS_TCBs
associated to tasks at the same priority. For the idle task, these fields always
point to NULL.
F6-4(3)
Priority 0 is reserved to the ISR handler task when OS_CFG_ISR_DEFERRED_EN

is set to 1 in OS_CFG.H. In this case, this is the only task that can run at priority 0.
137
Chapter 6
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F6-5(1)
The tick task and the other two optional tasks have their own priority level, as
shown. C/OS-III enables the user to have multiple tasks at the same priority
and thus, the tasks could be set up as shown. Typically, one would set the
priority of the tick task higher than the timer task and, the timer task higher in
priority than the statistic task.
F6-5(2)
Both the tail and head pointers point to the same TCB when there is only one
TCB at a given priority level.
138
The Ready List
6-3 ADDING TASKS TO THE READY LIST

Tasks are added to the ready list by a number of C/OS-III services. The most obvious service
is OSTaskCreate(), which always creates a task in the ready-to-run state and adds the task to
the ready list. As shown in Figure 6-6, when creating a task, and specifying a priority level
where tasks already exist (two in this example) in the ready list at that priority level,
OSTaskCreate() will insert the new task at the end of the list of tasks at that priority level.

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F6-6(1)
Before calling OSTaskCreate() (in this example), two tasks were in the ready
list at priority prio.
F6-6(2)
A new TCB is passed to OSTaskCreate() and, C/OS-III initialized the contents

of that TCB.
139
Chapter 6
F6-6(3)
OSTaskCreate() calls OS_RdyListInsertTail(), which links the new TCB to

the ready list by setting up four pointers and also incrementing the .Entries field
of OSRdyList[prio]. Not shown in Figure 6-6 is that OSTaskCreate() also
calls OS_PrioInsert() to set the bit in the bitmap table. Of course, this operation
is not necessary as there are already entries in the list at this priority. However,
OS_PrioInsert() is a very fast call and thus it should not affect performance.
The reason the new TCB is added to the end of the list is that the current head
of the list could be the task creator and, at the same priority, there is no reason
to make the new task the next task to run. In fact, a task being made ready will
be inserted at the tail of the list if the current task is at the same priority.
However, if a task is being made ready at a different priority than the current
task, it will be inserted at the head of the list.
6-4 SUMMARY
C/OS-III supports any number of different priority levels. However, 256 different priority
levels should be sufficient for the most complex applications and most systems will not
require more than 64 levels.
The ready list consist of two data structures: a bitmap table that keeps track of which
priority level is ready, and a table containing a list of all the tasks ready at each priority
level.
Processors having count leading zeros instructions can accelerate the table lookup process
used in determining the highest priority task.
140
Chapter
7
Scheduling
The scheduler, also called the dispatcher, is a part of C/OS-III responsible for determining
which task runs next. C/OS-III is a preemptive, priority-based kernel. Each task is assigned
a priority based on its importance. The priority for each task depends on the application,
and C/OS-III supports multiple tasks at the same priority level.
The word preemptive means that when an event occurs, and that event makes a more
important task ready to run, then C/OS-III will immediately give control of the CPU to that
task. Thus, when a task signals or sends a message to a higher-priority task, the current task
is suspended and the higher-priority task is given control of the CPU. Similarly, if an
Interrupt Service Routine (ISR) signals or sends a message to a higher priority task, when
the message is completed, the interrupted task remains suspended, and the new higher
priority task resumes.
141
Chapter 7
7-1 PREEMPTIVE SCHEDULING
C/OS-III handles event posting from interrupts using two different methods: Direct and
Deferred Post. These will be discussed in greater detail in Chapter 9, Interrupt
Management on page 165. From a scheduling point of view, the end result of the two
methods is the same; the highest priority and ready task will receive the CPU as shown in
Figures 6-1 and 6-2.

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F7-1(1)
A low priority task is executing, and an interrupt occurs.
F7-1(2)
If interrupts are enabled, the CPU vectors (i.e., jumps) to the ISR that is
responsible for servicing the interrupting device.
F7-1(3)
The ISR services the device and signals or sends a message to a higher-priority
task waiting to service this device. This task is thus ready to run.
F7-1(4)
When the ISR completes its work it makes a service call to C/OS-III.
F7-1(5)
F7-1(6)
142
Since there is a more important ready-to-run task, C/OS-III decides to not

return to the interrupted task but switches to the more important task. See
Chapter 8, Context Switching on page 155 for details on how this works.
Scheduling
F7-1(7)
F7-1(8)
F7-1(9)
F7-1(10)
F7-1(11)
The higher priority task services the interrupting device and, when finished,
calls C/OS-III asking it to wait for another interrupt from the device.
C/OS-III blocks the high-priority task until the next device interrupts. Since
the device has not interrupted a second time, C/OS-III switches back to the
original task (the one that was interrupted).
The interrupted task resumes execution, exactly at the point where it was
interrupted.
Figure 7-2 shows that C/OS-III performs a few extra steps when it is configured for the
Deferred Post method. Notice that the end results is the same; the high-priority task
preempts the low-priority one.

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143
Chapter 7
F7-2(1)
The ISR services the device and, instead of signaling or sending the message to
the task, C/OS-III (through the POST call) places the post call into a special
queue and makes a very high-priority task (actually the highest-possible
priority) ready to run. This task is called the ISR Handler Task.
F7-2(2)
When the ISR completes its work, it makes a service call to C/OS-III.
F7-2(3)
F7-2(4)
F7-2(5)
F7-2(6)
Since the ISR made the ISR Handler Task ready to run, C/OS-III switches to
that task.
The ISR Handler Task then removes the post call from the message queue and
reissues the post. This time, however, it does it at the task level instead of the
ISR level. The reason this extra step is performed is to keep interrupt disable
time as small as possible. See Chapter 9, Interrupt Management on page 165
to find out more on the subject. When the queue is emptied, C/OS-III
removes the ISR Handler Task from the ready list and switches to the task that
was signaled or sent a message.
7-2 SCHEDULING POINTS

Scheduling occurs at scheduling points and nothing special must be done in the application
code since scheduling occurs automatically based on the conditions described below.
A task signals or sends a message to another task:
This occurs when the task signaling or sending the message calls one of the post services,
OS???Post(). Scheduling occurs towards the end of the OS???Post() call. Note that
scheduling does not occur if one specifies (as part of the post call) to not invoke the
scheduler (i.e., set the option argument to OS_OPT_POST_NO_SCHED).
A task calls OSTimeDly() or OSTimeDlyHMSM():
If the delay is non-zero, scheduling always occurs since the calling task is placed in a list
waiting for time to expire. Scheduling occurs as soon as the task is inserted in the wait list.
144
Scheduling
A task waits for an event to occur and the event has not yet occurred:
This occurs when one of the OS???Pend() functions are called. The task is placed in the
wait list for the event and, if a non-zero timeout is specified, then the task is also inserted in
the list of tasks waiting to timeout. The scheduler is then called to select the next most
important task to run.
If a task aborts a pend:
A task is able to abort the wait (i.e., pend) of another task by calling OS???PendAbort().
Scheduling occurs when the task is removed from the wait list for the specified kernel
object.
If a task is created:
The newly created task may have a higher priority than the tasks creator. In this case, the
scheduler is called.
If a task is deleted:
When terminating a task, the scheduler is called if the current task is deleted.
If a kernel object is deleted:
If you delete an event flag group, a semaphore, a message queue, or a mutual exclusion
semaphore, if tasks are waiting on the kernel object, those tasks will be made ready to run
and the scheduler will be called to determine if any of the tasks have a higher priority than
the task that deleted the kernel object.
A task changes the priority of itself or another task:
The scheduler is called when a task changes the priority of another task (or itself) and the
new priority of that task is higher than the task that changed the priority.
A task suspends itself by calling OSTaskSuspend():
The scheduler is called since the task that called OSTaskSuspend() is no longer able to
execute, and must be resumed by another task.
A task resumes another task that was suspended by OSTaskSuspend():
The scheduler is called if the resumed task has a higher priority than the task that calls
OSTaskResume().
145
Chapter 7
At the end of all nested ISRs:

The scheduler is called at the end of all nested ISRs to determine whether a more important
task is made ready to run by one of the ISRs. The scheduling is actually performed by
OSIntExit() instead of OSSched().
7
The scheduler is unlocked by calling OSSchedUnlock():

The scheduler is unlocked after being locked. Lock the scheduler by calling
OSSchedLock(). Note that locking the scheduler can be nested and the scheduler must be
unlocked a number of times equal to the number of locks.
A task gives up its time quanta by calling OSSchedRoundRobinYield():
This assumes that the task is running alongside with other tasks at the same priority and the
currently running task decides that it can give up its time quanta and let another task run.
The user calls OSSched():
The application code can call OSSched() to run the scheduler. This only makes sense if
calling OS???Post() functions and specifying OS_OPT_POST_NO_SCHED so that multiple
posts can be accomplished without running the scheduler on every post. Of course, in the
above situation, the last post can be a post without the OS_OPT_POST_NO_SCHED option.
7-3 ROUND-ROBIN SCHEDULING

When two or more tasks have the same priority, C/OS-III allows one task to run for a
predetermined amount of time (called a Time Quanta) before selecting another task. This
process is called Round-Robin Scheduling or Time Slicing. If a task does not need to use its
full time quanta it can voluntarily give up the CPU so that the next task can execute. This is
called Yielding. C/OS-III allows the user to enable or disable round robin scheduling at
run time.
146
Scheduling
Figure 7-3 shows a timing diagram with tasks running at the same priority. There are three
tasks that are ready to run at priority X. For sake of illustration, the time quanta occurs
every 4th clock tick. This is shown as a darker tick mark.
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F7-3(1)
Task #3 is executing. During that time, tick interrupts occur but the time quanta
have not expired yet for Task #3.
F7-3(2)
On the 4th tick interrupt, the time quanta for Task #3 expire.
F7-3(3)
C/OS-III resumes Task #1 since it was the next task in the list of tasks at
priority X that was ready to run.
F7-3(4)
Task #1 executes until its time quanta expires (i.e., after four ticks).
147
Chapter 7
F7-3(5)
F7-3(6)
F7-3(7)
7
F7-3(8)
Here Task #3 executes but decides to give up its time quanta by calling the
C/OS-III function OSSchedRoundRobinYield(), which causes the next task in
the list of tasks ready at priority X to execute. An interesting thing occurred
when C/OS-III scheduled Task #1. It reset the time quanta for that task to four
ticks so that the next time quanta will expire four ticks from this point.
Task #1 executes for its full time quanta.
C/OS-III allows the user to change the time quanta at run time through the
OSSchedRoundRobinCfg() function (see Appendix A, C/OS-III API Reference Manual on
page 383). This function also allows round robin scheduling to be enabled/disabled, and
the ability to change the default time quanta.
C/OS-III also enables the user to specify the time quanta on a per-task basis. One task
could have a time quanta of 1 tick, another 12, another 3, and yet another 7, etc. The time
quanta of a task is specified when the task is created. The time quanta of a task may also be
changed at run time through the function OSTaskTimeQuantaSet().
148
Scheduling
7-4 SCHEDULING INTERNALS

Scheduling is performed by two functions: OSSched() and OSIntExit(). OSSched() is
called by task level code while OSIntExit() is called by ISRs. Both functions are found in
OS_CORE.C.
Figure 7-1 illustrates the two sets of data structures that the scheduler uses; the priority
ready bitmap and the ready list as described in Chapter 6, The Ready List on page 131.
OSPrioTbl[]
OSRdyList []
[0]
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[OS_CFG_PRIO_MAX-2]
Idle Task
[OS_CFG_PRIO_MAX-1]
OS_TCBs
Figure 7-4 Priority ready bitmap and Ready list
149
Chapter 7
7-4-1 OSSched()
The pseudo code for the task level scheduler, OSSched() is shown in Listing 7-1.
7
void OSSched (void)

{
Disable interrupts;
if (OSIntNestingCtr > 0) {
return;
}
if (OSSchedLockNestingCtr > 0) {
return;
}
Get highest priority ready;
Get pointer to OS_TCB of next highest priority task;
if (OSTCBNHighRdyPtr != OSTCBCurPtr) {
Perform task level context switch;
}
Enable interrupts;
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
Listing 7-1 OSSched() pseudocode
L7-1(1)
OSSched() starts by making sure it is not called from an ISR as OSSched() is

the task level scheduler. Instead, an ISR must call OSIntExit(). If OSSched() is
called by an ISR, OSSched() simply returns.
L7-1(2)
The next step is to make sure the scheduler is not locked. If the code calls
OSSchedLock() the user does not want to run the scheduler and the function
just returns.
L7-1(3)
OSSched() determines the priority of the highest priority task ready by

scanning the bitmap OSPrioTbl[] as described in Chapter 6, The Ready List
on page 131.
L7-1(4)
Once it is known which priority is ready, index into the OSRdyList[] and extract the
OS_TCB at the head of the list (i.e., OSRdyList[highest priority].HeadPtr).
At this point, it is known which OS_TCB to switch to and which OS_TCB to save
to as this was the task that called OSSched(). Specifically, OSTCBCurPtr points
to the current tasks OS_TCB and OSTCBHighRdyPtr points to the new OS_TCB
to switch to.
150
Scheduling
L7-1(5)
If the user is not attempting to switch to the same task that is currently running,
OSSched() calls the code that will perform the context switch (see Chapter 8,
Context Switching on page 155). As the code indicates, however, the task
level scheduler calls a task-level function to perform the context switch.
Notice that the scheduler and the context switch runs with interrupts disabled. This is
necessary because this process needs to be atomic.
7-4-2 OSIntExit()
The pseudo code for the ISR level scheduler, OSIntExit() is shown in Listing 7-2. Note
that interrupts are assumed to be disabled when OSIntExit() is called.
void OSIntExit (void)

{
if (OSIntNestingCtr == 0) {
return;
}
OSIntNestingCtr--;
if (OSIntNestingCtr > 0) {
return;
}
return;
}
Get highest priority ready;
Get pointer to OS_TCB of next highest priority task;
if (OSTCBHighRdyPtr != OSTCBCurPtr) {
Perform ISR level context switch;
}
}
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
Listing 7-2 OSIntExit() pseudocode
L7-2(1)
OSIntExit() starts by making sure that the call to OSIntExit() will not cause
OSIntNestingCtr to wrap around. This would be extremely and unlikely
occurrence, but not worth taking a chance that it might.
L7-2(2)
OSIntExit() decrements the nesting counter as OSIntExit() is called at the

end of an ISR. If all ISRs have not nested, the code simply returns. There is no
need to run the scheduler since there are still interrupts to return to.
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Chapter 7
L7-2(3)
OSIntExit() checks to see that the scheduler is not locked. If it is,

OSIntExit() does not run the scheduler and simply returns to the interrupted
task that locked the scheduler.
L7-2(4)
Finally, this is the last nested ISR (we are returning to task-level code) and the
scheduler is not locked. Therefore, we need to find the highest priority task
that needs to run.
L7-2(5)
Again, we extract the highest priority OS_TCB from OSRdyList[].
L7-2(6)
If the highest-priority task is not the current task C/OS-III performs an ISR
level context switch. The ISR level context switch is different as it is assumed
that the interrupted tasks context was saved at the beginning of the ISR and it
is only left to restore the context of the new task to run. This is described in
Chapter 8, Context Switching on page 155.
7-4-3 OS_SchedRoundRobin()
When the time quanta for a task expires and there are multiple tasks at the same
priority, C/OS-III will select and run the next task that is ready to run at the current
priority. OS_SchedRoundRobin() is the code used to perform this operation.
OS_SchedRoundRobin() is either called by OSTimeTick() or OS_IntQTask().
OS_SchedRoundRobin() is found in OS_CORE.C.
OS_SchedRoundRobin() is called by OSTimeTick() when you selected the Direct Method
of posting (see Chapter 9, Interrupt Management on page 165). OS_SchedRoundRobin()
is called by OS_IntQTask() when selecting the Deferred Post Method of posting, described
in Chapter 8.
The pseudo code for the round-robin scheduler is shown in Listing 7-3.
152
Scheduling
void
OS_SchedRoundRobin (void)
{
if (OSSchedRoundRobinEn != TRUE) {
return;
}
if (Time quanta counter > 0) {
Decrement time quanta counter;
}
if (Time quanta counter > 0) {
return;
}
if (Number of OS_TCB at current priority level < 2) {
return;
}
return;
}
Move OS_TCB from head of list to tail of list;
Reload time quanta for current task;
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
Listing 7-3 OS_SchedRoundRobin() pseudocode
L7-3(1)
OS_SchedRoundRobin() starts by making sure that round robin scheduling is

enabled. Recall that to enable round robin scheduling, one must call
OSSchedRoundRobinCfg().
L7-3(2)
The time quanta counter, which resides inside the OS_TCB of the running task, is
decremented. If the value is still non-zero then OS_SchedRoundRobin() returns.
L7-3(3)
Once the time quanta counter reaches zero, check to see that there are other
ready-to-run tasks at the current priority. If there are none, return. Round robin
scheduling only applies when there are multiple tasks at the same priority and
the task doesnt completes its work within its time quanta.
L7-3(4)
OS_SchedRoundRobin() also returns if the scheduler is locked.
L7-3(5)
Next, OS_SchedRoundRobin() move the OS_TCB of the current task from the
head of the ready list to the end.
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Chapter 7
L7-3(6)
The time quanta for the task at the head of the list are loaded. Each task may specify
its own time quanta when the task is created or through OSTaskTimeQuantaSet().
If specifying 0, C/OS-III assumes the default time quanta, which corresponds
to the value in the variable OSSchedRoundRobinDfltTimeQuanta.
7-5 SUMMARY
C/OS-III is a preemptive scheduler so it will always execute the highest priority task that is
ready to run.
C/OS-III allows for multiple tasks at the same priority. If there are multiple ready-to-run
tasks, C/OS-III will round robin between these tasks.
Scheduling occurs at specific scheduling points, when the application calls C/OS-III
functions.
C/OS-III has two schedulers: OSSched(), which is called by task-level code, and
OSIntExit() called at the end of each ISR.
154
Chapter
8
Context Switching
When C/OS-III decides to run a different task (see Chapter 7, Scheduling on page 141), it
saves the current tasks context, which typically consists of the CPU registers, onto the
current tasks stack and restores the context of the new task and resumes execution of that
task. This process is called a Context Switch.
Context switching adds overhead. The more registers a CPU has, the higher the overhead.
The time required to perform a context switch is generally determined by how many
registers must be saved and restored by the CPU.
The context switch code is generally part of a processors port of C/OS-III. A port is the
code needed to adapt C/OS-III to the desired processor. This code is placed in special C
and assembly language files: OS_CPU.H, OS_CPU_C.C and OS_CPU_A.ASM. Chapter 18,
Porting C/OS-III on page 343, Porting C/OS-III provides more details on the steps
needed to port C/OS-III to different CPU architectures.
In this chapter, we will discuss the context switching process in generic terms using a fictitious
CPU as shown in Figure 8-1. Our fictitious CPU contains 16 integer registers (R0 to R15), a
separate ISR stack pointer, and a separate status register (SR). Every register is 32 bits wide and
each of the 16 integer registers can hold either data or an address. The program counter (or
instruction pointer) is R15 and there are two separate stack pointers labeled R14 and R14. R14
represents a task stack pointer (TSP), and R14 represents an ISR stack pointer (ISP). The CPU
automatically switches to the ISR stack when servicing an exception or interrupt. The task stack
is accessible from an ISR (i.e., we can push and pop elements onto the task stack when in an
ISR), and the interrupt stack is also accessible from a task.
155
Chapter 8
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In C/OS-III, the stack frame for a ready task is always setup to look as if an interrupt has
just occurred and all processor registers were saved onto it. Tasks enter the ready state upon
creation and thus their stack frames are pre-initialized by software in a similar manner.
Using our fictitious CPU, well assume that a stack frame for a task that is ready to be
restored is shown in Figure 8-2.
The task stack pointer points to the last register saved onto the tasks stack. The program
counter and status registers are the first registers saved onto the stack. In fact, these are
saved automatically by the CPU when an exception or interrupt occurs (assuming interrupts
are enabled) while the other registers are pushed onto the stack by software in the
exception handler. The stack pointer (R14) is not actually saved on the stack but instead is
saved in the tasks OS_TCB.
156
Context Switching
The interrupt stack pointer points to the current top-of-stack for the interrupt stack, which is
a different memory area. When an ISR executes, the processor uses R14 as the stack
pointer for function calls and local arguments.
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There are two types of context switches: one performed from a task and another from an
ISR. The task level context switch is implemented by the code in OSCtxSw(), which is
actually invoked by the macro OS_TASK_SW(). A macro is used as there are many ways to
invoke OSCtxSw() such as software interrupts, trap instructions, or simply calling the
function.
The ISR context switch is implemented by OSIntCtxSw(). The code for both functions is
typically written in assembly language and is found in a file called OS_CPU_A.ASM.
157
Chapter 8
8-1 OSCtxSw()
OSCtxSw() is called when the task level scheduler (OSSched()) determines that a new high
priority task needs to execute. Figure 8-3 shows the state of several C/OS-III variables and
data structures just prior to calling OSCtxSw().
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F8-3(1)
OSTCBCurPtr points to the OS_TCB of the task that is currently running and that
called OSSched().
F8-3(2)
OSSched() finds the new task to run by having OSTCBHighRdyPtr point to its
OS_TCB.
158
Context Switching
F8-3(3)
OSTCBHighRdyPtr->StkPtr points to the top of stack of the new task to run.
F8-3(4)
When C/OS-III creates or suspends a task, it always leaves the stack frame to
look as if an interrupt just occurred and all the registers saved onto it. This
represents the expected state of the task so it can be resumed.
F8-3(5)
The CPUs stack pointer points within the stack area (i.e., RAM) of the task that
called OSSched(). Depending on how OSCtxSw() is invoked, the stack pointer
may be pointing at the return address of OSCtxSw().
Figure 8-4 shows the steps involved in performing the context switch as implemented by
OSCtxSw().
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159
Chapter 8
F8-4(1)
OSCtxSw() begins by saving the status register and program counter of the
current task onto the current tasks stack. The saving order of register depends
on how the CPU expects the registers on the stack frame when an interrupt
occurs. In this case, it is assumed that the SR is stacked first. The remaining
registers are then saved onto the stack.
F8-4(2)
OSCtxSw() saves the contents of the CPUs stack pointer into the OS_TCB of the
task being suspended. In other words, OSTCBCurPtr->StkPtr = R14.
F8-4(3)
OSCtxSw() then loads the CPU stack pointer with the saved top-of-stack from
the new tasks OS_TCB. In other words, R14 = OSTCBHighRdyPtr->StkPtr.
F8-4(4)
Finally, OSCtxSw() retrieves the CPU register contents from the new stack. The
program counter and status registers are generally retrieved at the same time by
executing a return from interrupt instruction.
160
Context Switching
8-2 OSIntCtxSw()
OSIntCtxSw() is called when the ISR level scheduler (OSIntExit()) determines that a new
high priority task is ready to execute. Figure 8-5 shows the state of several C/OS-III
variables and data structures just prior to calling OSIntCtxSw().
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C/OS-III assumes that CPU registers are saved onto the tasks stack at the beginning of an
ISR (see Chapter 9, Interrupt Management on page 165). Because of this, notice that
OSTCBCurPtr->StkPtr contains a pointer to the top-of-stack pointer of the task being
suspended (the one on the left). OSIntCtxSw() does not have to worry about saving the
CPU registers of the suspended task since that is already finished.
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Chapter 8
Figure 8-6 shows the operations performed by OSIntCtxSw() to complete the second half
of the context switch. This is exactly the same process as the second half of OSCtxSw().
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F8-6(1)
OSIntCtxSw() loads the CPU stack pointer with the saved top-of-stack from
the new tasks OS_TCB. R14 = OSTCBHighRdyPtr->StkPtr.
F8-6(2)
OSIntCtxSw() then retrieves the CPU register contents from the new stack.
The program counter and status registers are generally retrieved at the same
time by executing a return from interrupt instruction.
162
Context Switching
8-3 SUMMARY
A context switch consists of saving the context (i.e., CPU registers) associated with one task
and restoring the context of a new, higher-priority task.
The new task to be switched to is determined by OSSched() when a context switch is
initiated by task level code, and OSIntExit() when initiated by an ISR.
OSCtxSw() performs the context switch for OSSched() and OSIntCtxSw() performs the
context switch for OSIntExit(). However, OSIntCtxSw() only needs to perform the
second half of the context switch because it is assumed that the ISR saved CPU registers
upon entry to the ISR.
163
Chapter 8
164
Chapter
9
Interrupt Management
An interrupt is a hardware mechanism used to inform the CPU that an asynchronous event
occurred. When an interrupt is recognized, the CPU saves part (or all) of its context (i.e.,
registers) and jumps to a special subroutine called an Interrupt Service Routine (ISR). The
ISR processes the event, and upon completion of the ISR the program either returns to
the interrupted task, or the highest priority task, if the ISR made a higher priority task ready
to run.
Interrupts allow a microprocessor to process events when they occur (i.e., asynchronously),
which prevents the microprocessor from continuously polling (looking at) an event to see if
it occurred. Task level response to events is typically better using interrupt mode as
opposed to polling mode, however at the possible cost of increased interrupt latency.
Microprocessors allow interrupts to be ignored or recognized through the use of two special
instructions: disable interrupts and enable interrupts, respectively.
In a real-time environment, interrupts should be disabled as little as possible. Disabling
interrupts affects interrupt latency possibly causing interrupts to be missed.
Processors generally allow interrupts to be nested, which means that while servicing an
interrupt, the processor recognizes and services other (more important) interrupts.
One of the most important specifications of a real-time kernel is the maximum amount of time
that interrupts are disabled. This is called interrupt disable time. All real-time systems disable
interrupts to manipulate critical sections of code and re-enable interrupts when critical sections
are completed. The longer interrupts are disabled, the higher the interrupt latency.
Interrupt response is defined as the time between the reception of the interrupt and the start
of the user code that handles the interrupt. Interrupt response time accounts for the entire
overhead involved in handling an interrupt. Typically, the processors context (CPU
registers) is saved on the stack before the user code is executed.
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Chapter 9
Interrupt recovery is dened as the time required for the processor to return to the
interrupted code or to a higher priority task if the ISR made such a task ready to run.
Task latency is defined as the time it takes from the time the interrupt occurs to the time task
level code resumes.
9-1 HANDLING CPU INTERRUPTS

9
There are many popular CPU architectures on the market today, and most processors typically
handle interrupts from a multitude of sources. For example, a UART receives a character, an
Ethernet controller receives a packet, a DMA controller completes a data transfer, an
Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) completes an analog conversion, a timer expires, etc.
In most cases, an interrupt controller captures all of the different interrupts presented to the
processor as shown in Figure 9-1 (note that the CPU Interrupt Enable/Disable is typically
part of the CPU, but is shown here separately for sake of the illustration).
Interrupting devices signal the interrupt controller, which then prioritizes the interrupts and
presents the highest-priority interrupt to the CPU.
Device
Interrupt
Device
Interrupt
Disable
Interrupt
Controller
Device
Interrupt
Device
Interrupt
Interrupt
CPU
Enable
CPU Interrupt
Enable/Disable
Figure 9-1 Interrupt controllers
Modern interrupt controllers have built-in intelligence that enable the user to prioritize
interrupts, remember which interrupts are still pending and, in many cases, have the interrupt
controller provide the address of the ISR (also called the vector address) directly to the CPU.
166
If global interrupts (i.e., the switch in Figure 9-1) are disabled, the CPU will ignore
requests from the interrupt controller, but they will be held pending by the interrupt
controller until the CPU re-enables interrupts.
CPUs deal with interrupts using one of two models:
1
All interrupts vector to a single interrupt handler.
Each interrupt vectors directly to an interrupt handler.
Before discussing these two methods, it is important to understand how C/OS-III handles
CPU interrupts.
9-2 TYPICAL C/OS-III INTERRUPT SERVICE ROUTINE (ISR)

C/OS-III requires that an interrupt service routine be written in assembly language.
However, if a C compiler supports in-line assembly language, the ISR code can be placed
directly into a C source file. The pseudo-code for a typical ISR when using C/OS-III is
shown in Listing 9-1.
MyISR:
(1)
Disable all interrupts;
(2)
Save the CPU registers;
(3)
OSIntNestingCtr++;
(4)
(5)
OSTCBCurPtr->StkPtr = Current tasks CPU stack pointer register value;
}
Clear interrupting device;
(6)
Re-enable interrupts (optional);
(7)
Call user ISR;
(8)
OSIntExit();
(9)
Restore the CPU registers;
(10)
Return from interrupt;
(11)
Listing 9-1 ISRs under C/OS-III (assembly language)
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Chapter 9
L9-1(1)
As mentioned above, an ISR is typically written in assembly language. MyISR

corresponds to the name of the handler that will handle the interrupting device.
L9-1(2)
It is important that all interrupts are disabled before going any further. Some
processors have interrupts disabled whenever an interrupt handler starts.
Others require the user to explicitly disable interrupts as shown here. This step
may be tricky if a processor supports different interrupt priority levels.
However, there is always a way to solve the problem.
L9-1(3)
The first thing the interrupt handler must do is save the context of the CPU
onto the interrupted tasks stack. On some processors, this occurs
automatically. However, on most processors it is important to know how to
save the CPU registers onto the tasks stack. Save the full context of the CPU,
which may also include Floating-Point Unit (FPU) registers if the CPU used is
equipped with an FPU.
Certain CPUs also automatically switch to a special stack just to process

interrupts (i.e., an interrupt stack). This is generally beneficial as it avoids using
up valuable task stack space. However, for C/OS-III, the context of the
interrupted task needs to be saved onto that tasks stack.
If the processor does not have a dedicated stack pointer to handle ISRs then it
is possible to implement one in software. Specifically, upon entering the ISR,
simply save the current task stack, switch to a dedicated ISR stack, and when
done with the ISR switch back to the task stack. Of course, this means that
there is additional code to write, however the benefits are enormous since it is
not necessary to allocate extra space on the task stacks to accommodate for
worst case interrupt stack usage including interrupt nesting.
L9-1(4)
Next, either call OSIntEnter(), or simply increment the variable

OSIntNestingCtr in assembly language. This is generally quite easy to do and
is more efficient than calling OSIntEnter(). As its name implies,
OSIntNestingCtr keeps track of the interrupt nesting level.
L9-1(5)
If this is the first nested interrupt, save the current value of the stack pointer of
the interrupted task into its OS_TCB. The global pointer OSTCBCurPtr
conveniently points to the interrupted tasks OS_TCB. The very first field in
168
OS_TCB is where the stack pointer needs to be saved. In other words,

OSTCBCurPtr->StkPtr happens to be at offset 0 in the OS_TCB (this greatly
simplifies assembly language).
L9-1(6)
At this point, clear the interrupting device so that it does not generate another
interrupt until it is ready to do so. The user does not want the device to
generate the same interrupt if re-enabling interrupts (refer to the next step).
However, most people defer the clearing of the source and prefer to perform
the action within the user ISR handler in C.
L9-1(7)
At this point, it is safe to re-enable interrupts if the developer wants to support

nested interrupts. This step is optional.
L9-1(8)
At this point, further processing can be deferred to a C function called from

assembly language. This is especially useful if there is a large amount of
processing to do in the ISR handler. However, as a general rule, keep the ISRs
as short as possible. In fact, it is best to simply signal or send a message to a
task and let the task handle the details of servicing the interrupting device.
The ISR must call one of the following functions: OSSemPost(),
OSTaskSemPost(), OSFlagPost(), OSQPost() or OSTaskQPost(). This is
necessary since the ISR will notify a task, which will service the interrupting
device. These are the only functions able to be called from an ISR and they are
used to signal or send a message to a task. However, if the ISR does not need
to call one of these functions, consider writing the ISR as a Short Interrupt
Service Routine, as described in the next section.
L9-1(9)
When completing the ISR, the user must call OSIntExit() to tell C/OS-III that
the ISR has completed. OSIntExit() simply decrements OSIntNestingCtr
and, if OSIntNestingCtr goes to 0, this indicates that the ISR will return to
task-level code (instead of a previously interrupted ISR). C/OS-III will need to
determine whether there is a higher priority task that needs to run because of
one of the nested ISRs. In other words, the ISR might have signaled or sent a
message to a higher- priority task waiting for this signal or message. In this
case, C/OS-III will context switch to this higher priority task instead of
returning to the interrupted task. In this latter case, OSIntExit() does not
actually return, but takes a different path.
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Chapter 9
L9-1(10)
If the ISR signaled or sent a message to a lower-priority task than the

interrupted task, OSIntExit() returns. This means that the interrupted task is
still the highest-priority task to run and it is important to restore the previously
saved registers.
L9-1(11)
The ISR performs a return from interrupts and so resumes the interrupted task.
NOTE: From this point on, (1) to (6) will be referred to as the ISR Prologue and (9) to (11)
as the ISR Epilogue.
9-3 SHORT INTERRUPT SERVICE ROUTINE (ISR)

The above sequence assumes that the ISR signals or sends a message to a task. However, in
many cases, the ISR may not need to notify a task and can simply perform all of its work
within the ISR (assuming it can be done quickly). In this case, the ISR will appear as shown
in Listing 9-2.
MyShortISR:
Save enough registers as needed by the ISR;
Clear interrupting device;
DO NOT re-enable interrupts;
Call user ISR;
Restore the saved CPU registers;
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
Listing 9-2 Short ISRs with C/OS-III
L9-2(1)
As mentioned above, an ISR is typically written in assembly language.

MyShortISR corresponds to the name of the handler that will handle the
interrupting device.
L9-2(2)
Here, save sufficient registers as required to handle the ISR.
L9-2(3)
The user may want to clear the interrupting device to prevent it from
generating the same interrupt once the ISR returns.
170
L9-2(4)
Do not re-enable interrupts at this point since another interrupt could make
C/OS-III calls, forcing a context switch to a higher-priority task. This means
that the above ISR would complete, but at a much later time.
L9-2(5)
Now take care of the interrupting device in assembly language or call a C

function, if necessary.
L9-2(6)
Once finished, simply restore the saved CPU registers.

9
L9-2(7)
Perform a return from interrupt to resume the interrupted task.
Short ISRs, as described above, should be the exception and not the rule since C/OS-III
has no way of knowing when these ISRs occur.
9-4 ALL INTERRUPTS VECTOR TO A COMMON LOCATION

Even though an interrupt controller is present in most designs, some CPUs still vector to a
common interrupt handler, and an ISR queries the interrupt controller to determine the
source of the interrupt. At first glance, this might seem silly since most interrupt controllers
are able to force the CPU to jump directly to the proper interrupt handler. It turns out,
however, that for C/OS-III, it is easier to have the interrupt controller vector to a single ISR
handler than to vector to a unique ISR handler for each source. Listing 9-3 describes the
sequence of events to be performed when the interrupt controller forces the CPU to vector
to a single location.
An interrupt occurs;
The CPU vectors to a common location;
The ISR code performs the ISR prologue
The C handler performs the following:
while (there are still interrupts to process) {
Get vector address from interrupt controller;
Call interrupt handler;
}
The ISR epilogue is executed;
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
Listing 9-3 Single interrupt vector for all interrupts
171
Chapter 9
L9-3(1)
An interrupt occurs from any device. The interrupt controller activates the
interrupt pin on the CPU. If there are other interrupts that occur after the first
one, the interrupt controller will latch them and properly prioritize the interrupts.
L9-3(2)
The CPU vectors to a single interrupt handler address. In other words, all
interrupts are to be handled by this one interrupt handler.
L9-3(3)
Execute the ISR prologue code needed by C/OS-III. as previously described.

This ensures that all ISRs will be able to make C/OS-III post calls.
L9-3(4)
Call a C/OS-III C handler, which will continue processing the ISR. This makes
the code easier to write (and read). Notice that interrupts are not re-enabled.
L9-3(5)
The C/OS-III C handler then interrogates the interrupt controller and asks it:
Who caused the interrupt? The interrupt controller will either respond with a
number (1 to N) or with the address of the interrupt handler for the
interrupting device. Of course, the C/OS-III C handler will know how to
handle the specific interrupt controller since the C handler is written
specifically for that controller.
If the interrupt controller provides a number between 1 and N, the C handler

simply uses this number as an index into a table (in ROM or RAM) containing
the address of the interrupt service routine servicing the interrupting device. A
RAM table is handy to change interrupt handlers at run-time. For many
embedded systems, however, the table may also reside in ROM.
If the interrupt controller responds with the address of the interrupt service
routine, the C handler only needs to call this function.
In both of the above cases, all interrupt handlers need to be declared as follows:
void MyISRHandler (void);
There is one such handler for each possible interrupt source (obviously, each
having a unique name).
The while loop terminates when there are no other interrupting devices to
service.
172
L9-3(6)
The C/OS-III ISR epilogue is executed to see if it is necessary to return to

the interrupted task, or switch to a more important one.
A couple of interesting points to notice:
If another device caused an interrupt before the C handler had a chance to query the
interrupt controller, most likely the interrupt controller will capture that interrupt. In
fact, if that second device happens to be a higher-priority interrupting device, it will
most likely be serviced first, as the interrupt controller will prioritize the interrupts.
The loop will not terminate until all pending interrupts are serviced. This is similar to
allowing nested interrupts, but better, since it is not necessary to redo the ISR prologue
and epilogue.
The disadvantage of this method is that a high priority interrupt that occurs after the
servicing of another interrupt that has already started must wait for that interrupt to
complete before it will be serviced. So, the latency of any interrupt, regardless of priority,
can be as long as it takes to process the longest interrrupt.
9-5 EVERY INTERRUPT VECTORS TO A UNIQUE LOCATION

If the interrupt controller vectors directly to the appropriate interrupt handler, each of the
ISRs must be written in assembly language as described in section 9-2 Typical C/OS-III
Interrupt Service Routine (ISR) on page 167. This, of course, slightly complicates the
design. However, copy and paste the majority of the code from one handler to the other
and just change what is specific to the actual device.
If the interrupt controller allows the user to query it for the source of the interrupt, it may be
possible to simulate the mode in which all interrupts vector to the same location by simply
setting all vectors to point to the same location. Most interrupt controllers that vector to a
unique location, however, do not allow users to query it for the source of the interrupt since,
by definition, having a unique vector for all interrupting devices should not be necessary.
173
Chapter 9
9-6 DIRECT AND DEFERRED POST METHODS

C/OS-III handles event posting from interrupts using two different methods: Direct and
Deferred Post. The method used in the application is selected by changing the value of
OS_CFG_ISR_POST_DEFERRED_EN in OS_CFG.H (this assumes you have access to C/OS-IIIs
source code). When set to 0, C/OS-III uses the Direct Post Method and when set to 1,
C/OS-III uses the Deferred Post Method.
9
As far as application code and ISRs are concerned, these two methods are completely
transparent. It is not necessary to change anything except the configuration value
OS_CFG_ISR_POST_DEFERRED_EN to switch between the two methods. Of course, changing
the configuration constant will require recompiling the product and C/OS-III.
Before explaining why to use one versus the other, let us review their differences.
9-6-1 DIRECT POST METHOD

The Direct Post Method is used by C/OS-II and is replicated in C/OS-III. Figure 9-2 shows
a task diagram of what takes place in a Direct Post.
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174
F9-2(1)
A device generates an interrupt.
F9-2(2)
The Interrupt Service Routine (ISR) responsible to handle the device executes
(assuming interrupts are enabled). The device interrupt is generally the event a
task is waiting for. The task waiting for this interrupt to occur either has a
higher priority than the interrupted task, or lower (or equal) in priority.
F9-2(3)
If the ISR made a lower (or equal) priority task ready to run then upon
completion of the ISR, C/OS-III returns to the interrupted task exactly at the
point the interrupt occurred.
F9-2(4)
If the ISR made a higher priority task ready to run, C/OS-III will context
switch to the new higher-priority task since the more important task was
waiting for this device interrupt.
F9-2(5)
In the Direct Post Method, C/OS-III must protect critical sections by disabling
interrupts as some of these critical sections can be accessed by ISRs.
The above discussion assumed that interrupts were enabled and that the ISR could respond
quickly to the interrupting device. However, if the application code makes C/OS-III service
calls (and it will at some point), it is possible that interrupts would be disabled. When
OS_CFG_ISR_POST_DEFERRED_EN is set to 0, C/OS-III disables interrupts while accessing
critical sections. Thus, interrupts will not be responded to until C/OS-III re-enables
interrupts. Of course, attempts were made to keep interrupt disable times as short as
possible, but there are complex features of C/OS-III that disable interrupts for a longer
period than the user would like.
The key factor in determining whether to use the Direct Post Method is generally the
C/OS-III interrupt disable time. This is fairly easy to determine since the C/CPU files
provided with the C/OS-III port for the processor used includes code to measure
maximum interrupt disable time. This code can be enabled (assumes you have the source
code) for testing purposes and removed when ready to deploy the product. The user would
typically not want to leave measurement code in production code to avoid introducing
measurement artifacts. Once instrumented, let the application run for sufficiently long and
read the variable CPU_IntDisMeasMaxRaw_cnts. The resolution (in time) of this variable
depends on the timer used during the measurement.
175
Chapter 9
Determine the interrupt latency, interrupt response, interrupt recovery, and task latency by
adding the execution times of the code involved for each, as shown below.
Interrupt Latency
Maximum interrupt disable time;
Interrupt Response =
Interrupt latency
+ Vectoring to the interrupt handler
+ ISR prologue;
Interrupt Recovery
Handling of the interrupting device

+ Posting a signal or a message to a task
+ OSIntExit()
+ OSIntCtxSw();
Task Latency
Interrupt response
+ Interrupt recovery
+ Time scheduler is locked;
The execution times of the C/OS-III ISR prologue, ISR epilogue, OSIntExit(), and
OSIntCtxSw(), can be measured independently and should be fairly constant.
It should also be easy to measure the execution time of a post call by using OS_TS_GET().
In the Direct Post Method, the scheduler is locked only when handling timers and therefore,
task latency should be fast if there are not too many timers with short callbacks expiring at
the same time. See Chapter 12, Timer Management on page 201. C/OS-III is also able to
measure the amount of time the scheduler is locked, providing task latency.
176
9-6-2 DEFERRED POST METHOD

In the Deferred Post Method (OS_CFG_ISR_POST_DEFERRED_EN is set to 1), instead of
disabling interrupts to access critical sections, C/OS-III locks the scheduler. This avoids
having other tasks access critical sections while allowing interrupts to be recognized and
serviced. In the Deferred Post Method, interrupts are almost never disabled. The Deferred
Post Method is, however, a bit more complex as shown in Figure 9-3.
9
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F9-3(1)
A device generates an interrupt.
F9-3(2)
The ISR responsible for handling the device executes (assuming interrupts are
enabled). The device interrupt is the event that a task was waiting for. The task
waiting for this interrupt to occur is either higher in priority than the
interrupted task, lower, or equal in priority.
F9-3(3)
The ISR calls one of the post services to signal or send a message to a task.
However, instead of performing the post operation, the ISR queues the actual
post call along with arguments in a special queue called the Interrupt Queue.
The ISR then makes the Interrupt Queue Handler Task ready to run. This task is
internal to C/OS-III and is always the highest priority task (i.e., Priority 0).
177
Chapter 9
F9-3(4)
At the end of the ISR, C/OS-III always context switches to the interrupt
queue handler task, which then extracts the post command from the queue.
We disable interrupts to prevent another interrupt from accessing the
interrupt queue while the queue is being emptied. The task then re-enables
interrupts, locks the scheduler, and performs the post call as if the post was
performed at the task level all along. This effectively manipulates critical
sections at the task level.
F9-3(5)
When the interrupt queue handler task empties the interrupt queue, it makes
itself not ready to run and then calls the scheduler to determine which task
must run next. If the original interrupted task is still the highest priority task,
C/OS-III will resume that task.
F9-3(6)
If, however, a more important task was made ready to run because of the post,
C/OS-III will context switch to that task.
All the extra processing is performed to avoid disabling interrupts during critical sections of
code. The extra processing time only consist of copying the post call and arguments into
the queue, extracting it back out of the queue, and performing an extra context switch.
Similar to the Direct Post Method, it is easy to determine interrupt latency, interrupt
response, interrupt recovery, and task latency, by adding execution times of the pieces of
code involved for each as shown below.
Interrupt Latency
178
Maximum interrupt disable time;
Interrupt Response =
Interrupt latency
+ Vectoring to the interrupt handler
+ ISR prologue;
Interrupt Recovery
Handling of the interrupting device

+ Posting a signal or a message to the Interrupt Queue
+ OSIntExit()
+ OSIntCtxSw() to Interrupt Queue Handler Task;
Task Latency
Interrupt response
+ Interrupt recovery
+ Re-issue the post to the object or task
+ Context switch to task
+ Time scheduler is locked;
The execution times of the C/OS-III ISR prologue, ISR epilogue, OSIntExit(), and
OSIntCtxSw(), can be measured independently and should be constant.
9
It should also be easy to measure the execution time of a post call by using OS_TS_GET().
In fact, the post calls should be short in the Deferred Post Method because it only involves
copying the post call and its arguments into the interrupt queue.
The difference is that in the Deferred Post Method, interrupts are disabled for a very short
amount of time and thus, the first three metrics should be fast. However, task latency is
higher as C/OS-III locks the scheduler to access critical sections.
179
Chapter 9
9-7 DIRECT VS. DEFERRED POST METHOD

In the Direct Post Method, C/OS-III disables interrupts to access critical sections. In
comparison, while in the Deferred Post Method, C/OS-III locks the scheduler to access the
same critical sections.
In the Deferred Post Method, C/OS-III must still disable interrupts to access the interrupt
queue. However, the interrupt disable time is very short and fairly constant.
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If interrupt disable time is critical in the application because there are very fast interrupt
sources and the interrupt disable time of C/OS-III is not acceptable using the Direct Post
Method, use the Deferred Post Method.
However, if you are planning on using the features listed in Table 9-1, consider using the
Deferred Post Method, described in the next section.
180
Feature
Reason
Multiple tasks at the same priority
Although this is an important feature of C/OS-III, multiple tasks at the

same priority create longer critical sections. However, if there are only a
few tasks at the same priority, interrupt latency will be relatively small.
If the user does not create multiple tasks at the same priority, the Direct
Post Method is recommended.
Event Flags
Chapter 14, Synchronization on
If multiple tasks are waiting on different events, going through all of the
tasks waiting for events requires a fair amount of processing time, which
page 259
means longer critical sections.

If only a few tasks (approximately one to five) are waiting on an event flag
group, the critical section will be short enough to use the Direct Post
Method.
Pending on multiple objects is probably the most complex feature
Chapter 16, Pending On Multiple

Objects on page 321
provided by C/OS-III and requires interrupts to be disabled for fairly long

periods of time when using the Direct Post Method.
If pending on multiple objects, the Deferred Post Method is highly
recommended.
If the application does not use this feature, the user may select the Direct
Post Method.
Broadcast on Post calls

See OSSemPost() and OSQPost()
C/OS-III disables interrupts while processing a post to multiple tasks in a

broadcast.
descriptions.
If not using the broadcast option, use the Direct Post Method.
Note that broadcasts only apply to semaphores and message queues.
Table 9-1 C/OS-III features to avoid when using the Direct Post Method
9-8 THE CLOCK TICK (OR SYSTEM TICK)

C/OS-III-based systems generally require the presence of a periodic time source called the
clock tick or system tick.
A hardware timer configured to generate an interrupt at a rate between 10 and 1000 Hz
provides the clock tick. A tick source may also be obtained by generating an interrupt from
an AC power line (typically 50 or 60 Hz). In fact, one can easily derive 100 or 120 Hz by
detecting zero crossings of the power line.
181
Chapter 9
The clock tick interrupt can be viewed as the systems heartbeat. The rate is application
specific and depends on the desired resolution of this time source. However, the faster the
tick rate, the higher the overhead imposed on the system.
The clock tick interrupt allows C/OS-III to delay tasks for an integral number of clock ticks
and provide timeouts when tasks are waiting for events to occur.
The clock tick interrupt must call OSTimeTick(). The pseudocode for OSTimeTick() is
void OSTimeTick (void)

{
OSTimeTickHook();
#if OS_CFG_ISR_POST_DEFERRED_EN > 0u
Get timestamp;
Post time tick to the Interrupt Queue;
#else
Signal the Tick Task;
Run the round-robin scheduling algorithm;
Signal the timer task;
#endif
}
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
Listing 9-4 OSTimeTick() pseudocode
L9-4(1)
The time tick ISR starts by calling a hook function, OSTimeTickHook(). The
hook function allows the implementer of the C/OS-III port to perform
additional processing when a tick interrupt occurs. In turn, the tick hook
can call a user-defined tick hook if its corresponding pointer,
OS_AppTimeTickHookPtr, is non-NULL. The reason the hook is called first is to
give the application immediate access to this periodic time source. This can be
useful to read sensors at a regular interval (not as subject to jitter), update Pulse
Width Modulation (PWM) registers, and more.
L9-4(2)
If C/OS-III is configured for the Deferred Post Method, C/OS-III reads the
current timestamp and defers the call to signal the tick task by placing an
appropriate entry in the interrupt queue. The tick task will thus be signaled by
the Interrupt Queue Handler Task.
182
L9-4(3)
If C/OS-III is configured for the Direct Post Method, C/OS-III signals the tick
task so that it can process the time delays and timeouts.
L9-4(4)
C/OS-III runs the round-robin scheduling algorithm to determine whether the

time slot for the current task has expired.
L9-4(5)
The tick task is also used as the time base for the timers (see Chapter 13,
Resource Management on page 217).
9
A common misconception is that a system tick is always needed with C/OS-III. In fact,
many low-power applications may not implement the system tick because of the power
required to maintain the tick list. In other words, it is not reasonable to continuously power
down and power up the product just to maintain the system tick. Since C/OS-III is a
preemptive kernel, an event other than a tick interrupt can wake up a system placed in low
power mode by either a keystroke from a keypad or other means. Not having a system tick
means that the user is not allowed to use time delays and timeouts on system calls. This is a
decision required to be made by the designer of the low-power product.
9-9 SUMMARY
C/OS-III provides services to manage interrupts. An ISR should be short in length, and signal
or send a message to a task, which is responsible for servicing the interrupting device.
ISRs that are short and do not need to signal or send a message to a task, are not required
to do so.
C/OS-III supports processors that vector to a single ISR for all interrupting devices, or to a
unique ISR for each device.
C/OS-III supports two methods: Direct and Deferred Post. The Direct Post Method
assumes that C/OS-III critical sections are protected by disabling interrupts. The Deferred
Post Method locks the scheduler when C/OS-III accesses critical sections of code.
C/OS-III assumes the presence of a periodic time source for applications requiring time
delays and timeouts on certain services.
183
Chapter 9
184
Chapter
10
Pend Lists (or Wait Lists)
A task is placed in a Pend List (also called a Wait List) when it is waiting on a semaphore to
be signaled, a mutual exclusion semaphore to be released, an event flag group to be
posted, or a message queue to be posted.
See
For
Kernel Object
Chapter 13, Resource Management on page 217
Semaphores
Mutual Exclusion
OS_SEM
OS_MUTEX
Semaphores
Chapter 14, Synchronization on page 259
Semaphores
Event Flags
OS_SEM
OS_FLAG_GRP
Chapter 15, Message Passing on page 297
Message Queues
OS_Q
Table 10-1 Kernel objects that have Pend Lists
A pend list is similar to the Ready List, except that instead of keeping track of tasks that are
ready-to-run, the pend list keeps track of tasks waiting for an object to be posted. In
addition, the pend list is sorted by priority; the highest priority task waiting on the object is
placed at the head of the list, and the lowest priority task waiting on the object is placed at
the end of the list.
A pend list is a data structure of type OS_PEND_LIST, which consists of three fields as shown
in Figure 10-1.
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185
Chapter 10
10
.NbrEntries
Contains the current number of entries in the pend list. Each entry
in the pend list points to a task that is waiting for the kernel object
to be posted.
.TailPtr
Is a pointer to the last task in the list (i.e., the lowest priority task).
.HeadPtr
Is a pointer to the first task in the list (i.e., the highest priority task).
Figure 10-2 indicates that each kernel object using a pend list contains the same three fields
at the beginning of the kernel object that we called an OS_PEND_OBJ. Notice that the first
field is always a Type which allows C/OS-III to know if the kernel object is a semaphore,
a mutual exclusion semaphore, an event flag group, or a message queue object.
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Table 10-2 shows that the Type field of each of the above objects is initialized to contain
four ASCII characters when the respective object is created. This allows the user to identify
these objects when performing a memory dump using a debugger.
Kernel Object
Type
Semaphore
S E M A
Mutual Exclusion Semaphore
M U T X
Event Flag Group
F L A G
Message Queue
Q U E U
Table 10-2 Kernel objects with initialized Type field
186
A pend list does not actually point to a tasks OS_TCB, but instead points to OS_PEND_DATA
objects as shown in Figure 10-3. Also, an OS_PEND_DATA structure is allocated dynamically
on the current tasks stack when a task is placed on a pend list. This implies that a task stack
needs to be able to allocate storage for this data structure.
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.PrevPtr
Is a pointer to an OS_PEND_DATA entry in the pend list. This

pointer points to a higher or equal priority task waiting on the
kernel object.
.NextPtr
Is a pointer to an OS_PEND_DATA entry in the pend list. This

pointer points to a lower or equal priority task waiting on the
kernel object.
.TCBPtr
Is a pointer to the OS_TCB of the task waiting on the pend list.
.PendObjPtr
Is a pointer to the kernel object that the task is pending on. In

other words, this pointer can point to an OS_SEM, OS_MUTEX,
OS_FLAG_GRP or OS_Q by using an OS_PEND_OBJ as the common
data structure.
.RdyObjPtr
Is a pointer to the kernel object that is ready if the task actually

waits for multiple kernel objects. See Chapter 16, Pending On
Multiple Objects on page 321 for more on this.
187
Chapter 10
10
.RdyMsgPtr
Is a pointer to the message posted through OSQPost() if the task

is pending on multiple kernel objects. Again, see Chapter 16,
Pending On Multiple Objects on page 321.
.RdyTS
Is a timestamp of when the kernel object was posted. This is used

when a task pends on multiple kernel objects as described in
Chapter 16, Pending On Multiple Objects on page 321.
Figure 10-4 exhibits how all data structures connect to each other when tasks are inserted in
a pend list. This drawing assumes that there are two tasks waiting on a semaphore.
(1)
OS_SEM
(4)
Type
NamePtr
OS_PEND_OBJ
TailPtr
#=2
HeadPtr
Ctr
OS_PEND_LIST
TS
(2)
(7)
(5)
(3)
PrevPtr
(7)
NextPtr
NextPtr
TCBPtr
TCBPtr
PendObjPtr
PendObjPtr
RdyObjPtr
RdyObjPtr
RdyMsgPtr
RdyMsgPtr
RdyMsgSize
RdyMsgSize
RdyTS
(5)
OS_PEND_DATA
(6)
OS_TCB
Higher Priority Task
(7)
PrevPtr
RdyTS
OS_PEND_DATA
(6)
OS_TCB
Lower Priority Task
Figure 10-4 Pend Data
188
F10-4(1)
The OS_SEM data type contains an OS_PEND_OBJ, which in turn contains an

OS_PEND_LIST. The .NbrEntries field in the pend list indicates that there are
two tasks waiting on the semaphore.
F10-4(2)
The .HeadPtr field of the pend list points to the OS_PEND_DATA structure
associated with the highest priority task waiting on the semaphore.
F10-4(3)
The .TailPtr field of the pend list points to the OS_PEND_DATA structure
associated with the lowest priority task waiting on the semaphore.
F10-4(4)
Both OS_PEND_DATA structures in turn point back to the OS_SEM data structure.
The pointers think they are pointing to an OS_PEND_OBJ. We know that the
OS_PEND_OBJ is a semaphore by examining the .Type field of the
OS_PEND_OBJ.
F10-4(5)
Each OS_PEND_DATA structure points to its respective OS_TCB. In other words,

we know which task is pending on the semaphore.
F10-4(6)
Each task points back to the OS_PEND_DATA structure.
F10-4(7)
Finally, the OS_PEND_DATA structure forms a doubly linked list so that the
C/OS-III can easily add or remove entries in this list.
Although this may seem complex, the reasoning will become apparent in Chapter 16,
Pending On Multiple Objects on page 321. For now, assume all of the links are necessary.
Table 10-3 shows the functions that C/OS-III uses to manipulate entries in a pend list.
These functions are internal to C/OS-III and the application code must never call them.
The code is found in OS_CORE.C.
189
10
Chapter 10
10
Function
Description
OS_PendListChangePrio()
Change the priority of a task in a pend list
OS_PendListInit()
Initialize a pend list
OS_PendListInsertHead()
Insert an OS_PEND_DATA at the head of the pend list
OS_PendListInsertPrio()
Insert an OS_PEND_DATA in priority order in the pend list
OS_PendListRemove()
Remove multiple OS_PEND_DATA from the pend list
OS_PendListRemove1()
Remove single OS_PEND_DATA from the pend list
Table 10-3 Pend List access functions
10-1 SUMMARY
C/OS-III keeps track of tasks waiting for semaphores, mutual exclusion semaphores, event
flag groups and message queues using pend lists.
A pend list consists of a data structure of type OS_PEND_LIST. The pend list is further
encapsulated into another data type called an OS_PEND_OBJ.
Tasks are not directly linked to the pend list but instead are linked through an intermediate
data structure called an OS_PEND_DATA which is allocated on the stack of the task waiting
on the kernel object.
Application code must not access pend lists, since these are internal to C/OS-III.
190
Chapter
11
Time Management
C/OS-III provides time-related services to the application programmer.
In Chapter 9, Interrupt Management on page 165, it was established that C/OS-III
generally requires (as do most kernels) that the user provide a periodic interrupt to keep
track of time delays and timeouts. This periodic time source is called a clock tick and should
occur between 10 and 1000 times per second, or Hertz (see OS_CFG_TICK_RATE_HZ in
OS_CFG_APP.H). The actual frequency of the clock tick depends on the desired tick resolution
of the application. However, the higher the frequency of the ticker, the higher the overhead.
C/OS-III provides a number of services to manage time as summarized in Table 11-1, and
the code is found in OS_TIME.C.
Function Name
Operation
OSTimeDly()
Delay execution of a task for n ticks
OSTimeDlyHMSM()
Delay a task for a user specified time in HH:MM:SS.mmm
OSTimeDlyResume()
Resume a delayed task
OSTimeGet()
Obtain the current value of the tick counter
OSTimeSet()
Set the tick counter to a new value
OSTimeTick()
Signal the occurrence of a clock tick
Table 11-1 Time Services API summary
The application programmer should refer to Appendix A, C/OS-III API Reference Manual
on page 383 for a detailed description of these services.
191
Chapter 11
11-1 OSTimeDly()
A task calls this function to suspend execution until some time expires. The calling function
will not execute until the specified time expires. This function allows three modes: relative,
periodic and absolute.
Listing 11-1 shows how to use OSTimeDly() in relative mode.
11

{
OS_ERR err;
:
:
while (DEF_ON) {
:
:
OSTimeDly(2,
OS_OPT_TIME_DLY,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
}
}
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
Listing 11-1 OSTimeDly() - Relative
L11-1(1)
The first argument specifies the amount of time delay (in number of ticks) from
when the function is called. For example if the tick rate
(OS_CFG_TICK_RATE_HZ in OS_CFG_APP.H) is set to 1000 Hz, the user is asking
to suspend the current task for approximately 2 milliseconds. However, the
value is not accurate since the count starts from the next tick which could
occur almost immediately. This will be explained shortly.
L11-1(2)
Specifying OS_OPT_TIME_DLY indicates that the user wants to use relative

mode.
L11-1(3)
As with most C/OS-III services an error return value will be returned. The
example should return OS_ERR_NONE as the arguments are all valid. Refer to
Chapter 11, Time Management on page 191 for a list of possible error codes.
192
Time Management
L11-1(4)
Always check the error code returned by C/OS-III. If err does not contain
OS_ERR_NONE, OSTimeDly() did not perform the intended work. For example,
another task could remove the time delay suspension by calling
OSTimeDlyResume() and when MyTask() returns, it would not have returned
because the time had expired.
As mentioned above, the delay is not accurate. Refer to Figure 11-1 and its
description below to understand why.
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11
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Figure 11-1 OSTimeDly() - Relative
F11-1(1)
We get a tick interrupt and C/OS-III services the ISR.
F11-1(2)
At the end of the ISR, all Higher Priority Tasks (HPTs) execute. The execution
time of HPTs is unknown and can vary.
F11-1(3)
Once all HPTs have executed, C/OS-III runs the task that has called
OSTimeDly() as shown above. For the sake of discussion, it is assumed that
this task is a lower priority task (LPT).
193
Chapter 11
F11-1(4)
The task calls OSTimeDly() and specifies to delay for two ticks in relative
mode. At this point, C/OS-III places the current task in the tick list where it
will wait for two ticks to expire. The delayed task consumes zero CPU time
while waiting for the time to expire.
F11-1(5)
The next tick occurs. If there are HPTs waiting for this particular tick, C/OS-III
will schedule them to run at the end of the ISR.
F11-1(6)
The HPTs execute.
F11-1(7)
The next tick interrupt occurs. This is the tick that the LPT was waiting for and
will now be made ready to run by C/OS-III.
F11-1(8)
Since there are no HPTs to execute on this tick, C/OS-III switches to the LPT.
F11-1(9)
Given the execution time of the HPTs, the time delay is not exactly two ticks, as
requested. In fact, it is virtually impossible to obtain a delay of exactly the
desired number of ticks. One might ask for a delay of two ticks, but the very
next tick could occur almost immediately after calling OSTimeDly()! Just
imagine what might happen if all HPTs took longer to execute and pushed (3)
and (4) further to the right. In this case, the delay would actually appear as one
tick instead of two.
11
OSTimeDly() can also be called with the OS_OPT_TIME_PERIODIC option as shown in

Listing 11-2. This option allows delaying the task until the tick counter reaches a certain periodic
match value and thus ensures that the spacing in time is always the same as it is not subject to CPU
load variations.
C/OS-III determines the match value of OSTickCtr to determine when the task will need
to wake up based on the desired period. This is shown in Figure 11-2. C/OS-III checks to
ensure that if the match is computed such that it represents a value that has already gone by
then, the delay will be zero.
194
Time Management
Tick
Task
Time
4 ticks
Figure 11-2 OSTimeDly() - Periodic
11
void
{
OS_ERR
err;
:
:
while (DEF_ON) {
OSTimeDly(4,
OS_OPT_TIME_PERIODIC,
(1)
(2)
&err);
/* Check err */
(3)
:
:
}
}
Listing 11-2 OSTimeDly() - Periodic
L11-2(1)
The first argument specifies the period for the task to execute, specifically every
four ticks. Of course, if the task is a low-priority task, C/OS-III only schedules
and runs the task based on its priority relative to what else needs to be
executed.
L11-2(2)
Specifying OS_OPT_TIME_PERIODIC indicates that the task is to be ready to run

when the tick counter reaches the desired period from the previous call.
L11-2(3)
You should always check the error code returned by C/OS-III.
195
Chapter 11
Relative and Periodic modes might not look different, but they are. In Relative mode, it is
possible to miss one of the ticks when the system is heavily loaded, missing a tick or more
on occasion. In Periodic mode, the task may still execute later, but it will always be
synchronized to the desired number of ticks. In fact, Periodic mode is the preferred mode to
use to implement a time-of-day clock.
Finally, you can use the absolute mode to perform a specific action at a fixed time after
power up. For example, turn off a light 10 seconds after the product powers up. In this
case, you would specify OS_OPT_TIME_MATCH while dly actually corresponds to the
desired value of OSTickCtr you want to reach.
11
To summarize, the task will wake up when OSTickCtr reaches the following value:
Value of opt
Task wakes up when
OS_OPT_TIME_DLY
OSTickCtr + dly
OS_OPT_TIME_PERIODIC
OSTCBCurPtr->TickCtrPrev + dly
OS_OPT_TIME_MATCH
dly
196
Time Management
11-2 OSTimeDlyHMSM()
A task may call this function to suspend execution until some time expires by specifying the
length of time in a more user-friendly way. Specifically, specify the delay in hours, minutes,
seconds, and milliseconds (thus the HMSM). This function only works in Relative mode.
Listing 11-3 indicates how to use OSTimeDlyHMSM().

{
OS_ERR err;
:
:
while (DEF_ON) {
:
:
OSTimeDlyHMSM(0,
0,
1,
0,
OS_OPT_TIME_HMSM_STRICT,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
}
}
11
(1)
(2)
(3)
Listing 11-3 OSTimeDlyHMSM()
L11-3(1)
The first four arguments specify the amount of time delay (in hours, minutes,
seconds, and milliseconds) from this point in time. In the above example, the
task should delay by 1 second. The resolution greatly depends on the tick rate.
For example, if the tick rate (OS_CFG_TICK_RATE_HZ in OS_CFG_APP.H) is set to
1000 Hz there is technically a resolution of 1 millisecond. If the tick rate is 100
Hz then the delay of the current task is in increments of 10 milliseconds. Again,
given the relative nature of this call, the actual delay may not be accurate.
L11-3(2)
Specifying OS_OPT_TIME_HMSM_STRICT verifies that the user strictly passes

valid values for hours, minutes, seconds and milliseconds. Valid hours are 0 to
99, valid minutes are 0 to 59, valid seconds are 0 to 59, and valid milliseconds
are 0 to 999.
197
Chapter 11
If specifying OS_OPT_TIME_HMSM_NON_STRICT, the function will accept nearly

any value for hours (between 0 to 999), minutes (from 0 to 9999), seconds (any
value, up to 65,535), and milliseconds (any value, up to 4,294,967,295).
OSTimeDlyHMSM(203, 101, 69, 10000) may be accepted. Whether or not
this makes sense is a different story.
The reason hours is limited to 999 is that time delays typically use 32-bit values
to keep track of ticks. If the tick rate is set at 1000 Hz then, it is possible to only
track 4,294,967 seconds, which corresponds to 1,193 hours, and therefore 999
is a reasonable limit.
11
L11-3(3)
As with most C/OS-III services the user will receive an error return value. The
example should return OS_ERR_NONE since the arguments are all valid. Refer to
Appendix A, C/OS-III API Reference Manual on page 383 for a list of
possible error codes.
Even though C/OS-III allows for very long delays for tasks, it is actually not recommended
to delay tasks for a long time. There is no indication that the task is actually alive unless it
is possible to monitor the amount of time remaining for the delay. It is better to have the
task wake up approximately every minute or so, and have it tell you that it is still ok.
OSTimeDly() and OSTimeDlyHMSM() are often used to create periodic tasks (tasks that
execute periodically). For example, it is possible to have a task that scans a keyboard every
50 milliseconds and another task that reads analog inputs every 10 milliseconds, etc.
198
Time Management
11-3 OSTimeDlyResume()
A task can resume another task that called OSTimeDly() or OSTimeDlyHMSM() by calling
OSTimeDlyResume(). Listing 11-4 shows how to use OSTimeDlyResume(). The task that
delayed itself will not know that it was resumed, but will think that the delay expired.
Because of this, use this function with great care.
OS_TCB
void
MyTaskTCB;
{
OS_ERR
11
err;
:
:
while (1) {
:
:
OSTimeDly(10,
OS_OPT_TIME_DLY,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
}
}
void
MyOtherTask (void *p_arg)
{
OS_ERR
err;
:
:
while (1) {
:
:
OSTimeDlyResume(&MyTaskTCB,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
}
}
Listing 11-4 OSTimeDlyResume()
199
Chapter 11
11-4 OSTimeSet() AND OSTimeGet()

C/OS-III increments a tick counter every time a tick interrupt occurs. This counter allows
the application to make coarse time measurements and have some notion of time (after
power up).
OSTimeGet() allows the user to take a snapshot of the tick counter. As shown in a previous
section, use this value to delay a task for a specific number of ticks and repeat this
periodically without losing track of time.
11
OSTimeSet() allows the user to change the current value of the tick counter. Although
C/OS-III allows for this, it is recommended to use this function with great care.
11-5 OSTimeTick()
The tick Interrupt Service Routine (ISR) must call this function every time a tick interrupt
occurs. C/OS-III uses this function to update time delays and timeouts on other system
calls. OSTimeTick() is considered an internal function to C/OS-III.
11-6 SUMMARY
C/OS-III provides services to applications so that tasks can suspend their execution for
user-defined time delays. Delays are either specified by a number of clock ticks or hours,
minutes, seconds, and milliseconds.
Application code can resume a delayed task by calling OSTimeDlyResume(). However, its
use is not recommended because resumed task will not know that they were resumed as
opposed to the time delay expired.
C/OS-III keeps track of the number of ticks occurring since power up or since the number
of ticks counter was last changed by OSTimeSet(). The counter may be read by the
application code using OSTimeGet().
200
Chapter
12
Timer Management
C/OS-III provides timer services to the application programmer and code to handle timers
is found in OS_TMR.C. Timer services are enabled when setting OS_CFG_TMR_EN to 1 in
OS_CFG.H.
Timers are down counters that perform an action when the counter reaches zero. The user
provides the action through a callback function (or simply callback). A callback is a
user-declared function that will be called when the timer expires. The callback can be used
to turn a light on or off, start a motor, or perform other actions. However, it is important to
never make blocking calls within a callback function (i.e., call OSTimeDly(),
OSTimeDlyHMSM(), OS???Pend(), or anything that causes the timer task to block or be
deleted).
Timers are useful in protocol stacks (retransmission timers, for example), and can also be
used to poll I/O devices at predefined intervals.
An application can have any number of timers (limited only by the amount of RAM
available). Timer services in C/OS-III start with the OSTmr???() prefix, and the services
available to the application programmer are described in Appendix A, C/OS-III API
Reference Manual on page 383.
The resolution of all the timers managed by C/OS-III is determined by the configuration
constant: OS_CFG_TMR_TASK_RATE_HZ, which is expressed in Hertz (Hz). So, if the timer
task (described later) rate is set to 10, all timers have a resolution of 1/10th of a second
(ticks in the diagrams to follow). In fact, this is the typical recommended value for the timer
task. Timers are to be used with coarse granularity.
201
Chapter 12
C/OS-III provides a number of services to manage timers as summarized in Table 12-1.

Function Name
Operation
OSTmrCreate()
Create and specify the operating mode of the timer.
OSTmrDel()
Delete a timer.
OSTmrRemainGet()
Obtain the remaining time left before the timer expires.
OSTmrStart()
Start (or restart) a timer.
OSTmrStateGet()
Obtain the current state of a timer.
OSTmrStop()
Stop the countdown process of a timer.
12
Table 12-1 Timer API summary
A timer needs to be created before it can be used. Create a timer by calling OSTmrCreate()
and specify a number of arguments to this function based on how the timer is to operate.
Once the timer operation is specified, its operating mode cannot be changed unless the
timer is deleted and recreated. The function prototype for OSTmrCreate() is shown below
as a quick reference:
void
OSTmrCreate (OS_TMR
CPU_CHAR
OS_TICK
OS_TICK
OS_OPT
OS_TMR_CALLBACK_PTR
void
OS_ERR
*p_tmr,
*p_name,
dly,
period,
opt,
p_callback,
*p_callback_arg,
*p_err)
/*
/*
/*
/*
/*
/*
/*
Pointer to timer
Name of timer, ASCII
Initial delay
Repeat period
Options
Fnct to call at 0
Arg. to callback
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
Once created, a timer can be started (or restarted) and stopped as often as is necessary.
Timers can be created to operate in one of three modes: One-shot, Periodic (no initial
delay), and Periodic (with initial delay).
202
Timer Management
12-1 ONE-SHOT TIMERS

As its name implies, a one-shot timer will countdown from its initial value, call the callback
function when it reaches zero, and stop. Figure 12-1 shows a timing diagram of this
operation. The countdown is initiated by calling OSTmrStart(). At the completion of the
time delay, the callback function is called, assuming a callback function was provided when
the timer was created. Once completed, the timer does not do anything unless restarted by
calling OSTmrStart(), at which point the process starts over.
Terminate the countdown process of a timer (before it reaches zero) by calling
OSTmrStop(). In this case, specify that the callback function be called or not.
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Figure 12-1 One Shot Timers (dly > 0, period == 0)
As shown in Figure 12-2, a one-shot timer is retriggered by calling OSTmrStart() before the
timer reaches zero. This feature can be used to implement watchdogs and similar safeguards.
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Figure 12-2 Retriggering a One Shot Timer
203
Chapter 12
12-2 PERIODIC (NO INITIAL DELAY)

As indicated in Figure 12-3, timers can be configured for periodic mode. When the
countdown expires, the callback function is called, the timer is automatically reloaded, and
the process is repeated. If specifying a delay of zero (i.e., dly == 0) when the timer is
created, when started, the timer immediately uses the period as the reload value. Calling
OSTmrStart() at any point in the countdown restarts the process.
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12
&DOOEDFN
&DOOHG
&DOOEDFN
&DOOHG
&DOOEDFN
&DOOHG
Figure 12-3 Periodic Timers (dly == 0, period > 0)
12-3 PERIODIC (WITH INITIAL DELAY)

As shown in Figure 12-4, timers can be configured for periodic mode with an initial delay
that is different than its period. The first countdown count comes from the dly argument
passed in the OSTmrCreate() call, and the reload value is the period. Calling
OSTmrStart() restarts the process including the initial delay.
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Figure 12-4 Periodic Timers (dly > 0, period > 0)
204
Timer Management
12-4 TIMER MANAGEMENT INTERNALS

12-4-1 TIMER MANAGEMENT INTERNALS - TIMERS STATES
Figure 12-5 shows the state diagram of a timer.
Tasks can call OSTmrStateGet() to find out the state of a timer. Also, at any time during the
countdown process, the application code can call OSTmrRemainGet() to find out how
much time remains before the timer reaches zero (0). The value returned is expressed in
timer ticks. If timers are decremented at a rate of 10 Hz then a count of 50 corresponds to
5 seconds. If the timer is in the stop state, the time remaining will correspond to either the
initial delay (one shot or periodic with initial delay), or the period if the timer is configured
for periodic without initial delay.
12
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Figure 12-5 Timer State Diagram
205
Chapter 12
F12-5(1)
The Unused state is a timer that has not been created or has been deleted.
In other words, C/OS-III does not know about this timer.
F12-5(2)
When creating a timer or calling OSTmrStop(), the timer is placed in the

stopped state.
F12-5(3)
A timer is placed in running state when calling OSTmrStart(). The timer stays
in that state unless its stopped, deleted, or completes its one shot.
F12-5(4)
The Completed state is the state a one-shot timer is in when its delay expires.
12-4-2 TIMER MANAGEMENT INTERNALS - OS_TMR

12
A timer is a kernel object as defined by the OS_TMR data type (see OS.H) as shown in
Listing 12-1.
The services provided by C/OS-III to manage timers are implemented in the file OS_TMR.C.
A C/OS-III licensee has access to the source code. In this case, timer services are enabled
at compile time by setting the configuration constant OS_CFG_TMR_EN to 1 in OS_CFG.H.
typedef
struct
os_tmr
struct os_tmr {
OS_OBJ_TYPE
CPU_CHAR
OS_TMR_CALLBACK_PTR
void
OS_TMR
OS_TMR
OS_TICK
OS_TICK
OS_TICK
OS_TICK
OS_OPT
OS_STATE
};
OS_TMR;
Type;
*NamePtr;
CallbackPtr;
*CallbackPtrArg;
*NextPtr;
*PrevPtr;
Match;
Remain;
Dly;
Period;
Opt;
State;
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
(9)
(10)
(11)
(12)
Listing 12-1 OS_TMR data type
206
Timer Management
L12-1(1)
In C/OS-III, all structures are given a data type. In fact, all data types start with
OS_ and are all uppercase. When a timer is declared, simply use OS_TMR as
the data type of the variable used to declare the timer.
L12-1(2)
The structure starts with a Type field, which allows it to be recognized by

C/OS-III as a timer. Other kernel objects will also have a Type as the first
member of the structure. If a function is passed a kernel object, C/OS-III is
able to confirm that it is passed the proper data type. For example, if passing a
message queue (OS_Q) to a timer service (for example OSTmrStart()) then
C/OS-III will be able to recognize that an invalid object was passed, and
return an error code accordingly.
L12-1(3)
Each kernel object can be given a name for easier recognition by debuggers or
C/Probe. This member is simply a pointer to an ASCII string which is assumed
to be NUL terminated.
L12-1(4)
The .CallbackPtr member is a pointer to a function that is called when the

timer expires. If a timer is created and passed a NULL pointer, a callback would
not be called when the timer expires.
L12-1(5)
If there is a non-NULL .CallbackPtr then the application code could have also
specified that the callback be called with an argument when the timer expires.
This is the argument that would be passed in this call.
L12-1(6)
.NextPtr and .PrevPtr are pointers used to link a timer in a doubly linked
list. These are described later.
L12-1(7)
A timer expires when the timer manager variable OSTmrTickCtr reaches the
value stored in a timers .Match field. This is also described later.
L12-1(8)
The .Remain contains the amount of time remaining for the timer to expire.
This value is updated once per OS_CFG_TMR_WHEEL_SIZE (see OS_CFG_APP.H)
that the timer task executes (described later). The value is expressed in
multiples of 1/OS_CFG_TMR_TASK_RATE_HZ of a second (see OS_CFG_APP.H).
207
12
Chapter 12
12
L12-1(9)
The .Dly field contains the one-shot time when the timer is configured
(i.e., created) as a one-shot timer and the initial delay when the timer is
created as a periodic timer. The value is expressed in multiples of
1/OS_CFG_TMR_TASK_RATE_HZ of a second (see OS_CFG_APP.H).
L12-1(10)
The .Period is the timer period when the timer is created to operate in
periodic
mode.
The
value
is
expressed
in
multiples
of
1/OS_CFG_TMR_TASK_RATE_HZ of a second (see OS_CFG_APP.H).
L12-1(11)
The .Opt field contains options as passed to OSTmrCreate().
L12-1(12)
The .State field represents the current state of the timer (see Figure 12-5).
Even if the internals of the OS_TMR data type are understood, the application code should
never access any of the fields in this data structure directly. Instead, always use the
Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) provided with C/OS-III.
12-4-3 TIMER MANAGEMENT INTERNALS - TIMER TASK

OS_TmrTask() is a task created by C/OS-III (assumes setting OS_CFG_TMR_EN to 1 in
OS_CFG.H) and its priority is configurable by the user through C/OS-IIIs configuration
file OS_CFG_APP.H (see OS_CFG_TMR_TASK_PRIO). OS_TmrTask() is typically set to a
medium priority.
OS_TmrTask() is a periodic task and uses the same interrupt source used to generate clock
ticks. However, timers are generally updated at a slower rate (i.e., typically 10 Hz or so) and
thus, the timer tick rate is divided down in software. If the tick rate is 1000 Hz and the
desired timer rate is 10 Hz then the timer task will be signaled every 100th tick interrupt as
shown in Figure 12-6.
208
Timer Management
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6LJQDOHG
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1
/LVWRIWLPHUVWRXSGDWH
12
Figure 12-6 Tick ISR and Timer Task relationship
Figure 12-7 shows timing diagram associated with the timer management task.
Priority
Tick ISR
Higher
All
Higher
Priority
Tasks
(1)
(2)
HPT
(3)
Lower
TimerTask
(4)
(5) (6) (7)
Time
Figure 12-7 Timing Diagram
F12-7(1)
The tick ISR occurs and assumes interrupts are enabled and executes.
F12-7(2)
The tick ISR signals the tick task that it is time for it to update timers.
209
Chapter 12
12
F12-7(3)
The tick ISR terminates, however there are higher priority tasks that need to
execute (assuming the timer task has a lower priority). Therefore, C/OS-III
runs the higher priority task(s).
F12-7(4)
When all higher priority tasks have executed, C/OS-III switches to the timer
task and determines that there are three timers that expired.
F12-7(5)
The callback for the first timer is executed.
F12-7(6)
The callback for the second expired timer is executed.
F12-7(7)
The callback for the third expired timer is executed.
There are a few interesting things to notice:
Execution of the callback functions is performed within the context of the timer task.
This means that the application code will need to make sure there is sufficient stack
space for the timer task to handle these callbacks.
The callback functions are executed one after the other based on the order they are
found in the timer list.
The execution time of the timer task greatly depends on how many timers expire and
how long each of the callback functions takes to execute. Since the callbacks are
provided by the application code they have a large influence on the execution time of
the timer task.
The timer callback functions must never wait on events that would delay the timer task
for excessive amounts of time, if not forever.
Callbacks are called with the scheduler locked, so you should ensure that callbacks
execute as quickly as possible.
210
Timer Management
12-4-4 TIMER MANAGEMENT INTERNALS - TIMER LIST

C/OS-III might need to literally maintain hundreds of timers (if an application requires
that many). The timer list management needs to be implemented such that it does not
take too much CPU time to update the timers. The timer list works similarly to a tick list as
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12

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Figure 12-8 Empty Timer List
F12-8(1)
The timer list consists of a table (OSCfg_TmrWheel[]) and a counter

(OSTmrTickCtr).
F12-8(2)
The table contains up to OS_CFG_TMR_WHEEL_SIZE entries, which is a compile

time configuration value (see OS_CFG_APP.H). The number of entries depends
on the amount of RAM available to the processor and the maximum number of
timers in the application. A good starting point for OS_CFG_TMR_WHEEL_SIZE
might be: #Timers/4. It is not recommended to make OS_CFG_TMR_WHEEL_SIZE
an even multiple of the timer task rate. In other words, if the timer task is 10 Hz,
avoid setting OS_CFG_TMR_WHEEL_SIZE to 10 or 100 (use 11 or 101 instead).
Also, use prime numbers for the timer wheel size. Although it is not really
possible to plan at compile time what will happen at run time, ideally the
number of timers waiting in each entry of the table is distributed uniformly.
211
Chapter 12
Each entry in the table contains three fields: .NbrEntriesMax, .NbrEntries

and .FirstPtr. .NbrEntries indicates how many timers are linked to this
table entry. .NbrEntriesMax keeps track of the highest number of entries in
the table. Finally, .FirstPtr contains a pointer to a doubly linked list of timers
(through the tasks OS_TMR) belonging into the list at that table position.
F12-8(3)
The counter is incremented by OS_TmrTask() every time the tick ISR signals the task.
Timers are inserted in the timer list by calling OSTmrStart(). However, a timer must be
created before it can be used.
12
An example to illustrate the process of inserting a timer in the timer list is as follows. Lets
assume that the timer list is completely empty, OS_CFG_TMR_WHEEL_SIZE is configured to 9,
and the current value of OSTmrTickCtr is 12 as shown in Figure 12-9. A timer is placed in
the timer list when calling OSTmrStart(), and assumes that the timer was created with a
delay of 1 and that this timer will be a one-shot timer as follows:
OS_TMR
OS_TMR
MyTmr1;
MyTmr2;

{
OS_ERR
err;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
OSTmrCreate((OS_TMR
*)&MyTmr1,
(OS_CHAR
*)My Timer #1,
(OS_TICK
)1,
(OS_TICK
)0,
(OS_OPT
)OS_OPT_TMR_ONE_SHOT,
(OS_TMR_CALLBACK_PTR)0;
(OS_ERR
*)&err;
/* Check err */
OSTmrStart ((OS_TMR *)&MyTmr1,
(OS_ERR *)&err);
/* Check err */
// Continues in the next code listing!
Listing 12-2 Creating and Starting a timer
212
Timer Management
Since OSTmrTickCtr has a value of 12, the timer will expire when OSTmrTickCtr reaches
13, or during the next time the timer task is signaled. Timers are inserted in the
OSCfg_TmrWheel[] table using the following equation:
MatchValue
= OSTmrTickCtr + dly
Index into OSCfg_TmrWheel[] = MatchValue % OS_CFG_TMR_WHEEL_SIZE
Where dly (in this example) is the value passed in the third argument of OSTmrCreate()
(i.e., 1 in this example). Again, using the example, we arrive at the following:
MatchValue
= 12 + 1
Index into OSCfg_TickWheel[] = 13 % 9
or,
12
MatchValue
= 13
Because of the circular nature of the table (a modulo operation using the size of the
table), the table is referred to as a timer wheel, and each entry is a spoke in the wheel.
The timer is entered at index 4 in the timer wheel, OSCfg_TmrWheel[]. In this case, the
OS_TMR is placed at the head of the list (i.e., pointed to by OSCfg_TmrWheel[4].FirstPtr),
and the number of entries at index 4 is incremented (i.e., OSCfg_TmrWheel[4].NbrEntries
will be 1). MatchValue is placed in the OS_TMR field .Match. Since this is the first timer
inserted in the timer list at index 4, the .NextPtr and .PrevPtr both point to NULL.
OSCfg_TmrWheel[]
[0]
[1]
0
0
0
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
[7]
[8]
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
.NextPtr
0
0
0
0
.NbrEntriesMax
.PrevPtr
.Remain = 1
.Match = 13
OS_TMR
OSTmrTickCtr == 12
.FirstPtr
.NbrEntries
Figure 12-9 Inserting a timer in the timer list
213
Chapter 12
The code below shows creating and starting another timer. This is performed before the
timer task is signaled.
// Continuation of code from previous code listing.

:
:
OSTmrCreate((OS_TMR
*)&MyTmr2,
(OS_CHAR
*)My Timer #2,
(OS_TICK
)10,
(OS_TICK
)0,
(OS_OPT
)OS_OPT_TMR_ONE_SHOT,
(OS_TMR_CALLBACK_PTR)0;
(OS_ERR
*)&err;
/* Check err */
OSTmrStart ((OS_TMR *)&MyTmr,
(OS_ERR *)&err);
/* Check err */
12
}
}
Listing 12-3 Creating and Starting a timer - continued
C/OS-III will calculate the match value and index as follows:

MatchValue
= 12 + 10
Index into OSCfg_TmrWheel[] = 22 % 9
or,
MatchValue
= 22
The second timer will be inserted at the same table entry as shown in Figure 12-10, but
sorted so that the timer with the least amount of time remaining before expiration is placed
at the head of the list, and the timer with the longest to wait at the end.
214
Timer Management
OSCfg_TmrWheel[]
[0]
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
[7]
[8]
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
.NextPtr
0
0
0
.NbrEntriesMax
.NbrEntries
.FirstPtr
.PrevPtr
.NextPtr
.PrevPtr
.Remain = 1
.Match = 13
.Match = 22
OS_TMR
OS_TMR
.Remain = 10
OSTmrTickCtr == 12
Figure 12-10 Inserting a second timer in the tick list
12
When the timer task executes (see OS_TmrTask() in OS_TMR.C), it starts by incrementing
OSTmrTickCtr and determines which table entry (i.e., spoke) it needs to update. Then, if
there are timers in the list at this entry (i.e., .FirstPtr is not NULL), each OS_TMR is
examined to determine whether the .Match value matches OSTmrTickCtr and, if so, the
OS_TMR is removed from the list and OS_TmrTask() calls the timer callback function,
assuming one was defined when the timer was created. The search through the list
terminates as soon as OSTmrTickCtr does not match the timers .Match value. There is no
point in looking any further in the list since the list is already sorted.
Note that OS_TmrTask() does most of its work with the scheduler locked. However,
because the list is sorted, and the search through the list terminates as soon as there no
longer is a match, the critical section should be fairly short.
215
Chapter 12
12-5 SUMMARY
Timers are down counters that perform an action when the counter reaches zero. The
action is provided by the user through a callback function.
C/OS-III allows application code to create any number of timers (limited only by the
amount of RAM available).
The callback functions are executed in the context of the timer task with the scheduler
locked. Keep callback functions as short and as fast as possible and do not have the
callbacks make blocking calls.
12
216
Chapter
13
Resource Management
This chapter will discuss services provided by C/OS-III to manage shared resources. A
shared resource is typically a variable (static or global), a data structure, table (in RAM), or
registers in an I/O device.
When protecting a shared resource it is preferred to use mutual exclusion semaphores, as
will be described in this chapter. Other methods are also presented.
Tasks can easily share data when all tasks exist in a single address space and can reference
global variables, pointers, buffers, linked lists, ring buffers, etc. Although sharing data
simplifies the exchange of information between tasks, it is important to ensure that each
task has exclusive access to the data to avoid contention and data corruption.
For example, when implementing a module that performs a simple time-of-day algorithm in
software, the module obviously keeps track of hours, minutes and seconds. The
TimeOfDay() task may appear as that shown in Listing 13-1.
Imagine if this task was preempted by another task because an interrupt occurred, and, the
other task was more important than the TimeOfDay() task) after setting the Minutes to 0.
Now imagine what will happen if this higher priority task wants to know the current time
from the time-of-day module. Since the Hours were not incremented prior to the interrupt,
the higher-priority task will read the time incorrectly and, in this case, it will be incorrect by
a whole hour.
The code that updates variables for the TimeOfDay() task must treat all of the variables
indivisibly (or atomically) whenever there is possible preemption. Time-of-day variables are
considered shared resources and any code that accesses those variables must have exclusive
access through what is called a critical section. C/OS-III provides services to protect shared
resources and enables the easy creation of critical sections.
217
Chapter 13
CPU_INT08U
CPU_INT08U
CPU_INT08U
Hours;
Minutes;
Seconds;
void TimeOfDay (void *p_arg)

{
OS_ERR err;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
OSTimeDlyHMSM(0,
0,
1,
0,
&err);
/* Examine err to make sure the call was successful */
Seconds++;
if (Seconds > 59) {
Seconds = 0;
Minutes++;
if (Minutes > 59) {
Minutes = 0;
Hours++;
if (Hours > 23) {
Hours = 0;
}
}
}
}
13
Listing 13-1 Faulty Time-Of-Day clock task
The most common methods of obtaining exclusive access to shared resources and to create
critical sections are:
disabling interrupts
disabling the scheduler
using semaphores
using mutual exclusion semaphores (a.k.a. a mutex)
218
Resource Management
The mutual exclusion mechanism used depends on how fast the code will access a shared
resource, as shown in Table 13-1.
Resource Sharing Method
When should you use?
Disable/Enable Interrupts
When access to shared resource is very quick (reading from or writing

to few variables) and access is faster than C/OS-IIIs interrupt
disable time.
It is highly recommended to not use this method as it impacts
interrupt latency.
Locking/Unlocking the Scheduler
When access time to the shared resource is longer than C/OS-IIIs

interrupt disable time, but shorter than C/OS-IIIs scheduler lock
time.
Locking the scheduler has the same effect as making the task that
locks the scheduler the highest-priority task.
It is recommended not to use this method since it defeats the
purpose of using C/OS-III. However, it is a better method than
disabling interrupts, as it does not impact interrupt latency.
Semaphores
13
When all tasks that need to access a shared resource do not have
deadlines. This is because semaphores may cause unbounded
priority inversions (described later). However, semaphore services are
slightly faster (in execution time) than mutual-exclusion semaphores.
This is the preferred method for accessing shared resources,

especially if the tasks that need to access a shared resource have
deadlines.
Remember that C/OS-IIIs mutual exclusion semaphores have a
built-in priority inheritance mechanism, which avoids unbounded
priority inversions.
However, mutual exclusion semaphore services are slightly slower (in
execution time) than semaphores since the priority of the owner may
need to be changed, which requires CPU processing.
Table 13-1 Resource sharing
219
Chapter 13
13-1 DISABLE/ENABLE INTERRUPTS

The easiest and fastest way to gain exclusive access to a shared resource is by disabling and
enabling interrupts, as shown in the pseudo-code in Listing 13-2.
Disable Interrupts;
Access the resource;
Enable
Interrupts;
Listing 13-2 Disabling and Enabling Interrupts
13
C/OS-III uses this technique (as do most, if not all, kernels) to access certain internal
variables and data structures, ensuring that these variables and data structures are
manipulated atomically. However, disabling and enabling interrupts are actually CPU-related
functions rather than OS-related functions and functions in CPU-specific files are provided
to accomplish this (see the CPU.H file of the processor being used). The services provided
in the CPU module are called C/CPU. Each different target CPU architecture has its own set
of C/CPU-related files.
void OS_Function (void)

{
CPU_SR_ALLOC();
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
Listing 13-3 Using CPU macros to disable and enable interrupts
L13-3(1)
220
The CPU_SR_ALLOC() macro is required when the other two macros that
disable/enable interrupts are used. This macro simply allocates storage for a
local variable to hold the value of the current interrupt disable status of the
CPU. If interrupts are already disabled we do not want to enable them upon
exiting the critical section.
Resource Management
L13-3(2)
CPU_CRITICAL_ENTER() saves the current state of the CPU interrupt disable

flag(s) in the local variable allocated by CPU_SR_ALLOC() and disables all
maskable interrupts.
L13-3(3)
The critical section of code is then accessed without fear of being changed by
either an ISR or another task because interrupts are disabled. In other words,
this operation is now atomic.
L13-3(4)
CPU_CRITICAL_EXIT() restores the previously saved interrupt disable status of

the CPU from the local variable.
CPU_CRITICAL_ENTER() and CPU_CRITICAL_EXIT() are always used in pairs. Interrupts

should be disabled for as short a time as possible as disabling interrupts impacts the
response of the system to interrupts. This is known as interrupt latency. Disabling and
enabling is used only when changing or copying a few variables.
Note, this is the only way that a task can share variables or data structures with an ISR.
C/CPU provides a way to actually measure interrupt latency.
When using C/OS-III, interrupts may be disabled for as much time as C/OS-III does,
without affecting interrupt latency. Obviously, it is important to know how long C/OS-III
disables interrupts, which depends on the CPU used.
Although this method works, avoid disabling interrupts as it affects the responsiveness of
the system to real-time events.
221
13
Chapter 13
13-2 LOCK/UNLOCK
If the task does not share variables or data structures with an ISR, disable and enable
C/OS-IIIs scheduler while accessing the resource, as shown in Listing 13-4.
void OS_Function (void)

{
CPU_SR_ALLOC();
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
Listing 13-4 Accessing a resource with the scheduler locked
13
Using this method, two or more tasks share data without the possibility of contention. Note
that while the scheduler is locked, interrupts are enabled and if an interrupt occurs while in
the critical section, the ISR is executed immediately. At the end of the ISR, the kernel always
returns to the interrupted task even if a higher priority task is made ready to run by the ISR.
Since the ISR returns to the interrupted task, the behavior of the kernel is similar to that of a
non-preemptive kernel (while the scheduler is locked).
OSSchedLock() and OSSchedUnlock() can be nested up to 250 levels deep. The scheduler
is invoked only when OSSchedUnlock() is called the same number of times the application
called OSSchedLock().
After the scheduler is unlocked, C/OS-III performs a context switch if a higher priority task
is ready to run.
C/OS-III will not allow the user to make blocking calls when the scheduler is locked. If the
application were able to make blocking calls, the application would most likely fail.
Although this method works well, avoid disabling the scheduler as it defeats the purpose of
having a preemptive kernel. Locking the scheduler makes the current task the highest
priority task.
222
Resource Management
13-3 SEMAPHORES
A semaphore originally was a mechanical signaling mechanism. The railroad industry used
the device to provide a form of mutual exclusion for railroads tracks shared by more than
one train. In this form, the semaphore signaled trains by closing a set of mechanical arms to
block a train from a section of track that was currently in use. When the track became
available, the arm would swing up and the waiting train would then proceed.
The notion of using a semaphore in software as a means of synchronization was invented
by the Dutch computer scientist Edgser Dijkstra in 1959. In computer software, a
semaphore is a protocol mechanism offered by most multitasking kernels. Semaphores,
originally used to control access to shared resources, now are used for synchronization as
described in Chapter 14, Synchronization on page 259. However, it is useful to describe
how semaphores can be used to share resources. The pitfalls of semaphores will be
discussed in a later section.
A semaphore was originally a lock mechanism and code acquired the key to this lock to
continue execution. Acquiring the key means that the executing task has permission to
enter the section of otherwise locked code. Entering a section of locked code causes the
task to wait until the key becomes available.
Typically, two types of semaphores exist: binary semaphores and counting semaphores. As
its name implies, a binary semaphore can only take two values: 0 or 1. A counting
semaphore allows for values between 0 and 255, 65,535, or 4,294,967,295, depending on
whether the semaphore mechanism is implemented using 8, 16, or 32 bits, respectively. For
C/OS-III, the maximum value of a semaphore is determined by the data type OS_SEM_CTR
(see OS_TYPE.H), which can be changed as needed (assuming C/OS-IIIs source code is
available). Along with the semaphores value, C/OS-III also keeps track of tasks waiting for
the semaphores availability.
Only tasks are allowed to use semaphores when semaphores are used for sharing resources;
ISRs are not allowed.
A semaphore is a kernel object defined by the OS_SEM data type, which is defined by the
structure os_sem (see OS.H). The application can have any number of semaphores (limited
only by the amount of RAM available).
223
13
Chapter 13
There are a number of operations the application is able to perform on semaphores,

summarized in Table 13-2. In this chapter, only three functions used most often are
discussed: OSSemCreate(), OSSemPend(), and OSSemPost(). Other functions are described
in Appendix A, C/OS-III API Reference Manual on page 383. When semaphores are used
for sharing resources, every semaphore function must be called from a task and never from
an ISR. The same limitation does not apply when using semaphores for signaling, as
described later in Chapter 13.
13
Function Name
Operation
OSSemCreate()
Create a semaphore.
OSSemDel()
Delete a semaphore.
OSSemPend()
Wait on a semaphore.
OSSemPendAbort()
Abort the wait on a semaphore.
OSSemPost()
Release or signal a semaphore.
OSSemSet()
Force the semaphore count to a desired value.
Table 13-2 Semaphore API summary
224
Resource Management
13-3-1 BINARY SEMAPHORES

A task that wants to acquire a resource must perform a Wait (or Pend) operation. If the
semaphore is available (the semaphore value is greater than 0), the semaphore value is
decremented, and the task continues execution (owning the resource). If the semaphores
value is 0, the task performing a Wait on the semaphore is placed in a waiting list. C/OS-III
allows a timeout to be specified. If the semaphore is not available within a certain amount
of time, the requesting task is made ready to run, and an error code (indicating that a
timeout has occurred) is returned to the caller.
A task releases a semaphore by performing a Signal (or Post) operation. If no task is waiting
for the semaphore, the semaphore value is simply incremented. If there is at least one task
waiting for the semaphore, the highest-priority task waiting on the semaphore is made
ready to run, and the semaphore value is not incremented. If the readied task has a higher
priority than the current task (the task releasing the semaphore), a context switch occurs
and the higher-priority task resumes execution. The current task is suspended until it again
becomes the highest-priority task that is ready to run.
The operations described above are summarized using the pseudo-code shown in Listing 13-5.
OS_SEM
MySem;
void main (void)

{
OS_ERR err;
:
:
OSInit(&err);
:
OSSemCreate(&MySem,
My Semaphore,
1,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
/* Create task(s) */
:
OSStart(&err);
(void)err;
}
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
Listing 13-5 Using a semaphore to access a shared resource
225
13
Chapter 13
L13-5(1)
The application must declare a semaphore as a variable of type OS_SEM. This

variable will be referenced by other semaphore services.
L13-5(2)
Create a semaphore
semaphore allocated
used by other tasks.
main ()), however
initialized before it is
L13-5(3)
Assign an ASCII name to the semaphore, which can be used by debuggers or

C/Probe to easily identify the semaphore. Storage for the ASCII characters is
typically in ROM, which is typically more plentiful than RAM. If it is necessary
to change the name of the semaphore at runtime, store the characters in an
array in RAM and simply pass the address of the array to OSSemCreate(). Of
course, the array must be NUL terminated.
L13-5(4)
Specify the initial value of the semaphore. Initialize the semaphore to 1 when
the semaphore is used to access a single shared resource (as in this example).
L13-5(5)
OSSemCreate() returns an error code based on the outcome of the call. If all
the arguments are valid, err will contain OS_ERR_NONE. Refer to the description
of OSSemCreate() in Appendix A, C/OS-III API Reference Manual on
page 383 for a list of other error codes and their meaning.
13
226
by calling OSSemCreate() and pass the address to the

in (1). The semaphore must be created before it can be
Here, the semaphore is initialized in startup code (i.e.,
it could also be initialized by a task (but it must be
used).
Resource Management
void Task1 (void *p_arg)

{
OS_ERR err;
CPU_TS ts;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
OSSemPend(&MySem,
0,
OS_OPT_PEND_BLOCKING,
&ts,
&err);
switch (err) {
case OS_ERR_NONE:
Access Shared Resource;
OSSemPost(&MySem,
OS_OPT_POST_1,
&err);
/* Check err */
break;
(6)
(7)
(8)
(9)
(10)
(11)
(12)
(13)
(14)
13
case OS_ERR_PEND_ABORT:
/* The pend was aborted by another task
break;
*/
case OS_ERR_OBJ_DEL:
/* The semaphore was deleted
break;
*/
default:
/* Other errors
*/
}
:
}
}
L13-6(6)
The task pends (or waits) on the semaphore by calling OSSemPend(). The
application must specify the desired semaphore to wait upon, and the
semaphore must have been previously created.
L13-6(7)
The next argument is a timeout specified in number of clock ticks. The actual
timeout depends on the tick rate. If the tick rate (see OS_CFG_APP.H) is set to
1000, a timeout of 10 ticks represents 10 milliseconds. Specifying a timeout of
zero (0) means waiting forever for the semaphore.
227
Chapter 13
13
L13-6(8)
The third argument specifies how to wait. There are two options:
OS_OPT_PEND_BLOCKING and OS_OPT_PEND_NON_BLOCKING. The blocking
option means that if the semaphore is not available, the task calling
OSSemPend() will wait until the semaphore is posted or until the timeout
expires. The non-blocking option indicates that if the semaphore is not
available, OSSemPend() will return immediately and not wait. This last option is
rarely used when using a semaphore to protect a shared resource.
L13-6(9)
When the semaphore is posted, C/OS-III reads a timestamp and returns this
timestamp when OSSemPend() returns. This feature allows the application to
know when the post happened and the semaphore was released. At this
point, OS_TS_GET() is read to get the current timestamp and compute the
difference, indicating the length of the wait.
L13-6(10)
OSSemPend() returns an error code based on the outcome of the call. If the call
is successful, err will contain OS_ERR_NONE. If not, the error code will indicate
the reason for the error. See Appendix A, C/OS-III API Reference Manual on
page 383 for a list of possible error code for OSSemPend(). Checking for error
return values is important since other tasks might delete or otherwise abort the
pend. However, it is not a recommended practice to delete kernel objects at
run time as the action may cause serious problems.
L13-6(11)
The resource can be accessed when OSSemPend() returns, if there are no

errors.
L13-6(12)
When finished accessing the resource, simply call OSSemPost() and specify the
semaphore to be released.
L13-6(13)
OS_OPT_POST_1 indicates that the semaphore is signaling a single task, if there

are many tasks waiting on the semaphore. In fact, always specify this option
when a semaphore is used to access a shared resource.
L13-6(14)
As with most C/OS-III functions, specify the address of a variable that will
receive an error message from the call.
228
Resource Management
void
Task2 (void *p_arg)
{
OS_ERR
CPU_TS
err;
ts;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
OSSemPend(&MySem,
0,
(15)
&ts,
&err);
switch (err) {
case OS_ERR_NONE:
Access Shared Resource;
OSSemPost(&MySem,
OS_OPT_POST_1,
&err);
/* Check err */
break;
13
case OS_ERR_PEND_ABORT:
/* The pend was aborted by another task
break;
*/
case OS_ERR_OBJ_DEL:
/* The semaphore was deleted
break;
*/
default:
/* Other errors
*/
}
:
}
}
L13-7(15)
Another task wanting to access the shared resource needs to use the same
procedure to access the shared resource.
229
Chapter 13
Semaphores are especially useful when tasks share I/O devices. Imagine what would
happen if two tasks were allowed to send characters to a printer at the same time. The
printer would contain interleaved data from each task. For instance, the printout from
Task 1 printing I am Task 1, and Task 2 printing I am Task 2, could result in I Ia amm T
Tasask k1 2. In this case, use a semaphore and initialize it to 1 (i.e., a binary semaphore).
The rule is simple: to access the printer each task must first obtain the resources
semaphore. Figure 13-1 shows tasks competing for a semaphore to gain exclusive access to
the printer. Note that a key, indicating that each task must obtain this key to use the printer,
represents the semaphore symbolically.
Task
1
OSSemPend()
Access Printer
OSSemPost()
13
Printer
OSSemPend()
AccessPrinter
OSSemPost()
Task
2
Figure 13-1 Using a semaphore to access a printer
The above example implies that each task knows about the existence of the semaphore to
access the resource. It is almost always better to encapsulate the critical section and its
protection mechanism. Each task would therefore not know that it is acquiring a semaphore
when accessing the resource. For example, an RS-232C port is used by multiple tasks to
send commands and receive responses from a device connected at the other end as shown
in Figure 13-2.
230
Resource Management
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Figure 13-2 Hiding a semaphore from a task
The function CommSendCmd() is called with three arguments: the ASCII string containing the
command, a pointer to the response string from the device, and finally, a timeout in case the
device does not respond within a certain amount of time. The pseudo-code for this function
is shown in Listing 13-8.
APP_ERR
CommSendCmd (CPU_CHAR
CPU_CHAR
OS_TICK
*cmd,
*response,
timeout)
{
Acquire serial ports semaphore;
Send cmd to device;
Wait for response with timeout;
if (timed out) {
Release serial ports semaphore;
return (error code);
} else {
Release serial ports semaphore;
return (no error);
}
}
Listing 13-8 Encapsulating the use of a semaphore
231
13
Chapter 13
Each task that needs to send a command to the device must call this function. The
semaphore is assumed to be initialized to 1 (i.e., available) by the communication driver
initialization routine. The first task that calls CommSendCmd() acquires the semaphore,
proceeds to send the command, and waits for a response. If another task attempts to send a
command while the port is busy, this second task is suspended until the semaphore is
released. The second task appears simply to have made a call to a normal function that will
not return until the function performs its duty. When the semaphore is released by the first
task, the second task acquires the semaphore and is allowed to use the RS-232C port.
13-3-2 COUNTING SEMAPHORES
13
A counting semaphore is used when elements of a resource can be used by more than one
task at the same time. For example, a counting semaphore is used in the management of a
buffer pool, as shown in Figure 13-3. Assume that the buffer pool initially contains 10
buffers. A task obtains a buffer from the buffer manager by calling BufReq(). When the
buffer is no longer needed, the task returns the buffer to the buffer manager by calling
BufRel(). The pseudo-code for these functions is shown in Listing 13-9.
The buffer manager satisfies the rst 10 buffer requests because the semaphore is initialized
to 10. When all buffers are used, a task requesting a buffer is suspended until a buffer
becomes available. Use C/OS-IIIs OSMemGet() and OSMemPut() (see Chapter 17, Memory
Management on page 331) to obtain a buffer from the buffer pool. When a task is finished
with the buffer it acquired, the task calls BufRel() to return the buffer to the buffer
manager and the buffer is inserted into the linked list before the semaphore is signaled. By
encapsulating the interface to the buffer manager in BufReq() and BufRel(), the caller
does not need to be concerned with actual implementation details.
232
Resource Management
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13
Figure 13-3 Using a counting semaphore
BUF
{
*BufReq (void)
BUF
*ptr;
Wait on semaphore;
ptr = OSMemGet(...) ;
return (ptr);
/* Get a buffer
*/
void BufRel (BUF *ptr)

{
OSMemPut(..., (void *)ptr, ...);
Signal semaphore;
}
/* Return the buffer */
Listing 13-9 Buffer management using a semaphore.
233
Chapter 13
Note that the details of creating the memory partition are removed since this is discussed in
Chapter 17, Memory Management on page 331. The semaphore is used here to extend the
memory management capabilities of C/OS-III, and to provide it with a blocking
mechanism. However, only tasks can make BufReq() and BufRel() calls.
13-3-3 NOTES ON SEMAPHORES

Using a semaphore to access a shared resource does not increase interrupt latency. If an ISR
or the current task makes a higher priority task ready to run while accessing shared data,
the higher priority task executes immediately.
13
An application may have as many semaphores as required to protect a variety of different

resources. For example, one semaphore may be used to access a shared display, another to
access a shared printer, another for shared data structures, and another to protect a pool of
buffers, etc. However, it is preferable to use semaphores to protect access to I/O devices
rather than memory locations.
Semaphores are often overused. The use of a semaphore to access a simple shared variable
is overkill in most situations. The overhead involved in acquiring and releasing the
semaphore consumes valuable CPU time. Perform the job more efficiently by disabling and
enabling interrupts, however there is an indirect cost to disabling interrupts: even higher
priority tasks that do not share the specific resource are blocked from using the CPU.
Suppose, for instance, that two tasks share a 32-bit integer variable. The rst task increments
the variable, while the second task clears it. When considering how long a processor takes
to perform either operation, it is easy to see that a semaphore is not required to gain
exclusive access to the variable. Each task simply needs to disable interrupts before
performing its operation on the variable and enable interrupts when the operation is
complete. A semaphore should be used if the variable is a oating-point variable and the
microprocessor does not support hardware oating-point operations. In this case, the time
involved in processing the oating-point variable may affect interrupt latency if interrupts
are disabled.
Semaphores are subject to a serious problem in real-time systems called priority inversion,
which is described in section 13-3-5 Priority Inversions on page 240.
234
Resource Management
13-3-4 SEMAPHORE INTERNALS (FOR RESOURCE SHARING)

As previously mentioned, a semaphore is a kernel object as defined by the OS_SEM data
type, which is derived from the structure os_sem (see OS.H) as shown in Listing 13-10.
The services provided by C/OS-III to manage semaphores are implemented in the file
OS_SEM.C. C/OS-III licensees have access to the source code. In this case, semaphore
services are enabled at compile time by setting the configuration constant OS_CFG_SEM_EN
to 1 in OS_CFG.H.
typedef
struct
struct os_sem {
OS_OBJ_TYPE
CPU_CHAR
OS_PEND_LIST
OS_SEM_CTR
CPU_TS
};
os_sem
OS_SEM;
(1)
Type;
*NamePtr;
PendList;
Ctr;
TS;
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
13
Listing 13-10 OS_SEM data type
L13-10(1)
In C/OS-III, all structures are given a data type. All data types start with OS_
and are uppercase. When a semaphore is declared, simply use OS_SEM as the
data type of the variable used to declare the semaphore.
L13-10(2)

C/OS-III as a semaphore. Other kernel objects will also have a .Type as the
first member of the structure. If a function is passed a kernel object, C/OS-III
will confirm that it is being passed the proper data type. For example, if
passing a message queue (OS_Q) to a semaphore service (for example
OSSemPend()), C/OS-III will recognize that an invalid object was passed, and
return an error code accordingly.
L13-10(3)
Each kernel object can be given a name for easier recognition by debuggers or
C/Probe. This member is simply a pointer to an ASCII string, which is
assumed to be NUL terminated.
235
Chapter 13
L13-10(4)
Since it is possible for multiple tasks to wait (or pend) on a semaphore, the
semaphore object contains a pend list as described in Chapter 10, Pend Lists
(or Wait Lists) on page 185.
L13-10(5)
A semaphore contains a counter. As explained above, the counter can be

implemented as either an 8-, 16- or 32-bit value, depending on how the data
type OS_SEM_CTR is declared in OS_TYPE.H.
C/OS-III does not make a distinction between binary and counting
semaphores. The distinction is made when the semaphore is created. If creating
a semaphore with an initial value of 1, it is a binary semaphore. When creating
a semaphore with a value > 1, it is a counting semaphore. In the next chapter,
we discover that a semaphore is more often used as a signaling mechanism and
therefore, the semaphore counter is initialized to zero.
13
L13-10(6)
A semaphore contains a timestamp used to indicate the last time the semaphore
was posted. C/OS-III assumes the presence of a free-running counter that
allows the application to make time measurements. When the semaphore is
posted, the free-running counter is read and the value is placed in this field,
which is returned when OSSemPend() is called. The value of this field is more
useful when a semaphore is used as a signaling mechanism (see Chapter 14,
Synchronization on page 259), as opposed to a resource-sharing mechanism.
Even if the user understands the internals of the OS_SEM data type, the application code
should never access any of the fields in this data structure directly. Instead, always use the
APIs provided with C/OS-III.
As previously mentioned, semaphores must be created before they can be used by an
application.
A task waits on a semaphore before accessing a shared resource by calling OSSemPend() as
shown in Listing 13-11 (see Appendix A, C/OS-III API Reference Manual on page 383 for
details regarding the arguments).
236
Resource Management
OS_SEM
MySem;

{
OS_ERR
CPU_TS
err;
ts;
:
while (DEF_ON) {
:
OSSemPend(&MySem,
10,
&ts,
&err);
:
/* Check err */
:
OSSemPost(&MySem,
OS_OPT_POST_1,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
}
/* (1) Pointer to semaphore

/*
Wait up until this time for the semaphore
/*
Option(s)
/*
Returned timestamp of when sem. was released
/*
Pointer to Error returned
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
/* (2)
*/
/* (3) Pointer to semaphore

/*
Option(s) always OS_OPT_POST_1
/*
*/
*/
*/
13
Listing 13-11 Pending on and Posting to a Semaphore
L13-11(1)
When called, OSSemPend() starts by checking the arguments passed to this

function to make sure they have valid values.
If the semaphore counter (.Ctr of OS_SEM) is greater than zero, the counter is
decremented and OSSemPend() returns. If OSSemPend() returns without error,
then the task now owns the shared resource.
When the semaphore counter is zero, this indicates that another task owns the
semaphore, and the calling task may need to wait for the semaphore to be
released. If specifying OS_OPT_PEND_NON_BLOCKING as the option (the
application does not want the task to block), OSSemPend() returns immediately
to the caller and the returned error code indicates that the semaphore is
unavailable. Use this option if the task does not want to wait for the resource to
be available, and would prefer to do something else and check back later.
237
Chapter 13
If specifying the OS_OPT_PEND_BLOCKING option, the calling task will be

inserted in the list of tasks waiting for the semaphore to become available. The
task is inserted in the list by priority order and therefore, the highest priority
task waiting on the semaphore is at the beginning of the list.
If specifying a non-zero timeout, the task will also be inserted in the tick list. A
zero value for a timeout indicates that the user is willing to wait forever for the
semaphore to be released. Most of the time, specify an infinite timeout when
using the semaphore in resource sharing. Adding a timeout may temporarily
break a deadlock, however, there are better ways of preventing deadlock at the
application level (e.g., never hold more than one semaphore at the same time;
resource ordering; etc.).
The scheduler is called since the current task is no longer able to run (it is
waiting for the semaphore to be released). The scheduler will then run the next
highest-priority task that is ready to run.
13
When the semaphore is released and the task that called OSSemPend() is again
the highest-priority task, C/OS-III examines the task status to determine the
reason why OSSemPend() is returning to its caller. The possibilities are:
1) The semaphore was given to the waiting task
2) The pend was aborted by another task
3) The semaphore was not posted within the specified timeout
4) The semaphore was deleted
When OSSemPend() returns, the caller is notified of the above outcome
through an appropriate error code.
238
Resource Management
L13-11(2)
If OSSemPend() returns with err set to OS_ERR_NONE, assume that you now
have access to the resource.
If err contains anything else, OSSemPend() either timed out (if the timeout
argument was non-zero), the pend was aborted by another task, or the
semaphore was deleted by another task. It is always important to examine the
returned error code and not assume that everything went well.
L13-11(3)
When the task is finished accessing the resource, it needs to call OSSemPost()
and specify the same semaphore. Again, OSSemPost() starts by checking the
arguments passed to this function to make sure there are valid values.
OSSemPost() then calls OS_TS_GET() to obtain the current timestamp so it can
place that information in the semaphore to be used by OSSemPend().
OSSemPost() checks to see if any tasks are waiting for the semaphore. If not,
OSSemPost() simply increments p_sem->Ctr, saves the timestamp in the
semaphore, and returns.
If there are tasks waiting for the semaphore to be released, OSSemPost()
extracts the highest-priority task waiting for the semaphore. This is a fast
operation as the pend list is sorted by priority order.
When calling OSSemPost(), it is possible to specify as an option to not call the
scheduler. This means that the post is performed, but the scheduler is not
called even if a higher priority task waits for the semaphore to be released. This
allows the calling task to perform other post functions (if needed) and make all
posts take effect simultaneously without the possibility of context switching in
between each post.
239
13
Chapter 13
13-3-5 PRIORITY INVERSIONS

Priority inversion is a problem in real-time systems, and occurs only when using a
priority-based preemptive kernel. Figure 13-4 illustrates a priority-inversion scenario. Task H
(high priority) has a higher priority than Task M (medium priority), which in turn has a
higher priority than Task L (low priority).
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Figure 13-4 Unbounded priority Inversion
F13-4(1)
Task H and Task M are both waiting for an event to occur and Task L is
executing.
F13-4(2)
At some point, Task L acquires a semaphore, which it needs before it can

access a shared resource.
F13-4(3)
Task L performs operations on the acquired resource.
F13-4(4)
The event that Task H was waiting for occurs, and the kernel suspends Task L
and start executing Task H since Task H has a higher priority.
F13-4(5)
Task H performs computations based on the event it just received.
240
Resource Management
F13-4(6)
Task H now wants to access the resource that Task L currently owns (i.e., it
attempts to get the semaphore that Task L owns). Because Task L owns the
resource, Task H is placed in a list of tasks waiting for the semaphore to be free.
F13-4(7)
Task L is resumed and continues to access the shared resource.
F13-4(8)
Task L is preempted by Task M since the event that Task M was waiting for
occurred.
F13-4(9)
Task M handles the event.
F13-4(10)
When Task M completes, the kernel relinquishes the CPU back to Task L.
F13-4(11)
Task L continues accessing the resource.
F13-4(12)
Task L finally finishes working with the resource and releases the semaphore.
At this point, the kernel knows that a higher-priority task is waiting for the
semaphore, and a context switch takes place to resume Task H.
F13-4(13)
Task H has the semaphore and can access the shared resource.
So, what happened here is that the priority of Task H has been reduced to that of Task L
since it waited for the resource that Task L owned. The trouble begins when Task M
preempted Task L, further delaying the execution of Task H. This is called an unbounded
priority inversion. It is unbounded because any medium priority can extend the time Task
H has to wait for the resource. Technically, if all medium-priority tasks have known
worst-case periodic behavior and bounded execution times, the priority inversion time is
computable. This process, however, may be tedious and would need to be revised every
time the medium priority tasks change.
This situation can be corrected by raising the priority of Task L, only during the time it takes
to access the resource, and restore the original priority level when the task is finished. The
priority of Task L should be raised up to the priority of Task H. C/OS-III contains a special
type of semaphore that does just that called a mutual-exclusion semaphore.
241
13
Chapter 13
13-4 MUTUAL EXCLUSION SEMAPHORES (MUTEX)

C/OS-III supports a special type of binary semaphore called a mutual exclusion
semaphore (also known as a mutex) that eliminates unbounded priority inversions.
Figure 13-5 shows how priority inversions are bounded using a Mutex.
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Figure 13-5 Using a mutex to share a resource
F13-5(1)
Task H and Task M are both waiting for an event to occur and Task L is
executing.
F13-5(2)
At some point, Task L acquires a mutex, which it needs before it is able to

access a shared resource.
F13-5(3)
Task L performs operations on the acquired resource.
F13-5(4)
The event that Task H waited for occurs and the kernel suspends Task L and
begins executing Task H since Task H has a higher priority.
242
Resource Management
F13-5(5)
Task H performs computations based on the event it just received.
F13-5(6)
Task H now wants to access the resource that Task L currently owns (i.e., it
attempts to get the mutex from Task L). Given that Task L owns the resource,
C/OS-III raises the priority of Task L to the same priority as Task H to allow
Task L to finish with the resource and prevent Task L from being preempted by
medium-priority tasks.
F13-5(7)
Task L continues accessing the resource, however it now does so while it is

running at the same priority as Task H. Note that Task H is not actually running
since it is waiting for Task L to release the mutex. In other words, Task H is in
the mutex wait list.
F13-5(8)
Task L finishes working with the resource and releases the mutex. C/OS-III
notices that Task L was raised in priority and thus lowers Task L to its original
priority. After doing so, C/OS-III gives the mutex to Task H, which was
waiting for the mutex to be released.
F13-5(9)
Task H now has the mutex and can access the shared resource.
F13-5(10)
Task H is finished accessing the shared resource, and frees up the mutex.
F13-5(11)
There are no higher-priority tasks to execute, therefore Task H continues

execution.
F13-5(12)
Task H completes and decides to wait for an event to occur. At this point,
C/OS-III resumes Task M, which was made ready to run while Task H or Task
L were executing.
F13-5(13)
Task M executes.
Note that there is no priority inversion, only resource sharing. Of course, the faster Task L
accesses the shared resource and frees up the mutex, the better.
C/OS-III implements full-priority inheritance and therefore if a higher priority requests the
resource, the priority of the owner task will be raised to the priority of the new requestor.
243
13
Chapter 13
A mutex is a kernel object defined by the OS_MUTEX data type, which is derived from the
structure os_mutex (see OS.H). An application may have an unlimited number of mutexes
(limited only by the RAM available).
Only tasks are allowed to use mutual exclusion semaphores (ISRs are not allowed).
C/OS-III enables the user to nest ownership of mutexes. If a task owns a mutex, it can
own the same mutex up to 250 times. The owner must release the mutex an equivalent
number of times. In several cases, an application may not be immediately aware that it
called OSMutexPend() multiple times, especially if the mutex is acquired again by calling a
function as shown in Listing 13-12.
OS_MUTEX
SOME_STRUCT
MyMutex;
MySharedResource;
13
{
OS_ERR err;
CPU_TS ts;
:
while (DEF_ON) {
OSMutexPend((OS_MUTEX *)&MyMutex,
(OS_TICK
)0,
(OS_OPT
(CPU_TS
*)&ts,
(OS_ERR
*)&err);
/* Check err
/* Acquire shared resource if no error
MyLibFunction();
OSMutexPost((OS_MUTEX *)&MyMutex,
(OS_OPT
)OS_OPT_POST_NONE,
(OS_ERR
*)&err);
/* Check err
}
}
244
(1)
*/
*/
(2)
(3)
(7)
*/
Resource Management
void
{
MyLibFunction (void)
OS_ERR
CPU_TS
err;
ts;
OSMutexPend((OS_MUTEX *)&MyMutex,
(OS_TICK
)0,
(4)
(OS_OPT
(CPU_TS
*)&ts,
(OS_ERR
*)&err);
/* Check err
*/
/* Access shared resource if no error */
OSMutexPost((OS_MUTEX *)&MyMutex,
(OS_OPT
)OS_OPT_POST_NONE,
(OS_ERR
*)&err);
/* Check err
*/
(5)
(6)
13
Listing 13-12 Nesting calls to OSMutexPend()
L13-12(1)
A task starts by pending on a mutex to access shared resources.

OSMutexPend() sets a nesting counter to 1.
L13-12(2)
Check the error return

MySharedResource.
L13-12(3)
A function is called that will perform additional work.
L13-12(4)
The designer of MyLibFunction() knows that, to access MySharedResource, it

must acquire the mutex. Since the calling task already owns the mutex, this
operation should not be necessary. However, MyLibFunction() could have
been called by yet another function that might not need access to
MySharedResource. C/OS-III allows nested mutex pends, so this is not a
problem. The mutex nesting counter is thus incremented to 2.
L13-12(5)
MyLibFunction() can access the shared resource.
value.
If
no
errors
exist,
MyTask() owns
245
Chapter 13
L13-12(6)
The mutex is released and the nesting counter is decremented back to 1. Since
this indicates that the mutex is still owned by the same task, nothing further
needs to be done, and OSMutexPost() simply returns. MyLibFunction()
returns to its caller.
L13-12(7)
The mutex is released again and, this time, the nesting counter is decremented
back to 0 indicating that other tasks can now acquire the mutex.
Always check the return value of OSMutexPend() (and any kernel call) to ensure that the
function returned because you properly obtained the mutex, and not because the return
from OSMutexPend() was caused by the mutex being deleted, or because another task
called OSMutexPendAbort() on this mutex.
13
As a general rule, do not make function calls in critical sections. All mutual exclusion
semaphore calls should be in the leaf nodes of the source code (e.g., in the low level
drivers that actually touches real hardware or in other reentrant function libraries).
There are a number of operations that can be performed on a mutex, as summarized in
Table 13-3. However, in this chapter, we will only discuss the three functions that most
often used: OSMutexCreate(), OSMutexPend(), and OSMutexPost(). Other functions are
described in Appendix A, C/OS-III API Reference Manual on page 383.
Function Name
Operation
OSMutexCreate()
Create a mutex.
OSMutexDel()
Delete a mutex.
OSMutexPend()
Wait on a mutex.
OSMutexPendAbort()
Abort the wait on a mutex.
OSMutexPost()
Release a mutex.
Table 13-3 Mutex API summary
246
Resource Management
13-4-1 MUTUAL EXCLUSION SEMAPHORE INTERNALS

A mutex is a kernel object defined by the OS_MUTEX data type, which is derived from the
structure os_mutex (see OS.H) as shown in Listing 13-13:
typedef
struct
os_mutex
struct os_mutex {
OS_OBJ_TYPE
CPU_CHAR
OS_PEND_LIST
OS_TCB
OS_PRIO
OS_NESTING_CTR
CPU_TS
};
OS_MUTEX;
Type;
*NamePtr;
PendList;
*OwnerTCBPtr;
OwnerOriginalPrio;
OwnerNestingCtr;
TS;
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
13
Listing 13-13 OS_MUTEX data type
L13-13(1)
In C/OS-III, all structures are given a data type. All data types begin with
OS_ and are uppercase. When a mutex is declared, simply use OS_MUTEX as
the data type of the variable used to declare the mutex.
L13-13(2)

C/OS-III as a mutex. Other kernel objects may also have a .Type as the first
member of the structure. If a function is passed a kernel object, C/OS-III will
be able to confirm that it is being passed the proper data type. For example, if
passing a message queue (OS_Q) to a mutex service (for example
OSMutexPend()), C/OS-III will recognize that the application passed an
invalid object and return an error code accordingly.
L13-13(3)
Each kernel object can be given a name to make them easier to recognize by
debuggers or C/Probe. This member is simply a pointer to an ASCII string,
which is assumed to be NUL terminated.
L13-13(4)
Because it is possible for multiple tasks to wait (or pend on a mutex), the
mutex object contains a pend list as described in Chapter 10, Pend Lists (or
Wait Lists) on page 185.
247
Chapter 13
L13-13(5)
If the mutex is owned by a task, it will point to the OS_TCB of that task.
L13-13(6)
If the mutex is owned by a task, this field contains the original priority of the
task that owns the mutex. This field is required in case the priority of the task
must be raised to a higher priority to prevent unbounded priority inversions.
L13-13(7)
C/OS-III allows a task to acquire the same mutex multiple times. In order for
the mutex to be released, the owner must release the mutex the same number
of times that it was acquired. Nesting can be performed up to 250-levels deep.
L13-13(8)
A mutex contains a timestamp, used to indicate the last time it was released.
C/OS-III assumes the presence of a free-running counter that allows
applications to make time measurements. When the mutex is released, the
free-running counter is read and the value is placed in this field, which is
returned when OSMutexPend() returns.
13
Application code should never access any of the fields in this data structure directly. Instead,
always use the APIs provided with C/OS-III.
A mutual exclusion semaphore (mutex) must be created before it can be used by an
application. Listing 13-14 shows how to create a mutex.
OS_MUTEX
void
MyMutex;
(1)
{
OS_ERR
err;
:
:
OSMutexCreate(&MyMutex,
(2)
My Mutex,
(3)
&err);
(4)
/* Check err */
:
:
}
Listing 13-14 Creating a mutex
248
Resource Management
L13-14(1)
The application must declare a variable of type OS_MUTEX. This variable will be
referenced by other mutex services.
L13-14(2)
Create a mutex by calling OSMutexCreate() and pass the address to the mutex
allocated in (1).
L13-14(3)
Assign an ASCII name to the mutex, which can be used by debuggers or

C/Probe to easily identify this mutex. There are no practical limits to the
length of the name since C/OS-III stores a pointer to the ASCII string, and not
to the actual characters that makes up the string.
L13-14(4)
OSMutexCreate() returns an error code based on the outcome of the call. If

all the arguments are valid, err will contain OS_ERR_NONE.
Note that since a mutex is always a binary semaphore, there is no need to initialize a mutex
counter.
A task waits on a mutual exclusion semaphore before accessing a shared resource by calling
OSMutexPend() as shown in Listing 13-15 (see Appendix A, C/OS-III API Reference
Manual on page 383 for details regarding the arguments).
249
13
Chapter 13
OS_MUTEX
MyMutex;

{
OS_ERR
err;
CPU_TS
ts;
:
while (DEF_ON) {
:
OSMutexPend(&MyMutex,
/* (1) Pointer to mutex
*/
/*
Wait up until this time for the mutex
*/
OS_OPT_PEND_BLOCKING, /*
Option(s)
*/
&ts,
/*
Timestamp of when mutex was released
*/
&err);
/*
*/
10,
:
/* Check err
(2)
*/
13
OSMutexPost(&MyMutex,
/* (3) Pointer to mutex
*/
/*
*/
OS_OPT_POST_NONE,
&err);
/* Check err
*/
:
:
}
}
Listing 13-15 Pending (or waiting) on a Mutual Exclusion Semaphore
L13-15(1)
When called, OSMutexPend() starts by checking the arguments passed to this

If the mutex is available, OSMutexPend() assumes the calling task is now the
owner of the mutex and stores a pointer to the tasks OS_TCB in
p_mutex->OwnerTCPPtr,
saves
the
priority
of
the
task
in
p_mutex->OwnerOriginalPrio, and sets a mutex nesting counter to 1.
OSMutexPend() then returns to its caller with an error code of OS_ERR_NONE.
If the task that calls OSMutexPend() already owns the mutex, OSMutexPend()
simply increments a nesting counter. Applications can nest calls to
OSMutexPend() up to 250-levels deep. In this case, the error returned will
indicate OS_ERR_MUTEX_OWNER.
250
Resource Management
If
the
mutex
is
already
owned
by
another
task
and
OS_OPT_PEND_NON_BLOCKING is specified, OSMutexPend() returns since the
task is not willing to wait for the mutex to be released by its owner.
If the mutex is owned by a lower-priority task, C/OS-III will raise the priority
of the owner to match the priority of the current task.
If specifying OS_OPT_PEND_BLOCKING as the option, the calling task will be
inserted in the list of tasks waiting for the mutex to be available. The task is
inserted in the list by priority order and the highest priority task waiting on the
mutex is at the beginning of the list.
If further specifying a non-zero timeout, the task will also be inserted in the
tick list. A zero value for a timeout indicates a willingness to wait forever for the
mutex to be released.
The scheduler is then called since the current task is no longer able to run (it is
waiting for the mutex to be released). The scheduler will then run the next
When the mutex is finally released and the task that called OSMutexPend() is
again the highest-priority task, a task status is examined to determine the
reason why OSMutexPend() is returning to its caller. The possibilities are:
1) The mutex was given to the waiting task
3) The mutex was not posted within the specified timeout
4) The mutex was deleted
When OSMutexPend() returns, the caller is notified of the outcome through an
appropriate error code.
251
13
Chapter 13
L13-15(2)
If OSMutexPend() returns with err set to OS_ERR_NONE, assume that the calling
task now owns the resource and can proceed with accessing it. If err contains
anything else, then OSMutexPend() either timed out (if the timeout argument
was non-zero), the pend was aborted by another task, or the mutex was
deleted by another task. It is always important to examine returned error codes
and not assume everything went as planned.
If err is OS_ERR_NESTING_OWNER, then the caller attempted to pend on the
same mutex.
L13-15(3)
When your task is finished accessing the resource, it must call OSMutexPost()
and specify the same mutex. Again, OSMutexPost() starts by checking the
arguments passed to this function to make sure they contain valid values.
OSMutexPost() now calls OS_TS_GET() to obtain the current timestamp and
place that information in the mutex, which will be used by OSMutexPend().
13
OSMutexPost() decrements the nesting counter and, if still non-zero,

OSMutexPost() returns to the caller. In this case, the current owner has not
fully released the mutex. The error code will indicate OS_ERR_MUTEX_NESTING.
If there are no tasks waiting for the mutex, OSMutexPost() sets
p_mutex->OwnerTCBPtr to a NULL pointer and clears the mutex nesting
counter.
If C/OS-III had to raise the priority of the mutex owner, it is returned to its
original priority at this time.
The highest-priority task waiting on the mutex is then extracted from the pend
list and given the mutex. This is a fast operation since the pend list is sorted by
priority.
The scheduler is called to see if the new mutex owner has a higher priority
than the current task. If so, C/OS-III will switch context to the new mutex
owner.
You should note that you should only acquire one mutex at a time. In fact, its highly
recommended that when you acquire a mutex, you dont acquire any other kernel objects.
252
Resource Management
13-5 SHOULD YOU USE A SEMAPHORE INSTEAD OF A MUTEX?

A semaphore can be used instead of a mutex if none of the tasks competing for the shared
resource have deadlines to be satisfied.
However, if there are deadlines to meet, you should use a mutex prior to accessing shared
resources. Semaphores are subject to unbounded priority inversions, while mutex are not.
13-6 DEADLOCKS (OR DEADLY EMBRACE)

A deadlock, also called a deadly embrace, is a situation in which two tasks are each
unknowingly waiting for resources held by the other.
Assume Task T1 has exclusive access to Resource R1 and Task T2 has exclusive access to
Resource R2 as shown in the pseudo-code of Listing 13-16.
void T1 (void *p_arg)

{
while (DEF_ON) {
Acquire M1;
Access R1;
:
:
\-------- Interrupt!
:
:
Acquire M2;
Access R2;
}
}
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(8)
(9)
253
13
Chapter 13
void
{
T2 (void *p_arg)
while (DEF_ON) {
Acquire M2;
Access
:
:
(5)
(6)
R2;
Acquire M1;
Access R1;
(7)
}
}
Listing 13-16 Deadlock problem
L13-16(1)
Assume that the event that task T1 is waiting for occurs and T1 is now the
highest priority task that must execute.
L13-16(2)
Task T1 executes and acquires M1.
L13-16(3)
Resource R1 is accessed.
L13-16(4)
An interrupt occurs causing the CPU to switch to task T2 as T2 is now the

highest-priority task. Actually, this could be a blocking call when the task is
suspended and the CPU is given to another task.
L13-16(5)
The ISR is the event that task T2 was waiting for and therefore T2 resumes
execution.
L13-16(6)
Task T2 acquires mutex M2 and is able to access resource R2.
L13-16(7)
Task T2 tries to acquire mutex M1, but C/OS-III knows that mutex M1 is
owned by another task.
L13-16(8)
C/OS-III switches back to task T1 because Task T2 can no longer continue. It

needs mutex M1 to access resource R1.
L13-16(9)
Task T1 now tries to access mutex M2 but, unfortunately, mutex M2 is owned

by task T2. At this point, the two tasks are deadlocked.
13
254
Resource Management
Techniques used to avoid deadlocks are for tasks to:
Never acquire more than one mutex at a time
Never acquire a mutex directly (i.e., let them be hidden inside drivers and reentrant
library calls)
Acquire all resources before proceeding
Always acquire resources in the same order
C/OS-III allows the calling task to specify a timeout when acquiring a semaphore or a
mutex. This feature allows a deadlock to be broken, but the same deadlock may then recur
later, or many times later. If the semaphore or mutex is not available within a certain period
of time, the task requesting the resource resumes execution. C/OS-III returns an error code
indicating that a timeout occurred. A return error code prevents the task from thinking it has
properly obtained the resource.
255
13
Chapter 13
The pseudo-code avoids deadlocks by first acquiring all resources as shown in Listing 13-17.

{
while (DEF_ON) {
Acquire M1;
Acquire M2;
Access
R1;
Access
R2;
}
}
void
T2 (void *p_arg)
{
while (DEF_ON) {
Acquire M1;
13
Acquire M2;
Access
R1;
Access
R2;
}
}
Listing 13-17 Deadlock avoidance acquire all first and in the same order
256
Resource Management
The pseudo-code to acquire all of the mutexes in the same order is shown in Listing 13-18. This
is similar to the previous example, except that it is not necessary to acquire all the mutexes first,
only to make sure that the mutexes are acquired in the same order for both tasks.
void T1 (void *p_arg){

while (DEF_ON) {
Acquire
Access
Acquire
Access
M1;
R1;
M2;
R2;
}
}

{
while (DEF_ON) {
13
Acquire M1;
Access R1;
Acquire M2;
Access
R2;
}
}
Listing 13-18 Deadlock avoidance acquire in the same order
257
Chapter 13
13-7 SUMMARY
The mutual exclusion mechanism used depends on how fast code will access the shared
resource, as shown in Table 13-4.
Resource Sharing Method
When should you use?
Disable/Enable Interrupts
When access to shared resource is very quick (reading from or writing to

just a few variables) and the access is actually faster than C/OS-IIIs
interrupt disable time.
It is highly recommended to not use this method as it impacts interrupt
latency.
Locking/Unlocking the Scheduler
When access time to the shared resource is longer than C/OS-IIIs

interrupt disable time, but shorter than C/OS-IIIs scheduler lock time.
Locking the scheduler has the same effect as making the task that locks
the scheduler the highest priority task.
13
It is recommended to not use this method since it defeats the purpose of

using C/OS-III. However, its a better method than disabling interrupts as
it does not impact interrupt latency.
Semaphores
When all tasks that need to access a shared resource do not have
deadlines. This is because semaphores can cause unbounded priority
inversions. However, semaphore services are slightly faster (in execution
time) than mutual exclusion semaphores.
This is the preferred method for accessing shared resources, especially if

the tasks that need to access a shared resource have deadlines.
Remember that mutual exclusion semaphores have a built-in priority
inheritance mechanism, which avoids unbounded priority inversions.
However, mutual exclusion semaphore services are slightly slower (in
execution time) than semaphores, because the priority of the owner may
need to be changed, which requires CPU processing.
Table 13-4 Resource sharing summary
258
Chapter
14
Synchronization
This chapter focuses on how tasks can synchronize their activities with Interrupt Service
Routines (ISRs), or other tasks.
When an ISR executes, it can signal a task telling the task that an event of interest has
occurred. After signaling the task, the ISR exits and, depending on the signaled task priority,
the scheduler is run. The signaled task may then service the interrupting device, or
otherwise react to the event. Serving interrupting devices from task level is preferred
whenever possible, since it reduces the amount of time that interrupts are disabled and the
code is easier to debug.
There are two basic mechanisms for synchronizations in C/OS-III: semaphores and event flags.
259
Chapter 14
14-1 SEMAPHORES
As defined in Chapter 13, Resource Management on page 217, a semaphore is a protocol
mechanism offered by most multitasking kernels. Semaphores were originally used to
control access to shared resources. However, better mechanisms exist to protect access to
shared resources, as described in Chapter 12. Semaphores are best used to synchronize an
ISR to a task, or synchronize a task with another task as shown in Figure 14-1.
Note that the semaphore is drawn as a ag to indicate that it is used to signal the
occurrence of an event. The initial value for the semaphore is typically zero (0), indicating
the event has not yet occurred.
The value N next to the flag indicates that the semaphore can accumulate events or credits. It is
possible to initialize the semaphore with a value other than zero, indicating that the semaphore
initially contains that number of events. An ISR (or a task) can post (or signal) multiple times to a
semaphore and the semaphore will remember how many times it was posted.
14
Also, the small hourglass close to the receiving task indicates that the task has an option to
specify a timeout. This timeout indicates that the task is willing to wait for the semaphore to
be signaled (or posted to) within a certain amount of time. If the semaphore is not signaled
within that time, C/OS-III resumes the task and returns an error code indicating that the
task was made ready to run because of a timeout and not the semaphore was signaled.
7DVN
266HP&UHDWH
266HP'HO
266HP3HQG$ERUW
266HP3RVW
266HP6HW
266HP3RVW
,65
266HP3HQG
7DVN
7LPHRXW
Figure 14-1 C/OS-III Semaphore Services
There are a number of operations to perform on semaphores as summarized in Table 14-1

and Figure 14-1. However, in this chapter, we will only discuss the three functions used most
often: OSSemCreate(), OSSemPend(), and OSSemPost(). The other functions are described
in Appendix A, C/OS-III API Reference Manual on page 383. Also note that every
semaphore function is callable from a task, but only OSSemPost() can be called by an ISR
260
Synchronization
Function Name
Operation
OSSemCreate()
Create a semaphore.
OSSemDel()
Delete a semaphore.
OSSemPend()
Wait on a semaphore.
OSSemPendAbort()
Abort the wait on a semaphore.
OSSemPost()
Signal a semaphore.
OSSemSet()
Table 14-1 Semaphore API summary
When used for synchronization, a semaphore keeps track of how many times it was
signaled using a counter. The counter can take values between 0 and 255, 65,535, or
4,294,967,295, depending on whether the semaphore mechanism is implemented using 8,
16, or 32 bits, respectively. For C/OS-III, the maximum value of a semaphore is determined
by the data type OS_SEM_CTR (see OS_TYPE.H), which is changeable, as needed (assuming
access to C/OS-IIIs source code). Along with the semaphores value, C/OS-III keeps track
of tasks waiting for the semaphore to be signaled.
261
14
Chapter 14
14-1-1 UNILATERAL RENDEZVOUS

Figure 14-2 shows that a task can be synchronized with an ISR (or another task) by using a
semaphore. In this case, no data is exchanged, however there is an indication that the ISR or
the task (on the left) has occurred. Using a semaphore for this type of synchronization is
called a unilateral rendezvous.
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266HP3HQG
266HP3RVW
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7DVN
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266HP3HQG
266HP3RVW
7DVN
7LPHRXW
14
Figure 14-2 Unilateral Rendezvous
A unilateral rendezvous is used when a task initiates an I/O operation and waits (i.e., call
OSSemPend()) for the semaphore to be signaled (posted). When the I/O operation is
complete, an ISR (or another task) signals the semaphore (i.e., calls OSSemPost()), and the
task is resumed. This process is also shown on the timeline of Figure 14-3 and described
below. The code for the ISR and task is shown in Listing 14-1.

,65
266HP3RVW

266HP3HQG
+3
7DVN
/3
7DVN

Figure 14-3 Unilateral Rendezvous, Timing Diagram
262
Synchronization
F14-3(1)
F14-3(2)
F14-3(3)
F14-3(4)
A high priority task is executing. The task needs to synchronize with an ISR
(i.e., wait for the ISR to occur) and call OSSemPend().
Since the ISR has not occurred, the task will be placed in the waiting list for the
semaphore until the event occurs The scheduler in C/OS-III will then select
the next most important task and context switch to that task.
F14-3(5)
The low-priority task executes.
F14-3(6)
The event that the original task was waiting for occurs. The lower-priority task
is immediately preempted (assuming interrupts are enabled), and the CPU
vectors to the interrupt handler for the event.
F14-3(7)
F14-3(8)
F14-3(9)
F14-3(10)
F14-3(11)
The ISR handles the interrupting device and then calls OSSemPost() to signal
the semaphore. When the ISR completes, C/OS-III is called.
C/OS-III notices that a higher-priority task is waiting for this event to occur
and context switches back to the original task.
The original task resumes execution immediately after the call to OSSemPend().
263
14
Chapter 14
OS_SEM
MySem;
void MyISR (void)

{
OS_ERR
err;
/* Clear the interrupting device */

OSSemPost(&MySem,
OS_OPT_POST_1,
&err);
/* Check err */
(7)
14

{
OS_ERR err;
CPU_TS ts;
:
:
while (DEF_ON) {
OSSemPend(&MySem,
10,
&ts,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
}
}
(1)
(11)
Listing 14-1 Pending (or waiting) on a Semaphore
A few interesting things are worth noting about this process. First, the task does not need to
know about the details of what happens behind the scenes. As far as the task is concerned,
it called a function (OSSemPend()) that will return when the event it is waiting for occurs.
Second, C/OS-III maximizes the use of the CPU by selecting the next most important task,
which executes until the ISR occurs. In fact, the ISR may not occur for many milliseconds
and, during that time, the CPU will work on other tasks. As far as the task that is waiting for
the semaphore is concerned, it does not consume CPU time while it is waiting. Finally, the
task waiting for the semaphore will execute immediately after the event occurs (assuming it
is the most important task that needs to run).
264
Synchronization
14-1-2 CREDIT TRACKING

As previously mentioned, a semaphore remembers how many times it was signaled (or
posted to). In other words, if the ISR occurs multiple times before the task waiting for the
event becomes the highest-priority task, the semaphore will keep count of the number of
times it was signaled. When the task becomes the highest priority ready-to-run task, it will
execute without blocking as many times as there were ISRs signaled. This is called Credit
Tracking and is illustrated in Figure 14-4 and described below.
6HP

,65

6HP

266HP3RVW
266HP3RVW

&26,,,

14
7DVN
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266HP3HQG
Figure 14-4 Semaphore Credit Tracking
F14-4(1)
F14-4(2)
F14-4(3)
F14-4(4)
F14-4(5)
F14-4(6)
A high-priority task is executing.
An event meant for a lower-priority task occurs which preempts the task
(assuming interrupts are enabled). The ISR executes and posts the semaphore.
At this point the semaphore count is 1.
C/OS-III is called at the end of the ISR to see if the ISR caused a
higher-priority task to be ready to run. Since the ISR was an event that a
lower-priority task was waiting on, C/OS-III will resume execution of the
higher-priority task at the exact point where it was interrupted.
265
Chapter 14
F14-4(7)
F14-4(8)
F14-4(9)
F14-4(10)
F14-4(11)
F14-4(12)
F14-4(13)
F14-4(14)
14
F14-4(15)
F14-4(16)
F14-4(17)
266
The high-priority task is resumed and continues execution.
The interrupt occurs a second time. The ISR executes and posts the semaphore.
At this point the semaphore count is 2.
C/OS-III is called at the end of the ISR to see if the ISR caused a
higher-priority task to be ready to run. Since the ISR was an event that a
lower-priority task was waiting on, C/OS-III resumes execution of the
higher-priority task at the exact point where it was interrupted.
The high-priority task resumes execution and actually terminates the work it
was doing. This task will then call one of the C/OS-III services to wait for its
event to occur.
C/OS-III will then select the next most important task, which happens to be
the task waiting for the event and will context switch to that task.
The new task executes and will know that the ISR occurred twice since the
semaphore count is two. The task will handle this accordingly.
Synchronization
14-1-3 MULTIPLE TASKS WAITING ON A SEMAPHORE

It is possible for more than one task to wait on the same semaphore, each with its own
timeout as illustrated in Figure 14-5.
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7LPHRXW
7DVN
266HP3HQG
266HP3RVW
266HP3HQG
266HP3RVW
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7DVN
7LPHRXW
266HP3HQG
7LPHRXW
14
7DVN
Figure 14-5 Multiple Tasks waiting on a Semaphore
When the semaphore is signaled (whether by an ISR or task), C/OS-III makes the
highest-priority task waiting on the semaphore ready to run. However, it is also possible to
specify that all tasks waiting on the semaphore be made ready to run. This is called
broadcasting and is accomplished by specifying OS_OPT_POST_ALL as an option when
calling OSSemPost(). If any of the waiting tasks has a higher priority than the previously
running task, C/OS-III will execute the highest-priority task made ready by OSSemPost().
Broadcasting is a common technique used to synchronize multiple tasks and have them
start executing at the same time. However, some of the tasks that we want to synchronize
might not be waiting for the semaphore. It is fairly easy to resolve this problem by
combining semaphores and event flags. This will be described after examining event flags.
267
Chapter 14
14-1-4 SEMAPHORE INTERNALS (FOR SYNCHRONIZATION)

Note that some of the material presented in this section is also contained in Chapter 13,
Resource Management on page 217, as semaphores were also discussed in that chapter.
However, the material presented here will be applicable to semaphores used for
synchronization and thus will differ somewhat.
A counting semaphore allows values between 0 and 255, 65,535, or 4,294,967,295,
depending on whether the semaphore mechanism is implemented using 8, 16, or 32 bits,
respectively. For C/OS-III, the maximum value of a semaphore is determined by the data
type OS_SEM_CTR (see OS_TYPE.H), which can be changed as needed (assuming access to
C/OS-IIIs source code). Along with the semaphores value, C/OS-III keeps track of tasks
waiting for the semaphores availability.
14
The application programmer can create an unlimited number of semaphores (limited only
by available RAM). Semaphore services in C/OS-III start with the OSSem???() prefix, and
services available to the application programmer are described in Appendix A, C/OS-III
API Reference Manual on page 383. Semaphore services are enabled at compile time by
setting the configuration constant OS_CFG_SEM_EN to 1 in OS_CFG.H.
Semaphores must be created before they can be used by the application. Listing 14-3 shows
how to create a semaphore.
As previously mentioned, a semaphore is a kernel object as defined by the OS_SEM data
type, which is derived from the structure os_sem (see OS.H) as shown in Listing 14-2.
The services provided by C/OS-III to manage semaphores are implemented in the file
OS_SEM.C. C/OS-III licensees, have access to the source code.
268
Synchronization
typedef
struct
struct os_sem {
OS_OBJ_TYPE
CPU_CHAR
OS_PEND_LIST
OS_SEM_CTR
CPU_TS
};
os_sem
OS_SEM;
(1)
Type;
*NamePtr;
PendList;
Ctr;
TS;
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
Listing 14-2 OS_SEM data type
L14-2(1)
OS_ and are all uppercase. When a semaphore is declared, simply use OS_SEM
as the data type of the variable used to declare the semaphore.
L14-2(2)

C/OS-III as a semaphore. In other words, other kernel objects will also have a
Type as the first member of the structure. If a function is passed a kernel
object, C/OS-III will confirm that it is being passed the proper data type. For
example, if passing a message queue (OS_Q) to a semaphore service (for
example OSSemPend()), C/OS-III will recognize that an invalid object was
passed, and return an error code accordingly.
L14-2(3)
Each kernel object can be given a name to make them easier to be recognized
by debuggers or C/Probe. This member is simply a pointer to an ASCII string,
L14-2(4)
Since it is possible for multiple tasks to be waiting (or pending) on a

semaphore, the semaphore object contains a pend list as described in
Chapter 10, Pend Lists (or Wait Lists) on page 185.
L14-2(5)
A semaphore contains a counter. As explained above, the counter can be

implemented as either an 8-, 16- or 32-bit value, depending on how the data
type OS_SEM_CTR is declared in OS_TYPE.H.
C/OS-III keeps track of how many times the semaphore is signaled with this
counter and this field is typically initialized to zero by OSSemCreate().
269
14
Chapter 14
L14-2(6)
A semaphore contains a time stamp, which is used to indicate the last time the
semaphore was signaled (or posted to). C/OS-III assumes the presence of a
free-running counter that allows the application to make time measurements.
When the semaphore is signaled, the free-running counter is read and the
value is placed in this field, which is returned when OSSemPend() is called.
This value allows the application to determine either when the signal was
performed, or how long it took for the task to get control of the CPU from the
signal. In the latter case, call OS_TS_GET() to determine the current timestamp
and compute the difference.
Even for users who understand the internals of the OS_SEM data type, the application code
Semaphores must be created before they can be used by an application. Listing 14-3 shows
how to create a semaphore.
14
OS_SEM
void
{
MySem;
(1)
MyCode (void)
OS_ERR err;
:
OSSemCreate(&MySem,
My Semaphore,
(OS_SEM_CTR)0,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
Listing 14-3 Creating a Semaphore
L14-3(1)
The application must declare a variable of type OS_SEM. This variable will be
referenced by other semaphore services.
L14-3(2)
Create a semaphore by calling OSSemCreate() and pass the address to the

semaphore allocated in (1).
270
Synchronization
L14-3(3)
Assign an ASCII name to the semaphore, which can be used by debuggers or

C/Probe to easily identify this semaphore.
L14-3(4)
Initialize the semaphore to zero (0) when using a semaphore as a signaling

mechanism.
L14-3(5)
OSSemCreate() returns an error code based on the outcome of the call. If all
arguments are valid, err will contain OS_ERR_NONE.
OSSemCreate() performs a check on the arguments passed to this function and only
initializes the contents of the variable of type OS_SEM used for signaling.
A task waits for a signal from an ISR or another task by calling OSSemPend() as shown in
Listing 14-4 (see Appendix A, C/OS-III API Reference Manual on page 383 for details
regarding the arguments).
OS_SEM
MySem;
void MyCode (void)

{
OS_ERR err;
:
OSSemCreate(&MySem,
My Semaphore,
(OS_SEM_CTR)0,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
}
14
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
Listing 14-4 Pending (or waiting) on a Semaphore
L14-4(1)
When called, OSSemPend() starts by checking the arguments passed to this

If the semaphore counter (.Ctr of OS_SEM) is greater than zero, the counter is
decremented and OSSemPend() returns, which indicates that the signal
occurred. This is the outcome that the caller expects.
271
Chapter 14
If the semaphore counter is zero, this indicates that the signal has not occurred
and the calling task might need to wait for the semaphore to be released. If
specifying OS_OPT_PEND_NON_BLOCKING as the option (the task is not to
block), OSSemPend() returns immediately to the caller and the returned error
code will indicate that the signal did not occur.
inserted in the list of tasks waiting for the semaphore to be signaled. The task is
inserted in the list by priority order with the highest priority task waiting on the
semaphore at the beginning of the list as shown in Figure 14-6.
tick list. A zero value for a timeout indicates that the calling task is willing to
wait forever for the semaphore to be signaled.
The scheduler is then called as the current task is not able to run (it is waiting
for the semaphore to be signaled). The scheduler will then run the next
14
When the semaphore is signaled and the task that called OSSemPend() is again
the highest-priority task, a task status is examined to determine the reason why
OSSemPend() is returning to its caller. The possibilities are:
1) The semaphore was signaled
3) The semaphore was not signaled within the specified timeout
4) The semaphore was deleted
When OSSemPend() returns, the caller is notified of the above outcome
L14-4(2)
272
If OSSemPend() returns with err set to OS_ERR_NONE, assume that the

semaphore was signaled and the task can proceed with servicing the ISR or
task that caused the signal. If err contains anything else, OSSemPend() either
timed out (if the timeout argument was non-zero), the pend was aborted by
Synchronization
another task, or the semaphore was deleted by another task. It is always

important to examine returned error code and not assume everything went
as expected.
To signal a task (either from an ISR or a task), simply call OSSemPost() as shown in
Listing 14-5.
OS_SEM
MySem;
void MyISR (void)

{
OS_ERR err;
:
OSSemPost(&MySem,
OS_OPT_POST_1,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
}
(1)
(2)
(3)
14
Listing 14-5 Posting (or signaling) a Semaphore
L14-5(1)
Your task signals (or posts to) the semaphore by calling OSSemPost(). Specify
the semaphore to post by passing its address. The semaphore must have been
previously created.
L14-5(2)
The next argument specifies how the task wants to post. There are a number of
options to choose from.
Specify OS_OPT_POST_1, which indicates posting to only one task in case there
are multiple tasks waiting on the semaphore. The task that will be made ready
to run will be the highest-priority task waiting on the semaphore. If there are
multiple tasks at the same priority, only one of them will be made ready-to-run.
As shown in Figure 14-6, tasks waiting are in priority order (HPT means High
Priority Task and LPT means Low Priority Task). It is a fast operation to extract
the HPT from the list.
273
Chapter 14
If specifying OS_OPT_POST_ALL, all tasks waiting on the semaphore will be

posted and made ready to run.
The calling task can add the option OS_OPT_POST_NO_SCHED to either of the
two previous options to indicate that the scheduler is not to be called at the
end of OSSemPost(), possibly because additional postings will be performed,
and rescheduling should take place when finished. This means that the signal is
performed, but the scheduler is not called even if a higher-priority task was
waiting for the semaphore to be signaled. This allows the calling task to
perform other post functions (if needed) and make all the posts take effect
simultaneously. Note that OS_OPT_POST_NO_SCHED is additive, meaning that it
can be used with either of the previous options. You can specify:
OS_OPT_POST_1
OS_OPT_POST_ALL
OS_OPT_POST_1 + OS_OPT_POST_NO_SCHED
OS_OPT_POST_ALL + OS_OPT_POST_NO_SCHED
14
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Figure 14-6 Tasks waiting for semaphore
274
Synchronization
L14-5(3)
OSSemPost() returns an error code based on the outcome of the call. If the call
was successful, err will contain OS_ERR_NONE. If not, the error code will
indicate the reason for the error (see Appendix A, C/OS-III API Reference
Manual on page 383 for a list of possible error codes for OSSemPost().
14-2 TASK SEMAPHORE

Signaling a task using a semaphore is a very popular method of synchronization and, in
C/OS-III, each task has its own built-in semaphore. This feature not only simplifies code,
but is also more efficient than using a separate semaphore object. The semaphore, which is
built into each task, is shown in Figure 14-7.
Task semaphore services in C/OS-III start with the OSTaskSem???() prefix, and the
services available to the application programmer are described in Appendix A, C/OS-III
API Reference Manual on page 383. Task semaphores are built into C/OS-III and cannot
be disabled at compile time as can other services. The code for task semaphores is found
in OS_TASK.C.
Use this feature if the code knows which task to signal when the event occurs. For example, if
receiving an interrupt from an Ethernet controller, signal the task responsible for processing the
received packet as it is preferable to perform this processing using a task instead of the ISR.
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Figure 14-7 Semaphore built-into a Task
There are a number of operations to perform on task semaphores, summarized in

Table 14-2.
275
14
Chapter 14
Function Name
Operation
OSTaskSemPend()
Wait on a task semaphore.
OSTaskSemPendAbort()
Abort the wait on a task semaphore.
OSTaskSemPost()
Signal a task.
OSTaskSemSet()
Table 14-2 Task Semaphore API summary
14-2-1 PENDING (i.e., WAITING) ON A TASK SEMAPHORE

When a task is created, it automatically creates an internal semaphore with an initial value
of zero (0). Waiting on a task semaphore is quite simple, as shown in Listing 14-6.
14

{
OS_ERR err;
CPU_TS ts;
:
while (DEF_ON) {
OSTaskSemPend(10,
&ts,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
}
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
Listing 14-6 Pending (or waiting) on Tasks internal semaphore
L14-6(1)
276
A task pends (or waits) on the task semaphore by calling OSTaskSemPend().

There is no need to specify which task, as the current task is assumed. The first
argument is a timeout specified in number of clock ticks. The actual timeout
obviously depends on the tick rate. If the tick rate (see OS_CFG_APP.H) is set to
1000, a timeout of 10 ticks represents 10 milliseconds. Specifying a timeout of
zero (0) means that the task will wait forever for the task semaphore.
Synchronization
L14-6(2)
The second argument specifies how to pend. There are

OS_OPT_PEND_BLOCKING and OS_OPT_PEND_NON_BLOCKING.
option means that, if the task semaphore has not been signaled
the task will wait until the semaphore is signaled, the pend
another task or, until the timeout expires.
two options:
The blocking
(or posted to),
is aborted by
L14-6(3)
When the semaphore is signaled, C/OS-III reads a timestamp and places it

in the receiving tasks OS_TCB. When OSTaskSemPend() returns, the value of
the timestamp is placed in the local variable ts. This feature captures when
the signal actually happened. Call OS_TS_GET() to read the current
timestamp and compute the difference. This establishes how long it took for
the task to receive the signal from the posting task or ISR.
L14-6(4)
OSTaskSemPend() returns an error code based on the outcome of the call. If

the call was successful, err will contain OS_ERR_NONE. If not, the error code will
indicate the reason of the error (see Appendix A, C/OS-III API Reference
Manual on page 383 for a list of possible error code for OSTaskSemPend().
14-2-2 POSTING (i.e., SIGNALING) A TASK SEMAPHORE

An ISR or a task signals a task by calling OSTaskSemPost(), as shown in Listing 14-7.
OS_TCB
MyTaskTCB;
void MyISR (void *p_arg)

{
OS_ERR err;
:
OSTaskSemPost(&MyTaskTCB,
OS_OPT_POST_NONE,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
}
(1)
(2)
(3)
Listing 14-7 Posting (or signaling) a Semaphore
277
14
Chapter 14
L14-7(1)
A task posts (or signals) the task by calling OSTaskSemPost(). It is necessary to

pass the address of the desired tasks OS_TCB. Of course, the task must exist.
L14-7(2)
The next argument specifies how the user wants to post. There are only two
choices.
Specify OS_OPT_POST_NONE, which indicates the use of the default option of
calling the scheduler after posting the semaphore.
Or, specify OS_OPT_POST_NO_SCHED to indicate that the scheduler is not to be
called at the end of OSTaskSemPost(), possibly because there will be
additional postings, and rescheduling would take place when finished (the last
post would not specify this option).
L14-7(3)
14
278
OSTaskSemPost() returns an error code based on the outcome of the call. If

the call was successful, err will contain OS_ERR_NONE. If not, the error code will
Manual on page 383 for a list of possible error codes for OSTaskSemPost().
Synchronization
14-2-3 BILATERAL RENDEZVOUS

Two tasks can synchronize their activities by using two task semaphores, as shown in
Figure 14-8, and is called a bilateral rendezvous. A bilateral rendezvous is similar to a
unilateral rendezvous, except that both tasks must synchronize with one another before
proceeding. A bilateral rendezvous cannot be performed between a task and an ISR
because an ISR cannot wait on a semaphore.
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Figure 14-8 Bilateral Rendezvous
The code for a bilateral rendezvous is shown in Listing 14-8. Of course, a bilateral
rendezvous can use two separate semaphores, but the built-in task semaphore makes
setting up this type of synchronization quite straightforward.
279
Chapter 14
OS_TCB
MyTask1_TCB;
OS_TCB
MyTask2_TCB;

{
OS_ERR err;
CPU_TS
ts;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
OSTaskSemPost(&MyTask2_TCB,
OS_OPT_POST_NONE,
&err);
/* Check err */
OSTaskSemPend(0,
&ts,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
}
14
(1)
(2)

{
OS_ERR err;
CPU_TS ts;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
OSTaskSemPost(&MyTask1_TCB,
OS_OPT_POST_NONE,
&err);
/* Check err */
OSTaskSemPend(0,
&ts,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
}
(3)
(4)
Listing 14-8 Tasks synchronizing their activities
280
Synchronization
L14-8(1)
Task #1 is executing and signals Task #2s semaphore.
L14-8(2)
Task #1 pends on its internal semaphore to synchronize with Task #2. Because
Task #2 has not executed yet, Task #1 is blocked waiting on its semaphore to
be signaled. C/OS-III context switches to Task #2.
L14-8(3)
Task #2 executes, and signals Task #1s semaphore.
L14-8(4)
Since it has already been signaled, Task #2 is now synchronized to Task #1. If
Task #1 is higher in priority than Task #2, C/OS-III will switch back to Task
#1. If not, Task #2 continues execution.
14-3 EVENT FLAGS

Event ags are used when a task needs to synchronize with the occurrence of multiple
events. The task can be synchronized when any of the events have occurred, which is called
disjunctive synchronization (logical OR). A task can also be synchronized when all events
have occurred, which is called conjunctive synchronization (logical AND). Disjunctive and
conjunctive synchronization are shown in Figure 14-9.
The application programmer can create an unlimited number of event flag groups (limited
only by available RAM). Event flag services in C/OS-III start with the OSFlag???() prefix.
The services available to the application programmer are described in Appendix A,
C/OS-III API Reference Manual on page 383.
The code for event flag services is found in the file OS_FLAG.C, and is enabled at compile
time by setting the configuration constant OS_CFG_FLAG_EN to 1 in OS_CFG.H.
281
14
Chapter 14

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Figure 14-9 Event Flags
F14-9(1)
A C/OS-III event flag group is a kernel object of type OS_FLAG_GRP (see

OS.H), and consists of a series of bits (8-, 16- or 32-bits, based on the data type
OS_FLAGS defined in OS_TYPE.H). The event flag group also contains a list of
tasks waiting for some (or all) of the bits to be set (1) or clear (0). An event flag
group must be created before it can be used by tasks and ISRs. Create event
flags prior to starting C/OS-III, or by a startup task in the application code.
F14-9(2)
Tasks or ISRs can post to event flags. In addition, only tasks can create, delete,
and stop other task from pending on event flag groups.
F14-9(3)
A task can wait (i.e., pend) on any number of bits in an event flag group (i.e., a
subset of all the bits). As with all C/OS-III pend calls, the calling task can
specify a timeout value such that if the desired bits are not posted within a
specified amount of time (in ticks), the pending task is resumed and informed
about the timeout.
F14-9(4)
The task can specify whether it wants to wait for any subset of bits (OR) to be
set (or clear), or wait for all bits in a subset of bit (AND) to be set (or clear).
282
Synchronization
There are a number of operations to perform on event flags, as summarized in Table 14-3.
Function Name
Operation
OSFlagCreate()
Create an event flag group
OSFlagDel()
Delete an event flag group
OSFlagPend()
Pend (i.e., wait) on an event flag group
OSFlagPendAbort()
Abort waiting on an event flag group
OSFlagPendGetFlagsRdy()
Get flags that caused task to become ready
OSFlagPost()
Post flag(s) to an event flag group
Table 14-3 Event Flags API summary
14-3-1 USING EVENT FLAGS
14
When a task or an ISR posts to an event flag group, all tasks that have their wait conditions
satisfied will be resumed.
Its up to the application to determine what each bit in an event flag group means and it is
possible to use as many event flag groups as needed. In an event flag group you can, for
example, define that bit #0 indicates that a temperature sensor is too low, bit #1 may
indicate a low battery voltage, bit #2 could indicate that a switch was pressed, etc. The code
(tasks or ISRs) that detects these conditions would set the appropriate event flag by calling
OSFlagPost() and the task(s) that would respond to those conditions would call
OSFlagPend().
Listing 14-9 shows how to use event flags.
283
Chapter 14
#define
TEMP_LOW
#define
#define
BATT_LOW
(OS_FLAGS)0x0002
SW_PRESSED (OS_FLAGS)0x0004
(OS_FLAGS)0x0001
OS_FLAG_GRP
MyEventFlagGrp;
(1)
(2)
void main (void)

{
OS_ERR
err;
OSInit(&err);
:
OSFlagCreate(&MyEventFlagGrp,
My Event Flag Group,
(OS_FLAGS)0,
&err);
(3)
/* Check err */
:
OSStart(&err);
}
14
{
OS_ERR err;
CPU_TS ts;
while (DEF_ON) {
OSFlagPend(&MyEventFlagGrp,
TEMP_LOW + BATT_LOW,
(OS_TICK )0,
(OS_OPT)OS_OPT_PEND_FLAG_SET_ANY,
&ts,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
}
}
284
(4)
(5)
Synchronization
void
{
MyISR (void)
OS_ERR err;
:
OSFlagPost(&MyEventFlagGrp,
(6)
(7)
BAT_LOW,
(OS_OPT)OS_OPT_POST_FLAG_SET,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
}
Listing 14-9 Using Event Flags
L14-9(1)
Define some bits in the event flag group.
L14-9(2)
Declare an object of type OS_FLAG_GRP. This object will be referenced in all

subsequent C/OS-III calls that apply to this event flag group. For the sake of
discussions, assume that event flags are declared to be 16-bits in OS_TYPE.H
(i.e., of type CPU_INT16U).
L14-9(3)
Event flag groups must be created before they can be used. The best place to
do this is in your startup code as it ensures that no tasks, or ISR, will be able to
use the event flag group until C/OS-III is started. In other words, the best
place is to create the event flag group is in main(). In the example, the event
flag was given a name and all bits start in their cleared state (i.e., all zeros).
L14-9(4)
Assume that the application created MyTask() which will be pending on the
event flag group.
L14-9(5)
To pend on an event flag group, call OSFlagPend() and pass it the address of
the desired event flag group.
The second argument specifies which bits the task will be waiting to be set
(assuming the task is triggered by set bits instead of cleared bits).
Specify how long to wait for these bits to be set. A timeout value of zero (0)
indicates that the task will wait forever. A non-zero value indicates the number
of ticks the task will wait until it is resumed if the desired bits are not set.
285
14
Chapter 14
Specifying OS_OPT_FLAG_SET_ANY indicates that the task will wake up if either

of the two bits specified is set.
A timestamp is read and saved when the event flag group is posted to. This
timestamp can be used to determine the response time to the event.
OSFlagPend() performs a number of checks on the arguments passed (i.e., did
you pass NULL pointers, invalid options, etc.), and returns an error code based
on the outcome of the call. If the call was successful err will be set to
OS_ERR_NONE.
L14-9(6)
An ISR (it can also be a task) is setup to detect when the battery voltage of the
product goes low (assuming the product is battery operated). The ISR signals
the task, letting the task perform whatever corrective action is needed.
L14-9(7)
The desired event flag group is specified in the post call as well as which flag
the ISR is setting. The third option specifies that the error condition will be
flagged as a set bit. Again, the function sets err based on the outcome of
the call.
14
Event flags are generally used for two purposes: status and transient events. Typically use
different event flag groups to handle each of these as shown in Listing 14-10.
Tasks or ISRs can report status information such as a temperature that has exceeded a
certain value, that RPM is zero on an engine or motor, or there is fuel in the tank, and more.
This status information cannot be consumed by the tasks waiting for these events, because
the status is managed by other tasks or ISRs. Event flags associated with status information
are monitored by other task by using non-blocking wait calls.
Tasks will report transient events such as a switch was pressed, an object was detected by a
motion sensor, an explosion occurred, etc. The task that responds to these events will
typically block waiting for any of those events to occur and consume the event.
286
Synchronization
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14-3-2 EVENT FLAGS INTERNALS

The application programmer can create an unlimited number of event flag groups (limited
only by available RAM). Event flag services in C/OS-III start with OSFlag and the services
Reference Manual on page 383. Event flag services are enabled at compile time by setting
the configuration constant OS_CFG_FLAG_EN to 1 in OS_CFG.H.
An event flag group is a kernel object as defined by the OS_FLAG_GRP data type, which is
derived from the structure os_flag_grp (see OS.H) as shown in Listing 14-10.
287
Chapter 14
The services provided by C/OS-III to manage event flags are implemented in the file
OS_FLAG.C. C/OS-III licensees have access to the source code.
typedef
struct
os_flag_grp
struct os_flag_grp {
OS_OBJ_TYPE
CPU_CHAR
OS_PEND_LIST
OS_FLAGS
CPU_TS
};
OS_FLAG_GRP;
Type;
*NamePtr;
PendList;
Flags;
TS;
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
Listing 14-10 OS_FLAG_GRP data type
L14-10(1)
OS_ and are uppercase. When an event flag group is declared, simply use
OS_FLAG_GRP as the data type of the variable used to declare the event flag
group.
L14-10(2)

C/OS-III as an event flag group. In other words, other kernel objects will also
have a Type as the first member of the structure. If a function is passed a
kernel object, C/OS-III will be able to confirm that it is being passed the
proper data type. For example, if passing a message queue (OS_Q) to an event
flag service (for example OSFlagPend()), C/OS-III will be able to recognize
that an invalid object was passed, and return an error code accordingly.
L14-10(3)
Each kernel object can be given a name to make them easier to be recognized
by debuggers or C/Probe. This member is simply a pointer to an ASCII string,
L14-10(4)
Because it is possible for multiple tasks to be waiting (or pending) on an event

flag group, the event flag group object contains a pend list as described in
Chapter 10, Pend Lists (or Wait Lists) on page 185.
14
288
Synchronization
L14-10(5)
An event flag group contains a series of flags (i.e., bits), and this member
contains the current state of these flags. The flags can be implemented using
either an 8-, 16- or 32-bit value depending on how the data type OS_FLAGS is
declared in OS_TYPE.H.
L14-10(6)
An event flag group contains a timestamp used to indicate the last time the
event flag group was posted to. C/OS-III assumes the presence of a
free-running counter that allows users to make time measurements. When the
event flag group is posted to, the free-running counter is read and the value is
placed in this field, which is returned when OSFlagPend() is called. This value
allows an application to determine either when the post was performed, or
how long it took for your the to obtain control of the CPU from the post. In the
latter case, call OS_TS_GET() to determine the current timestamp and compute
the difference.
Even if the user understands the internals of the OS_FLAG_GRP data type, application code
Event flag groups must be created before they can be used by an application as shown in
Listing 14-11.
OS_FLAG_GRP
MyEventFlagGrp;
void MyCode (void)

{
OS_ERR err;
:
OSFlagCreate(&MyEventFlagGrp,
My Event Flag Group,
(OS_FLAGS)0,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
}
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
Listing 14-11 Creating a Event Flag Group
289
14
Chapter 14
L14-11(1)
The application must declare a variable of type OS_FLAG_GRP. This variable will
be referenced by other event flag services.
L14-11(2)
Create an event flag group by calling OSFlagCreate() and pass the address to
the event flag group allocated in (1).
L14-11(3)
Assign an ASCII name to the event flag group, which can be used by debuggers
or C/Probe to easily identify this event flag group. C/OS-III stores a pointer
to the name so there is no practical limit to its size, except that the ASCII string
needs to be NUL terminated.
L14-11(4)
Initialize the flags inside the event flag group to zero (0) unless the task and
ISRs signal events with bits cleared instead of bits set. If using cleared bits,
initialize all the bits to ones (1).
L14-11(5)
OSFlagCreate() returns an error code based on the outcome of the call. If all
the arguments are valid, err will contain OS_ERR_NONE.
14
A task waits for one or more event flag bits either from an ISR or another task by calling
OSFlagPend() as shown in Listing 14-12 (see Appendix A, C/OS-III API Reference
Manual on page 383 for details regarding the arguments).
290
Synchronization
OS_FLAG_GRP
MyEventFlagGrp;

{
OS_ERR
CPU_TS
err;
ts;
:
while (DEF_ON) {
:
OSFlagPend(&MyEventFlagGrp,
(OS_FLAGS)0x0F,
10,
OS_OPT_PEND_BLOCKING +
OS_OPT_PEND_FLAG_SET_ANY,
&ts,
&err);
/* Check err
:
:
}
/* (1) Pointer to event flag group

/*
Which bits to wait on
/*
Maximum time to wait
*/
*/
*/
/*
/*
/*
*/
*/
*/
*/
Option(s)
Timestamp of when posted to
(2)
14
Listing 14-12 Pending (or waiting) on an Event Flag Group
L14-12(1)
When called, OSFlagPend() starts by checking the arguments passed to this

function to ensure they have valid values. If the bits the task is waiting for are
set (or cleared depending on the option), OSFlagPend() returns and indicate
which flags satisfied the condition. This is the outcome that the caller expects.
If the event flag group does not contain the flags that the caller is looking for,
the calling task might need to wait for the desired flags to be set (or cleared). If
specifying OS_OPT_PEND_NON_BLOCKING as the option (the task is not to
block), OSFlagPend() returns immediately to the caller and the returned error
code indicates that the bits have not been set (or cleared).
inserted in the list of tasks waiting for the desired event flag bits. The task is not
inserted in priority order but simply inserted at the beginning of the list. This is
done because whenever bits are set (or cleared), it is necessary to examine all
tasks in this list to see if their desired bits have been satisfied.
291
Chapter 14
tick list. A zero value for a timeout indicates that the calling task is willing to
wait forever for the desired bits.
The scheduler is then called since the current task is no longer able to run (it is
waiting for the desired bits). The scheduler will run the next highest-priority
task that is ready to run.
When the event flag group is posted to and the task that called OSFlagPend()
has its desired bits set or cleared, a task status is examined to determine the
reason why OSFlagPend() is returning to its caller. The possibilities are:
1) The desired bits were set (or cleared)
3) The bits were not set (or cleared) within the specified timeout
14
4) The event flag group was deleted

When OSFlagPend() returns, the caller is notified of the above outcome
L14-12(2)
If OSFlagPend() returns with err set to OS_ERR_NONE, assume that the desired
bits were set (or cleared) and the task can proceed with servicing the ISR or
task that created those events. If err contains anything else, OSFlagPend()
either timed out (if the timeout argument was non-zero), the pend was aborted
by another task or, the event flag group was deleted by another task. It is
always important to examine the returned error code and not assume
everything went as planned.
To set (or clear) event flags (either from an ISR or a task), simply call OSFlagPost(), as
292
Synchronization
OS_FLAG_GRP
MyEventFlagGrp;
void MyISR (void)

{
OS_ERR
err;
:
OSFlagPost(&MyEventFlagGrp,
(1)
(OS_FLAGS)0x0C,
(2)
OS_OPT_POST_FLAG_SET,
(3)
&err);
(4)
/* Check err */
:
:
}
Listing 14-13 Posting flags to an Event Flag Group
L14-13(1)
A task posts to the event flag group by calling OSFlagPost(). Specify the
desired event flag group to post by passing its address. Of course, the event
flag group must have been previously created.
L14-13(2)
The next argument specifies which bit(s) the ISR (or task) will be setting or
clearing in the event flag group.
L14-13(3)
Specify OS_OPT_POST_FLAG_SET or OS_OPT_POST_FLAG_CLR.

If specifying OS_OPT_POST_FLAG_SET, the bits specified in the second
arguments will set the corresponding bits in the event flag group. For example,
if MyEventFlagGrp.Flags contains 0x03, the code in Listing 14-13 will change
MyEventFlagGrp.Flags to 0x0F.
If specifying OS_OPT_POST_FLAG_CLR, the bits specified in the second
arguments will clear the corresponding bits in the event flag group. For
example, if MyEventFlagGrp.Flags contains 0x0F, the code in Listing 14-13
will change MyEventFlagGrp.Flags to 0x03.
293
14
Chapter 14
When calling OSFlagPost() specify as an option (i.e., OS_OPT_POST_NO_SCHED)

to not call the scheduler. This means that the post is performed, but the
scheduler is not called even if a higher-priority task was waiting for the event
flag group. This allows the calling task to perform other post functions (if
needed) and make all the posts take effect simultaneously.
L14-13(4)
OSFlagPost() returns an error code based on the outcome of the call. If the
call was successful, err will contain OS_ERR_NONE. If not, the error code will
Manual on page 383 for a list of possible error codes for OSFlagPost().
14-4 SYNCHRONIZING MULTIPLE TASKS
14
Synchronizing the execution of multiple tasks by broadcasting to a semaphore is a

commonly used technique. It may be important to have multiple tasks start executing at
the same time. Obviously, on a single processor, only one task will actually execute at
one time. However, the start of their execution will be synchronized to the same time.
This is called a multiple task rendezvous. However, some of the tasks synchronized might
not be waiting for the semaphore when the broadcast is performed. It is fairly easy to
resolve this problem by combining semaphores and event flags, as shown in Figure 14-11.
For this to work properly, the task on the left needs to have a lower priority than the tasks
waiting on the semaphore.
294
Synchronization
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Figure 14-11 Multiple Task Rendezvous
F14-11(1)
Each task that needs to synchronize at the rendezvous needs to set an event
flag bit (and specify OS_OPT_POST_NO_SCHED).
F14-11(2)
The task needs to wait for the semaphore to be signaled.
F14-11(3)
The task that will be broadcasting must wait for all of the event flags
corresponding to each task to be set.
F14-11(4)
When all waiting tasks are ready, the task that will synchronize the waiting task
issues a broadcast to the semaphore.
295
Chapter 14
14-5 SUMMARY
Three methods are presented to allow an ISR or a task to signal one or more tasks:
semaphores, task semaphores, and event flags.
Both semaphores and task semaphores contain a counter allowing them to perform credit
tracking and accumulate the occurrence of events. If an ISR or task needs to signal a single
task (as opposed to multiple tasks when the event occurs), it makes sense to use a task
semaphore since it prevents the user from having to declare an external semaphore object.
Also, task semaphore services are slightly faster (in execution time) than semaphores.
Event flags are used when a task needs to synchronize with the occurrence of one or more
events. However, event flags cannot perform credit tracking since a single bit (as opposed
to a counter) represents each event.
14
296
Chapter
15
Message Passing
It is sometimes necessary for a task or an ISR to communicate information to another task.
This information transfer is called inter-task communication. Information can be
communicated between tasks in two ways: through global data, or by sending messages.
As seen in Chapter 13, Resource Management on page 217, when using global variables,
each task or ISR must ensure that it has exclusive access to variables. If an ISR is involved,
the only way to ensure exclusive access to common variables is to disable interrupts. If two
tasks share data, each can gain exclusive access to variables either by disabling interrupts,
locking the scheduler, using a semaphore, or preferably, using a mutual-exclusion
semaphore. Note that a task can only communicate information to an ISR by using global
variables. A task is not aware when a global variable is changed by an ISR, unless the ISR
signals the task, or the task polls the contents of a variable periodically.
Messages can either be sent to an intermediate object called a message queue, or directly to
a task since in C/OS-III, each task has its own built-in message queue. Use an external
message queue if multiple tasks are to wait for messages. Send a message directly to a task
if only one task will process the data received.
When a task waits for a message to arrive, it does not consume CPU time.
297
Chapter 15
15-1 MESSAGES
A message consists of a pointer to data, a variable containing the size of the data being pointed
to, and a timestamp indicating when the message was sent. The pointer can point to a data area
or even a function. Obviously, the sender and the receiver must agree as to the contents and the
meaning of the message. In other words, the receiver of the message will know the meaning of
the message received to be able to process it. For example, an Ethernet controller receives a
packet and sends a pointer to this packet to a task that knows how to handle the packet.
The message contents must always remain in scope since the data is actually sent by
reference instead of by value. In other words, data sent is not copied. Consider using
dynamically allocated memory as described in Chapter 17, Memory Management on
page 331. Alternatively, pass pointers to a global variable, a global data structure, a global
array, or a function, etc.
15-2 MESSAGE QUEUES

15
A message queue is a kernel object allocated by the application. In fact, you can allocate
any number of message queues. The only limit is the amount of RAM available.
There are a number of operations that the user can perform on message queues,
summarized in Figure 15-1. However, an ISR can only call OSQPost(). A message queue
must be created before sending messages through it.
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Figure 15-1 Operations on message queue
298
Message Passing
Message queues are drawn as a first-in, first-out pipe (FIFO). However, with C/OS-III, it is
possible to post messages in last-in, first-out order (LIFO). The LIFO mechanism is useful
when a task or an ISR must send an urgent message to a task. In this case, the message
bypasses all other messages already in the message queue. The size of the message queue
is configurable at run time.
The small hourglass close to the receiving task indicates that the task has an option to
specify a timeout. This timeout indicates that the task is willing to wait for a message to be
sent to the message queue within a certain amount of time. If the message is not sent within
that time, C/OS-III resumes the task and returns an error code indicating that the task was
made ready to run because of a timeout, and not because the message was received. It is
possible to specify an infinite timeout and indicate that the task is willing to wait forever for
the message to arrive.
The message queue also contains a list of tasks waiting for messages to be sent to the message
queue. Multiple tasks can wait on a message queue as shown in Figure 15-2. When a message
is sent to the message queue, the highest priority task waiting on the message queue receives
the message. Optionally, the sender can broadcast a message to all tasks waiting on the
message queue. In this case, if any of the tasks receiving the message from the broadcast has a
higher priority than the task sending the message (or interrupted task, if the message is sent by
an ISR), C/OS-III will run the highest-priority task that is waiting. Notice that not all tasks must
specify a timeout; some tasks may want to wait forever.
Task
Task
OSQCreate()
OSQDel ()
OSQFlush()
OSQPendAbort()
OSQPost()
Message Queue
OSQPend()
Task
OSQPend()
OSQPost()
OSQPend()
Timeout
ISR
Task
Figure 15-2 Multiple tasks waiting on a message queue
299
15
Chapter 15
15-3 TASK MESSAGE QUEUE

It is fairly rare to find applications where multiple tasks wait on a single message queue.
Because of this, a message queue is built into each task and the user can send messages
directly to a task without going through an external message queue object. This feature not
only simplifies the code but, is also more efficient than using a separate message queue
object. The message queue that is built into each task is shown in Figure 15-3.
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Figure 15-3 Task message queue
15
Task message queue services in C/OS-III start with the OSTaskQ???() prefix, and services
Reference Manual on page 383. Setting OS_CFG_TASK_EN in OS_CFG.H enables task
message queue services. The code for task message queue management is found in
OS_TASK.C.
Use this feature if the code knows which task to send the message(s) to. For example, if
receiving an interrupt from an Ethernet controller, send the address of the received packet
to the task that will be responsible for processing the received packet.
300
Message Passing
15-4 BILATERAL RENDEZVOUS

Two tasks can synchronize their activities by using two message queues, as shown in
Figure 15-4. This is called a bilateral rendezvous and works the same as with semaphores
except that both tasks may send messages to each other. A bilateral rendezvous cannot be
performed between a task and an ISR since an ISR cannot wait on a message queue.
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15
Figure 15-4 Bilateral Rendezvous
In a bilateral rendezvous, each message queue holds a maximum of one message. Both
message queues are initially created empty. When the task on the left reaches the
rendezvous point, it sends a message to the top message queue and waits for a message to
arrive on the bottom message queue. Similarly, when the task on the right reaches its
rendezvous point, it sends a message to the message queue on the bottom and waits for a
message to arrive on the top message queue.
Figure 15-5 shows how to use task-message queues to perform a bilateral rendezvous.
301
Chapter 15
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Figure 15-5 Figure Bilateral Rendezvous with task message queues
15
15-5 FLOW CONTROL

Task-to-task communication often involves data transfer from one task to another. One task
produces data while the other consumes it. However, data processing takes time and
consumers might not consume data as fast as it is produced. In other words, it is possible for
the producer to overflow the message queue if a higher-priority task preempts the consumer.
One way to solve this problem is to add flow control in the process as shown in Figure 15-6.
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Figure 15-6 Producer and consumer tasks with flow control
302
Message Passing
Here, a counting semaphore is used, initialized with the number of allowable messages that
can be sent by the consumer. If the consumer cannot queue more than 10 messages, the
counting semaphore contains a count of 10.
As shown in the pseudo code of Listing 15-1, the producer must wait on the semaphore
before it is allowed to send a message. The consumer waits for messages and, when
processed, signals the semaphore.
Producer Task:
Pend on Semaphore;
Send message to message queue;
Consumer Task:
Wait for message from message queue;
Signal the semaphore;
Listing 15-1 Producer and consumer flow control
Combining the task message queue and task semaphores (see Chapter 14,
Synchronization on page 259), it is easy to implement flow control as shown in
Figure 15-7. In this case, however, OSTaskSemSet() must be called immediately after
creating the task to set the value of the task semaphore to the same value as the maximum
number of allowable messages in the task message queue.
303
15
Chapter 15
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Figure 15-7 Flow control with task semaphore and task message queue
15
15-6 KEEPING THE DATA IN SCOPE

The messages sent typically point to data structures, variables, arrays, tables, etc. However,
it is important to realize that the data must remain static until the receiver of the data
completes its processing of the data. Once sent, the sender must not touch the sent data.
This seems obvious, however it is easy to forget.
One possibility is to use the fixed-size memory partition manager provided with C/OS-III
(see Chapter 17, Memory Management on page 331) to dynamically allocate and free
memory blocks used to pass the data. Figure 15-8 shows an example. For sake of illustration,
assume that a device is sending data bytes to the UART in packets using a protocol. In this
case, the first byte of a packet is unique and the end-of-packet byte is also unique.
304
Message Passing

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Figure 15-8 Using memory partitions for message contents
15
F15-8(1)
Here, a UART generates an interrupt when characters are received.
F15-8(2)
The pseudo-code in Listing 15-2 shows what the UART ISR code might look
like. There are a lot of details omitted for sake of simplicity. The ISR reads the
byte received from the UART and sees if it corresponds to a start of packet. If it
is, a buffer is obtained from the memory partition.
F15-8(3)
The received byte is then placed in the buffer.
F15-8(4)
If the data received is an end-of-packet byte, simply post the address of the
buffer to the message queue so that the task can process the received packet.
F15-8(5)
If the message sent makes the UART task the highest priority task, C/OS-III
will switch to that task at the end of the ISR instead of returning to the
interrupted task. The task retrieves the packet from the message queue. Note
that the OSQPend() call also returns the number of bytes in the packet and a
time stamp indicating when the message was sent.
F15-8(6)
When the task is finished processing the packet, the buffer is returned to the
memory partition it came from by calling OSMemPut().
305
Chapter 15
void
UART_ISR (void)
{
OS_ERR
err;
RxData = Read byte from UART;

if (RxData == Start of Packet) {
RxDataPtr = OSMemGet(&UART_MemPool,
&err);
RxDataCtr = 0;
} else {
RxDataCtr++;
}
if (RxData == End of Packet byte) {
OSQPost((OS_Q
*)&UART_Q,
(void
*)RxDataPtr,
(OS_MSG_SIZE)RxDataCtr,
(OS_OPT
)OS_OPT_POST_FIFO,
(OS_ERR
*)&err);
RxDataPtr =
NULL;
RxDataCtr = 0;
} else; {
*RxDataPtr++ = RxData;
}
15
/* See if we need a new buffer
*/
/* Yes
*/
/* Update number of bytes received
*/
/* See if we got a full packet

*/
/* Yes, post to task for processing */
/* Dont point to sent buffer
/* Save the byte received
*/
*/
Listing 15-2 UART ISR Pseudo-code
306
Message Passing
15-7 USING MESSAGE QUEUES

Table 15-1 shows a summary of message-queue services available from C/OS-III. Refer to
Appendix A, C/OS-III API Reference Manual on page 383 for a full description on their use.
Function Name
Operation
OSQCreate()
Create a message queue.
OSQDel()
Delete a message queue.
OSQFlush()
Empty the message queue.
OSQPend()
Wait for a message.
OSQPendAbort()
Abort waiting for a message.
OSQPost()
Send a message through a message queue.
Table 15-1 Message queue API summary
15
Table 15-2 is a summary of task message queue services available from C/OS-III. Refer to
Appendix A, C/OS-III API Reference Manual on page 383, for a full description on how
to their use.
Function Name
Operation
OSTaskQPend()
Wait for a message.
OSTaskQPendAbort()
Abort the wait for a message.
OSTaskQPost()
Send a message to a task.
OSTaskQFlush()
Empty the message queue.
Table 15-2 Task message queue API summary
307
Chapter 15
Figure 15-9 shows an example of using a message queue when determining the speed of a
rotating wheel.
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Figure 15-9 Measuring RPM
15
F15-9(1)
The goal is to measure the RPM of a rotating wheel.
F15-9(2)
A sensor is used to detect the passage of a hole in the wheel. In fact, to receive
additional resolution, the wheel could contain multiple holes that are equally
spaced.
F15-9(3)
A 32-bit input capture register is used to capture the value of a free-running

counter when the hole is detected.
F15-9(4)
An interrupt is generated when the hole is detected. The ISR reads the current
count of the input capture register and subtracts the value of the previous capture
to receive the time it took for one rotation (assuming only a single hole).
Delta Counts
= Current Counts Previous Counts;
Previous Counts = Current Counts;
308
Message Passing
F15-9(5)
The delta counts are sent to a message queue. Since a message is actually a
pointer, if the pointer is 32-bits wide on the processor in use, simply cast the
32-bit delta counts to a pointer and send this through the message queue. A
safer and more portable approach is to dynamically allocate storage to hold the
delta counts using a memory block from C/OS-IIIs memory management
services (see Chapter 17, Memory Management on page 331) and send the
address of the allocated memory block.
F15-9(6)
When the message is sent, the RPM measurement task wakes up and computes
the RPM as follows:
RPM = 60 * Reference Frequency / Delta Counts;
The user may specify a timeout on the pend call and the task will wake up if a
message is not sent within the timeout period. This allows the user to easily
detect that the wheel is not rotating and therefore, the RPM is 0.
F15-9(7)
Along with computing RPM, the task can also compute average RPM, maximum
RPM, and whether the speed is above or below thresholds, etc.
A few interesting things are worth noting about the above example. First, the ISR is very
short; read the input capture and post the delta counts to the task to accomplish the
time-consuming math. Second, with the timeout on the pend, it is easy to detect that the
wheel is stopped. Finally, the task can perform additional calculations and can further
detect such errors as the wheel spinning too fast or too slow. In fact, the task can notify
other tasks about these errors, if needed.
Listing 15-3 shows how to implement the RPM measurement example using C/OS-IIIs
message queue services. Some of the code is pseudo-code, while the calls to C/OS-III
services are actual calls with their appropriate arguments.
309
15
Chapter 15
OS_Q
RPM_Q;
CPU_INT32U
CPU_INT32U
CPU_INT32U
DeltaCounts;
CurrentCounts;
PreviousCounts;
(1)
void main (void)

{
OS_ERR
:
err ;
OSInit(&err) ;
:
OSQCreate((OS_Q
*)&RPM_Q,
(CPU_CHAR *)My Queue,
(OS_MSG_QTY)10,
(OS_ERR
*)&err);
(2)
:
OSStart(&err);
}
15
void RPM_ISR (void)

{
OS_ERR err;
Clear the interrupt from the sensor;

CurrentCounts = Read the input capture;
DeltaCounts
= CurrentCounts PreviousCounts;
PreviousCounts = CurrentCounts;
OSQPost((OS_Q
*)&RPM_Q,
(void
*)DeltaCounts,
(OS_MSG_SIZE)sizeof(void *),
(OS_OPT
)OS_OPT_POST_FIFO,
(OS_ERR
*)&err);
}
310
(3)
(4)
Message Passing
void RPM_Task (void *p_arg)

{
CPU_INT32U
OS_ERR
OS_MSG_SIZE
delta;
err;
size;
CPU_TS
ts;
DeltaCounts
= 0;
PreviousCounts = 0;
CurrentCounts = 0;
while (DEF_ON) {
delta = (CPU_INT32U)OSQPend((OS_Q
(OS_TICK
(OS_OPT
(OS_MSG_SIZE
(CPU_TS
(OS_ERR
if (err == OS_ERR_TIMEOUT) {
RPM = 0;
} else {
if (delta > 0u) {
RPM = 60 * Reference Frequency /
}
}
Compute average RPM;
Detect maximum RPM;
Check for overspeed;
Check for underspeed;
:
:
}
*)&RPM_Q,
(5)
)OS_CFG_TICK_RATE * 10,
*)&size,
*)&ts,
*)&err);
(6)
delta;
(7)
15
(8)
Listing 15-3 Pseudo-code of RPM measurement
L15-3(1)
Variables are declared. Notice that it is necessary to allocate storage for the
message queue itself.
L15-3(2)
Call OSInit() and create the message queue before it is used. The best place
to do this is in startup code.
311
Chapter 15
L15-3(3)
The RPM ISR clears the sensor interrupt and reads the value of the 32-bit input
capture. Note that it is possible to read RPM if there is only a 16-bit input
capture. The problem with a 16-bit input capture is that it is easy for it to
overflow, especially at low RPMs.
The RPM ISR also computes delta counts directly in the ISR. It is just as easy to
post the current counts and let the task compute the delta. However, the
subtraction is a fast operation and does not significantly increase ISR
processing time.
L15-3(4)
Send the delta counts to the RPM task, responsible for computing the RPM and
perform additional computations. Note that the message gets lost if the queue
is full when the user attempts to post. This happens if data is generated faster
than it is processed. Unfortunately, it is not possible to implement flow control
in the example because it is dealing with an ISR.
L15-3(5)
The RPM task starts by waiting for a message from the RPM ISR by pending on
the message queue. The third argument specifies the timeout. In this case, ten
seconds worth of timeout is specified. However, the value chosen depends on
the requirements of an application.
15
Also notice that the ts variable contains the timestamp of when the post was
completed. Determine the time it took for the task to respond to the message
received by calling OS_TS_GET(), and subtract the value of ts:
response_time = OS_TS_GET() ts;
L15-3(6)
If a timeout occurs, assume the wheel is no longer spinning.
L15-3(7)
The RPM is computed from the delta counts received, and from the reference
frequency of the free-running counter.
L15-3(8)
Additional computations are performed as needed. In fact, messages can be

sent to different tasks in case error conditions are detected. The messages
would be processed by the other tasks. For example, if the wheel spins too
fast, another task can initiate a shutdown on the device that is controlling the
wheel speed.
312
Message Passing
In Listing 15-4, OSQPost() and OSQPend() are replaced with OSTaskQPost() and
OSTaskQPend() for the RPM measurement example. Notice that the code is slightly simpler
to use and does not require creating a separate message queue object. However, when
creating the RPM task, it is important to specify the size of the message queue used by the
task and compile the application code with OS_CFG_TASK_Q_EN set to 1. The differences
between using message queues and the tasks message queue will be explained.
OS_TCB
OS_STK
CPU_INT32U
CPU_INT32U
CPU_INT32U
RPM_TCB;
RPM_Stk[1000];
DeltaCounts ;
CurrentCounts ;
PreviousCounts ;
void main (void)

{
OS_ERR err ;
:
OSInit(&err) ;
:
void OSTaskCreate ((OS_TCB
(CPU_CHAR
(OS_TASK_PTR
(void
(OS_PRIO
(1)
*)&RPM_TCB,
*)RPM Task,
(2)
15
)RPM_Task,
*)0,
)10,
(CPU_STK
*)&RPM_Stk[0],
(CPU_STK_SIZE )100,
(CPU_STK_SIZE )1000,
(OS_MSG_QTY
)10,
(OS_TICK
)0,
(void
*)0,
(OS_OPT
)(OS_OPT_TASK_STK_CHK + OS_OPT_TASK_STK_CLR),
(OS_ERR
*)&err);
:
OSStart(&err);
}
313
Chapter 15
void RPM_ISR (void)

{
OS_ERR
err;
Clear the interrupting from the sensor;

CurrentCounts = Read the input capture;
DeltaCounts
= CurrentCounts PreviousCounts;
PreviousCounts = CurrentCounts;
OSTaskQPost((OS_TCB
*)&RPM_TCB,
(void
*)DeltaCounts,
(OS_MSG_SIZE)sizeof(DeltaCounts),
(OS_OPT
)OS_OPT_POST_FIFO,
(OS_ERR
*)&err);
(3)
}
void RPM_Task (void *p_arg)
{
CPU_INT32U
delta;
OS_ERR
err;
OS_MSG_SIZE size;
CPU_TS
ts;
DeltaCounts
= 0;
PreviousCounts = 0;
CurrentCounts = 0;
15
while (DEF_ON) {
delta = (CPU_INT32U)OSTaskQPend((OS_TICK
)OS_CFG_TICK_RATE * 10,
(OS_OPT
(OS_MSG_SIZE *)&size,
(CPU_TS
*)&ts,
(OS_ERR
*)&err);
if (err == OS_ERR_TIMEOUT) {
RPM = 0;
} else {
if (delta > 0u) {
RPM = 60 * ReferenceFrequency / delta;
}
}
Compute average RPM;
Detect maximum RPM;
Check for overspeed;
Check for underspeed;
:
:
}
(4)
Listing 15-4 Pseudo-code of RPM measurement
314
Message Passing
L15-4(1)
Instead of declaring a message queue, it is important to know the OS_TCB of

the task that will be receiving messages.
L15-4(2)
The RPM task is created and a queue size of 10 entries is specified. Of course,
hard-coded values should not be specified in a real application, but instead,
use #defines. Fixed numbers are used here for sake of illustration.
L15-4(3)
Instead of posting to a message queue, the ISR posts the message directly to
the task, specifying the address of the OS_TCB of the task. This is known since
the OS_TCB is allocated when creating the task.
L15-4(4)
The RPM task starts by waiting for a message from the RPM ISR by calling
OSTaskQPend(). This is an inherent call so it is not necessary to specify the
address of the OS_TCB to pend on as the current task is assumed. The second
argument specifies the timeout. Here, ten seconds worth of timeout is
specified, which corresponds to 6 RPM.
15-8 CLIENTS AND SERVERS
15
Another interesting use of message queues is shown in Figure 15-10. Here, a task (the
server) is used to monitor error conditions that are sent to it by other tasks or ISRs (clients).
For example, a client detects whether the RPM of the rotating wheel has been exceeded,
another client detects whether an over-temperature exists, and yet another client detects
that a user pressed a shutdown button. When the clients detect error conditions, they send
a message through the message queue. The message sent indicates the error detected,
which threshold was exceeded, the error code that is associated with error conditions, or
even suggests the address of a function that will handle the error, and more.
Task
OSQPost()
Task
OSQPost()
Message
Queue
OSQPend()
OSQPost()
ISR
Error
Handler
Task
Timeout
Figure 15-10 Clients and Servers
315
Chapter 15
15-9 MESSAGE QUEUES INTERNALS

As previously described, a message consists of a pointer to actual data, a variable indicating the
size of the data being pointed to and a timestamp indicating when the message was actually
sent. When sent, a message is placed in a data structure of type OS_MSG, shown in Figure 15-11.
The sender and receiver are unaware of this data structure since everything is hidden
through the APIs provided by C/OS-III.
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Figure 15-11 OS_MSG structure
C/OS-III maintains a pool of free OS_MSGs. The total number of available messages in the
pool is determined by the value of OS_CFG_MSG_POOL_SIZE found in OS_CFG_APP.H. When
C/OS-III is initialized, OS_MSGs are linked in a single linked list as shown in Figure 15-12.
Notice that the free list is maintained by a data structure of type OS_MSG_POOL, which
contains three fields: .NextPtr, which points to the free list; .NbrFree, which contains the
number of free OS_MSGs in the pool; and finally .NbrUsed, which contains the number of
OS_MSGs allocated to application.
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316
Message Passing
Messages are queued using a data structure of type OS_MSG_Q, as shown in Figure 15-13.
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Figure 15-13 OS_MSG_Q structure
.InPtr
This field contains a pointer to where the next OS_MSG will be

inserted in the queue. In fact, the OS_MSG will be inserted after
the OS_MSG pointed to.
.OutPtr
This field contains a pointer to where the next OS_MSG will be

extracted.
.NbrEntriesSize
This field contains the maximum number of OS_MSGs that the

queue will hold. If an application attempts to send a message and
the .NbrEntries matches this value, the queue is considered to
be full and the OS_MSG will not be inserted.
.NbrEntries
This field contains the current number of OS_MSGs in the queue.
.NbrEntriesMax
This field contains the highest number of OS_MSGs existing in the

queue at any given time.
A number of internal functions are used by C/OS-III to manipulate the free list and
messages. Specifically, OS_MsgQPut() inserts an OS_MSG in an OS_MSG_Q, OS_MsgQGet()
extracts an OS_MSG from an OS_MSG_Q, and OS_MsgQFreeAll() returns all OS_MSGs in an
OS_MSG_Q to the pool of free OS_MSGs. There are other OS_MsgQ??() functions in OS_MSG.C
that are used during initialization.
317
15
Chapter 15
Figure 15-14 shows an example of an OS_MSG_Q when four OS_MSGs are inserted.
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Figure 15-14 OS_MSG_Q with four OS_MSGs
15
OS_MSG_Qs are used inside two additional data structures: OS_Q and OS_TCB. Recall that an
OS_Q is declared when creating a message queue object. An OS_TCB is a task control block
and, as previously mentioned, each OS_TCB can have its own message queue when the
configuration constant OS_CFG_TASK_Q_EN is set to 1 in OS_CFG.H. Figure 15-15 shows the
contents of an OS_Q and partial contents of an OS_TCB containing an OS_MSG_Q. The
OS_MSG_Q data structure is shown as an exploded view to emphasize the structure within
the structure.
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Figure 15-15 OS_Q and OS_TCB each contain an OS_MSG_Q
318
Message Passing
15-10 SUMMARY
Message queues are useful when a task or an ISR is to send data to another task. The data
sent must remain in scope as it is actually sent by reference instead of by value. In other
words, the data sent is not copied.
The task waiting for the data will not consume CPU time while waiting for a message to be
sent to it.
If it is known which task is responsible for servicing messages sent by producers, use task
message queue (i.e., OSTaskQ???()) services since they are simple and fast. Task message
queue services are enabled when OS_CFG_TASK_Q_EN is set to 1 in OS_CFG.H.
If multiple tasks must wait for messages from the same message queue, allocate an OS_Q
and have the tasks wait for messages to be sent to the queue. Alternatively, broadcast
special messages to all tasks waiting on a message queue. Regular message queue services
are enabled when OS_CFG_Q_EN is set to 1 in OS_CFG.H.
Messages are sent using an OS_MSG data structure obtained by C/OS-III from a pool. Set
the maximum number of messages that can be sent to a message queue, or as many
messages as are available in the pool.
319
15
Chapter 15
15
320
Chapter
16
Pending On Multiple Objects
In Chapter 10, Pend Lists (or Wait Lists) on page 185 we saw how multiple tasks can pend
(or wait) on a single kernel object such as a semaphore, mutual exclusion semaphore, event
flag group, or message queue. In this chapter, we will see how tasks can pend on multiple
objects. However, C/OS-III only allows for pend on multiple semaphores and/or message
queues. In other words, it is not possible to pend on multiple event flag groups or mutual
exclusion semaphores.
As shown in Figure 16-1, a task can pend on any number of semaphores or message queues
at the same time. The first semaphore or message queue posted will make the task ready to
run and compete for CPU time with other tasks in the ready list. As shown, a task pends on
multiple objects by calling OSPendMulti() and specifies an optional timeout value. The
timeout applies to all of the objects. If none of the objects are posted within the specified
timeout, the task resumes with an error code indicating that the pend timed out.
321
Chapter 16
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16
266HP3RVW
Figure 16-1 Task pending on multiple objects
322
Listing 16-1 shows the function prototype of OSPendMulti() and Figure 16-2 exhibits an
array of OS_PEND_DATA elements.
OS_OBJ_QTY
OSPendMulti (OS_PEND_DATA
OS_OBJ_QTY
OS_TICK
OS_OPT
OS_ERR
*p_pend_data_tbl,
(1)
tbl_size,
timeout,
opt,
*p_err);
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
Listing 16-1 OSPendMulti() prototype
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Figure 16-2 Array of OS_PEND_DATA
L16-1(1)
OSPendMulti() is passed an array of OS_PEND_DATA elements. The caller must

instantiate an array of OS_PEND_DATA. The size of the array depends on the
total number of kernel objects that the task wants to pend on. For example, if
the task wants to pend on three semaphores and two message queues then the
array contains five OS_PEND_DATA elements as shown below:
OS_PEND_DATA
my_pend_multi_tbl[5];
323
Chapter 16
The calling task needs to initialize the .PendObjPtr of each element of the
array to point to each of the objects to be pended on. For example:
OS_SEM
MySem1;
OS_SEM
OS_SEM
OS_Q
OS_Q
MySem2;
MySem3;
MyQ1;
MyQ2;
void MyTask (void)

{
OS_ERR
err;
OS_PEND_DATA my_pend_multi_tbl[5];
:
while (DEF_ON) {
:
my_pend_multi_tbl[0].PendObjPtr = (OS_PEND_OBJ)&MySem1;
my_pend_multi_tbl[3].PendObjPtr = (OS_PEND_OBJ)&MyQ1;
my_pend_multi_tbl[4].PendObjPtr = (OS_PEND_OBJ)&MyQ2;
OSPendMulti((OS_PEND_DATA *)&my_pend_multi_tbl[0],
(OS_OBJ_QTY
)5,
(OS_TICK
)0,
16
(OS_OPT
(OS_ERR
/* Check err */
:
(6)
*)&err);
}
}
L16-1(2)
This argument specifies the size of the OS_PEND_DATA table. In the above
example, this is 5.
L16-1(3)
Specify whether or not to timeout in case none of the objects are posted within
a certain amount of time. A non-zero value indicates the number of ticks to
timeout. Specifying zero indicates the task will wait forever for any of the
objects to be posted.
L16-1(4)
The opt argument specifies whether to wait for objects to be posted (set opt
to OS_OPT_PEND_BLOCKING) or, not block if none of the objects have already
been posted (set opt to OS_OPT_PEND_NON_BLOCKING).
324
F16-2(1)
As with most C/OS-III function calls, specify the address of a variable that will
receive an error code based on the outcome of the function call. See
Appendix A, C/OS-III API Reference Manual on page 383 for a list of
possible error codes. As always, it is highly recommended to examine the error
return code.
F16-2(2)
Note that all objects are cast to OS_PEND_OBJ data types.
When called, OSPendMulti() first starts by validating that all of the objects specified in the
OS_PEND_DATA table are either an OS_SEM or an OS_Q. If not, an error code is returned.
Next, OSPendMulti() goes through the OS_PEND_DATA table to see if any of the objects
have already posted. If so, OSPendMulti() fills the following fields in the table:
.RdyObjPtr, .RdyMsgPtr, .RdyMsgSize and .RdyTS.
.RdyObjPtr
is a pointer to the object if the object has been posted. For

example, if the first object in the table is a semaphore and the
semaphore has been posted to, my_pend_multi_tbl[0].RdyObjPtr
is set to my_pend_multi_tbl[0].PendObjPtr.
.RdyMsgPtr
is a pointer to a message if the object in the table at this entry is a

message queue and a message was received from the message queue.
.RdyMsgSize
is the size of the message received if the object in the table at this entry is
a message queue and a message was received from the message queue.
.RdyTS
is the timestamp of when the object posted. This allows the user to know
when a semaphore or message queue posts.
If there are no objects posted, then OSPendMulti() places the current task in the wait list of
all the objects that it is pending on. This is a complex and tedious process for
OSPendMulti() since there can be other tasks in the pend list of some of these objects we
are pending on.
To indicate how tricky things get, Figure 16-3 is an example of a task pending on two
semaphores.
325
16
Chapter 16
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Figure 16-3 Task pending on two semaphores
F16-3(1)
A pointer to the base address of the OS_PEND_DATA table is placed in the

OS_TCB of the task placed in the pend list of the two semaphores.
F16-3(2)
The numbers of entries in the OS_PEND_DATA table are also placed in the
OS_TCB. Again, this task is waiting on two semaphores and therefore there are
two entries in the table.
326
F16-3(3)
Entry [0] of the OS_PEND_DATA table is linked to the semaphore object specified
by that entrys .PendObjPtr.
F16-3(4)
This pointer was specified by the caller of OSPendMulti().
F16-3(5)
Since there is only one task in the pend list of the semaphore, the .PrevPtr
and .NextPtr are pointing to NULL.
F16-3(6)
The second semaphore points to the second entry in the OS_PEND_DATA table.
F16-3(7)
This pointer was specified by the caller of OSPendMulti().
F16-3(8)
The second semaphore only has one entry in its pend list. Therefore the
.PrevPtr and .NextPtr both point to NULL.
F16-3(9)
OSPendMulti() links back each OS_PEND_DATA entry to the task that is waiting
on the two semaphores.
Figure 16-4 is a more complex example where one task is pending on two semaphores while
another task also pends on one of the two semaphores. The examples presented so far only
show semaphores, but they could be combinations of semaphores and message queues.
327
16
Chapter 16
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Figure 16-4 Tasks pending on semaphores
328
When either an ISR or a task signals or sends a message to one of the objects that the task
is pending on, OSPendMulti() returns, indicating in the OS_PEND_DATA table which object
was posted. This is done by only filling in one of the .RdyObjPtr entries, the one that
corresponds to the object posted as shown in Figure 16-2.
Only one of the entries in the OS_PEND_DATA table will have a .RdyObjPtr with a non-NULL
value while all the other entries have the .RdyObjPtr set to NULL. Going back to the case
where a task waits on five semaphores and two message queues, if the first message queue
is posted while the task is pending on all those objects, the OS_PEND_DATA table will be as
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Figure 16-5 Message queue #1 posted before timeout expired
16-1 SUMMARY
16
C/OS-III allows tasks to pend on multiple kernel objects.

OSPendMulti() can only pend on multiple semaphores and message queues, not event
flags and mutual-exclusion semaphores.
If the objects are already posted when OSPendMulti() is called, C/OS-III will specify
which of the objects in the list of objects have already been posted.
If none of the objects are posted, OSPendMulti() will place the calling task in the pend list
of all the desired objects. OSPendMulti() will return as soon as one of the objects is
posted. In this case, OSPendMulti() will indicate which object was posted.
OSPendMulti() is a complex function that has potentially long critical sections.
329
Chapter 16
16
330
Chapter
17
Memory Management
An application can allocate and free dynamic memory using any ANSI C compilers
malloc() and free() functions, respectively. However, using malloc() and free() in an
embedded real-time system may be dangerous. Eventually, it might not be possible to obtain a
single contiguous memory area due to fragmentation. Fragmentation is the development of a large
number of separate free areas (i.e., the total free memory is fragmented into small, non-contiguous
pieces). Execution time of malloc() and free() is generally nondeterministic given the
algorithms used to locate a contiguous block of free memory.
C/OS-III provides an alternative to malloc() and free() by allowing an application to
obtain fixed-sized memory blocks from a partition made from a contiguous memory area, as
illustrated in Figure 17-1. All memory blocks are the same size, and the partition contains an
integral number of blocks. Allocation and deallocation of these memory blocks is performed in
constant time and is deterministic. The partition itself is typically allocated statically (as an
array), but can also be allocated by using malloc() as long as it is never freed.
%DVH$GGUHVV
3DUWLWLRQ
%ORFN6L]H
0HPRU\%ORFN
Figure 17-1 Memory Partition
331
Chapter 17
As indicated in Figure 17-2, more than one memory partition may exist in an application
and each one may have a different number of memory blocks and be a different size. An
application can obtain memory blocks of different sizes based upon requirements.
However, a specific memory block must always be returned to the partition that it came
from. This type of memory management is not subject to fragmentation except that it is
possible to run out of memory blocks. It is up to the application to decide how many
partitions to have and how large each memory block should be within each partition.
3DUWLWLRQ
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Figure 17-2 Multiple Memory Partitions
17
17-1 CREATING A MEMORY PARTITION

Before using a memory partition, it must be created. This allows C/OS-III to know
something about the memory partition so that it can manage their allocation and
deallocation. Once created, a memory partition is as shown in Figure 17-3. Calling
OSMemCreate() creates a memory partition.

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Figure 17-3 Created Memory Partition
332
Memory Management
F17-3(1)
When creating a partition, the application code supplies the address of a

memory partition control block (OS_MEM). Typically, this memory control block
is allocated from static memory, however it can also be obtained from the heap
by calling malloc(). The application code should however never deallocate it.
F17-3(2)
OSMemCreate() organizes the continuous memory provided into a singly

linked list and stores the pointer to the beginning of the list in the OS_MEM
structure.
F17-3(3)
Each memory block must be large enough to hold a pointer. Given the nature
of the linked list, a block needs to be able to point to the next block.
Listing 17-1 indicates how to create a memory partition with C/OS-III.
OS_MEM
CPU_INT08U
void
MyPartition;
MyPartitionStorage[12][100];
main (void)
(1)
(2)
(3)
{
OS_ERR
:
err;
:
OSInit(&err);
:
OSMemCreate((OS_MEM
*)&MyPartition,
(CPU_CHAR *)My Partition,
(void
*)&MyPartitionStorage[0][0],
(OS_MEM_QTY ) 12,
(OS_MEM_SIZE)100,
(OS_ERR
*)&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
OSStart(&err);
17
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
(9)
Listing 17-1 Creating a memory partition
L17-1(1)
An application needs to allocate storage for a memory partition control block.

This can be a static allocation as shown here or malloc() can be used in the code.
However, the application code must not deallocate the memory control block.
333
Chapter 17
17
L17-1(2)
The application also needs to allocate storage for the memory that will be split
into memory blocks. This can also be a static allocation or malloc() can be
used. The same reasoning applies. Do not deallocate this storage since other
tasks may rely on the existence of this storage.
L17-1(3)
Memory partition must be created before allocating and deallocating blocks

from the partition. One of the best places to create memory partitions is in
main() prior to starting the multitasking process. Of course, an application can
call a function from main() to do this instead of actually placing the code
directly in main().
L17-1(4)
Pass the address of the memory partition control block to OSMemCreate().

Never reference any of the internal members of the OS_MEM data structure.
Instead, use C/OS-IIIs API.
L17-1(5)
Assign a name to the memory partition. There is no limit to the length of the
ASCII string as C/OS-III saves a pointer to the ASCII string in the partition
control block and not the actual characters.
L17-1(6)
Pass the base address of the storage area reserved for the memory blocks.
L17-1(7)
Specify how many memory blocks are available from this memory partition.
Hard coded numbers are used for the sake of the illustration but one should
instead use #define constants.
L17-1(8)
Specify the size of each memory block in the partition. Again, a hard coded
value is used for illustration, which is not recommended in real code.
L17-1(9)
As with most C/OS-III services, OSMemCreate() returns an error code

indicating the outcome of the service. The call is successful if err contains
OS_ERR_NONE.
Listing 17-2 shows how to create a memory partition with C/OS-III, this time using
malloc() to allocate storage. Do not deallocate the memory control block or the storage for
the partition.
334
Memory Management
OS_MEM
void
*MyPartitionPtr;
(1)
main (void)
{
OS_ERR
void
err;
*p_storage;
:
OSInit(&err);
:
MyPartitionPtr = (OS_MEM *)malloc(sizeof(OS_MEM));
if (MyPartitionPtr != (OS_MEM *)0) {
p_storage = malloc(12 * 100);
if (p_storage != (void *)0) {
OSMemCreate((OS_MEM
*)MyPartitionPtr,
(CPU_CHAR *)My Partition,
(void
*)p_storage,
(OS_MEM_QTY ) 12,
(OS_MEM_SIZE)100,
(OS_ERR
*)&err);
/* Check err */
}
}
:
OSStart(&err);
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(6)
Listing 17-2 Creating a memory partition
L17-2(1)
Instead of allocating static storage for the memory partition control block,
assign a pointer that receives the OS_MEM allocated using malloc().
L17-2(2)
The application allocates storage for the memory control block.
L17-2(3)
Allocate storage for the memory partition.
L17-2(4)
Pass a pointer to the allocated memory control block to OSMemCreate().
L17-2(5)
Pass the base address of the storage used for the partition.
L17-2(6)
Finally, pass the number of blocks and the size of each block so that C/OS-III
creates the linked list of 12 blocks of 100 bytes each. Again, hard coded
numbers are used, but these would typically be replaced by #defines.
335
17
Chapter 17
17-2 GETTING A MEMORY BLOCK FROM A PARTITION

Application code can request a memory block from a partition by calling OSMemGet() as
shown in Listing 17-3. The code assumes that the partition was already created.
OS_MEM
CPU_INT08U
void
MyPartition;
*MyDataBlkPtr;
(1)
{
OS_ERR
err;
:
while (DEF_ON) {
:
MyDataBlkPtr = (CPU_INT08U *)OSMemGet((OS_MEM
(OS_ERR
if (err == OS_ERR_NONE) {
*)&MyPartition,
*)&err);
(2)
(3)
/* You have a memory block from the partition */

}
:
:
}
}
17
Listing 17-3 Obtaining a memory block from a partition
L17-3(1)
The memory partition control block must be accessible by all tasks or ISRs that
will be using the partition.
L17-3(2)
Simply call OSMemGet() to obtain a memory block from the desired partition. A
pointer to the allocated memory block is returned. This is similar to malloc(),
except that the memory block comes from a pool that is guaranteed to not
fragment.
L17-3(3)
It is important to examine the returned error code to ensure that there are free
memory blocks and that the application can start putting content in the
memory blocks.
336
Memory Management
17-3 RETURNING A MEMORY BLOCK TO A PARTITION

The application code must return an allocated memory block back to the proper partition
when finished. Do this by calling OSMemPut() as shown in Listing 17-4. The code assumes
that the partition was already created.
OS_MEM
CPU_INT08U
MyPartition;
*MyDataBlkPtr;
(1)

{
OS_ERR err;
:
while (DEF_ON) {
:
OSMemPut((OS_MEM *)&MyPartition,
(2)
(void
*)MyDataBlkPtr,
(3)
(OS_ERR *)&err);
if (err == OS_ERR_NONE) {
(4)
/* You properly returned the memory block to the partition */
}
:
:
}
}
17
Listing 17-4 Returning a memory block to a partition
L17-4(1)
The memory partition control block must be accessible by all tasks or ISRs that
will be using the partition.
L17-4(2)
Simply call OSMemPut() to return the memory block back to the memory
partition. Note that there is no check to see whether the proper memory block is
being returned to the proper partition (assuming you have multiple different
partitions). It is therefore important to be careful (as is necessary when designing
embedded systems).
L17-4(3)
Pass the pointer to the data area that is allocated so that it can be returned to
the pool. Note that a void * is assumed.
L17-4(4)
Examine the returned error code to ensure that the call was successful.
337
Chapter 17
17-4 USING MEMORY PARTITIONS

Memory management services are enabled at compile time by setting the configuration
constant OS_CFG_MEM_EN to 1 in OS_CFG.H.
There are a number of operations to perform on memory partitions as summarized in
Table 13-1.
Function Name
Operation
OSMemCreate()
Create a memory partition.
OSMemGet()
Obtain a memory block from a memory partition.
OSMemPut()
Return a memory block to a memory partition.
Table 17-1 Memory Partition API summary
OSMemCreate() can only be called from task-level code, but OSMemGet() and OSMemPut()
can be called by Interrupt Service Routines (ISRs).
17
Listing 17-4 shows an example of how to use the dynamic memory allocation feature of
C/OS-III, as well as message-passing capabilities (see Chapter 15, Message Passing on
page 297). In this example, the task on the left reads and checks the value of analog inputs
(pressures, temperatures, and voltage) and sends a message to the second task if any of the
analog inputs exceed a threshold. The message sent contains information about which
channel had the error, an error code, an indication of the severity of the error, and other
information.
Error handling in this example is centralized. Other tasks, or even ISRs, can post error
messages to the error-handling task. The error-handling task could be responsible for
displaying error messages on a monitor (a display), logging errors to a disk, or dispatching
other tasks to take corrective action based on the error.
338
Memory Management
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Figure 17-4 Using a Memory Partition non blocking
F17-4(1)
The analog inputs are read by the task. The task determines that one of the
inputs is outside a valid range and an error message needs to be sent to the
error handler.
F17-4(2)
The task then obtains a memory block from a memory partition so that it can
place information regarding the detected error.
F17-4(3)
The task writes this information to the memory block. As mentioned above, the
task places the analog channel that is at fault, an error code, an indication of
the severity, possible solutions, and more. There is no need to store a
timestamp in the message, as time stamping is a built-in feature of C/OS-III so
the receiving task will know when the message was posted.
F17-4(4)
Once the message is complete, it is posted to the task that will handle such
error messages. Of course the receiving task needs to know how the
information is placed in the message. Once the message is sent, the analog
input task is no longer allowed (by convention) to access the memory block
since it sent it out to be processed.
339
17
Chapter 17
F17-4(5)
The error handler task (on the right) normally pends on the message queue.
This task will not execute until a message is sent to it.
F17-4(6)
When a message is received, the error handler task reads the contents of the
message and performs necessary action(s). As indicated, once sent, the sender
will not do anything else with the message.
F17-4(7)
Once the error handler task is finished processing the message, it simply
returns the memory block to the memory partition. The sender and receiver
therefore need to know about the memory partition or, the sender can pass the
address of the memory partition as part of the message and the error handler
task will know where to return the memory block.
Sometimes it is useful to have a task wait for a memory block in case a partition runs out of
blocks. C/OS-III does not support pending on partitions, but it is possible to support this
requirement by adding a counting semaphore (see Chapter 13, Resource Management on
page 217) to guard the memory partition. This is illustrated in Figure 17-5.
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17
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Figure 17-5 Using a Memory Partition - blocking
340
Memory Management
F17-5(1)
To obtain a memory block, simply obtain the semaphore by calling

OSSemPend() and call OSMemGet() to receive the memory block.
F17-5(2)
To release a block, simply return the memory block by calling OSMemPut() and
signal the semaphore by calling OSSemPost().
The above operations must be performed in order.

Note that the user may call OSMemGet() and OSMemPut() from an ISR since these functions
do not block and in fact, execute very quickly. However, you cannot use blocking calls from
ISRs.
17-5 SUMMARY
Do not use malloc() and free() in embedded systems since they lead to fragmentation.
It is possible to use malloc() to allocate memory from the heap, but do not deallocate the
memory.
The application programmer can create an unlimited number of memory partitions (limited
only by the amount of available RAM).
Memory partition services in C/OS-III start with the OSMem???() prefix, and the services
Reference Manual on page 383.
Memory management services are enabled at compile time by setting the configuration
constant OS_CFG_MEM_EN to 1 in OS_CFG.H.
OSMemGet() and OSMemPut() can be called from ISRs.
341
17
Chapter 17
17
342
Chapter
18
Porting C/OS-III
This chapter describes in general terms how to adapt C/OS-III to different processors.
Adapting C/OS-III to a microprocessor or a microcontroller is called porting. Most of
C/OS-III is written in C for portability. However, it is still necessary to write
processor-specic code in C and assembly language. C/OS-III manipulates processor
registers, which can only be done using assembly language. Porting C/OS-III to different
processors is relatively easy as C/OS-III was designed to be portable and, since C/OS-III
is similar to C/OS-II, the user can start from a C/OS-II port. If there is already a port for
the processor to be used, it is not necessary to read this chapter unless, of course, there is
an interest in knowing how C/OS-III processor-specic code works.
C/OS-III can run on a processor if it satisfies the following general requirements:
The processor has an ANSI C compiler that generates reentrant code.
The processor supports interrupts and can provide an interrupt that occurs at regular
intervals (typically between 10 and 1000 Hz).
Interrupts can be disabled and enabled.
The processor supports a hardware stack that accommodates a fair amount of data
(possibly many kilobytes).
The processor has instructions to save and restore the stack pointer and other CPU
registers, either on the stack or in memory.
The processor has access to sufficient RAM for C/OS-IIIs variables and data structures
as well as internal task stacks.
The compiler should support 64-bit data types (typically long long).
343
Chapter 18
Figure 18-1 shows the C/OS-III architecture and its relationship with other software
components and hardware. When using C/OS-III in an application, the user is responsible
for providing application software and C/OS-III conguration sections.
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Figure 18-1 C/OS-III architecture
344
Porting C/OS-III
F18-1(1)
A C/OS-III port consists of writing or changing the contents of three

kernel-specific files: OS_CPU.H, OS_CPU_A.ASM and OS_CPU_C.C.
F18-1(2)
A port also involves writing or changing the contents of three CPU specific
files: CPU.H, CPU_A.ASM and CPU_CORE.C.
F18-1(3)
A Board Support Package (BSP) is generally necessary to interface C/OS-III to

a timer (which is used for the clock tick) and an interrupt controller.
F18-1(4)
Some semiconductor manufacturers provide source and header files to access

on-chip peripherals. These are contained in CPU/MCU specific files.
Porting C/OS-III is quite straightforward once the subtleties of the target processor and the
C compiler/assembler are understood. Depending on the processor, a port consists of
writing or changing between 100 and 400 lines of code, which takes a few hours to a few
days to accomplish. The easiest thing to do, however, is to modify an existing port from a
processor that is similar to the one intended for use.
A C/OS-III port looks very much like a C/OS-II port. Since C/OS-II was ported to well
over 45 different CPU architectures it is easy to start from a C/OS-II port. Converting a
C/OS-II port to C/OS-III takes approximately an hour. The process is described in
Appendix C, Migrating from C/OS-II to C/OS-III on page 617.
A port involves three aspects: CPU, OS and board-specific code. The board-specific code is
often called a Board Support Package (BSP) and from C/OS-IIIs point of view, requires
very little.
345
18
Chapter 18
18-1 C/CPU
CPU-specific code is related to the CPU and the compiler in use, and less so with C/OS-III. For
example, disabling and enabling interrupts and the word width of the stack, whether the stack
grows from high-to-low memory or from low-to-high memory and more are all CPU specific and
not OS specific. Micrim encapsulates CPU functions and data types into a module called C/CPU.
Table 18-1 shows the name of C/CPU files and where they should be placed on the
computer used to develop a C/OS-III-based application.
File
Directory
CPU_DEF.H
\Micrium\Software\uC-CPU\
CPU.H
\Micrium\Software\uC-CPU\<processor>\<compiler>
CPU_C.C
CPU_CFG.H
\Micrium\Software\uC-CPU\CFG\TEMPLATE
CPU_CORE.C
CPU_CORE.H
CPU_A.ASM
18
Table 18-1 C/CPU files and directories
Here, <processor> is the name of the processor that the CPU*.* files apply to, and
<compiler> is the name of the compiler that these files assume because of different
assembly language directives that different tool chains use.
The above source files for the CPU that came with this book are found when downloading
the code from the Micrim website.
CPU_DEF.H
This file should not require any changes. CPU_DEF.H declares #define constants that are
used by Micrim software components.
346
Porting C/OS-III
CPU.H
Many CPUs have different word lengths and CPU.H declares a series of type definitions that
ensure portability. Specifically, at Micrim, C data types int, short, long, char, etc., are not
used. Instead, clearer data types are defined. Consult compiler documentation to determine
whether the standard declarations described below must be changed for the CPU/compiler
used. When using a 32-bit CPU, the declarations below should work without change.
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
void
CPU_VOID;
char
CPU_CHAR;
char
CPU_BOOLEAN;
char
CPU_INT08U;
char
CPU_INT08S;
short
CPU_INT16U;
short
CPU_INT16S;
int
CPU_INT32U;
int
CPU_INT32S;
long long CPU_INT64U;
long long CPU_INT64S;
float
CPU_FP32;
double
CPU_FP64;
volatile CPU_INT08U CPU_REG08;
void
(*CPU_FNCT_VOID)(void);
void
(*CPU_FNCT_PTR )(void *);
CPU_INT32U
CPU_ADDR;
CPU_INT32U
CPU_DATA;
CPU_DATA
CPU_ALIGN;
CPU_ADDR
CPU_SIZE_T;
CPU_INT32U
CPU_STK;
(1)
CPU_ADDR
CPU_STK_SIZE;
CPU_INT16U
CPU_ERR;
CPU_INT32U
CPU_SR;
(2)
CPU_INT32U
CPU_TS;
(3)
unsigned
unsigned
unsigned
signed
unsigned
signed
unsigned
signed
unsigned
signed
18
(1)
Especially important for C/OS-III is the definition of the CPU_STK data type,
which sets the width of a stack entry. Specifically, is the width of data pushed
to and popped from the stack 8 bits, 16 bits, 32 bits or 64 bits?
(2)
CPU_SR defines the data type for the processors status register (SR) that
generally holds the interrupt disable status.
(3)
The CPU_TS is a time stamp used to determine when an operation occurred, or

to measure the execution time of code.
347
Chapter 18
CPU.H also declares macros to disable and enable interrupts: CPU_CRITICAL_ENTER() and
CPU_CRITICAL_EXIT(), respectively. Finally, CPU.H declares function prototypes for a
number of functions found in either CPU_C.C or CPU_CORE.C.
CPU_C.C
This is an optional file containing CPU-specific functions to set the interrupt controller, timer
prescalers, and more. Most implementations will not contain this file.
CPU_CFG.H
This is a configuration file to be copied into the product directory and changed based on the
options to exercise in C/CPU. The file contains #define constants that may need to be
changed based on the desired use of C/CPU. For example, to assign a name to the CPU, the
name can be queried and displayed. Also, to name the CPU, one must specify the length of the
ASCII string.
CPU_CORE.C
This file is generic and does not need to be changed. However it must be included in all
builds. CPU_CORE.C defines such functions as CPU_Init(), CPU_CntLeadZeros(), and
code to measure maximum CPU interrupt disable time.
CPU_Init() must be called before calling OSInit().
18
CPU_CntLeadZeros() is used by the C/OS-III scheduler to find the highest priority ready
task (see Chapter 7, Scheduling on page 141). CPU_CORE.C implements a count leading
zeros in C. However, if the processor used provides a built-in instruction to count leading
zeros, define
CPU_CFG_LEAD_ZEROS_ASM_PRESENT, and replace this function by an assembly language
equivalent (in CPU_A.ASM). It is important to properly declare CPU_CFG_DATA_SIZE in
CPU.H for this function to work.
CPU_CORE.C also includes code that allows you to read timestamps. C/CPU timestamps
(CPU_TS) are 32-bit values. However, C/CPU can return a 64-bit timestamp since C/CPU
keeps track of overflows of the low part of the 64-bit timestamp. Also use timestamps to
determine when events occur, or to measure the execution time of code. Timestamp
support requires a 16- or 32-bit free-running counter/timer that can be read. The code to
read this timer will be placed in the BSP (Board Support Package) of the evaluation board
or target board used.
348
Porting C/OS-III
CPU_CORE.H
This header file is required by CPU_CORE.C to define function prototypes.
CPU_A.ASM
This file contains assembly language code to implement such functions as disabling and
enabling interrupts, a more efficient count leading zeros function, and more. At a minimum,
this file should implement CPU_SR_Save() and CPU_SR_Restore().
CPU_SR_Save() reads the current value of the CPU status register where the current
interrupt disable flag resides and returns this value to the caller. However, before returning,
CPU_SR_Save() must disable all interrupts. CPU_SR_Save() is actually called by the macro
CPU_CRITICAL_ENTER().
CPU_SR_Restore() restores the CPUs status register to a previously saved value.
CPU_SR_Restore() is called from the macro CPU_CRITICAL_EXIT().
18-2 C/OS-III PORT

Table 18-2 shows the name of C/OS-III files and where they are typically found.
File
Directory
OS_CPU.H
\Micrium\Software\uCOS-III\Ports\<processor>\<compiler>\
OS_CPU_A.ASM
OS_CPU_C.C
18
Table 18-2 C/OS-III files and directories
Here, <processor> is the name of the processor that the OS_CPU*.* files apply to, and
<compiler> is the name of the compiler that these files assume because of the different
assembly language directives that different tool chains use.
OS_CPU.H
This file must define the macro OS_TASK_SW(), which is called by OSSched() to perform a
task-level context switch. The macro can translate directly to a call to OSCtxSw(), trigger a
software interrupt, or a TRAP. The choice depends on the CPU architecture.
349
Chapter 18
OS_CPU.H must also define the macro OS_TS_GET() which obtains the current time stamp. It is
expected that the time stamp is type CPU_TS, which is typically declared as at least a 32-bit value.
OS_CPU.H also defines function prototypes for OSCtxSw(),
OSStartHighRdy() and possibly other functions required by the port.
OSIntCtxSw(),
OS_CPU_A.ASM
This file contains the implementation of the following assembly language functions:
OSStartHighRdy()
OSCtxSw()
OSIntCtxSw()
and optionally,
OSTickISR()
OSTickISR() may optionally be placed in OS_CPU_A.ASM if it does not change from one
product to another. The functions in this file are implemented in assembly language since
they manipulate CPU registers, which is typically not possible from C. The functions are
described in Appendix A, C/OS-III API Reference Manual on page 383.
18
OS_CPU_C.C
This file contains the implementation of the following C functions:
OSIdleTaskHook()
OSInitHook()
OSStatTaskHook()
OSTaskCreateHook()
OSTaskDelHook()
OSTaskReturnHook()
OSTaskStkInit()
OSTaskSwHook()
OSTimeTickHook()
The functions are described in Appendix A, C/OS-III API Reference Manual on page 383.
OS_CPU_C.C can declare other functions as needed by the port, however the above
functions are mandatory.
350
Porting C/OS-III
18-3 BOARD SUPPORT PACKAGE (BSP)

A board support package refers to code associated with the actual evaluation board or the
target board used. For example, the BSP defines functions to turn LEDs on or off, reads
push-button switches, initializes peripheral clocks, etc., providing nearly any functionality to
multiple products/projects.
Names of typical BSP files include:
BSP.C
BSP.H
BSP_INT.C
BSP_INT.H
All files are generally placed in a directory as follows:
\Micrium\Software\EvalBoards\<manufacturer>\
<board_name>\<compiler>\BSP\
Here, <manufacturer> is the name of the evaluation board or target board manufacturer,
<board_name> is the name of the evaluation or target board and <compiler> is the name of
the compiler that these files assume, although most should be portable to different
compilers since the BSP is typically written in C.
18
BSP.C and BSP.H
These files normally contain functions and their definitions such as BSP_Init(),
BSP_LED_On(), BSP_LED_Off(), BSP_LED_Toggle(), BSP_PB_Rd(), and others. It is up to
the user to decide if the functions in this file start with the prefix BSP_. In other words, use
LED_On() and PB_Rd() if this is clearer. However, it is a good practice to encapsulate this
type of functionality in a BSP type file.
In BSP.C, add CPU_TS_TmrInit() to initialize the C/CPU timestamp feature. This function
must return the number 16 if using a 16-bit timer and 0 for a 32-bit timer.
CPU_TS_TmrGet() is responsible for reading the value of a 16- or 32-bit free-running timer.
If the timer is 16 bits, this function will need to return the value of the timer, but shifted to
the left 16 places so that it looks like a 32-bit timer. If the timer is 32 bits, simply return the
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current value of the timer. Note that the timer is assumed to be an up counter. If the timer
counts down, the BSP code will need to return the ones-complement of the timer value
(prior to the shift).
BSP_INT.C and BSP_INT.H
These files are typically used to declare interrupt controller related functions. For example,
code that enables or disables specific interrupts from the interrupt controller, acknowledges
the interrupt controller, and code to handle all interrupts if the CPU vectors to a single
location when an interrupt occurs (see Chapter 9, Interrupt Management on page 165).
The pseudo code below shows an example of the latter.
void BSP_IntHandler (void)

{
CPU_FNCT_VOID
p_isr;
(1)
while (interrupts being asserted) {

(2)
p_isr = Read the highest priority interrupt from the controller; (3)
if (p_isr != (CPU_FNCT_VOID)0) {
(4)
(*p_isr)();
(5)
}
Acknowledge interrupt controller;
(6)
}
}
(1)
Here assume that the handler for the interrupt controller is called from the
assembly language code that saves the CPU registers upon entering an ISR (see
Chapter 9, Interrupt Management on page 165).
(2)
The handler queries the interrupt controller to ask it for the address of the ISR
that needs to be executed in response to the interrupt. Some interrupt
controllers return an integer value that corresponds to the source. In this case,
simply use this integer value as an index into a table (RAM or ROM) where
those vectors are placed.
(3)
The interrupt controller is asked to provide the highest priority interrupt

pending. It is assumed here that the CPU may receive multiple simultaneous
interrupts (or closely spaced interrupts), and that the interrupt will prioritize the
interrupts received. The CPU will then service each interrupt in priority order
instead of on a first-come basis. However, the scheme used greatly depends on
the interrupt controller itself.
18
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Porting C/OS-III
(4)
Check to ensure that the interrupt controller did not return a NULL pointer.
(5)
Simply call the ISR associated with the interrupt device.
(6)
The interrupt controller generally needs to be acknowledged so that it knows

that the interrupt presented is taken care of.
18-4 SUMMARY
A port involves three aspects: CPU, OS and board specific (BSP) code.
C/OS-III port consists of writing or changing the contents of three kernel specific files:
OS_CPU.H, OS_CPU_A.ASM and OS_CPU_C.C.
It is necessary to write or change the content of three CPU specific files: CPU.H, CPU_A.ASM
and CPU_C.C.
Finally create or change a Board Support Package (BSP) for the evaluation board or target
board being used.
A C/OS-III port is similar to a C/OS-II port, therefore start from one of the many C/OS-II
ports already available (see Appendix C, Migrating from C/OS-II to C/OS-III on
page 617).
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Chapter 18
18
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19
Run-Time Statistics
C/OS-III performs substantial run-time statistics that can be displayed by kernel-aware
debuggers and/or C/Probe. Specifically, it is possible to ascertain the total number of
context switches, maximum interrupt disable time, maximum scheduler lock time, CPU
usage, stack space used on a per-task basis, the RAM used by C/OS-III, and much more.
No other real-time kernel provides as much run-time information as C/OS-III. This
information is quite useful during debugging as it provides a sense of how well an
application is running and the resources being used.
C/OS-III also provides information about the configuration of the system. Specifically, the
amount of RAM used by C/OS-III, including all internal variables and task stacks.
The C/OS-III variables described in this chapter should be displayed and never changed.
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19-1 GENERAL STATISTICS RUN-TIME

The following is a list of C/OS-III variables that are not associated to any specific task:
OSCfg_TickWheel[i].NbrEntries
The tick wheel contains up to OS_CFG_TICK_WHEEL_SIZE spokes (see OS_CFG_APP.H),
and each spoke contains the .NbrEntries field, which holds the current number of entries
in that spoke.
OSCfg_TickWheel[i].NbrEntriesMax
The .NbrEntriesMax field holds the maximum (i.e., peak) number of entries in a spoke.
OSCfg_TmrWheel[i].NbrEntries
The tick wheel contains up to OS_CFG_TMR_WHEEL_SIZE spokes (see OS_CFG_APP.H), and
each spoke contains the .NbrEntries field, which holds the current number of entries in
that spoke.
OSCfg_TmrWheel[i].NbrEntriesMax
The .NbrEntriesMax field holds the maximum (i.e., peak) number of entries in a spoke.
OSIdleTaskCtr
This variable contains a counter that is incremented every time the idle task infinite loop
runs.
19
OSIntNestingCtr
This variable contains the interrupt nesting level. 1 means servicing the first level of
interrupt nesting, 2 means the interrupt was interrupted by another interrupt, etc.
OSIntDisTimeMax
This variable contains the maximum interrupt disable time (in CPU_TS units).
OSRunning
This variable indicates that multitasking has started.
OSIntQNbrEntries
This variable indicates the current number of entries in the interrupt handler queue.
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Run-Time Statistics
OSIntQOvfCtr
This variable shows the number of attempts to post a message from an interrupt to the
interrupt handler queue, and there was not enough room to place the post call. In other
words, how many times an interrupt was not being able to be serviced by its corresponding
task. This value should always be 0 if the interrupt handler queue is sized large enough. If
the value is non-zero, increase the size of the interrupt handler queue. A non-zero value
may also indicate that the processor is not fast enough.
OSIntQTaskTimeMax
This variable contains the maximum execution time of the Interrupt Queue Handler Task (in
CPU_TS units).
OSFlagQty
This variable indicates the number of event flag groups created. This variable is only
declared if OS_CFG_FLAG_EN is set to 1 in OS_CFG.H.
OSMemQty
This variable indicates the number of fixed-sized memory partitions created by the
application. This variable is only declared if OS_CFG_MEM_EN is set to 1 in OS_CFG.H.
OSMsgPool.NbrFree
The variable indicates the number of free OS_MSGs in the message pool. This number
should never be zero since that indicate that the application is no longer able to send
messages. This variable is only declared if OS_CFG_Q_EN is set to 1, or OS_CFG_TASK_Q_EN is
set to 1 in OS_CFG.H.
19
OSMsgPool.NbrUsed
This variable indicates the number of OS_MSGs currently used by the application. This
variable is only declared if OS_CFG_Q_EN is set to 1, or OS_CFG_TASK_Q_EN is set to 1 in
OS_CFG.H.
OSMutexQty
This variable indicates the number of mutual exclusion semaphores created by the
application. This variable is only declared if OS_CFG_MUTEX_EN is set to 1 in OS_CFG.H.
OSRdyList[i].NbrEntries
It is useful to examine how many entries there are in the ready list at each priority.
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Chapter 19
OSSchedLockTimeMax
This variable indicates the maximum amount of time the scheduler was locked irrespective of which
task did the locking. It represents the global scheduler lock time. This value is expressed in CPU_TS
units. The variable is only declared if OS_CFG_SCHED_LOCK_TIME_MEAS_EN is set to 1 in OS_CFG.H.
OSSchedLockTimeMaxCur
This variable indicates the maximum amount of time the scheduler was locked. This value is
expressed in CPU_TS units and is reset by the context switch code so that it can track the
scheduler lock time on a per-task basis. This variable is only declared if
OS_CFG_SCHED_LOCK_TIME_MEAS_EN is set to 1 in OS_CFG.H.
OSSchedLockNestingCtr
This variable keeps track of the nesting level of the scheduler lock.
OSSchedRoundRobinEn
This variable indicates whether or not round robin scheduling is enabled.
OSSemQty
This variable indicates the number of semaphores created by your application. This variable
is only declared if OS_CFG_SEM_EN is set to 1 in OS_CFG.H.
OSStatTaskCPUUsage
This variable indicates the CPU usage of the application expressed as a percentage. A value
of 10 indicates that 10% of the CPU is used, while 90% of the time the CPU is idling. This
variable is only declared if OS_CFG_STAT_TASK_EN is set to 1 in OS_CFG.H.
19
OSStatTaskCtr
This variable contains a counter that is incremented every time the idle task infinite loop
runs. This variable is only declared if OS_CFG_STAT_TASK_EN is set to 1 in OS_CFG.H.
OSStatTaskCtrMax
This variable contains the maximum number of times the idle task loop runs in 0.1 second.
This value is used to measure the CPU usage of the application. This variable is only
declared if OS_CFG_STAT_TASK_EN is set to 1 in OS_CFG.H.
OSStatTaskTimeMax
This variable contains the maximum execution time of the statistic task (in CPU_TS units). It
is only declared if OS_CFG_STAT_TASK_EN is set to 1 in OS_CFG.H.
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Run-Time Statistics
OSTaskCtxSwCtr
This variable accumulates the number of context switches performed by C/OS-III.
OSTaskQty
The variable contains the total number of tasks created in the application.
OSTickCtr
This variable is incremented every time the tick task executes.
OSTickTaskTimeMax
This variable contains the maximum execution time of the tick task (in CPU_TS units).
OSTmrQty
This variable indicates the number of timers created by the application. It is only declared if
OS_CFG_TMR_EN is set to 1 in OS_CFG.H.
OSTmrCtr
This variable is incremented every time the timer task executes.
OSTmrTaskTimeMax
This variable contains the maximum execution time of the timer task (in CPU_TS units). It is
only declared if OS_CFG_TMR_EN is set to 1 in OS_CFG.H.
19
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19-2 PER-TASK STATISTICS RUN-TIME

C/OS-III maintains statistics for each task at run-time. This information is saved in the tasks OS_TCB.
.CPUUsage
This variable keeps track of CPU usage of the task as a percentage of the total CPU usage. For
example if the tasks .CPUUsage is 20%, and the total CPU usages from OSTaskStatCPUUsage
is 10%, this variable represents 2% of total CPU usage.
The variable is only declared when OS_CFG_TASK_PROFILE_EN is set to 1 in OS_CFG.H.
.CtxSwCtr
This variable keeps track of the number of times a task is context switched to. This variable
should increment. If it does not increment, the task is not running. At a minimum, the
counter should at least have a value of one since a task is always created ready to run.
This variable is only declared when OS_CFG_TASK_PROFILE_EN is set to 1 in OS_CFG.H.
.IntDisTimeMax
This variable keeps track of the maximum interrupt disable time of a task (in CPU_TS units).
This variable shows how each task affects interrupt latency.
The variable is only declared when OS_CFG_TASK_PROFILE_EN is set to 1 in OS_CFG.H and
defines CPU_CFG_INT_DIS_MEAS_EN in CPU_CFG.H.
19
.MsgQ.NbrEntries
This variable indicates the number of entries currently waiting in the message queue of a task.
This variable is only declared when OS_CFG_TASK_Q_EN is set to 1 in OS_CFG.H.
.MsgQ.NbrEntriesMax
This variable indicates the maximum number of entries placed in the message queue of a task.
.MsgQ.NbrEntriesSize
This variable indicates the maximum number of entries that a task message queue is able to
accept before it is full.
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Run-Time Statistics
.MsgQ.PendTime
This variable indicates the amount of time it took for a task or an ISR to send a message to
the task (in CPU_TS units).
The variable is only declared when OS_CFG_TASK_PROFILE_EN is set to 1 in OS_CFG.H.
.MsgQ.PendTimeMax
This variable indicates the maximum amount of time it took for a task or an ISR to send a
message to the task (in CPU_TS units).
.PendOn
This variable indicates what a task is pending on if the task is in a pend state. Possible
values are:
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Nothing
Pending
Pending
Pending
Pending
Pending
Pending
Pending
on
on
on
on
on
on
on
an event flag group

the tasks message queue
multiple objects
a mutual exclusion semaphore
a message queue
a semaphore
a tasks semaphore
.Prio
This corresponds to the priority of the task. This might change at run time depending on
whether or not the task owns a mutual exclusion semaphore, or the user changes the
priority of the task by calling OSTaskChangePrio().
.SchedLockTimeMax
This variable keeps track of the maximum time a task locks the scheduler (in CPU_TS units).
This variable allows the application to see how each task affects task latency. The variable is
declared only when OS_CFG_TASK_PROFILE_EN and OS_CFG_SCHED_LOCK_TIME_MEAS_EN
are set to 1 in OS_CFG.H.
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Chapter 19
.SemPendTime
This variable indicates the amount of time it took for a task or ISR to signal the task (in
CPU_TS units).
.SemPendTimeMax
This variable indicates the maximum amount of time it took for a task or an ISR to signal the
task (in CPU_TS units).
.State
This variable indicates the current state of a task. The possible values are:
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
19
Ready
Delayed
Pending
Pending with Timeout
Suspended
Delayed and Suspended
Pending and Suspended
Pending, Delayed and Suspended
.StkFree
This variable indicates the amount of stack space (in bytes) unused by a task. This value is
determined by the statistic task if OS_CFG_TASK_STAT_STK_CHK_EN is set to 1 in OS_CFG.H.
.StkUsed
This variable indicates the maximum stack usage (in bytes) of a task. This value is
determined by the statistic task if OS_CFG_TASK_STAT_STK_CHK_EN is set to 1 in OS_CFG.H.
.TickRemain
This variable indicates the amount of time left (in clock ticks) until a task time delay
expires, or the task times out waiting on a kernel object such as a semaphore, message
queue, or other.
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Run-Time Statistics
19-3 KERNEL OBJECT RUN-TIME

It is possible to examine the run-time values of certain kernel objects as described below.
SEMAPHORES
.NamePtr
This is a pointer to an ASCII string used to provide a name to the semaphore. The ASCII
string can have any length as long as it is NUL terminated.
.PendList.NbrEntries
Each semaphore contains a wait list of tasks waiting for the semaphore to be signaled. The
variable represents the number of entries in the wait list.
.Ctr
This variable represents the current count of the semaphore.
.TS
This variable contains the timestamp of when the semaphore was last signaled.
MUTUAL EXCLUSION SEMAPHORES
.NamePtr
This is a pointer to an ASCII string used to provide a name to the mutual exclusion
semaphore. The ASCII string can have any length as long as it is NUL terminated.
19
Each mutual exclusion semaphore contains a list of tasks waiting for the semaphore to be
released. The variable represents the number of entries in the wait list.
.OwnerOriginalPrio
This variable holds the original priority of the task that owns the mutual exclusion
semaphore.
.OwnerTCBPtr->Prio
Dereferencing the pointer to the OS_TCB of the mutual exclusion semaphore owner allows
the application to determine whether a task priority was changed.
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Chapter 19
.OwnerNestingCtr
This variable indicates how many times the owner of the mutual exclusion semaphore
requested the semaphore.
.TS
This variable contains the timestamp of when the mutual exclusion semaphore was last
released.
MESSAGE QUEUES
.NamePtr
This is a pointer to an ASCII string used to provide a name to the message queue. The ASCII
string can have any length, as long as it is NUL terminated.
Each message queue contains a wait list of tasks waiting for messages to be sent to the
queue. The variable represents the number of entries in the wait list.
.MsgQ.NbrEntries
This variable represents the number of messages currently in the message queue.
.MsgQ.NbrEntriesMax
This variable represents the maximum number of messages ever placed in the message
queue.
19
.MsgQ.NbrEntriesSize
This variable represents the maximum number of messages that can be placed in the
message queue.
EVENT FLAGS
.NamePtr
This is a pointer to an ASCII string used to provide a name to the event flag group. The
ASCII string can have any length, as long as it is NUL terminated.
Each event flag group contains a wait list of tasks waiting for event flags to be set or cleared.
This variable represents the number of entries in the wait list.
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Run-Time Statistics
.Flags
This variable contains the current value of the event flags in an event flag group.
.TS
This variable contains the timestamp of when the event flag group was last posted.
MEMORY PARTITIONS
.NamePtr
This is a pointer to an ASCII string that is used to provide a name to the memory partition.
The ASCII string can have any length as long as it is NUL terminated.
.BlkSize
This variable contains the block size (in bytes) for the memory partition.
.NbrMax
This variable contains the maximum number of memory blocks belonging to the memory
partition.
.NbrFree
This variable contains the number of memory blocks that are available from memory
partition. The number of memory blocks in use is given by:
.NbrMax - .NbrFree
19
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Chapter 19
19-4 OS_DBG.C STATIC

OS_DBG.C is provided in C/OS-III as some debuggers are not able to read the values of
#define constants. Specifically, OS_DBG.C contains ROM variables initialized to #define
constants so that users can read them with any debugger.
Below is a list of ROM variables provided in OS_DBG.C, along with their descriptions. These
variables use approximately 100 bytes of code space.
The application code can examine these variables and you do not need to access them in a
critical region as they reside in code space and are therefore not changeable.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_DbgEn
CPU_INT08U
OS_CFG_DBG_EN
When 1, this variable indicates that ROM variables in OS_DBG.C will be compiled. This value
is set in OS_CFG.H.
19
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_ArgChkEn
CPU_INT08U
OS_CFG_ARG_CHK_EN
When 1, this variable indicates that run-time argument checking is enabled. This means that
C/OS-III will check the validity of the values of arguments passed to functions. The feature
is enabled in OS_CFG.H.
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Run-Time Statistics
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_AppHooksEn
CPU_INT08U
OS_CFG_DBG_EN
When 1, the variable indicates whether application hooks will be available to the application
programmer, and the pointers listed below are declared. This value is set in OS_CFG.H.
OS_AppTaskCreateHookPtr;
OS_AppTaskDelHookPtr;
OS_AppTaskReturnHookPtr;
OS_AppIdleTaskHookPtr;
OS_AppStatTaskHookPtr;
OS_AppTaskSwHookPtr;
OS_AppTimeTickHookPtr;
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_EndiannessTest
CPU_INT32U
0x12345678
This variable allows the kernel awareness debugger or C/Probe to determine the
endianness of the CPU. This is easily done by looking at the lowest address in memory
where this variable is saved. If the value is 0x78 then the CPU is a little endian machine. If
its 0x12, it is a big endian machine.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_CalledFromISRChkEn
CPU_INT08U
OS_CFG_CALLED_FROM_ISR_CHK_EN
19
When 1, this variable indicates that C/OS-III will perform run-time checking to see if a
function that is not supposed to be called from an ISR, is called from an ISR. This value is
set in OS_CFG.H.
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Chapter 19
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_FlagEn
CPU_INT08U
OS_CFG_FLAG_EN
When 1, this variable indicates that C/OS-IIIs event flag services are available to the
application programmer. This value is set in OS_CFG.H.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_FlagDelEn
CPU_INT08U
OS_CFG_FLAG_DEL_EN
When 1, this variable indicates that the OSFlagDel() function is available to the application
programmer. This value is set in OS_CFG.H.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_FlagModeClrEn
CPU_INT08U
OS_CFG_FLAG_MODE_CLR_EN
When 1, this variable indicates that cleared flags can be used instead of set flags when
posting and pending on event flags. This value is set in OS_CFG.H.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_FlagPendAbortEn
CPU_INT08U
OS_CFG_FLAG_PEND_ABORT_EN
19
When 1, this variable indicates that the OSFlagPendAbort() function is available to the
application programmer. This value is set in OS_CFG.H.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_FlagGrpSize
CPU_INT16U
sizeof(OS_FLAG_GRP)
This variable indicates the memory footprint (in RAM) of an event flag group (in bytes). This
data type is declared in OS.H.
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Run-Time Statistics
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_FlagWidth
CPU_INT16U
sizeof(OS_FLAGS)
This variable indicates the word width (in bytes) of event flags. If event flags are declared as
CPU_INT08U, this variable will be 1, if declared as a CPU_INT16U, this variable will be 2, etc.
This data type is declared in OS_TYPE.H.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_IntQSize
CPU_INT16U
sizeof(OS_INT_Q)
This variable indicates the size of the OS_INT_Q data type, which is used to queue up
deferred posts. The value of this variable is zero if OS_CFG_ISR_POST_DEFERRED_EN is 0 in
OS_CFG.H.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_ISRPostDeferredEn
CPU_INT08U
OS_CFG_ISR_POST_DEFERRED_EN
When 1, this variable indicates that an ISR will defer posts to task-level code. This value is
set in OS_CFG.H.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_MemEn
CPU_INT08U
OS_CFG_MEM_EN
19
When 1, this variable indicates that C/OS-IIIs memory management services are available
to the application. This value is set in OS_CFG.H.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_MemSize
CPU_INT16U
sizeof(OS_MEM)
This variable indicates the RAM footprint (in bytes) of a memory partition control block.
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Chapter 19
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_MsgEn
CPU_INT08U
OS_CFG_MSG_EN
When 1, this variable indicates that the application either enabled message queues, or task
message queues, or both. This value is set in OS_CFG.H by ORing the value of OS_CFG_Q_EN
and OS_CFG_TASK_Q_EN.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_MsgSize
CPU_INT16U
sizeof(OS_MSG)
This variable indicates the RAM footprint (in bytes) of an OS_MSG data structure.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_MsgPoolSize
CPU_INT16U
sizeof(OS_MSG_POOL)
This variable indicates the RAM footprint (in bytes) of an OS_MSG_POOL data structure.
19
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_MsgQSize
CPU_INT16U
sizeof(OS_MSG_Q)
This variable indicates the RAM footprint (in number of bytes) of an OS_MSG_Q data type.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_MutexEn
CPU_INT08U
OS_CFG_MUTEX_EN
When 1, this variable indicates that C/OS-IIIs mutual exclusion semaphore management
services are available to the application. This value is set in OS_CFG.H.
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Run-Time Statistics
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_MutexDelEn
CPU_INT08U
OS_CFG_MUTEX_DEL_EN
When 1, this variable indicates that the function OSMutexDel() is available to the
application. This value is set in OS_CFG.H.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_MutexPendAbortEn
CPU_INT08U
OS_CFG_MUTEX_PEND_ABORT_EN
When 1, the variable indicates that the function OSMutexPendAbort() is available to the
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_MutexSize
CPU_INT16U
sizeof(OS_MUTEX)
This variable indicates the RAM footprint (in number of bytes) of an OS_MUTEX data type.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_ObjTypeChkEn
CPU_INT08U
OS_CFG_OBJ_TYPE_CHK_EN
When 1, this variable indicates that C/OS-III will check for valid object types at run time.
C/OS-III will make sure the application is accessing a semaphore if calling OSSem???()
functions, accessing a message queue when calling OSQ???() functions, etc. This value is
set in OS_CFG.H.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_PendMultiEn
CPU_INT08U
OS_CFG_PEND_MULTI_EN
When 1, this variable indicates that C/OS-IIIs service to pend on multiple objects
(semaphores or message queues) is available to the application. This value is set in
OS_CFG.H.
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Chapter 19
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_PendDataSize
CPU_INT16U
sizeof(OS_PEND_DATA)
This variable indicates the RAM footprint (in bytes) of an OS_PEND_DATA data type.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_PendListSize
CPU_INT16U
sizeof(OS_PEND_LIST)
This variable indicates the RAM footprint (in bytes) of an OS_PEND_LIST data type.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_PendObjSize
CPU_INT16U
sizeof(OS_PEND_OBJ)
This variable indicates the RAM footprint (in bytes) of an OS_PEND_OBJ data type.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_PrioMax
CPU_INT16U
OS_CFG_PRIO_MAX
This variable indicates the maximum number of priorities that the application will support.
19
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_PtrSize
CPU_INT16U
sizeof(void *)
This variable indicates the size (in bytes) of a pointer.

ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_QEn
CPU_INT08U
OS_CFG_Q_EN
When 1, this variable indicates that C/OS-IIIs message queue services are available to the
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Run-Time Statistics
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_QDelEn
CPU_INT08U
OS_CFG_Q_DEL_EN
When 1, this variable indicates that the function OSQDel() is available to the application.
This value is set in OS_CFG.H.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_QFlushEn
CPU_INT08U
OS_CFG_Q_FLUSH_EN
When 1, this variable indicates that the function OSQFlush() is available to the application.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_QPendAbortEn
CPU_INT08U
OS_CFG_Q_PEND_ABORT_EN
When 1, this variable indicates that the function OSQPendAbort() is available to the
ROM Variable
Data Type
OSDbg_QSize
CPU_INT16U
Value
19
This variable indicates the RAM footprint (in number of bytes) of an OS_Q data type.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_SchedRoundRobinEn
CPU_INT08U
OS_CFG_ROUND_ROBIN_EN
When 1, this variable indicates that the C/OS-III round robin scheduling feature is available
to the application. This value is set in OS_CFG.H.
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ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_SemEn
CPU_INT08U
OS_CFG_SEM_EN
When 1, this variable indicates that C/OS-IIIs semaphore management services are
available to the application. This value is set in OS_CFG.H.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_SemDelEn
CPU_INT08U
OS_CFG_SEM_DEL_EN
When 1, this variable indicates that the function OSSemDel() is available to the application.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_SemPendAbortEn
CPU_INT08U
OS_CFG_SEM_PEND_ABORT_EN
When 1, this variable indicates that the function OSSemPendAbort() is available to the
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_SemSetEn
CPU_INT08U
OS_CFG_SEM_SET_EN
19
When 1, this variable indicates that the function OSSemSet() is available to the application.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_RdyList
CPU_INT16U
sizeof(OS_RDY_LIST)
This variable indicates the RAM footprint (in bytes) of an OS_RDY_LIST data type.
374
Run-Time Statistics
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_RdyListSize
CPU_INT32U
sizeof(OSRdyList)
This variable indicates the RAM footprint (in bytes) of the ready list.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_StkWidth
CPU_INT08U
sizeof(CPU_STK)
This variable indicates the word size of a stack entry (in bytes). If a stack entry is declared
as CPU_INT08U, this value will be 1, if a stack entry is declared as CPU_INT16U, the value
will be 2, etc.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_StatTaskEn
CPU_INT08U
OS_CFG_STAT_TASK_EN
When 1, this variable indicates that C/OS-IIIs statistic task is enabled. This value is set in
OS_CFG.H.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_StatTaskStkChkEn
CPU_INT08U
OS_CFG_STAT_TASK_STK_CHK_EN
19
When 1, this variable indicates that C/OS-III will perform run-time stack checking by
walking the stack of each task to determine the usage of each. This value is set in
OS_CFG.H.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_TaskChangePrioEn
CPU_INT08U
OS_CFG_TASK_CHANGE_PRIO_EN
When 1, this variable indicates that the function OSTaskChangePrio() is available to the
375
Chapter 19
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_TaskDelEn
CPU_INT08U
OS_CFG_TASK_DEL_EN
When 1, this variable indicates that the function OSTaskDel() is available to the application.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_TaskQEn
CPU_INT08U
OS_CFG_TASK_Q_EN
When 1, this variable indicates that OSTaskQ???() services are available to the application.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_TaskQPendAbortEn
CPU_INT08U
OS_CFG_TASK_Q_PEND_ABORT_EN
When 1, this variable indicates that the function OSTaskQPendAbort() is available to the
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_TaskProfileEn
CPU_INT08U
OS_CFG_TASK_PROFILE_EN
19
When 1, this variable indicates that task profiling is enabled, and that C/OS-III will perform
run-time performance measurements on a per-task basis. Specifically, when 1, C/OS-III
will keep track of how many context switches each task makes, how long a task disables
interrupts, how long a task locks the scheduler, and more. This value is set in OS_CFG.H.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_TaskRegTblSize
CPU_INT16U
OS_CFG_TASK_REG_TBL_SIZE
This variable indicates how many entries each task register table can accept.
376
Run-Time Statistics
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_TaskSemPendAbortEn
CPU_INT08U
OS_CFG_TASK_SEM_PEND_ABORT_EN
When 1, this variable indicates that the function OSTaskSemPendAbort() is available to the
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_TaskSuspendEn
CPU_INT08U
OS_CFG_TASK_SUSPEND_EN
When 1, this variable indicates that the function OSTaskSuspend() is available to the
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_TCBSize
CPU_INT16U
sizeof(OS_TCB)
This variable indicates the RAM footprint (in bytes) of an OS_TCB data structure.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_TickSpokeSize
CPU_INT16U
sizeof(OS_TICK_SPOKE)
This variable indicates the RAM footprint (in bytes) of an OS_TICK_SPOKE data structure.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_TimeDlyHMSMEn
CPU_INT08U
OS_CFG_TIME_DLY_HMSM_EN
When 1, this variable indicates that the function OSTimeDlyHMSM() is available to the
377
19
Chapter 19
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_TimeDlyResumeEn
CPU_INT08U
OS_CFG_TIME_DLY_RESUME_EN
When 1, this variable indicates that the function OSTimeDlyResume() is available to the
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_TmrEn
CPU_INT08U
OS_CFG_TMR_EN
When 1, this variable indicates that OSTmr???() services are available to the application.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_TmrDelEn
CPU_INT08U
OS_CFG_TMR_DEL_EN
When 1, this variable indicates that the function OSTmrDel() is available to the application.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_TmrSize
CPU_INT16U
sizeof(OS_TMR)
19
This variable indicates the RAM footprint (in bytes) of an OS_TMR data structure.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_TmrSpokeSize
CPU_INT16U
sizeof(OS_TMR_SPOKE)
This variable indicates the RAM footprint (in bytes) of an OS_TMR_SPOKE data structure.
378
Run-Time Statistics
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_VersionNbr
CPU_INT16U
OS_VERSION
This variable indicates the current version of C/OS-III multiplied by 1000. For example
version 3.00.4 will show as 3004.ZZ
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSDbg_DataSize
CPU_INT32U
Size of all RAM variables
This variable indicates the RAM footprint (in bytes) of the internal C/OS-III variables for
the current configuration.
19-5 OS_CFG_APP.C STATIC

As with OS_DBG.C, OS_CFG_APP.C defines a number of ROM variables. These variables,
however, reflect the run-time configuration of an application. Specifically, the user will be able
to know the RAM footprint (in bytes) of C/OS-III task stacks, the message pool, and more.
Below is a list of ROM variables provided in OS_APP_CFG.C, along with their descriptions.
These variables represent approximately 100 bytes of code space.
Application code can examine these variables and the application does not need to access
them in a critical region since they reside in code space and are therefore not changeable.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSCfg_IdleTaskStkSizeRAM
CPU_INT32U
sizeof(OSCfg_IdleTaskStk)
This variable indicates the RAM footprint (in bytes) of the C/OS-III idle task stack.
379
19
Chapter 19
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSCfg_IntQSizeRAM
CPU_INT32U
sizeof(OSCfg_IntQ)
This variable indicates the RAM footprint (in bytes) of the C/OS-III interrupt handler task queue.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSCfg_IntQTaskStkSizeRAM
CPU_INT32U
sizeof(OSCfg_IntQTaskStk)
This variable indicates the RAM footprint (in bytes) of the C/OS-III interrupt queue handler
task stack.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSCfg_ISRStkSizeRAM
CPU_INT32U
sizeof(OSCfg_ISRStk)
This variable indicates the RAM footprint (in bytes) of the dedicated Interrupt Service
Routine (ISR) stack.
19
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSCfg_MsgPoolSizeRAM
CPU_INT32U
sizeof(OSCfg_MsgPool)
This variable indicates the RAM footprint (in bytes) of the message pool.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSCfg_StatTaskStkSizeRAM
CPU_INT32U
sizeof(OSCfg_StatTaskStk)
This variable indicates the RAM footprint (in bytes) of the C/OS-III statistic task stack.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSCfg_TickTaskStkSizeRAM
CPU_INT32U
sizeof(OSCfg_TickTaskStk)
This variable indicates the RAM footprint (in bytes) of the C/OS-III tick task stack.
380
Run-Time Statistics
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSCfg_TickWheelSizeRAM
CPU_INT32U
sizeof(OSCfg_TickWheel)
This variable indicates the RAM footprint (in bytes) of the tick wheel.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSCfg_TmrWheelSizeRAM
CPU_INT32U
sizeof(OSCfg_TmrWheel)
This variable indicates the RAM footprint (in bytes) of the timer wheel.
ROM Variable
Data Type
Value
OSCfg_DataSizeRAM
CPU_INT32U
Total of all configuration RAM
This variable indicates the RAM footprint (in bytes) of all of the configuration variables
declared in OS_CFG_APP.C.
19-6 SUMMARY
This chapter presented a number of variables that can be read by a debugger and/or
C/Probe.
19
These variables provide run-time and compile-time (static) information regarding C/OS-III-based
applications. The C/OS-III variables allow users to monitor RAM footprint, task stack usage,
context switches, CPU usage, the execution time of many operations, and more.
The application must never change (i.e., write to) any of these variables.
381
Chapter 19
19
382
Appendix
A
C/OS-III API Reference Manual
This chapter provides a reference to C/OS-III services. Each of the user-accessible
kernel services is presented in alphabetical order. The following information is provided
for each entry:
A brief description of the service
The function prototype
The filename of the source code
The #define constant required to enable code for the service
A description of the arguments passed to the function
A description of returned value(s)
Specific notes and warnings regarding use of the service
One or two examples of how to use the function
Many functions return error codes. These error codes should be checked by the application
to ensure that the C/OS-III function performed its operation as expected.
The next few pages summarizes most of the services provided by C/OS-III. The function
calls in bold are commonly used.
383
A
Appendix A
A-1 TASK MANAGEMENT

void
OSTaskChangePrio
void
OSTaskCreate
void
OSTaskDel
OS_REG
OSTaskRegGet
void
OSTaskRegSet
void
OSTaskResume
void
OSTaskSuspend
void
OSTaskStkChk
384
(OS_TCB
OS_PRIO
OS_ERR
*p_tcb,
prio,
*p_err);
(OS_TCB
CPU_CHAR
OS_TASK_PTR
void
OS_PRIO
CPU_STK
CPU_STK_SIZE
CPU_STK_SIZE
OS_MSG_QTY
OS_TICK
void
OS_OPT
OS_ERR
*p_tcb,
*p_name,
*p_task,
*p_arg,
prio,
*p_stk_base,
stk_limit,
stk_size,
q_size,
time_quanta,
*p_ext,
opt,
*p_err);
(OS_TCB
OS_ERR
*p_tcb,
*p_err);
(OS_TCB
OS_REG_ID
OS_ERR
*p_tcb,
id,
*p_err);
(OS_TCB
OS_REG_ID
OS_REG
OS_ERR
*p_tcb,
id,
value,
*p_err);
(OS_TCB
OS_ERR
*p_tcb,
*p_err);
(OS_TCB
OS_ERR
*p_tcb,
*p_err);
(OS_TCB
CPU_STK_SIZE
CPU_STK_SIZE
OS_ERR
*p_tcb,
*p_free,
*p_used,
*p_err);
Values for opt:

OS_OPT_TASK_NONE
OS_OPT_TASK_STK_CHK
OS_OPT_TASK_STK_CLR
OS_OPT_TASK_SAVE_FP
A
void
OSTaskTimeQuantaSet (OS_TCB
OS_TICK
OS_ERR
*p_tcb,
time_quanta,
*p_err);
385
A
Appendix A
A-2 TIME MANAGEMENT

void
OSTimeDly
void
OSTimeDlyHMSM
(OS_TICK
OS_OPT
OS_ERR
dly,
opt,
*p_err);
(CPU_INT16U hours,
CPU_INT16U minutes,
CPU_INT16U seconds
CPU_INT32U milli,
OS_OPT
opt,
OS_ERR
*p_err);
void
OSTimeDlyResume (OS_TCB
OS_ERR
*p_tcb,
*p_err);
OS_TICK
OSTimeGet
(OS_ERR
*p_err);
(OS_TICK
OS_ERR
ticks,
*p_err);
void
OSTimeSet
386
Values for opt:

OS_OPT_TIME_HMSM_STRICT
OS_OPT_TIME_HMSM_NON_STRICT
A
A-3 MUTUAL EXCLUSION SEMAPHORES RESOURCE

MANAGEMENT
26B087(;
7DVN
260XWH[&UHDWH
260XWH['HO
260XWH[3HQG$ERUW
260XWH[3RVW
260XWH[3HQG
7DVN
7LPHRXW
void
OSMutexCreate
(OS_MUTEX
CPU_CHAR
OS_ERR
*p_mutex,
*p_name,
*p_err);
(OS_MUTEX
OS_OPT
OS_ERR
*p_mutex,
opt,
*p_err);
(OS_MUTEX
OS_TICK
OS_OPT
CPU_TS
OS_ERR
*p_mutex,
timeout,
opt,
*p_ts,
*p_err);
OS_OBJ_QTY
OSMutexPendAbort (OS_MUTEX
OS_OPT
OS_ERR
*p_mutex,
opt,
*p_err);
void
OSMutexDel
void
OSMutexPend
void
OSMutexPost
(OS_MUTEX
OS_OPT
OS_ERR
*p_mutex,
opt,
*p_err);
Values for opt:

OS_OPT_DEL_NO_PEND
OS_OPT_DEL_ALWAYS
Values for opt:

OS_OPT_PEND_BLOCKING
OS_OPT_PEND_NON_BLOCKING
Values for opt:

OS_OPT_PEND_ABORT_1
OS_OPT_PEND_ABORT_ALL
OS_OPT_POST_NO_SCHED (additive)
Values for opt:
OS_OPT_POST_NONE
OS_OPT_POST_NO_SCHED
387
A
Appendix A
A-4 EVENT FLAGS SYNCHRONIZATION

26B)/$*B*53
7DVN
26)ODJ&UHDWH
26)ODJ'HO
26)ODJ3HQG$ERUW
26)ODJ3RVW
26)ODJ3RVW
,65
void
OSFlagCreate
(OS_FLAG_GRP
CPU_CHAR
OS_FLAGS
OS_ERR
*p_grp,
*p_name,
flags,
*p_err);
(OS_FLAG_GRP
OS_OPT
OS_ERR
*p_grp,
opt,
*p_err);
(OS_FLAG_GRP
OS_FLAGS
OS_TICK
OS_OPT
CPU_TS
OS_ERR
*p_grp,
flags,
timeout,
opt,
*p_ts,
*p_err);
(OS_FLAG_GRP
OS_OPT
OS_ERR
*p_grp,
opt,
*p_err);
OS_OBJ_QTY
OSFlagDel
OS_FLAGS
OSFlagPend
OS_OBJ_QTY
OSFlagPendAbort
OS_FLAGS
OSFlagPendGetFlagsRdy (OS_ERR
OS_FLAGS
OSFlagPost
388
(OS_FLAG_GRP
OS_FLAGS
OS_OPT
OS_ERR
$1'
26)ODJ3HQG
7LPHRXW
25
26)ODJ3HQG
7LPHRXW
Values for opt:

OS_OPT_DEL_NO_PEND
OS_OPT_DEL_ALWAYS
Values for opt:

OS_OPT_PEND_FLAG_CLR_ALL
OS_OPT_PEND_FLAG_CLR_ANY
OS_OPT_PEND_FLAG_SET_ALL
OS_OPT_PEND_FLAH_SET_ANY
Values for opt:

OS_OPT_PEND_ABORT_1
*p_err);
*p_grp,
flags,
opt,
*p_err);
7DVN
Values for opt:

OS_OPT_POST_FLAG_SET
OS_OPT_POST_FLAG_CLR
7DVN
A
A-5 SEMAPHORES SYNCHRONIZATION
7DVN
266HP&UHDWH
266HP'HO
266HP3HQG$ERUW
266HP3RVW
266HP6HW
266HP3RVW
,65
26B6(0
266HP3HQG
7DVN
7LPHRXW
void
OSSemCreate
(OS_SEM
CPU_CHAR
OS_SEM_CTR
OS_ERR
*p_sem,
*p_name,
cnt,
*p_err);
(OS_SEM
OS_OPT
OS_ERR
*p_sem,
opt,
*p_err);
(OS_SEM
OS_TICK
OS_OPT
CPU_TS
OS_ERR
*p_sem,
timeout,
opt,
*p_ts,
*p_err);
OS_OBJ_QTY
OSSemPendAbort (OS_SEM
OS_OPT
OS_ERR
*p_sem,
opt,
*p_err);
OS_OBJ_QTY
OSSemDel
OS_SEM_CTR
OSSemPend
void
OSSemPost
void
OSSemSet
(OS_SEM
OS_OPT
OS_ERR
*p_sem,
opt,
*p_err);
(OS_SEM
OS_SEM_CTR
OS_ERR
*p_sem,
cnt,
*p_err);
Values for opt:

OS_OPT_DEL_NO_PEND
OS_OPT_DEL_ALWAYS
Values for opt:

Values for opt:

OS_OPT_PEND_ABORT_1
Values for opt:
OS_OPT_POST_1
OS_OPT_POST_ALL
389
A
Appendix A
A-6 TASK SEMAPHORES SYNCHRONIZATION
7DVN
267DVN6HP3HQG$ERUW
267DVN6HP3RVW
267DVN6HP6HW
267DVN6HP3HQG
267DVN6HP3RVW
,65
OS_SEM_CTR
OSTaskSemPend
(OS_TICK
OS_OPT
CPU_TS
OS_ERR
CPU_BOOLEAN
OSTaskSemPendAbort (OS_TCB
OS_OPT
OS_ERR
timeout,
opt,
*p_ts,
*p_err);
*p_tcb,
opt,
*p_err);
OS_SEM_CTR
OSTaskSemPost
OS_SEM_CTR
OSTaskSemSet
390
(OS_TCB
OS_OPT
OS_ERR
*p_tcb,
opt,
*p_err);
(OS_TCB
*p_tcb,
OS_SEM_CTR cnt,
OS_ERR
*p_err);
7DVN
7LPHRXW
Values for opt:

Values for opt:

OS_OPT_POST_NONE
Values for opt:

OS_OPT_POST_NONE
A
A-7 MESSAGE QUEUES MESSAGE PASSING
7DVN
264&UHDWH
264'HO
264)OXVK
2643HQG$ERUW
2643RVW
2643RVW
26B4
2643HQG
0HVVDJH
7DVN
7LPHRXW
,65
void
OSQCreate
(OS_Q
CPU_CHAR
OS_MSG_QTY
OS_ERR
*p_q,
*p_name,
max_qty,
*p_err);
(OS_Q
OS_OPT
OS_ERR
*p_q,
opt,
*p_err);
(OS_Q
OS_ERR
*p_q,
*p_err);
OS_OBJ_QTY,
OSQDel
OS_MSG_QTY
OSQFlush
void *
OSQPend
(OS_Q
*p_q,
OS_TICK
timeout,
OS_OPT
opt,
OS_MSG_SIZE *p_msg_size,
CPU_TS
*p_ts,
OS_ERR
*p_err);
OS_OBJ_QTY
OSQPendAbort (OS_Q
OS_OPT
OS_ERR
void
OSQPost
*p_q,
opt,
*p_err);
(OS_Q
*p_q,
void
*p_void,
OS_MSG_SIZE msg_size,
OS_OPT
opt,
OS_ERR
*p_err);
Values for opt:

OS_OPT_DEL_NO_PEND
OS_OPT_DEL_ALWAYS
Values for opt:

Values for opt:

OS_OPT_PEND_ABORT_1
Values for opt:
OS_OPT_POST_ALL
OS_OPT_POST_FIFO
OS_OPT_POST_LIFO
391
A
Appendix A
A-8 TASK MESSAGE QUEUES MESSAGE PASSING
7DVN
267DVN4)OXVK
267DVN43HQG$ERUW
267DVN43RVW
267DVN43HQG
267DVN43RVW
7DVN
7LPHRXW
,65
OS_MSG_QTY
OSTaskQFlush
void *
OSTaskQPend
(OS_TCB
OS_ERR
(OS_TICK
OS_OPT
OS_MSG_SIZE
CPU_TS
OS_ERR
CPU_BOOLEAN
OSTaskQPendAbort (OS_TCB
OS_OPT
OS_ERR
*p_tcb,
*p_err);
timeout,
opt,
*p_msg_size,
*p_ts,
*p_err);
*p_tcb,
opt,
*p_err);
void
OSTaskQPost
392
(OS_TCB
void
OS_MSG_SIZE
OS_OPT
OS_ERR
*p_tcb,
*p_void,
msg_size,
opt,
*p_err);
Values for opt:

Values for opt:

OS_OPT_POST_NONE
Values for opt:

OS_OPT_POST_FIFO
OS_OPT_POST_LIFO
A
A-9 PENDING ON MULTIPLE OBJECTS

6HPDSKRUH
266HP3RVW
6HPDSKRUH
263HQG0XOWL
266HP3RVW
0HVVDJH
4XHXH
2643RVW
25
7DVN
0HVVDJH
4XHXH
2643RVW
7LPHRXW
6HPDSKRUH
266HP3RVW
OS_OBJ_QTY
OSPendMulti (OS_PEND_DATA *p_pend_data_tbl,
OS_OBJ_QTY
tbl_size,
OS_TICK
timeout,
OS_OPT
opt,
OS_ERR
*p_err);
Values for opt:

393
A
Appendix A
A-10 TIMERS
26B705
7DVN
void
OSTmrCreate
267PU&UHDWH
267PU'HO
267PU6WDUW
267PU6WRS
(OS_TMR
CPU_CHAR
OS_TICK
OS_TICK
OS_OPT
OS_TMR_CALLBACK_PTR
void
OS_ERR
*p_tmr,
*p_name,
dly,
period,
opt,
*p_callback,
*p_callback_arg,
*p_err);
(OS_TMR
OS_ERR
*p_tmr,
*p_err);
OS_TICK
OSTmrRemainGet (OS_TMR
OS_ERR
*p_tmr,
*p_err);
OS_STATE
OSTmrStateGet (OS_TMR
OS_ERR
*p_tmr,
*p_err);
CPU_BOOLEAN
OSTmrDel
CPU_BOOLEAN
OSTmrStart
CPU_BOOLEAN
OSTmrStop
394
(OS_TMR
OS_ERR
*p_tmr,
*p_err);
(OS_TMR
OS_OPT
void
OS_ERR
*p_tmr,
opt,
*p_callback_arg,
*p_err);
267PU5HPDLQ*HW
267PU6WDWH*HW
Values for opt:

OS_OPT_TMR_ONE_SHOT
OS_OPT_TMR_PERIODIC
7DVN
A
A-11 FIXED-SIZE MEMORY PARTITIONS MEMORY

MANAGEMENT
26B0(0
7DVN
7DVN
260HP&UHDWH
260HP3XW
260HP*HW
260HP3XW
260HP*HW
,65
,65
void
OSMemCreate (OS_MEM
CPU_CHAR
void
OS_MEM_QTY
OS_MEM_SIZE
OS_ERR
void *
OSMemGet
void
OSMemPut
*p_mem,
*p_name,
*p_addr,
n_blks,
blk_size,
*p_err);
(OS_MEM
OS_ERR
*p_mem,
*p_err);
(OS_MEM
void
OS_ERR
*p_mem,
*p_blk,
*p_err);
395
A
Appendix A
A-12 OSCtxSw()
void OSCtxSw (void)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_CPU_A.ASM
OSSched()
N/A
OSCtxSw() is called from the macro OS_TASK_SW(), which in turn is called from OSSched()
to perform a task-level context switch. Interrupts are disabled when OSCtxSw() is called.
Prior to calling OSCtxSw(), OSSched() sets OSTCBCurPtr to point at the OS_TCB of the task
that is being switched out, and OSTCBHighRdyPtr to point at the OS_TCB of the task being
switched in.
ARGUMENTS
None
RETURNED VALUES
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
None
396
A
EXAMPLE
The pseudocode for OSCtxSw() follows:
void OSCtxSw (void)

{
Save all CPU registers;
OSTCBCurPtr->StkPtr = SP;
OSTaskSwHook();
OSPrioCur
= OSPrioHighRdy;
OSTCBCurPtr
= OSTCBHighRdyPtr;
SP
= OSTCBHighRdyPtr->StkPtr;
Restore all CPU registers;
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
(1)
OSCtxSw() must save all of the CPU registers onto the current tasks stack.
OSCtxSw() is called from the context of the task being switched out. Therefore,
the CPU stack pointer is pointing to the proper stack. The user must save all of
the registers in the same order as if an ISR started and all the CPU registers
were saved on the stack. The stacking order should therefore match that of
OSTaskStkInit().
(2)
Save the current tasks stack pointer into the current tasks OS_TCB.
(3)
Next, OSCtxSw() must call OSTaskSwHook().
(4)
Copy OSPrioHighRdy to OSPrioCur.
(5)
Copy OSTCBHighRdyPtr to OSTCBCurPtr since the current task is now the task
being switched in.
(6)
Restore the stack pointer of the new task, which is found in the OS_TCB of the
new task.
(7)
Restore all the CPU registers from the new tasks stack.
(8)
Finally, OSCtxSw() must execute a return from interrupt instruction.
397
A
Appendix A
A-13 OSFlagCreate()
void OSFlagCreate (OS_FLAG_GRP *p_grp,
CPU_CHAR
*p_name,
OS_FLAGS
flags,
OS_ERR
*p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_FLAG.C
Task or startup code
OS_CFG_FLAG_EN
OSFlagCreate() is used to create and initialize an event flag group. C/OS-III allows the
user to create an unlimited number of event flag groups (limited only by the amount of
RAM in the system).
ARGUMENTS
p_grp
This is a pointer to an event flag group that must be allocated in the

application. The user will need to declare a global variable as shown, and
pass a pointer to this variable to OSFlagCreate():
OS_FLAG_GRP MyEventFlag;
p_name
This is a pointer to an ASCII string used for the name of the event flag group.
The name can be displayed by debuggers or by C/Probe.
flags
This contains the initial value of the flags to store in the event flag group.
p_err
This is a pointer to a variable that is used to hold an error code. The error
code can be one of the following:
OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_CREATE_ISR
OS_ERR_NAME
OS_ERR_OBJ_CREATED
OS_ERR_OBJ_PTR_NULL
398
If the call is successful and the event flag

group has been created.
If attempting to create an event flag group
from an ISR, w is not allowed.
If p_name is a NULL pointer.
If the object passed has already been created.
If p_grp is a NULL pointer.
A
RETURNED VALUES
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
1. Event flag groups must be created by this function before they can be used by the other
event flag group services.
EXAMPLE
OS_FLAG_GRP
EngineStatus;
void main (void)

{
OS_ERR err;
OSInit(&err);
:
:
OSFlagCreate(&EngineStatus,
Engine Status,
(OS_FLAGS)0,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
OSStart();
/* Initialize C/OS-III
*/
/* Create a flag grp containing the engines status */
/* Start Multitasking
*/
399
A
Appendix A
A-14 OSFlagDel()
void OSFlagDel (OS_FLAG_GRP *p_grp,
OS_OPT
opt,
OS_ERR
*p_err);
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_FLAG.C
Task
OS_CFG_FLAG_EN and
OS_CFG_FLAG_DEL_EN
OSFlagDel() is used to delete an event flag group. This function should be used with care
since multiple tasks may be relying on the presence of the event flag group. Generally,
before deleting an event flag group, first delete all of the tasks that access the event flag
group. Also, it is recommended that the user not delete kernel objects at run time.
ARGUMENTS
p_grp
is a pointer to the event flag group to delete.
opt
specifies whether the user wants to delete the event flag group only if there are
no pending tasks (OS_OPT_DEL_NO_PEND), or whether the event flag group
should always be deleted regardless of whether or not tasks are pending
(OS_OPT_DEL_ALWAYS). In this case, all pending task are readied.
p_err
is a pointer to a variable used to hold an error code. The error code can be one
of the following:
OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_DEL_ISR
OS_ERR_OBJ_PTR_NULL
OS_ERR_OBJ_TYPE
OS_ERR_OPT_INVALID
400
if the call is successful and the event flag

group has been deleted.
if the user attempts to delete an event flag
group from an ISR.
if p_grp is a NULL pointer.
if p_grp is not pointing to an event flag
group.
if the user does not specify one of the options
mentioned in the opt argument.
A
OS_ERR_TASK_WAITING
if one or more tasks are waiting on the event

flag group and OS_OPT_DEL_NO_PEND is
specified.
RETURNED VALUES
0 if no task was waiting on the event flag group, or an error occurs.
> 0 if one or more tasks waiting on the event flag group are now readied and informed
NOTES/WARNINGS
1. Use this call with care as other tasks might expect the presence of the event flag group.
EXAMPLE
OS_FLAG_GRP
EngineStatusFlags;
void Task (void *p_arg)

{
OS_ERR
OS_OBJ_QTY
err;
qty;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
:
qty = OSFlagDel(&EngineStatusFlags,
OS_OPT_DEL_ALWAYS,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
}
}
401
A
Appendix A
A-15 OSFlagPend()
OS_FLAGS OSFlagPend (OS_FLAG_GRP
OS_FLAGS
OS_TICK
OS_OPT
CPU_TS
OS_ERR
*p_grp,
flags,
timeout,
opt,
*p_ts,
*p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_FLAG.C
Task
OS_CFG_FLAG_EN
OSFlagPend() allows the task to wait for a combination of conditions (i.e., events or bits) to
be set (or cleared) in an event flag group. The application can wait for any condition to be set
or cleared, or for all conditions to be set or cleared. If the events that the calling task desires are
not available, the calling task is blocked (optional) until the desired conditions are satisfied, the
specified timeout expires, the event flag is deleted, or the pend is aborted by another task.
ARGUMENTS
p_grp
is a pointer to the event flag group.
flags
is a bit pattern indicating which bit(s) (i.e., flags) to check. The bits wanted are
specified by setting the corresponding bits in flags. If the application wants to
wait for bits 0 and 1 to be set, specify 0x03.
timeout
allows the task to resume execution if the desired flag(s) is (are) not received
from the event flag group within the specified number of clock ticks. A timeout
value of 0 indicates that the task wants to wait forever for the flag(s). The
timeout value is not synchronized with the clock tick. The timeout count begins
decrementing on the next clock tick, which could potentially occur
immediately.
402
A
opt
specifies whether all bits are to be set/cleared or any of the bits are to be
set/cleared. Specify the following arguments:
OS_OPT_PEND_FLAG_CLR_ALL
OS_OPT_PEND_FLAG_CLR_ANY
OS_OPT_PEND_FLAG_SET_ALL
OS_OPT_PEND_FLAG_SET_ANY
Check
Check
Check
Check
all bits in flags to be clear (0)

any bit in flags to be clear (0)
all bits in flags to be set (1)
any bit in flags to be set (1)
The user may also specify whether the flags are consumed by adding
OS_OPT_PEND_FLAG_CONSUME to the opt argument. For example, to wait for any
flag in a group and then clear the flags that satisfy the condition, set opt to:
OS_OPT_PEND_FLAG_SET_ANY + OS_OPT_PEND_FLAG_CONSUME
Finally, you can specify whether the user wants to block if the flag(s) are
available or not. The user must add the following options:
Note that the timeout argument should be set to 0 when specifying
OS_OPT_PEND_NON_BLOCKING, since the timeout value is irrelevant using this
option.
p_ts
is a pointer to a timestamp indicating when the flags were posted, the pend
was aborted, or the event flag group was deleted. If passing a NULL pointer
(i.e., (CPU_TS *)0), the user will not obtain the timestamp. Passing a NULL
pointer is valid, and indicates that the user does not need the timestamp.
A timestamp is useful when the task desires to know when the event flag group
was posted or how long it took for the task to resume after the event flag group
was posted. In the latter case, the user must call OS_TS_GET() and compute the
difference between the current value of the timestamp and *p_ts, as shown:
delta = OS_TS_GET() - *p_ts;
403
A
Appendix A
p_err
is a pointer to an error code and can be:

OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_OBJ_PTR_NULL
OS_ERR_OBJ_TYPE
OS_ERR_OPT_INVALID
OS_ERR_PEND_ABORT
OS_ERR_PEND_ISR
OS_ERR_SCHED_LOCKED
OS_ERR_PEND_WOULD_BLOCK
OS_ERR_TIMEOUT
No error.
p_grp is not pointing to an event flag group.
the user specified an invalid option.
the wait on the flags was aborted by another
task that called OSFlagPendAbort().
An attempt was made to call OSFlagPend
from an ISR, which is not allowed.
When calling this function while the
scheduler was locked.
if specifying non-blocking but the flags were
not available and the call would block if the
user had specified OS_OPT_PEND_BLOCKING.
the flags are not available within the specified
amount of time.
RETURNED VALUES
The flag(s) that cause the task to be ready, 0 if either none of the flags are ready, or indicate
an error occurred.
NOTES/WARNINGS
1. The event flag group must be created before it is used.
404
A
EXAMPLE
#define
ENGINE_OIL_PRES_OK
0x01
#define
#define
ENGINE_OIL_TEMP_OK
ENGINE_START
0x02
0x04
OS_FLAG_GRP
EngineStatus;

{
OS_ERR
err;
OS_FLAGS value;
CPU_TS
ts;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
value = OSFlagPend(&EngineStatus,
ENGINE_OIL_PRES_OK
+ ENGINE_OIL_TEMP_OK,
OS_FLAG_WAIT_SET_ALL + OS_FLAG_CONSUME,
10,
&ts,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
}
}
405
A
Appendix A
A-16 OSFlagPendAbort()
OS_OBJ_QTY OSFlagPendAbort (OS_SEM *p_grp,
OS_OPT
opt,
OS_ERR *p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_FLAG.C
Task
OS_CFG_FLAG_EN and
OSFlagPendAbort() aborts and readies any tasks currently waiting on an event flag group.
This function should be used by another task to fault abort the wait on the event flag group,
rather than to normally signal the event flag group via OSFlagPost().
ARGUMENTS
p_grp
is a pointer to the event flag group for which pend(s) must be aborted.
opt
determines the type of abort performed.

OS_OPT_PEND_ABORT_1
406
Aborts the pend of only the highest priority

task waiting on the event flag group.
Aborts the pend of all the tasks waiting on
the event flag group.
Specifies that the scheduler should not be
called even if the pend of a higher priority
task is aborted. Scheduling will need to occur
from another function.
Use this option if the task calling
OSFlagPendAbort() will perform additional
pend aborts, rescheduling will take place at
completion, and when multiple pend aborts
are to take effect simultaneously.
A
p_err
is a pointer to a variable that holds an error code. OSFlagPendAbort() sets

*p_err to one of the following:
OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_OBJ_PTR_NULL
OS_ERR_OBJ_TYPE
OS_ERR_OPT_INVALID
OS_ERR_PEND_ABORT_ISR
OS_ERR_PEND_ABORT_NONE
at least one task waiting on the event flag

group was readied and informed of the
aborted wait. Check the return value for the
number of tasks where a wait on the event
flag group was aborted.
if p_grp is not pointing to an event flag
group.
if specifying an invalid option.
This function cannot be called from an ISR.
No task was aborted since no task was
waiting.
RETURNED VALUE
OSFlagPendAbort() returns the number of tasks made ready to run by this function. Zero
indicates that no tasks were pending on the event flag group and thus this function had no
effect.
NOTES/WARNINGS
1. Event flag groups must be created before they are used.
407
A
Appendix A
EXAMPLE
OS_FLAG_GRP
EngineStatus;

{
OS_ERR
err;
OS_OBJ_QTY nbr_tasks;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
:
nbr_tasks = OSFlagPendAbort(&EngineStatus,
OS_OPT_PEND_ABORT_ALL,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
}
}
408
A
A-17 OSFlagPendGetFlagsRdy()
OS_FLAGS OSFlagPendGetFlagsRdy (OS_ERR *p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_FLAG.C
Task
OS_CFG_FLAG_EN
OSFlagPendGetFlagsRdy() is used to obtain the flags that caused the current task to be
ready to run. This function allows the user to know Who done it!
ARGUMENTS
p_err

OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_PEND_ISR
No error.
When attempting to call this function from an
ISR.
RETURNED VALUE
The value of the flags that caused the current task to become ready to run.
NOTES/WARNINGS
1. The event flag group must be created before it is used.
409
A
Appendix A
EXAMPLE
#define
ENGINE_OIL_PRES_OK
0x01
#define
#define
ENGINE_OIL_TEMP_OK
ENGINE_START
0x02
0x04
OS_FLAG_GRP
EngineStatus;

{
OS_ERR
err;
OS_FLAGS value;
OS_FLAGS flags_rdy;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
value
= OSFlagPend(&EngineStatus,
ENGINE_OIL_PRES_OK
+ ENGINE_OIL_TEMP_OK,
OS_FLAG_WAIT_SET_ALL + OS_FLAG_CONSUME,
10,
&err);
/* Check err */
flags_rdy = OSFlagPendGetFlagsRdy(&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
}
}
410
A
A-18 OSFlagPost()
OS_FLAGS OSFlagPost (OS_FLAG_GRP *p_grp,
OS_FLAGS
flags,
OS_OPT
opt,
OS_ERR
*p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_FLAG.C
Task or ISR
OS_CFG_FLAG_EN
Set or clear event flag bits by calling OSFlagPost(). The bits set or cleared are specified in
a bit mask (i.e., the flags argument). OSFlagPost() readies each task that has its desired
bits satisfied by this call. The user can set or clear bits that are already set or cleared.
ARGUMENTS
p_grp
is a pointer to the event flag group.
flags
specifies which bits to be set or cleared. If opt is OS_OPT_POST_FLAG_SET, each

bit that is set in flags will set the corresponding bit in the event flag group. For
example to set bits 0, 4, and 5, set flags to 0x31 (note that bit 0 is the least
significant bit). If opt is OS_OPT_POST_FLAG_CLR, each bit that is set in flags
will clear the corresponding bit in the event flag group. For example to clear
bits 0, 4, and 5, specify flags as 0x31 (again, bit 0 is the least significant bit).
opt
indicates whether the flags are set (OS_OPT_POST_FLAG_SET) or cleared

(OS_OPT_POST_FLAG_CLR).
The user may also add OS_OPT_POST_NO_SCHED so that C/OS-III will not call
the scheduler after the post.
p_err

OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_FLAG_INVALID_OPT
OS_ERR_OBJ_PTR_NULL
OS_ERR_OBJ_TYPE
the call is successful.

specify an invalid option.
the user passed a NULL pointer.
the user is not pointing to an event flag
group.
411
A
Appendix A
RETURNED VALUE
The new value of the event flags.
NOTES/WARNINGS
1
Event flag groups must be created before they are used.
The execution time of this function depends on the number of tasks waiting on the
event flag group. However, the execution time is still deterministic.
Although the example below shows that we are posting from a task, OSFlagPost() can
also be called from an ISR.
EXAMPLE
#define
#define
#define
ENGINE_OIL_PRES_OK
ENGINE_OIL_TEMP_OK
ENGINE_START
OS_FLAG_GRP
0x01
0x02
0x04
EngineStatusFlags;
void TaskX (void *p_arg)

{
OS_ERR
err;
OS_FLAGS flags;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
:
flags = OSFlagPost(&EngineStatusFlags,
ENGINE_START,
OS_OPT_POST_FLAG_SET,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
}
}
412
A
A-19 OSIdleTaskHook()
void OSIdleTaskHook (void);
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_CPU_C.C
OS_IdleTask() ONLY
N/A
This function is called by OS_IdleTask().

OSIdleTaskHook() is part of the CPU port code and this function must not be called by the
application code. OSIdleTaskHook() is used by the C/OS-III port developer.
OSIdleTaskHook() runs in the context of the idle task so that it is important to make sure
there is sufficient stack space in the idle task. OSIdleTaskHook() must not make any
OS???Pend() calls, call OSTaskSuspend() or OSTimeDly???(). In other words, this
function must never be allowed to make a blocking call.
ARGUMENTS
None
RETURNED VALUE
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
1. Never make blocking calls from OSIdleTaskHook().
2. Do not call this function from you application.
EXAMPLE
The code below calls an application-specific hook that the application programmer can
define. The user can simply set the value of OS_AppIdleTaskHookPtr to point to the
desired hook function which in this case assumes s defined in OS_APP_HOOKS.C. The idle
task calls OSIdleTaskHook() which in turns calls App_OS_IdleTaskHook() through
OS_AppIdleTaskHookPtr.
413
A
Appendix A
This feature is very useful when there is a processor that can enter low-power mode. When
C/OS-III has no other task to run, the processor can be put to sleep waiting for an
interrupt to wake it up.
void App_OS_IdleTaskHook (void)

{
/* Your code goes here! */
/* See OS_APP_HOOKS.C
*/
/* OS_APP_HOOKS.C
*/
/* See OS_CPU_C.C
*/
/* Put the CPU in low power mode (optional) */

}
void App_OS_SetAllHooks (void)

{
CPU_SR_ALLOC();
:
OS_AppIdleTaskHookPtr = App_OS_IdleTaskHook;
:
}

{
#if OS_CFG_APP_HOOKS_EN > 0u
if (OS_AppIdleTaskHookPtr != (OS_APP_HOOK_VOID)0) {
(*OS_AppIdleTaskHookPtr)();
}
#endif
}
414
/* Call application hook */
A
A-20 OSInit()
void OSInit (OS_ERR *p_err);
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_CORE.C
Startup code only
N/A
OSInit() initializes C/OS-III and it must be called prior to calling any other C/OS-III
function. Including OSStart()which will start multitasking.
ARGUMENTS
p_err

OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_????
initialization was successful.

some other OS_ERR_???? value returned by a
sub-function of OSInit().
RETURNED VALUES
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
1. OSInit() must be called before OSStart().
2. OSInit() returns as soon as it detects an error in any of the sub-functions it calls. For
example, if OSInit() encounters a problem initializing the task manager, an appropriate
error code will be returned and OSInit() will not go any further. It is therefore important
that the user checks the error code before starting multitasking.
415
A
Appendix A
EXAMPLE
void main (void)
{
OS_ERR
err;
:
OSInit(&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
OSStart(&err);
/* Check err */
}
416
*/
*/
/* Code not supposed to end up here! */
A
A-21 OSInitHook()
void OSInitHook (void);
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_CPU_C.C
OSInit()
Always enabled
OSInitHook() is a function that is called by C/OS-IIIs initialization code, OSInit().

OSInitHook() is typically implemented by the port implementer for the processor used.
This hook allows the port to be extended to do such tasks as setup exception stacks,
floating-point registers, and more. OSInitHook() is called at the beginning of OSInit(),
before any C/OS-III task and data structure have been initialized.
ARGUMENTS
None
RETURNED VALUES
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
None
EXAMPLE
void OSInitHook (void)

/* See OS_CPU_C.C
{
/* Perform any initialization code necessary by the port */
}
*/
417
A
Appendix A
A-22 OSIntCtxSw()
void OSIntCtxSw (void)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_CPU_A.ASM
OSIntExit()
N/A
OSIntCtxSw() is called from OSIntExit() to perform a context switch when all nested
interrupts have returned.
Interrupts are disabled when OSIntCtxSw() is called.
OSIntExit() sets OSTCBCurPtr to point at the OS_TCB of the task that is switched out and
OSTCBHighRdyPtr to point at the OS_TCB of the task that is switched in.
ARGUMENTS
None
RETURNED VALUES
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
None
418
A
EXAMPLE
The pseudocode for OSIntCtxSw() is shown below. Notice that the code does only half of
what OSCtxSw() did. The reason is that OSIntCtxSw() is called from an ISR and it is
assumed that all of the CPU registers of the interrupted task were saved at the beginning of
the ISR. OSIntCtxSw() therefore only must restore the context of the new, high-priority
task.
void OSIntCtxSw (void)

{
OSTaskSwHook();
OSPrioCur
= OSPrioHighRdy;
OSTCBCurPtr
= OSTCBHighRdyPtr;
SP
= OSTCBHighRdyPtr->StkPtr;
Restore all CPU registers;
}
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(1)
OSIntCtxSw() must call OSTaskSwHook().
(2)
Copy OSPrioHighRdy to OSPrioCur.
(3)
Copy OSTCBHighRdyPtr to OSTCBCurPtr because the current task will now be

the new task.
(4)
Restore the stack pointer of the new task, which is found in the OS_TCB of the
new task.
(5)
Restore all the CPU registers from the new tasks stack.
(6)
Execute a return from interrupt instruction.
419
A
Appendix A
A-23 OSIntEnter()
void OSIntEnter (void);
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_CORE.C
ISR only
N/A
OSIntEnter() notifies C/OS-III that an ISR is being processed, which allows C/OS-III to
keep track of interrupt nesting. OSIntEnter() is used in conjunction with OSIntExit().
This function is generally called at the beginning of ISRs. Note that on some CPU
architectures, it must be written in assembly language (shown below in pseudo code):
MyISR:
Save CPU registers;
OSIntEnter();
:
Process ISR;
:
OSIntExit();
Restore CPU registers;
ARGUMENTS
None
RETURNED VALUES
None
420
/* Or, OSIntNestingCtr++ */
A
NOTES/WARNINGS
1. This function must not be called by task-level code.
2. Increment the interrupt-nesting counter (OSIntNestingCtr) directly in the ISR to avoid
the overhead of the function call/return. It is safe to increment OSIntNestingCtr in the ISR
since interrupts are assumed to be disabled when OSIntNestingCtr is incremented.
However, that is not true for all CPU architectures. Make sure interrupts are disabled in the
ISR before directly incrementing OSIntNestingCtr.
3. It is possible to nest interrupts up to 250 levels deep.
421
A
Appendix A
A-24 OSIntExit()
void OSIntExit (void);
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_CORE.C
ISR only
N/A
OSIntExit() notifies C/OS-III that an ISR is complete, which allows C/OS-III to keep
track of interrupt nesting. OSIntExit() is used in conjunction with OSIntEnter(). When
the last nested interrupt completes, OSIntExit() determines if a higher priority task is
ready to run. If so, the interrupt returns to the higher priority task instead of the interrupted
task.
This function is typically called at the end of ISRs as follows, and on some CPU
architectures, it must be written in assembly language (shown below in pseudo code):
MyISR:
Save CPU registers;
OSIntEnter();
:
Process ISR;
:
OSIntExit();
Restore CPU registers;
ARGUMENTS
None
RETURNED VALUE
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
1. This function must not be called by task-level code. Also, if directly incrementing
OSIntNestingCtr, instead of calling OSIntEnter(), the user must still call OSIntExit().
422
A
A-25 OSMemCreate()
void OSMemCreate (OS_MEM
CPU_CHAR
void
OS_MEM_QTY
OS_MEM_SIZE
OS_ERR
*p_mem,
*p_name,
*p_addr,
n_blks,
blk_size,
*p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_MEM.C
OS_CFG_MEM_EN
OSMemCreate() creates and initializes a memory partition. A memory partition contains a

user-specified number of fixed-size memory blocks. An application may obtain one of these
memory blocks and, when completed, release the block back to the same partition where
the block originated.
ARGUMENTS
p_mem
is a pointer to a memory partition control block that must be allocated in the

application. It is assumed that storage will be allocated for the memory control
blocks in the application. In other words, the user will declare a global
variable as follows, and pass a pointer to this variable to OSMemCreate():
OS_MEM MyMemPartition;
p_name
is a pointer to an ASCII string to provide a name to the memory partition. The

name can be displayed by debuggers or C/Probe.
p_addr
is the address of the start of a memory area used to create fixed-size memory
blocks. Memory partitions may be created either using static arrays or
malloc() during startup. Note that the partition must align on a pointer
boundary. Thus, if a pointer is 16-bits wide. the partition must start on a
memory location with an address that ends with 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, etc. If a pointer is
32-bits wide, the partition must start on a memory location with an address that
ends in 0, 4, 8 of C. The easiest way to ensure this is to create a static array as
follows:
423
A
Appendix A
void *MyMemArray[N][M * sizeof(void *)]

Never deallocate memory blocks that were allocated from the heap to prevent
fragmentation of your heap. It is quite acceptable to allocate memory blocks
from the heap as long as the user does not deallocate them.
n_blks
contains the number of memory blocks available from the specified partition.
Specify at least two memory blocks per partition.
blk_size
specifies the size (in bytes) of each memory block within a partition. A memory
block must be large enough to hold at least a pointer. Also, the size of a
memory block must be a multiple of the size of a pointer. If a pointer is 32-bits
wide then the block size must be 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, etc. bytes (i.e., a multiple of 4
bytes).
p_err
is a pointer to a variable that holds an error code:

OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_MEM_INVALID_BLKS
OS_ERR_MEM_INVALID_P_ADDR
OS_ERR_MEM_INVALID_SIZE
if the memory partition is created successfully

if the user does not specify at least two
memory blocks per partition
if specifying an invalid address (i.e., p_addr is
a NULL pointer) or the partition is not
properly aligned.
if the user does not specify a block size that
can contain at least a pointer variable, and if
it is not a multiple of a pointer-size variable.
RETURNED VALUE
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
1. Memory partitions must be created before they are used.
424
A
EXAMPLE
OS_MEM
CPU_INT32U
CommMem;
*CommBuf[16][32];
/* 16 buffers of 32 words of 32 bits */
void main (void)

{
OS_ERR err;
OSInit(&err);
:
:
OSMemCreate(&CommMem,
Comm Buffers,
&CommBuf[0][0],
16,
32 * sizeof(CPU_INT32U),
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
OSStart(&err);
*/
*/
425
A
Appendix A
A-26 OSMemGet()
void *OSMemGet (OS_MEM *p_mem,
OS_ERR *p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_MEM.C
Task or ISR
OS_CFG_MEM_EN
OSMemGet() obtains a memory block from a memory partition. It is assumed that the
application knows the size of each memory block obtained. Also, the application must return
the memory block [using OSMemPut()] to the same memory partition when it no longer
requires it. OSMemGet() may be called more than once until all memory blocks are allocated.
ARGUMENTS
p_mem
is a pointer to the desired memory partition control block.
p_err

OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_MEM_INVALID_P_MEM
OS_ERR_MEM_NO_FREE_BLKS
if a memory block is available and returned to

the application.
if p_mem is a NULL pointer.
if the memory partition does not contain
additional memory blocks to allocate.
RETURNED VALUE
OSMemGet() returns a pointer to the allocated memory block if one is available. If a
memory block is not available from the memory partition, OSMemGet() returns a NULL
pointer. It is up to the application to cast the pointer to the proper data type since
OSMemGet() returns a void *.
NOTES/WARNINGS
2. This is a non-blocking call and this function can be called from an ISR.
426
A
EXAMPLE
OS_MEM
CommMem;

{
OS_ERR
err;
CPU_INT08U *p_msg;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
p_msg = (CPU_INT08U *)OSMemGet(&CommMem,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
}
}
427
A
Appendix A
A-27 OSMemPut()
void OSMemPut (OS_MEM *p_mem,
void
*p_blk,
OS_ERR *p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_MEM.C
Task or ISR
OS_CFG_MEM_EN
OSMemPut() returns a memory block back to a memory partition. It is assumed that the user
will return the memory block to the same memory partition from which it was allocated.
ARGUMENTS
p_mem
is a pointer to the memory partition control block.
p_blk
is a pointer to the memory block to be returned to the memory partition.
p_err

OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_MEM_INVALID_P_BLK
OS_ERR_MEM_INVALID_P_MEM
OS_ERR_MEM_MEM_FULL
RETURNED VALUE
None
428
if a memory block is available and returned to

the application.
if the user passed a NULL pointer for the memory
block being returned to the memory partition.
if p_mem is a NULL pointer.
if returning a memory block to an already full
memory partition. This would indicate that
the user freed more blocks that were
allocated and potentially did not return some
of the memory blocks to the proper memory
partition.
A
NOTES/WARNINGS
2. Return a memory block to the proper memory partition.
3. Call this function from an ISR or a task.
EXAMPLE
OS_MEM
CPU_INT08U
CommMem;
*CommMsg;

{
OS_ERR err;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
OSMemPut(&CommMem,
(void *)CommMsg,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
}
}
429
A
Appendix A
A-28 OSMutexCreate()
void OSMutexCreate (OS_MUTEX
CPU_CHAR
OS_ERR
*p_mutex,
*p_name,
*p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_MUTEX.C
OS_CFG_MUTEX_EN
OSMutexCreate() is used to create and initialize a mutex. A mutex is used to gain exclusive
access to a resource.
ARGUMENTS
p_mutex
is a pointer to a mutex control block that must be allocated in the application.

The user will need to declare a global variable as follows, and pass a pointer
to this variable to OSMutexCreate():
OS_MUTEX MyMutex;
p_name
is a pointer to an ASCII string used to assign a name to the mutual exclusion

semaphore. The name may be displayed by debuggers or C/Probe.
p_err
is a pointer to a variable that is used to hold an error code:

OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_CREATE_ISR
OS_ERR_OBJ_CREATED
OS_ERR_OBJ_PTR_NULL
OS_ERR_OBJ_TYPE
RETURNED VALUE
None
430
if the call is successful and the mutex has

been created.
if attempting to create a mutex from an ISR.
if p_mutex already points to a mutex. This
indicates that the mutex is already created.
if p_mutex is a NULL pointer.
if p_mutex points to a different type of object
(semaphore, message queue or timer).
A
NOTES/WARNINGS
1. Mutexes must be created before they are used.
EXAMPLE
OS_MUTEX
DispMutex;
void main (void)

{
OS_ERR err;
:
OSInit(&err);
:
:
OSMutexCreate(&DispMutex,
Display Mutex,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
OSStart(&err);
*/
/* Create Display Mutex
*/
*/
431
A
Appendix A
A-29 OSMutexDel()
void OSMutexDel (OS_MUTEX *p_mutex,
OS_OPT
opt,
OS_ERR
*p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_MUTEX.C
Task
OS_CFG_MUTEX_EN and
OS_CFG_MUTEX_DEL_EN
OSMutexDel() is used to delete a mutex. This function should be used with care because
multiple tasks may rely on the presence of the mutex. Generally speaking, before deleting a
mutex, first delete all the tasks that access the mutex. However, as a general rule, do not
delete kernel objects at run-time.
ARGUMENTS
p_mutex
is a pointer to the mutex to delete.
opt
specifies whether to delete the mutex only if there are no pending tasks
(OS_OPT_DEL_NO_PEND), or whether to always delete the mutex regardless of
whether tasks are pending or not (OS_OPT_DEL_ALWAYS). In this case, all
pending task are readied.
p_err

OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_DEL_ISR
OS_ERR_OBJ_PTR_NULL
OS_ERR_OBJ_TYPE
OS_ERR_OPT_INVALID
OS_ERR_TASK_WAITING
432

been deleted.
if attempting to delete a mutex from an ISR.
if p_mutex is not pointing to a mutex.
if the user does not specify one of the two
options mentioned in the opt argument.
if one or more task are waiting on the mutex
and OS_OPT_DEL_NO_PEND is specified.
A
RETURNED VALUE
The number of tasks that were waiting for the mutex and 0 if an error occurred.
NOTES/WARNINGS
1. Use this call with care as other tasks may expect the presence of the mutex.
EXAMPLE
OS_MUTEX
DispMutex;

{
OS_ERR err;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
:
OSMutexDel(&DispMutex,
OS_OPT_DEL_ALWAYS,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
}
}
433
A
Appendix A
A-30 OSMutexPend()
void OSMutexPend (OS_MUTEX
OS_TICK
OS_OPT
CPU_TS
OS_ERR
*p_mutex,
timeout,
opt,
*p_ts,
*p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_MUTEX.C
Task only
OS_CFG_MUTEX_EN
OSMutexPend() is used when a task requires exclusive access to a resource. If a task calls
OSMutexPend() and the mutex is available, OSMutexPend() gives the mutex to the caller
and returns to its caller. Note that nothing is actually given to the caller except that if p_err
is set to OS_ERR_NONE, the caller can assume that it owns the mutex.
However, if the mutex is already owned by another task, OSMutexPend() places the calling
task in the wait list for the mutex. The task waits until the task that owns the mutex releases
the mutex and therefore the resource, or until the specified timeout expires. If the mutex is
signaled before the timeout expires, C/OS-III resumes the highest-priority task that is
waiting for the mutex.
Note that if the mutex is owned by a lower-priority task, OSMutexPend() raises the priority
of the task that owns the mutex to the same priority as the task requesting the mutex. The
priority of the owner will be returned to its original priority when the owner releases the
mutex (see OSMutexPost()).
OSMutexPend() allows nesting. The same task can call OSMutexPend() multiple times.
However, the same task must then call OSMutexPost() an equivalent number of times to
release the mutex.
ARGUMENTS
p_mutex
434
is a pointer to the mutex.
A
timeout
specifies a timeout value (in clock ticks) and is used to allow the task to resume
execution if the mutex is not signaled (i.e., posted to) within the specified timeout.
A timeout value of 0 indicates that the task wants to wait forever for the mutex. The
timeout value is not synchronized with the clock tick. The timeout count is
decremented on the next clock tick, which could potentially occur immediately.
opt
determines whether the user wants to block if the mutex is not available or not.
This argument must be set to either:
OS_OPT_PEND_BLOCKING, or
OS_OPT_PEND_NON_BLOCKING since the timeout value is irrelevant using this
option.
p_ts
is a pointer to a timestamp indicating when the mutex was posted, the pend
was aborted, or the mutex was deleted. If passing a NULL pointer (i.e., (CPU_TS
*)0), the user will not receive the timestamp. In other words, passing a NULL
pointer is valid and indicates that the timestamp is not required.
A timestamp is useful when it is important for a task to know when the mutex
was posted, or how long it took for the task to resume after the mutex was
posted. In the latter case, the user must call OS_TS_GET() and compute the
difference between the current value of the timestamp and *p_ts. In other
words:
p_err

OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_MUTEX_NESTING
OS_ERR_MUTEX_OWNER
OS_ERR_OBJ_PTR_NULL
if the call is successful and the mutex is

available.
if the calling task already owns the mutex and
it has not posted all nested values.
if the calling task already owns the mutex.
435
A
Appendix A
OS_ERR_OBJ_TYPE
OS_ERR_OPT_INVALID
OS_ERR_PEND_ISR
OS_ERR_SCHED_LOCKED
OS_ERR_TIMEOUT
if the user did not pass a pointer to a mutex.

if a valid option is not specified.
if attempting to acquire the mutex from an
ISR.
if calling this function when the scheduler is
locked
if the mutex is not available within the
specified timeout.
RETURNED VALUE
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
2. Do not suspend the task that owns the mutex. Also, do not have the mutex owner wait
on any other C/OS-III objects (i.e., semaphore, event flag, or queue), and delay the task
that owns the mutex. The code should release the resource as quickly as possible.
436
A
EXAMPLE
OS_MUTEX
DispMutex;
void DispTask (void *p_arg)

{
OS_ERR err;
CPU_TS ts;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
OSMutexPend(&DispMutex,
0,
&ts,
&err);
/* Check err */
}
}
437
A
Appendix A
A-31 OSMutexPendAbort()
void OSMutexPendAbort (OS_MUTEX *p_mutex,
OS_OPT
opt,
OS_ERR
*p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_MUTEX.C
Task
OS_CFG_MUTEX_EN and
OSMutexPendAbort() aborts and readies any tasks currently waiting on a mutex. This
function should be used to fault-abort the wait on the mutex rather than to normally signal
the mutex via OSMutexPost().
ARGUMENTS
p_mutex
opt
specifies whether to abort only the highest-priority task waiting on the mutex
or all tasks waiting on the mutex:
OS_OPT_PEND_ABORT_1
p_err
to abort only the highest-priority task waiting

on the mutex.
to abort all tasks waiting on the mutex.
specifies that the scheduler should not be
called even if the pend of a higher-priority
task has been aborted. Scheduling will need
to occur from another function.
The user would select this option if the task
calling OSMutexPendAbort() will be doing
additional pend aborts, rescheduling should
not take place until all tasks are completed,
and multiple pend aborts should take place
simultaneously.
OS_ERR_NONE
438
if at least one task was aborted. Check the

return value for the number of tasks aborted.
A
OS_ERR_OBJ_PTR_NULL
OS_ERR_OBJ_TYPE
OS_ERR_OPT_INVALID
if
if
if
if
if
p_mutex is a NULL pointer.

the user does not pass a pointer to a mutex.
the user specified an invalid option.
attempting to call this function from an ISR
no tasks were aborted.
RETURNED VALUE
OSMutexPendAbort() returns the number of tasks made ready to run by this function. Zero
indicates that no tasks were pending on the mutex and therefore this function had no effect.
NOTES/WARNINGS
EXAMPLE
OS_MUTEX
DispMutex;

{
OS_ERR
err;
OS_OBJ_QTY qty;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
:
qty = OSMutexPendAbort(&DispMutex,
&err);
/* Check err */
}
}
439
A
Appendix A
A-32 OSMutexPost()
void OSMutexPost (OS_MUTEX *p_mutex,
OS_OPT
opt,
OS_ERR
*p_err);
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_MUTEX.C
Task
OS_CFG_MUTEX_EN
A mutex is signaled (i.e., released) by calling OSMutexPost(). Call this function only if
acquiring the mutex by first calling OSMutexPend(). If the priority of the task that owns the
mutex has been raised when a higher priority task attempted to acquire the mutex, at that
point, the original task priority of the task is restored. If one or more tasks are waiting for
the mutex, the mutex is given to the highest-priority task waiting on the mutex. The
scheduler is then called to determine if the awakened task is now the highest-priority task
ready to run, and if so, a context switch is done to run the readied task. If no task is waiting
for the mutex, the mutex value is simply set to available (DEF_TRUE).
ARGUMENTS
p_mutex
opt
determines the type of POST performed.

OS_OPT_POST_NONE
No special option selected.

Do not call the scheduler after the post,
therefore the caller is resumed even if the
mutex was posted and tasks of higher priority
are waiting for the mutex.
OSMutexPost() will be doing additional
posts, if the user does not want to reschedule
until all is complete, and multiple posts
should take effect simultaneously.
p_err
440
A
OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_MUTEX_NESTING
OS_ERR_MUTEX_NOT_OWNER
OS_ERR_OBJ_PTR_NULL
OS_ERR_OBJ_TYPE
OS_ERR_POST_ISR
if the call is successful and the mutex is

available.
if the owner of the mutex has the mutex
nested and it has not fully un-nested the
mutex yet.
if the caller is not the owner of the mutex and
therefore is not allowed to release it.
if not passing a pointer to a mutex.
if attempting to post the mutex from an ISR.
RETURNED VALUE
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
2. Do not call this function from an ISR.
EXAMPLE
OS_MUTEX
DispMutex;

{
OS_ERR err;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
OSMutexPost(&DispMutex,
OS_OPT_POST_NONE,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
}
}
441
A
Appendix A
A-33 OSPendMulti()
OS_OBJ_QTY OSPendMulti(OS_PEND_DATA *p_pend_data_tbl,
OS_OBJ_QTY
tbl_size,
OS_TICK
timeout,
OS_OPT
opt,
OS_ERR
*p_err);
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_PEND_MULTI.C
Task
OS_CFG_PEND_MULTI_EN &&
(OS_CFG_Q_EN || OS_CFG_SEM_EN)
OSPendMulti() is used when a task expects to wait on multiple kernel objects, specifically
semaphores or message queues. If more than one such object is ready when OSPendMulti()
is called, then all available objects and messages, if any, are returned as ready to the caller.
If no objects are ready, OSPendMulti() suspends the current task until either:
an object becomes ready,
a timeout occurs,
one or more of the tasks are deleted or pend aborted or,
one or more of the objects are deleted.
If an object becomes ready, and multiple tasks are waiting for the object, C/OS-III resumes
the highest-priority task waiting on that object.
A pended task suspended with OSTaskSuspend() can still receive a message from a
multi-pended message queue, or obtain a signal from a multi-pended semaphore. However,
the task remains suspended until it is resumed by calling OSTaskResume().
ARGUMENTS
p_pend_data_tbl
442
is a pointer to an OS_PEND_DATA table. This table will be used by

the caller to understand the outcome of this call. Also, the caller
must initialize the .PendObjPtr field of the OS_PEND_DATA field for
each object that the caller wants to pend on (see example below).
A
tbl_size
is the number of entries in the OS_PEND_DATA table pointed to by

p_pend_data_tbl. This value indicates how many objects the task will be
pending on.
timeout
specifies the amount of time (in clock ticks) that the calling task is willing to
wait for objects to be posted. A timeout value of 0 indicates that the task wants
to wait forever for any of the multi-pended objects. The timeout value is not
synchronized with the clock tick. The timeout count begins decrementing on
the next clock tick, which could potentially occur immediately.
p_err

OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_OBJ_TYPE
OS_ERR_OPT_INVALID
OS_ERR_PEND_ABORT
OS_ERR_PEND_DEL
OS_ERR_PEND_ISR
OS_ERR_PEND_LOCKED
OS_ERR_PTR_INVALID
OS_ERR_TIMEOUT
if any of the multi-pended objects are ready.

if any of the .PendObjPtr in the
p_pend_data_tbl is a NULL pointer, not a
semaphore, or not a message queue.
if specifying an invalid option.
indicates that a multi-pended object was
aborted; check the .RdyObjPtr of the
p_pend_data_tbl to know which object was
aborted. The first non-NULL .RdyObjPtr is
the object that was aborted.
indicates that a multi-pended object was
deleted; check the .RdyObjPtr of the
p_pend_data_tbl to know which object was
deleted. The first non-NULL .RdyObjPtr is the
object that was deleted.
if calling this function from an ISR.
locked.
if the caller does not want to block and no
object is ready.
if p_pend_data_tbl is a NULL pointer.
if no multi-pended object is ready within the
specified timeout.
443
A
Appendix A
RETURNED VALUE
OSPendMulti() returns the number of multi-pended objects that are ready. If an object is
pend aborted or deleted, the return value will be 1. Examine the value of *p_err to know
the exact outcome of this call. If no multi-pended object is ready within the specified
timeout period, or because of any error, the .RdyObjPtr in the p_pend_data_tbl array will
all be NULL.
When objects are posted, the OS_PEND_DATA fields of p_pend_data_tbl contains additional
information about the posted objects:
.RdyObjPtr
Contains a pointer to the object ready or posted to, or NULL

pointer if the object was not ready or posted to.
.RdyMsgPtr
If the object pended on was a message queue and the queue was
posted to, this field contains the message.
.RdyMsgSize
If the object pended on was a message queue and the queue was
posted to, this field contains the size of the message (in number of
bytes).
.RdyTS
If the object pended on was posted to, this field contains the
timestamp as to when the object was posted. Note that if the
object is deleted or pend-aborted, this field contains the timestamp
of when the condition occurred.
NOTES/WARNINGS
1. Message queue or semaphore objects must be created before they are used.
2. Do call OSPendMulti() from an ISR.
3. The user cannot multi-pend on event flags and mutexes.
444
A
EXAMPLE
OS_SEM
Sem1;
OS_SEM
OS_Q
OS_Q
Sem2;
Q1;
Q2;
void Task(void *p_arg)

{
OS_PEND_DATA
OS_ERR
OS_OBJ_QTY
pend_data_tbl[4];
err;
nbr_rdy;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
pend_data_tbl[0].PendObjPtr = (OS_PEND_OBJ *)Sem1;
pend_data_tbl[1].PendObjPtr = (OS_PEND_OBJ *)Sem2;
pend_data_tbl[2].PendObjPtr = (OS_PEND_OBJ *)Q1;
pend_data_tbl[3].PendObjPtr = (OS_PEND_OBJ *)Q2;
nbr_rdy = OSPendMulti(&pend_data_tbl[0],
4,
0,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
}
}
445
A
Appendix A
A-34 OSQCreate()
void OSQCreate (OS_Q
*p_q,
CPU_CHAR
*p_name,
OS_MSG_QTY
max_qty,
OS_ERR
*p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_Q.C
OS_CFG_Q_EN and OS_CFG_MSG_EN
OSQCreate() creates a message queue. A message queue allows tasks or ISRs to send
pointer-sized variables (messages) to one or more tasks. The meaning of the messages sent
are application specific.
ARGUMENTS
p_q
is a pointer to the message queue control block. It is assumed that storage for
the message queue will be allocated in the application. The user will need to
declare a global variable as follows, and pass a pointer to this variable to
OSQCreate():
OS_Q MyMsgQ;
p_name
is a pointer to an ASCII string used to name the message queue. The name can
be displayed by debuggers or C/Probe.
msg_size
indicates the maximum size of the message queue (must be non-zero). If the
user intends to not limit the size of the queue, simply pass a very large number.
Of course, if there are not enough OS_MSGs in the pool of OS_MSGs, the post
call (i.e., OSQPost()) will simply fail and an error code will indicate that there
are no more OS_MSGs to use.
p_err

OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_CREATE_ISR
446

been created.
if attempting to create the message queue
from an ISR.
A
OS_ERR_NAME
OS_ERR_OBJ_CREATED
OS_ERR_OBJ_PTR_NULL
OS_ERR_Q_SIZE
if p_name is a NULL pointer.

if p_q is already pointing to a message queue.
In other words, the user is trying to create a
message queue that has already been created.
if p_q is a NULL pointer.
if the size specified is 0.
RETURNED VALUE
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
1. Queues must be created before they are used.
EXAMPLE
OS_Q
CommQ;
void main (void)

{
OS_ERR
err;
OSInit(&err);
:
:
OSQCreate(&CommQ,
Comm Queue,
10,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
OSStart();
*/
/* Create COMM Q
*/
*/
447
A
Appendix A
A-35 OSQDel()
OS_OBJ_QTY OSQDel (OS_Q
*p_q,
OS_OPT
opt,
OS_ERR *p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_Q.C
Task
OS_CFG_Q_EN and OS_CFG_Q_DEL_EN
OSQDel() is used to delete a message queue. This function should be used with care since
multiple tasks may rely on the presence of the message queue. Generally speaking, before
deleting a message queue, first delete all the tasks that can access the message queue.
However, it is highly recommended that you do not delete kernel objects at run time.
ARGUMENTS
p_q
is a pointer to the message queue to delete.
opt
specifies whether to delete the queue only if there are no pending tasks
(OS_OPT_DEL_NO_PEND), or always delete the queue regardless of whether
tasks are pending or not (OS_OPT_DEL_ALWAYS). In this case, all pending task
are readied.
p_err
is a pointer to a variable that is used to hold an error code. The error code can
be one of the following:
OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_DEL_ISR
OS_ERR_OBJ_PTR_NULL
OS_ERR_OBJ_TYPE
OS_ERR_OPT_INVALID
OS_ERR_TASK_WAITING
448
if the call is successful and the message

queue has been deleted.
if the user attempts to delete the message
queue from an ISR.
if passing a NULL pointer for p_q.
if p_q is not pointing to a queue.
if not specifying one of the two options
mentioned in the opt argument.
if one or more tasks are waiting for messages
at the message queue and it is specified to
only delete if no task is pending.
A
RETURNED VALUE
The number of tasks that were waiting on the message queue and 0 if an error is detected.
NOTES/WARNINGS
1. Message queues must be created before they can be used.
2. This function must be used with care. Tasks that would normally expect the presence of
the queue must check the return code of OSQPend().
EXAMPLE
OS_Q
DispQ;

{
OS_ERR err;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
:
OSQDel(&DispQ,
OS_OPT_DEL_ALWAYS,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
}
}
449
A
Appendix A
A-36 OSQFlush()
OS_MSG_QTY OSQFlush (OS_Q
*p_q,
OS_ERR *p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_Q.C
Task
OS_CFG_Q_EN and
OS_CFG_Q_FLUSH_EN
OSQFlush() empties the contents of the message queue and eliminates all messages sent to
the queue. This function takes the same amount of time to execute regardless of whether
tasks are waiting on the queue (and thus no messages are present), or the queue contains
one or more messages. OS_MSGs from the queue are simply returned to the free pool of
OS_MSGs.
ARGUMENTS
p_q
is a pointer to the message queue.
p_err
is a pointer to a variable that will contain an error code returned by this

function.
OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_FLUSH_ISR
OS_ERR_OBJ_PTR_NULL
OS_ERR_OBJ_TYPE
if the message queue is flushed.

if calling this function from an ISR
if you attempt to flush an object other than a
message queue.
RETURNED VALUE
The number of OS_MSG entries freed from the message queue. Note that the OS_MSG entries
are returned to the free pool of OS_MSGs.
NOTES/WARNINGS
450
A
2. Use this function with great care. When flushing a queue, you lose the references to what
the queue entries are pointing to, potentially causing 'memory leaks'. The data that the user
is pointing to that is referenced by the queue entries should, most likely, be de-allocated
(i.e., freed). To flush a queue that contains entries, instead use OSQPend() with the
OS_OPT_PEND_NON_BLOCKING option.
EXAMPLE
OS_Q
CommQ;

{
OS_ERR
err;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
:
entries = OSQFlush(&CommQ,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
}
}
451
A
Appendix A
A-37 OSQPend()
void *OSQPend (OS_Q
OS_TICK
OS_OPT
OS_MSG_SIZE
CPU_TS
OS_ERR
*p_q,
timeout,
opt,
*p_msg_size,
*p_ts,
*p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_Q.C
Task
OS_CFG_Q_EN and OS_CFG_MSG_EN
OSQPend() is used when a task wants to receive messages from a message queue. The
messages are sent to the task via the message queue either by an ISR, or by another task
using the OSQPost() call. The messages received are pointer-sized variables, and their use
is application specific. If at least one message is already present in the message queue when
OSQPend() is called, the message is retrieved and returned to the caller.
If no message is present in the message queue and OS_OPT_PEND_BLOCKING is specified for
the opt argument, OSQPend() suspends the current task (assuming the scheduler is not
locked) until either a message is received, or a user-specified timeout expires. If a message
is sent to the message queue and multiple tasks are waiting for such a message, C/OS-III
resumes the highest priority task that is waiting.
A pended task suspended with OSTaskSuspend() can receive a message. However, the task
remains suspended until it is resumed by calling OSTaskResume().
If no message is present in the queue and OS_OPT_PEND_NON_BLOCKING is specifed for the
opt argument, OSQPend() returns to the caller with an appropriate error code, and returns a
NULL pointer.
452
A
ARGUMENTS
p_q
is a pointer to the queue from which the messages are received.
timeout
allows the task to resume execution if a message is not received from the
message queue within the specified number of clock ticks. A timeout value of 0
indicates that the task is willing to wait forever for a message. The timeout
value is not synchronized with the clock tick. The timeout count starts
decrementing on the next clock tick, which could potentially occur
immediately.
opt
determines whether or not to block if a message is not available in the queue.

This argument must be set to either:
option.
p_msg_size
p_ts
is a pointer to a variable that will receive the size of the message

(in number of bytes).
is a pointer to a variable that will receive the timestamp of when the message
was received. If passing a NULL pointer (i.e., (CPU_TS *)0), the timestamp will
not be returned. Passing a NULL pointer is valid, and indicates that the user
does not need the timestamp.
A timestamp is useful when the user wants the task to know when the message
queue was posted, or how long it took for the task to resume after the message
queue was posted. In the latter case, call OS_TS_GET() and compute the
words:
453
A
Appendix A
p_err
is a pointer to a variable used to hold an error code.

OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_OBJ_PTR_NULL
OS_ERR_OBJ_TYPE
OS_ERR_PEND_ABORT
OS_ERR_PEND_ISR
OS_ERR_SCHED_LOCKED
OS_ERR_TIMEOUT
if a message is received.
if p_q is not pointing to a message queue.
if the pend was aborted because another task
called OSQPendAbort().
if the function is called from an ISR.
if this function is called with the opt argument set
to OS_OPT_PEND_NON_BLOCKING, and no
message is in the queue.
locked.
if a message is not received within the
specified timeout.
RETURNED VALUE
The message (i.e., a pointer) or a NULL pointer if no messages has been received. Note that
it is possible for the actual message to be NULL pointers, so check the returned error code
instead of relying on the returned value.
NOTES/WARNINGS
2. The user cannot call OSQPend() from an ISR.
454
A
EXAMPLE
OS_Q
CommQ;
void CommTask (void *p_arg)

{
OS_ERR
err;
void
*p_msg;
CPU_TS
ts;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
:
p_msg = OSQPend(CommQ,
100,
&msg_size,
&ts,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
}
}
455
A
Appendix A
A-38 OSQPendAbort()
OS_OBJ_QTY OSQPendAbort (OS_Q
*p_q,
OS_OPT
opt,
OS_ERR *p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_Q.C
Task only
OS_CFG_Q_EN and
OSQPendAbort() aborts and readies any tasks currently waiting on a message queue. This
function should be used to fault-abort the wait on the message queue, rather than to signal
the message queue via OSQPost().
ARGUMENTS
p_q
is a pointer to the queue for which pend(s) need to be aborted.
opt
determines the type of abort to be performed.

OS_OPT_PEND_ABORT_1
456
Aborts the pend of only the highest-priority

task waiting on the message queue.
Aborts the pend of all tasks waiting on the
message queue.
called, even if the pend of a higher-priority
OSQPendAbort() is doing additional pend
aborts, rescheduling is not performed until
completion, and multiple pend aborts are to
take effect simultaneously.
A
p_err

OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_OBJ_PTR_NULL
OS_ERR_OBJ_TYPE
OS_ERR_OPT_INVALID
at least one task waiting on the message

queue was readied and informed of the
aborted wait. Check the return value for the
number of tasks whose wait on the message
queue was aborted.
if called from an ISR
if no task was pending on the message queue
if an invalid option is specified.
RETURNED VALUE
OSQPendAbort() returns the number of tasks made ready to run by this function. Zero
indicates that no tasks were pending on the message queue, therefore this function had
no effect.
NOTES/WARNINGS
457
A
Appendix A
EXAMPLE
OS_Q
CommQ;
void CommTask(void *p_arg)

{
OS_ERR
err;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
:
nbr_tasks = OSQPendAbort(&CommQ,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
}
}
458
A
A-39 OSQPost()
void OSQPost (OS_Q
void
OS_MSG_SIZE
OS_OPT
OS_ERR
*p_q,
*p_void,
msg_size,
opt,
*p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_Q.C
Task or ISR
OS_CFG_Q_EN
OSQPost() sends a message to a task through a message queue. A message is a

pointer-sized variable, and its use is application specific. If the message queue is full, an
error code is returned to the caller. In this case, OSQPost() immediately returns to its caller,
and the message is not placed in the message queue.
If any task is waiting for a message to be posted to the message queue, the highest-priority
task receives the message. If the task waiting for the message has a higher priority than the
task sending the message, the higher-priority task resumes, and the task sending the
message is suspended; that is, a context switch occurs. Message queues can be first-in
first-out (OS_OPT_POST_FIFO), or last-in-first-out (OS_OPT_POST_LIFO) depending of the
value specified in the opt argument.
If any task is waiting for a message at the message queue, OSQPost() allows the user to
either post the message to the highest-priority task waiting at the queue (opt set to
OS_OPT_POST_FIFO or OS_OPT_POST_LIFO), or to all tasks waiting at the message queue
(opt is set to OS_OPT_POST_ALL). In either case, scheduling occurs unless opt is also set to
OS_OPT_POST_NO_SCHED.
ARGUMENTS
p_q
is a pointer to the message queue being posted to.
p_void
is the actual message posted. p_void is a pointer-sized variable. Its meaning is

application specific.
msg_size
specifies the size of the message (in number of bytes).
459
A
Appendix A
opt
determines the type of POST performed. The last two options may be added
to either OS_OPT_POST_FIFO or OS_OPT_POST_LIFO to create different
combinations:
OS_OPT_POST_FIFO
OS_OPT_POST_LIFO
OS_OPT_POST_ALL
p_err

function.
OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_MSG_POOL_EMPTY
OS_ERR_OBJ_PTR_NULL
OS_ERR_OBJ_TYPE
OS_ERR_Q_MAX
RETURNED VALUE
None
460
POST message to the end of the queue

(FIFO), or send message to a single waiting
task.
POST message to the front of the queue
(LIFO), or send message to a single waiting
task
POST message to ALL tasks that are waiting on
the queue. This option can be added to either
OS_OPT_POST_FIFO or OS_OPT_POST_LIFO.
Do not call the scheduler after the post and
therefore the caller is resumed, even if the
message was posted to a message queue with
tasks having a higher priority than the caller.
Use this option if the task (or ISR) calling
OSQPost() will do additional posts, the user
does not want to reschedule until finished,
and, multiple posts are to take effect
simultaneously.
if no tasks were waiting on the queue. In this

case, the return value is also 0.
if there are no more OS_MSG structures to use
to store the message.
if the queue is full and therefore cannot
accept more messages.
A
NOTES/WARNINGS
2. Possible combinations of options are:
OS_OPT_POST_FIFO
OS_OPT_POST_LIFO
OS_OPT_POST_FIFO
OS_OPT_POST_LIFO
OS_OPT_POST_FIFO
OS_OPT_POST_LIFO
OS_OPT_POST_FIFO
OS_OPT_POST_LIFO
+
+
+
+
+
+
OS_OPT_POST_ALL
OS_OPT_POST_ALL
3. Although the example below shows calling OSQPost() from a task, it can also be called
from an ISR.
EXAMPLE
OS_Q
CPU_INT08U
CommQ;
CommRxBuf[100];
void CommTaskRx (void *p_arg)

{
OS_ERR
err;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
:
OSQPost(&CommQ,
&CommRxBuf[0],
sizeof(CommRxBuf),
OS_OPT_POST_OPT_FIFO + OS_OPT_POST_ALL + OS_OPT_POST_NO_SCHED,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
}
}
461
A
Appendix A
A-40 OSSafetyCriticalStart()
void OSSafetyCriticalStart (void)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_CORE.C
Task
OS_SAFETY_CRITICAL_IEC61508
OSSafetyCriticalStart() allows your code to notify C/OS-III that you are done
initializing and creating all kernel objects. After calling OSSafetyCriticalStart(), your
application code will no longer be allowed to create kernel objects.
ARGUMENTS
None
RETURNED VALUE
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
None
EXAMPLE
void AppStartTask (void *p_arg)
{
(void)&p_arg;
/* Create tasks and other kernel objects
*/
OSSafetyCriticalStart();
/* Your code is no longer allowed to create kernel objects */
while (DEF_ON) {
:
:
}
}
462
A
A-41 OSSched()
void OSSched (void)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_CORE.C
Task
N/A
OSSched() allows a task to call the scheduler. Use this function if creating a series of posts
and specifing OS_OPT_POST_NO_SCHED as a post option.
OSSched() can only be called by task-level code. Also, if the scheduler is locked (i.e.,
OSSchedLock() was previously called), then OSSched() will have no effect.
If a higher-priority task than the calling task is ready to run, OSSched() will context switch
to that task.
ARGUMENTS
None
RETURNED VALUE
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
None
463
A
Appendix A
EXAMPLE
{
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
OS??Post();
/* Check err */
OS??Post();
/* Check err */
OS??Post();
/* Check err */
:
OSSched();
:
}
}
464
/* Posts with OS_OPT_POST_NO_SCHED option
*/
/* Run the scheduler
*/
A
A-42 OSSchedLock()
void OSSchedLock (OS_ERR *p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_CORE.C
Task or ISR
N/A
OSSchedLock() prevents task rescheduling until its counterpart, OSSchedUnlock(), is called.

The task that calls OSSchedLock() retains control of the CPU, even though other higherpriority tasks are ready to run. However, interrupts are still recognized and serviced (assuming
interrupts are enabled). OSSchedLock() and OSSchedUnlock() must be used in pairs.
C/OS-III allows OSSchedLock() to be nested up to 250 levels deep. Scheduling is enabled
when an equal number of OSSchedUnlock() calls have been made.
ARGUMENTS
p_err

function.
OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_LOCK_NESTING_OVF
OS_ERR_OS_NOT_RUNNING
the scheduler is locked.

if the user called this function too many
times.
if the function is called before calling
OSStart().
RETURNED VALUE
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
1. After calling OSSchedLock(), the application must not make system calls that suspend
execution of the current task; that is, the application cannot call OSTimeDly(),
OSTimeDlyHMSM(), OSFlagPend(), OSSemPend(), OSMutexPend(), or OSQPend(). Since the
scheduler is locked out, no other task is allowed to run, and the system will lock up.
465
A
Appendix A
EXAMPLE
{
OS_ERR
err;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
OSSchedLock(&err);
/* Check err */
:
OSSchedUnlock(&err);
/* Check err */
:
}
}
466
/* Prevent other tasks to run
*/
/* Code protected from context switch */

/* Enable other tasks to run
*/
A
A-43 OSSchedRoundRobinCfg()
void OSSchedRoundRobinCfg (CPU_BOOLEAN en,
OS_TICK
dflt_time_quanta,
OS_ERR
*p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_CORE.C
OS_CFG_SCHED_ROUND_ROBIN_EN
OSSchedRoundRobinCfg() is used to enable or disable round-robin scheduling.
ARGUMENTS
en
when set to DEF_ENABLED enables round-robin scheduling, and when set to

DEF_DISABLED disables it.
dflt_time_quanta
p_err
is the default time quanta given to a task. This value is used when
a task was created and specified a value of 0 for the time quanta.
In other words, if the user did not specify a non-zero for the tasks
time quanta, this is the value that will be used. If passing 0 for this
argument, C/OS-III will assume a time quanta of 1/10 the tick
rate. For example, if the tick rate is 1000 Hz and 0 for
dflt_time_quanta is specified, C/OS-III will set the time quanta
to 10 milliseconds.

OS_ERR_NONE
if the call is successful.
RETURNED VALUE
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
None
467
A
Appendix A
EXAMPLE
void main (void)
{
OS_ERR
err;
:
OSInit(&err);
:
:
OSSchedRoundRobinCfg(DEF_ENABLED,
10,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
OSStart(&err);
}
468
*/
*/
A
A-44 OSSchedRoundRobinYield()
void OSSchedRoundRobinYield (OS_ERR *p_err);
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_CORE.C
Task
OSSchedRoundRobinYield() is used to voluntarily give up a tasks time slot, assuming that

there are other tasks running at the same priority.
ARGUMENTS
p_err
is a pointer to a variable used to hold an error code:

OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_ROUND_ROBIN_1
if the call was successful.

if there is only one task at the current priority
level that is ready to run.
OS_ERR_ROUND_ROBIN_DISABLED if round-robin scheduling has not been
enabled. See OSSchedRoundRobinCfg() to
enable or disable.
OS_ERR_SCHED_LOCKED
if the scheduler is locked and C/OS-III
cannot switch tasks.
OS_ERR_YIELD_ISR
RETURNED VALUE
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
None
469
A
Appendix A
EXAMPLE
{
OS_ERR
err;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
:
OSSchedRoundRobinYield(&err); /* Give up the CPU to the next task at same priority */
/* Check err */
:
:
}
}
470
A
A-45 OSSchedUnlock()
void OSSchedUnlock(OS_ERR *p_err);
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_CORE.C
Task or ISR
N/A
OSSchedUnlock() re-enables task scheduling whenever it is paired with OSSchedLock().
ARGUMENTS
p_err

function.
OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_OS_NOT_RUNNING
OS_ERR_SCHED_LOCKED
OS_ERR_SCHED_NOT_LOCKED
the call is successful and the scheduler is no

longer locked.
if calling this function before calling
OSStart().
if the scheduler is still locked. This would
indicate that scheduler lock has not fully
unnested
if the user did not call OSSchedLock().
RETURNED VALUE
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
None
471
A
Appendix A
EXAMPLE
{
OS_ERR
err;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
OSSchedLock(&err);
/* Check err */
:
OSSchedUnlock(&err);
/* Check err */
:
}
}
472
/* Prevent other tasks to run
*/
/* Code protected from context switch */

/* Enable other tasks to run
*/
A
A-46 OSSemCreate()
void OSSemCreate (OS_SEM
*p_sem,
CPU_CHAR
*p_name,
OS_SEM_CTR
cnt,
OS_ERR
*p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_SEM.C
OS_CFG_SEM_EN
OSSemCreate() initializes a semaphore. Semaphores are used when a task wants exclusive
access to a resource, needs to synchronize its activities with an ISR or a task, or is waiting
until an event occurs. Use a semaphore to signal the occurrence of an event to one or
multiple tasks, and use mutexes to guard share resources. However, technically, semaphores
allow for both.
ARGUMENTS
p_sem
is a pointer to the semaphore control block. It is assumed that storage for the
semaphore will be allocated in the application. In other words, declare a
global variable as follows, and pass a pointer to this variable to
OSSemCreate():
OS_SEM MySem;
p_name
is a pointer to an ASCII string used to assign a name to the semaphore. The

name can be displayed by debuggers or C/Probe.
cnt
specifies the initial value of the semaphore.

If the semaphore is used for resource sharing, set the initial value of the
semaphore to the number of identical resources guarded by the semaphore. If
there is only one resource, the value should be set to 1 (this is called a binary
semaphore). For multiple resources, set the value to the number of resources
(this is called a counting semaphore).
If using a semaphore as a signaling mechanism, set the initial value to 0.
473
A
Appendix A
p_err

OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_CREATE_ISR
OS_ERR_NAME
OS_ERR_OBJ_CREATED
OS_ERR_OBJ_PTR_NULL
OS_ERR_OBJ_TYPE
if the call is successful and the semaphore has

been created.
if the semaphore is already created.
if p_sem has been initialized to a different
object type.
RETURNED VALUE
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
Semaphores must be created before they are used.
EXAMPLE
OS_SEM
SwSem;
void main (void)

{
OS_ERR err;
:
OSInit(&err);
:
:
OSSemCreate(&SwSem,
/* Create Switch Semaphore
Switch Semaphore,
0,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
OSStart(&err);
}
474
*/
*/
*/
A
A-47 OSSemDel()
void OSSemDel (OS_SEM *p_sem,
OS_OPT
opt,
OS_ERR *p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_SEM.C
Task
OS_CFG_SEM_EN and
OS_CFG_SEM_DEL_EN
OSSemDel() is used to delete a semaphore. This function should be used with care as
multiple tasks may rely on the presence of the semaphore. Generally speaking, before
deleting a semaphore, first delete all the tasks that access the semaphore. As a rule, it is
highly recommended to not delete kernel objects at run time.
Deleting the semaphore will not de-allocate the object. In other words, storage for the
variable will still remain at the same location unless the semaphore is allocated dynamically
from the heap. The dynamic allocation of objects has its own set of problems. Specifically, it
is not recommended for embedded systems to allocate (and de-allocate) objects from the
heap given the high likelihood of fragmentation.
ARGUMENTS
p_sem
is a pointer to the semaphore.
opt
specifies one of two options: OS_OPT_DEL_NO_PEND or OS_OPT_DEL_ALWAYS.

OS_OPT_DEL_NO_PEND specifies to delete the semaphore only if no task is
waiting on the semaphore. Because no task is currently waiting on the
semaphore does not mean that a task will not attempt to wait for the
semaphore later. How would such a task handle the situation waiting for a
semaphore that was deleted? The application code will have to deal with this
eventuality.
OS_OPT_DEL_ALWAYS specifies deleting the semaphore, regardless of whether
tasks are waiting on the semaphore or not. If there are tasks waiting on the
semaphore, these tasks will be made ready to run and informed (through an
appropriate error code) that the reason the task is readied is that the
475
A
Appendix A
semaphore it was waiting on was deleted. The same reasoning applies with the
other option, how will the tasks handle the fact that the semaphore they want
to wait for is no longer available?
p_err
is a pointer to a variable used to hold an error code. The error code may be
one of the following:
OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_DEL_ISR
OS_ERR_OBJ_PTR_NULL
OS_ERR_OBJ_TYPE
OS_ERR_OPT_INVALID
OS_ERR_TASK_WAITING
if the call is successful and the semaphore has

been deleted.
if attempting to delete the semaphore from an
ISR.
if p_sem is a NULL pointer.
if p_sem is not pointing to a semaphore.
if one of the two options mentioned in the
opt argument is not specified.
if one or more tasks are waiting on the
semaphore.
RETURNED VALUE
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
Use this call with care because other tasks might expect the presence of the semaphore.
476
A
EXAMPLE
OS_SEM
SwSem;

{
OS_ERR err;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
:
OSSemDel(&SwSem,
OS_OPT_DEL_ALWAYS,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
}
}
477
A
Appendix A
A-48 OSSemPend()
OS_SEM_CTR OSSemPend (OS_SEM
OS_TICK
OS_OPT
CPU_TS
OS_ERR
*p_sem,
timeout,
opt,
*p_ts,
*p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_SEM.C
Task only
OS_CFG_SEM_EN
OSSemPend() is used when a task wants exclusive access to a resource, needs to

synchronize its activities with an ISR or task, or is waiting until an event occurs.
When the semaphore is used for resource sharing, if a task calls OSSemPend() and the value
of the semaphore is greater than 0, OSSemPend() decrements the semaphore and returns to
its caller. However, if the value of the semaphore is 0, OSSemPend() places the calling task
in the waiting list for the semaphore. The task waits until the owner of the semaphore
(which is always a task in this case) releases the semaphore by calling OSSemPost(), or the
specified timeout expires. If the semaphore is signaled before the timeout expires, C/OS-III
resumes the highest-priority task waiting for the semaphore.
When the semaphore is used as a signaling mechanism, the calling task waits until a task or
an ISR signals the semaphore by calling OSSemPost(), or the specified timeout expires. If
the semaphore is signaled before the timeout expires, C/OS-III resumes the
highest-priority task waiting for the semaphore.
A pended task that has been suspended with OSTaskSuspend() can obtain the semaphore.
However, the task remains suspended until it is resumed by calling OSTaskResume().
OSSemPend() also returns if the pend is aborted or, the semaphore is deleted.
478
A
ARGUMENTS
p_sem
timeout
allows the task to resume execution if a semaphore is not posted within the
specified number of clock ticks. A timeout value of 0 indicates that the task
waits forever for the semaphore. The timeout value is not synchronized with
the clock tick. The timeout count begins decrementing on the next clock tick,
which could potentially occur immediately.
opt
specifies whether the call is to block if the semaphore is not available, or not block.
p_ts
to block the caller until the semaphore is

available or a timeout occurs.
if the semaphore is not available,
OSSemPend() will not block but return to the
caller with an appropriate error code.
is a pointer to a variable that will receive a timestamp of when the semaphore was
posted, pend aborted, or deleted. Passing a NULL pointer is valid and indicates
that a timestamp is not required.
A timestamp is useful when the task must know when the semaphore was
posted or, how long it took for the task to resume after the semaphore was
posted. In the latter case, call CPU_BOOLEAN() and compute the difference
between the current value of the timestamp and *p_ts. In other words:
p_err

OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_OBJ_DEL
OS_ERR_OBJ_PTR_NULL
OS_ERR_OBJ_TYPE
OS_ERR_PEND_ABORT
OS_ERR_PEND_ISR
if the semaphore is available.

if the semaphore was deleted.
if the pend was aborted
if this function is called from an ISR.
479
A
Appendix A
OS_ERR_SCHED_LOCKED
OS_ERR_TIMEOUT
if this function is called as specified

OS_OPT_PEND_NON_BLOCKING,
and
the
semaphore was not available.
locked.
if the semaphore is not signaled within the
specified timeout.
RETURNED VALUE
The new value of the semaphore count.
NOTES/WARNINGS
1. Semaphores must be created before they are used.
EXAMPLE
OS_SEM
SwSem;

{
OS_ERR
err;
CPU_TS
ts;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
:
OSSemPend(&SwSem,
0,
&ts,
&err);
/* Check err */
}
}
480
A
A-49 OSSemPendAbort()
OS_OBJ_QTY OSSemPendAbort (OS_SEM *p_sem,
OS_OPT
opt,
OS_ERR *p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_SEM.C
Task only
OS_CFG_SEM_EN and
OSSemPendAbort() aborts and readies any task currently waiting on a semaphore. This
function should be used to fault-abort the wait on the semaphore, rather than to normally
signal the semaphore via OSSemPost().
ARGUMENTS
p_sem
is a pointer to the semaphore for which pend(s) need to be aborted.
opt
determines the type of abort performed.

OS_OPT_PEND_ABORT_1
Aborts the pend of only the highest-priority

task waiting on the semaphore.
Aborts the pend of all the tasks waiting on
the semaphore.
Specifies that the scheduler should not be
called, even if the pend of a higher-priority
OSSemPendAbort() will be doing additional
pend aborts, reschedule takes place when
finished, and multiple pend aborts are to take
effect simultaneously.
481
A
Appendix A
p_err
Is a pointer to a variable that holds an error code. OSSemPendAbort() sets

*p_err to one of the following:
OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_OBJ_PTR_NULL
OS_ERR_OBJ_TYPE
OS_ERR_OPT_INVALID
At least one task waiting on the semaphore

was readied and informed of the aborted
wait. Check the return value for the number
of tasks whose wait on the semaphore was
aborted.
if an invalid option is specified.
This function is called from an ISR.
No task was aborted because no task was
waiting.
RETURNED VALUE
OSSemPendAbort() returns the number of tasks made ready to run by this function. Zero
indicates that no tasks were pending on the semaphore and therefore, the function had
no effect.
NOTES/WARNINGS
Semaphores must be created before they are used.
482
A
EXAMPLE
OS_SEM
SwSem;

{
OS_ERR
err;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
:
nbr_tasks = OSSemPendAbort(&SwSem,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
}
}
483
A
Appendix A
A-50 OSSemPost()
OS_SEM_CTR OSSemPost (OS_SEM *p_sem,
OS_OPT
opt,
OS_ERR *p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_SEM.C
Task or ISR
OS_CFG_SEM_EN
A semaphore is signaled by calling OSSemPost(). If the semaphore value is 0 or more, it is

incremented, and OSSemPost() returns to its caller. If tasks are waiting for the semaphore
to be signaled, OSSemPost() removes the highest-priority task pending for the semaphore
from the waiting list and makes this task ready to run. The scheduler is then called to
determine if the awakened task is now the highest-priority task that is ready to run.
ARGUMENTS
p_sem
opt
determines the type of post performed.

OS_OPT_POST_1
OS_OPT_POST_ALL
484
Post and ready only the highest-priority task

waiting on the semaphore.
Post to all tasks waiting on the semaphore.
ONLY use this option if the semaphore is
used as a signaling mechanism and NEVER
when the semaphore is used to guard a
shared resource. It does not make sense to
tell all tasks that are sharing a resource that
they can all access the resource.
This option indicates that the caller does not
want the scheduler to be called after the post.
This option can be used in combination with
ONE of the two previous options.
OSSemPost() will be doing additional, the
user does not want to reschedule until all
A
done, and multiple posts are to take effect

simultaneously.
p_err

OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_OBJ_PTR_NULL
OS_ERR_OBJ_TYPE
OS_ERR_SEM_OVF
if no tasks are waiting on the semaphore. In

this case, the return value is also 0.
if the post would have caused the semaphore
counter to overflow.
RETURNED VALUE
The current value of the semaphore count
NOTES/WARNINGS
1. Semaphores must be created before they are used.
2. You can also post to a semaphore from an ISR but the semaphore must be used as a
signaling mechanism and not to protect a shared resource.
485
A
Appendix A
EXAMPLE
OS_SEM
SwSem;

{
OS_ERR
err;
OS_SEM_CTR
ctr;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
:
ctr = OSSemPost(&SwSem,
OS_OPT_POST_1 + OS_OPT_POST_NO_SCHED,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
}
}
486
A
A-51 OSSemSet()
void OSSemSet (OS_SEM
*p_sem,
OS_SEM_CTR
cnt,
OS_ERR
*p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_SEM.C
Task
OS_CFG_SEM_EN and
OS_CFG_SEM_SET_EN
OSSemSet() is used to change the current value of the semaphore count. This function is
normally selected when a semaphore is used as a signaling mechanism. OSSemSet() can
then be used to reset the count to any value. If the semaphore count is already 0, the count
is only changed if there are no tasks waiting on the semaphore.
ARGUMENTS
p_sem
is a pointer to the semaphore that is used as a signaling mechanism.
cnt
is the desired count that the semaphore should be set to.
p_err

OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_OBJ_PTR_NULL
OS_ERR_OBJ_TYPE
OS_ERR_SET_ISR
OS_ERR_TASK_WAITING
if the count was changed or, not changed,

because one or more tasks was waiting on
the semaphore.
if this function was called from an ISR.
if tasks are waiting on the semaphore.
RETURNED VALUE
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
Do not use this function if the semaphore is used to protect a shared resource.
487
A
Appendix A
EXAMPLE
OS_SEM
SwSem;

{
OS_ERR err;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
OSSemSet(&SwSem,
0,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
}
}
488
/* Reset the semaphore count */
A
A-52 OSStart()
void OSStart (OS_ERR *p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_CORE.C
Startup code only
N/A
OSStart() starts multitasking under C/OS-III. This function is typically called from startup
code after calling OSInit(). OSStart() will not return to the caller. Once C/OS-III is
running, calling OSStart() again will have no effect.
ARGUMENTS
p_err

OS_ERR_FATAL_RETURN
OS_ERR_OS_RUNNING
if we ever return to this function.

if the kernel is already running. In other
words, if this function has already been
called.
RETURNED VALUE
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
OSInit() must be called prior to calling OSStart(). OSStart() should only be called once
by the application code. However, if calling OSStart() more than once, nothing happens
on the second and subsequent calls.
489
A
Appendix A
EXAMPLE
void main (void)
{
OS_ERR
err;
/* User Code
:
OSInit(&err);
/* Check err */
:
/* User Code
:
OSStart(&err);
/* Any code here should NEVER be executed! */
}
490
*/
*/
*/
*/
A
A-53 OSStartHighRdy()
void OSStartHighRdy (void)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_CPU_A.ASM
OSStart()
N/A
OSStartHighRdy() is responsible for starting the highest-priority task that was created prior
to calling OSStart().
ARGUMENTS
None
RETURNED VALUES
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
None
EXAMPLE
The pseudocode for OSStartHighRdy() is shown below.
void OSStartHighRdy (void)

{
OSTaskSwHook();
SP = OSTCBHighRdyPtr->StkPtr;
Pop CPU registers off the tasks stack;
}
(1)
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
OSStartHighRdy() must call OSTaskSwHook().

When called, OSTCBCurPtr and OSTCBHighRdyPtr both point to the OS_TCB of
the highest-priority task created.
491
A
Appendix A
OSTaskSwHook() should check that OSTCBCurPtr is not equal to

OSTCBHighRdyPtr as this is the first time OSTaskSwHook() is called and there
is not a task that is switched out.
(2)
Load the CPU stack pointer register with the top-of-stack (TOS) of the task
being started. The TOS is found in the .StkPtr field of the OS_TCB. For
convenience, the .StkPtr field is the very first field of the OS_TCB data
structure. This makes it easily accessible from assembly language.
(3)
Pop the registers from the tasks stack frame. Recall that the registers should
have been placed on the stack frame in the same order as if they were pushed
at the beginning of an interrupt service routine.
(4)
Perform a return from interrupt, which starts the task as if it was resumed when
returning from a real interrupt.
492
A
A-54 OSStatReset()
void OSStatReset (OS_ERR *p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_STAT.C
Task Level Only
OS_CFG_STAT_TASK_EN
OSStatReset() is used to reset statistical variables maintained by C/OS-III. Specifically,

the per-task maximum interrupt disable time, maximum scheduler lock time, maximum
amount of time a message takes to reach a task queue, the maximum amount of time it
takes a signal to reach a task and more.
ARGUMENTS
p_err

OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_STAT_RESET_ISR
the call was successful.

if the call was attempted from an ISR.
RETURNED VALUE
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
None
493
A
Appendix A
EXAMPLE
{
OS_ERR
err;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
:
OSStatReset(&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
}
}
494
A
A-55 OSStatTaskCPUUsageInit()
void OSStatTaskCPUUsageInit (void)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_STAT.C
Startup code only
OS_CFG_TASK_STAT_EN
OSStatTaskCPUUsageInit() determines the maximum value that a 32-bit counter can

reach when no other task is executing. This function must be called when only one task is
created in the application and when multitasking has started. This function must be called
from the first and only task created by the application.
ARGUMENTS
p_err

OS_ERR_NONE
Always returns this value.
RETURNED VALUE
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
None
495
A
Appendix A
EXAMPLE
void FirstAndOnlyTask (void *p_arg)
{
:
:
#if OS_CFG_TASK_STAT_EN > 0
OSStatTaskCPUUsageInit(); /* Compute CPU capacity with no task running */
#endif
:
OSTaskCreate(_);
OSTaskCreate(_);
:
while (DEF_ON) {
:
:
}
}
496
/* Create the other tasks
*/
A
A-56 OSStatTaskHook()
void OSStatTaskHook (void);
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_CPU_C.C
OSStatTask()
Always enabled
OSStatTaskHook() is a function called by C/OS-IIIs statistic task, OSStatTask().

OSStatTaskHook() is generally implemented by the port implementer for the processor
used. This hook allows the port to perform additional statistics for the processor used.
ARGUMENTS
None
RETURNED VALUES
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
None
EXAMPLE
The code below calls an application-specific hook that an application programmer can
define. For this, the user can simply set the value of OS_AppStatTaskHookPtr to point to
the desired hook function (see App_OS_SetAllHooks() in OS_APP_HOOKS.C).
In the example below, OSStatTaskHook() calls App_OS_StatTaskHook() if the pointer
OS_AppStatTaskHookPtr is set to that function.
497
A
Appendix A
void
App_OS_StatTaskHook (void)
/* OS_APP_HOOKS.C
*/
/* OS_APP_HOOKS.C
*/
/* OS_CPU_C.C
*/
{
}

{
CPU_SR_ALLOC();
:
OS_AppStatTaskHookPtr = App_OS_StatTaskHook;
:
}
void OSStatTaskHook (void)

{
if (OS_AppStatTaskHookPtr != (OS_APP_HOOK_VOID)0) {
(*OS_AppStatTaskHookPtr)();
}
#endif
}
498
A
A-57 OSTaskChangePrio()
void OSTaskChangePrio (OS_TCB
*p_tcb,
OS_PRIO
prio_new,
OS_ERR
*p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_TASK.C
Task
When you creating a task (see OSTaskCreate()), you also specify the priority of the task
being created. In most cases, it is not necessary to change the priority of the task at run time.
However, it is sometimes useful to do so, and OSTaskChangePrio() allows this to take place.
If the task is ready to run, OSTaskChangePrio() simply changes the position of the task in
C/OS-IIIs ready list. If the task is waiting on an event, OSTaskChangePrio() will change
the position of the task in the pend list of the corresponding object, so that the pend list
remains sorted by priority.
Because C/OS-III supports multiple tasks at the same priority, there are no restrictions on
the priority that a task can have, except that task priority zero (0) is reserved by C/OS-III,
and priority OS_PRIO_MAX-1 is used by the idle task.
Note that a task priority cannot be changed from an ISR.
ARGUMENTS
p_tcb
is a pointer to the OS_TCB of the task for which the priority is being changed. If
passing a NULL pointer, the priority of the current task is changed.
prio_new
is the new tasks priority. This value must never be set to OS_CFG_PRIO_MAX-1,
or higher and you must not use priority 0 since they are reserved for C/OS-III.
p_err
is a pointer to a variable that will receive an error code:

OS_ERR_NONE
if the tasks priority is changed.
OS_ERR_TASK_CHANGE_PRIO_ISR if attempting to change the tasks priority
from an ISR.
499
A
Appendix A
OS_ERR_PRIO_INVALID
if the priority of the task specified is invalid.

By specifying a priority greater than or equal
to OS_PRIO_MAX-1, or 0.
RETURNED VALUE
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
None
EXAMPLE
OS_TCB
MyTaskTCB;

{
OS_ERR err;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
:
OSTaskChangePrio(&MyTaskTCB,
10,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
}
}
500
/* Change the priority of MyTask to 10 */
A
A-58 OSTaskCreate()
void OSTaskCreate (OS_TCB
CPU_CHAR
OS_TASK_PTR
void
OS_PRIO
CPU_STK
CPU_STK_SIZE
CPU_STK_SIZE
OS_MSG_QTY
OS_TICK
void
OS_OPT
OS_ERR
*p_tcb,
*p_name,
p_task,
*p_arg,
prio,
*p_stk_base,
stk_limit,
stk_size,
q_size,
time_quanta,
*p_ext,
opt,
*p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_TASK.C
N/A
Tasks must be created in order for C/OS-III to recognize them as tasks. Create a task by
calling OSTaskCreate() and provide arguments specifying to C/OS-III how the task will
be managed. Tasks are always created in the ready-to-run state.
Tasks can be created either prior to the start of multitasking (i.e., before calling OSStart()),
or by a running task. A task cannot be created by an ISR. A task must either be written as an
infinite loop, or delete itself once completed. If the task code returns by mistake, C/OS-III
will terminate the task by calling OSTaskDel((OS_TCB *)0, &err)). At Micrium, we like
the while (DEF_ON) to implement infinite loops because, by convention, we use a while
loop when we dont know how many iterations a loop will do. This is the case of an infinite
loop. We use for loops when we know how many iterations a loop will do.
501
A
Appendix A
Task as an infinite loop:

{
/* Local variables
*/
/* Do something with 'p_arg'

while (DEF_ON) {
/* Task body, as an infinite loop.
:
:
/* Must call one of the following services:
/*
OSFlagPend()
/*
OSMutexPend()
/*
OSQPend()
/*
OSSemPend()
/*
OSTimeDly()
/*
OSTimeDlyHMSM()
/*
OSTaskQPend()
/*
OSTaskSemPend()
/*
OSTaskSuspend()
(Suspend self)
/*
OSTaskDel()
(Delete self)
:
:
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
}
}
Run to completion task:

{
OS_ERR err;
/* Local variables
/* Do something with 'p_arg'

/* Task body (do some work)
OSTaskDel((OS_TCB *)0, &err);
/* Check err
}
502
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
A
ARGUMENTS
p_tcb
is a pointer to the tasks OS_TCB to use. It is assumed that storage for the TCB of
the task will be allocated by the user code. Declare a global variable as
follows, and pass a pointer to this variable to OSTaskCreate():
OS_TCB MyTaskTCB;
p_name
is a pointer to an ASCII string (NUL terminated) to assign a name to the task.

The name can be displayed by debuggers or by C/Probe.
p_task
is a pointer to the task (i.e., the name of the function).
p_arg
is a pointer to an optional data area, which is used to pass parameters to the

task when it is created. When C/OS-III runs the task for the first time, the task
will think that it was invoked, and passed the argument p_arg. For example,
create a generic task that handles an asynchronous serial port. p_arg can be
used to pass task information about the serial port it will manage: the port
address, baud rate, number of bits, parity, and more. p_arg is the argument
received by the task shown below.

{
while (DEF_ON) {
Task code;
}
}
prio
is the task priority. The lower the number, the higher the priority (i.e., the
importance) of the task. If OS_CFG_ISR_POST_DEFERRED_EN is set to 1, the user
may not use priority 0.
Task priority must also have a lower number than OS_CFG_PRIO_MAX-1.
Priorities 0, 1, OS_CFG_PRIO_MAX-2 and OS_CFG_PRIO_MAX-1 are reserved. In
other words, a task should have a priority between 2 and
OOS_CFG_PRIO_MAX-3, inclusively.
503
A
Appendix A
p_stk_baseis a pointer to the tasks stack base address. The tasks stack is used to store
local variables, function parameters, return addresses, and possibly CPU
registers during an interrupt.
6WDFN

SBVWNBEDVH
/RZ0HPRU\
SBVWNBOLPLW
VWNBVL]H
+LJK0HPRU\
The task stack must be declared as follows:

CPU_STK MyTaskStk[xxx];
The user would then pass p_stk_base the address of the first element of this
array or, &MyTaskStk[0]. xxx represents the size of the stack.
504
A
The size of this stack is determined by the tasks requirements and the
anticipated interrupt nesting (unless the processor has a separate stack just for
interrupts). Determining the size of the stack involves knowing how many
bytes are required for storage of local variables for the task itself and all nested
functions, as well as requirements for interrupts (accounting for nesting).
Note that you can allocate stack space for a task from the heap but, in this case,
never delete the task and free the stack space as this can cause the heap to
fragment, which is not desirable in embedded systems.
stk_limit
is used to locate, within the tasks stack, a watermark limit that can be used to
monitor and ensure that the stack does not overflow.
If the processor does not have hardware stack overflow detection, or this
feature is not implemented in software by the port developer, this value may be
used for other purposes. For example, some processors have two stacks, a
hardware and a software stack. The hardware stack typically keeps track of
function call nesting and the software stack is used to pass function arguments.
stk_limit may be used to set the size of the hardware stack as shown below.
505
A
Appendix A
Stack
(RAM)
Low Memory
p_stk_base
stk_limit
Hardware
Stack
stk_size
Software
Stack
High Memory
CPU_STK
stk_size
specifies the size of the tasks stack in number of elements. If CPU_STK is set to
CPU_INT08U (see OS_TYPE.H), stk_size corresponds to the number of bytes
available on the stack. If CPU_STK is set to CPU_INT16U, then stk_size
contains the number of 16-bit entries available on the stack. Finally, if CPU_STK
is set to CPU_INT32U, stk_size contains the number of 32-bit entries available
on the stack.
q_size
A C/OS-III task contains an optional internal message queue

(if OS_TASK_Q_EN > 0). This argument specifies the maximum number of
messages that the task can receive through this message queue. The user may
specify that the task is unable to receive messages by setting the argument to 0.
time_quanta
506
the amount of time (in clock ticks) for the time quanta when
round robin is enabled. If you specify 0, then the default time
quanta will be used which is the tick rate divided by 10.
A
p_ext
is a pointer to a user-supplied memory location (typically a data structure) used

as a TCB extension. For example, the user memory can hold the contents of
floating-point registers during a context switch.
opt
contains task-specific options. Each option consists of one bit. The option is
selected when the bit is set. The current version of C/OS-III supports the
following options:
OS_OPT_TASK_NONE
OS_OPT_TASK_STK_CHK
OS_OPT_TASK_STK_CLR
OS_OPT_TASK_SAVE_FP
p_err
specifies that there are no options.

specifies whether stack checking is allowed
for the task.
specifies whether the stack needs to be
cleared.
specifies whether floating-point registers are
saved. This option is only valid if the
processor has floating-point hardware and the
processor-specific
code
saves
the
floating-point registers.

OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_NAME
OS_ERR_PRIO_INVALID
OS_ERR_STK_INVALID
OS_ERR_STK_SIZE_INVALID
OS_ERR_TASK_CREATE_ISR
OS_ERR_TASK_INVALID
OS_ERR_TCB_INVALID
if the function is successful.

if prio is higher than the maximum value
allowed (i.e., > OS_PRIO_MAX-1). Also, if the
user set OS_CFG_ISR_POST_DEFERRED_EN to 1
and tried to use priority 0.
if specifying a NULL pointer for p_stk_base.
if specifying a stack size smaller than what is
currently specified by OS_CFG_STK_SIZE_MIN
(see the OS_CFG.H).
if attempting to create the task from an ISR.
if specifying a NULL pointer for p_task
if specifying a NULL pointer for p_tcb.
507
A
Appendix A
RETURNED VALUE
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
1. The stack must be declared with the CPU_STK type.
2. A task must always invoke one of the services provided by C/OS-III to wait for time to
expire, suspend the task, or wait on an object (wait on a message queue, event flag, mutex,
semaphore, a signal or a message to be sent directly to the task). This allows other tasks to
gain control of the CPU.
3. Do not use task priorities 0, 1, OS_PRIO_MAX-2 and OS_PRIO_MAX-1 because they are
reserved for use by C/OS-III.
EXAMPLE
OSTaskCreate() can be called from main() (in C), or a previously created task.
508
A
OS_TCB
MyTaskTCB;
/*
(1) Storage for tasks TCB
*/
/*
(3) The address of the task is its name
*/
CPU_STK MyTaskStk[200];

{
while (DEF_ON) {
/* Wait for an event */
/* My task body
*/
}
}
void SomeCode (void)

{
OS_ERR err;
:
:
OSTaskCreate (&MyTaskTCB,
/* (1) Address of TCB assigned to the task
*/
My Task,
/* (2) Name you want to give the task
*/
MyTask,
/* (3) Address of the task itself
*/
(void *)0,
/* (4) p_arg is not used
*/
12,
/* (5) Priority you want to assign to the task */
&MyTaskStk[0],
/* (6) Base address of tasks stack
*/
10,
/* (7) Watermark limit for stack growth
*/
200,
/* (8) Stack size in number of CPU_STK elements */
5,
/* (9) Size of task message queue
*/
10,
/* (10) Time quanta (in number of ticks)
*/
(void *)0,
/* (11) Extension pointer is not used
*/
OS_OPT_TASK_STK_CHK + OS_OPT_TASK_STK_CLR, /* (12) Options
*/
&err);
/* (13) Error code
*/
/* Check err
:
:
(14)
*/
(1)
In order to create a task, allocate storage for a TCB and pass a pointer to this
TCB to OSTaskCreate().
(2)
Assign an ASCII name to the task by passing a pointer to an ASCII string. The
ASCII string may be allocated in code space (i.e., ROM), or data space (i.e.,
RAM). In either case, it is assumed that the code can access that memory.
(3)
Pass the address of the task to OSTaskCreate(). In C, the address of a function

is simply the name of the function.
509
A
Appendix A
(4)
To provide additional data to MyTask(), simply pass a pointer to such data. In

this case, MyTask() did not need such data and therefore, a NULL pointer is
passed.
(5)
The user must assign a priority to the task. The priority specifies the
importance of this task with respect to other tasks. A low-priority value
indicates a high priority. Priority 0 is the highest priority (reserved for an
internal task) and a priority up to OS_PRIO_MAX-2 can be specified (see
OS_CFG.H). Note that OS_PRIO_MAX-1 is also reserved for an internal task, the
idle task.
(6)
The next argument specifies the base address of the tasks stack. In this case,
it is simply the base address of the array MyTaskStk[]. Note that it is possible
to simply specify the name of the array. I prefer to make it clear by writing
&MyTaskStk[0].
(7)
Set the watermark limit for stack growth. If the processor port does not use this
field then either set this value to 0.
(8)
C/OS-III also needs to know the size of the stack for the task. This allows
C/OS-III to perform stack checking at run time.
(9)
C/OS-III allows tasks or ISRs to send messages directly to a task. This

argument specifies how many such messages can be received by this task.
(10)
This argument specifies how much time (in number of ticks) this task will run
on the CPU before C/OS-III will force the CPU away from this task and run
the next task at the same priority (if there are more than one task at the same
priority that is ready to run).
(11)
C/OS-III allows the user to extend the capabilities of the TCB by allowing
passing a pointer to some memory location that could contain additional
information about the task. For example, there may be a CPU that supports
floating-point math and the user would likely need to save the floating-point
registers during a context switch. This pointer could point to the storage area
for these registers.
510
A
(12)
When creating a task, options must be specified. Specifically, such options as,
whether the stack of the task will be cleared (i.e., filled with 0x00) when the
task is created (OS_OPT_TASK_STK_CLR), whether C/OS-III will be allowed to
check for stack usage (OS_OPT_TASK_STK_CHK), whether the CPU supports
floating-point math, and whether the task will make use of the floating-point
registers and therefore need to save and restore them during a context switch
(OS_OPT_TASK_SAVE_FP). The options are additive.
(13)
Most of C/OS-IIIs services return an error code indicating the outcome of the
call. The error code is always returned as a pointer to a variable of type
OS_ERR. The user must allocate storage for this variable prior to calling
OSTaskCreate(). By the way, a pointer to an error variable is always the last
argument, which makes it easy to remember.
(14)
It is highly recommended that the user examine the error code whenever
calling a C/OS-III function. If the call is successful, the error code will always
be OS_ERR_NONE. If the call is not successful, the returned code will indicate
the reason for the failure (see OS_ERR_??? in OS.H).
511
A
Appendix A
A-59 OSTaskCreateHook()
void OSTaskCreateHook (OS_TCB *p_tcb)
;
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_CPU_C.C
OSTaskCreate() ONLY
N/A
This function is called by OSTaskCreate() just before adding the task to the ready list.
When OSTaskCreateHook() is called, all of the OS_TCB fields are assumed to be initialized.
OSTaskCreateHook() is called after initializing the OS_TCB fields and setting up the stack
frame for the task, before the task is placed in the ready list.
OSTaskCreateHook() is part of the CPU port code and this function must not be called by
the application code. OSTaskCreateHook() is actually used by the C/OS-III port
developer.
Use this hook to initialize and store the contents of oating-point registers, MMU registers,
or anything else that can be associated with a task. Typically, store this additional
information in memory allocated by the application.
ARGUMENTS
p_tcb
is a pointer to the TCB of the task being created. Note that the OS_TCB has
been validated by OSTaskCreate() and is guaranteed to not be a NULL pointer
when OSTaskCreateHook() is called.
RETURNED VALUE
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
Do not call this function from the application.
512
A
EXAMPLE
define. The user can simply set the value of OS_AppTaskCreateHookPtr to point to the
desired hook function as shown in the example. OSTaskCreate() calls
OSTaskCreateHook() which in turns calls App_OS_TaskCreateHook() through
OS_AppTaskCreateHookPtr. As can be seen, when called, the application hook is passed
the address of the OS_TCB of the newly created task.
void App_OS_TaskCreateHook (OS_TCB *p_tcb)

{
}
/* OS_APP_HOOKS.C
*/

{
CPU_SR_ALLOC();
/* OS_APP_HOOKS.C
*/
:
OS_AppTaskCreateHookPtr = App_OS_TaskCreateHook;
:
}

{
if (OS_AppTaskCreateHookPtr != (OS_APP_HOOK_TCB)0) {
(*OS_AppTaskCreateHookPtr)(p_tcb);
}
#endif
}
/* OS_CPU_C.C
*/
513
A
Appendix A
A-60 OSTaskDel()
void OSTaskDel (OS_TCB *p_tcb,
OS_ERR *p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_TASK.C
Task
OS_CFG_TASK_DEL_EN
When a task is no longer needed, it can be deleted. Deleting a task does not mean that the
code is removed, but that the task code is no longer managed by C/OS-III. OSTaskDel()
can be used when creating a task that will only run once. In this case, the task must not
return but instead call OSTaskDel((OS_TCB *)0, &err), specifying to C/OS-III to delete
the currently running task.
A task may also delete another task by specifying to OSTaskDel() the address of the
OS_TCB of the task to delete.
Once a task is deleted, its OS_TCB and stack may be reused to create another task. This
assumes that the tasks stack requirement of the new task is satisfied by the stack size of the
deleted task.
Even though C/OS-III allows the user to delete tasks at run time, it is recommend that such
actions be avoided. Why? Because a task can own resources that are shared with other
tasks. Deleting the task that owns resource(s) without first relinquishing the resources could
lead to strange behaviors and possible deadlocks.
ARGUMENTS
p_tcb
is a pointer to the TCB of the task to delete or, a NULL pointer for the calling
task to delete itself. If deleting the calling task, the scheduler will be invoked so
that the next highest-priority task is executed.
p_err

OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_TASK_DEL_IDLE
514
if the desired task was deleted (unless the

task deleted itself in which case there are no
errors to return).
if attempting to delete the ilde task.
A
OS_ERR_TASK_DEL_ISR
OS_ERR_TASK_DEL_INVALID
if calling OSTaskDel() from an ISR.

if attempting to delete the ISR Handler task
while OS_CFG_ISR_POST_DEFERRED_EN is set
to 1.
RETURNED VALUE
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
1. OSTaskDel() verifies that the user is not attempting to delete the C/OS-III idle task and
the ISR handler task.
2. Be careful when deleting a task that owns resources.
EXAMPLE
OS_TCB
MyTaskTCB;

{
OS_ERR err;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
:
OSTaskDel(&MyTaskTCB,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
}
}
515
A
Appendix A
A-61 OSTaskDelHook()
void OSTaskDelHook (OS_TCB *p_tcb);
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_CPU_C.C
OSTaskDel() ONLY
N/A
This function is called by OSTaskDel() after the task is removed from the ready list or any
pend list.
Use this hook to deallocate storage assigned to the task.
OSTaskDelHook() is part of the CPU port code and this function must not be called by the
application code. OSTaskDelHook() is actually used by the C/OS-III port developer.
ARGUMENTS
p_tcb
is a pointer to the TCB of the task being created. Note that the OS_TCB has
been validated by OSTaskDel() and is guaranteed to not be a NULL pointer
when OSTaskDelHook() is called.
RETURNED VALUE
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
EXAMPLE
define. The user can simply set the value of OS_AppTaskDelHookPtr to point to the desired
hook function. OSTaskDel() calls OSTaskDelHook() which in turns calls
App_OS_TaskDelHook() through OS_AppTaskDelHookPtr. As can be seen, when called,
the application hook is passed the address of the OS_TCB of the task being deleted.
516
A
void
App_OS_TaskDelHook (OS_TCB *p_tcb)
/* OS_APP_HOOKS.C
*/
{
}
/* OS_APP_HOOKS.C
*/
/* OS_CPU_C.C
*/
{
CPU_SR_ALLOC();
:
OS_AppTaskDelHookPtr = App_OS_TaskDelHook;
:
}
void OSTaskDelHook (OS_TCB *p_tcb)

{
if (OS_AppTaskDelHookPtr != (OS_APP_HOOK_TCB)0) {
(*OS_AppTaskDelHookPtr)(p_tcb);
}
#endif
}
517
A
Appendix A
A-62 OSTaskQPend()
void *OSTaskQPend (OS_TICK
timeout,
OS_OPT
opt,
CPU_TS
*p_ts,
OS_ERR
*p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_TASK.C
Task
OS_CFG_TASK_Q_EN and
OS_CFG_MSG_EN
OSTaskQPend() allows a task to receive messages directly from an ISR or another task,
without going through an intermediate message queue. In fact, each task has a built-in
message queue if the configuration constant OS_TASK_Q_EN is set to 1. The messages
received are pointer-sized variables, and their use is application specific. If at least one
message is already present in the message queue when OSTaskQPend() is called, the
message is retrieved and returned to the caller.
If no message is present in the tasks message queue and OS_OPT_PEND_BLOCKING is
specified for the opt argument, OSTaskQPend() suspends the current task (assuming the
scheduler is not locked) until either a message is received, or a user-specified timeout
expires. A pended task that is suspended with OSTaskSuspend() can receive messages.
However, the task remains suspended until it is resumed by calling OSTaskResume().
If no message is present in the tasks message queue and OS_OPT_PEND_NON_BLOCKING is
specified for the opt argument, OSTaskQPend() returns to the caller with an appropriate
error code and returns a NULL pointer.
ARGUMENTS
timeout
518
allows the task to resume execution if a message is not received from a task or
an ISR within the specified number of clock ticks. A timeout value of 0
indicates that the task wants to wait forever for a message. The timeout value is
not synchronized with the clock tick. The timeout count starts decrementing on
the next clock tick, which could potentially occur immediately.
A
opt
determines whether or not the user wants to block if a message is not available
in the tasks queue. This argument must be set to either:
Note that the timeout argument should be set to 0 when
OS_OPT_PEND_NON_BLOCKING is specified, since the timeout value is irrelevant
using this option.
p_msg_size is a pointer to a variable that will receive the size of the message.
p_ts
is a pointer to a timestamp indicating when the tasks queue was posted, or the
pend aborted. If passing a NULL pointer (i.e., (CPU_TS *)0), the timestamp will
not returned. In other words, passing a NULL pointer is valid and indicates that
the timestamp is not necessary.
A timestamp is useful when the task must know when the task message queue
was posted, or how long it took for the task to resume after the task message
queue was posted. In the latter case, call OS_TS_GET() and compute the
words:
p_err

OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_PEND_ABORT
OS_ERR_PEND_ISR
OS_ERR_SCHED_LOCKED
OS_ERR_TIMEOUT
if a message is received.
called OSTaskQPendAbort().
if calling this function with the opt argument
set to OS_OPT_PEND_NON_BLOCKING and no
message is in the tasks message queue.
locked and the user wanted to block.
if a message is not received within the
specified timeout.
519
A
Appendix A
RETURNED VALUE
The message if no error or a NULL pointer upon error. Examine the error code since it is
possible to send NULL pointer messages. In other words, a NULL pointer does not mean an
error occurred. *p_err must be examined to determine the reason for the error.
NOTES/WARNINGS
Do not call OSTaskQPend() from an ISR.
EXAMPLE
{
OS_ERR
err;
void
*p_msg;
CPU_TS
ts;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
:
p_msg = OSTaskQPend(100,
&msg_size,
&ts,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
}
}
520
A
A-63 OSTaskQPendAbort()
CPU_BOOLEAN OSTaskQPendAbort (OS_TCB *p_tcb,
OS_OPT
opt,
OS_ERR *p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_Q.C
Task
OSTaskQPendAbort() aborts and readies a task currently waiting on its built-in message
queue. This function should be used to fault-abort the wait on the tasks message queue,
rather than to normally signal the message queue via OSTaskQPost().
ARGUMENTS
p_tcb
is a pointer to the task for which the pend needs to be aborted. Note that it
doesnt make sense to pass a NULL pointer or the address of the calling tasks
TCB since, by definition, the calling task cannot be pending.
opt
provides options for this function.

OS_OPT_POST_NONE
p_err
No option specified.
called even if the pend of a higher priority
OSTaskQPendAbort() will do additional
pend aborts, rescheduling will take place
when completed, and multiple pend aborts
should take effect simultaneously.

OS_ERR_NONE
the task was readied by another task and it

was informed of the aborted wait.
521
A
Appendix A
OS_ERR_PEND_ABORT_SELF
if the task was not pending on the tasks

message queue.
if p_tcb is a NULL pointer. The user is
attempting to pend abort the calling task
which makes no sense as the caller, by
definition, is not pending.
RETURNED VALUE
OSTaskQPendAbort() returns DEF_TRUE if the task was made ready to run by this function.
DEF_FALSE indicates that the task was not pending, or an error occurred.
NOTES/WARNINGS
None
EXAMPLE
OS_TCB
CommRxTaskTCB;

{
OS_ERR
err;
CPU_BOOLEAN aborted;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
:
aborted = OSTaskQPendAbort(&CommRxTaskTCB,
OS_OPT_POST_NONE,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
}
}
522
A
A-64 OSTaskQPost()
void OSTaskQPost (OS_TCB
void
OS_MSG_SIZE
OS_OPT
OS_ERR
*p_tcb,
*p_void,
msg_size,
opt,
*p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_Q.C
Task or ISR
OS_CFG_MSG_EN
OSTaskQPost() sends a message to a task through its local message queue. A message is a
pointer-sized variable, and its use is application specific. If the tasks message queue is full,
an error code is returned to the caller. In this case, OSTaskQPost() immediately returns to
its caller, and the message is not placed in the message queue.
If the task receiving the message is waiting for a message to arrive, it will be made ready to
run. If the receiving task has a higher priority than the task sending the message, the
higher-priority task resumes, and the task sending the message is suspended; that is, a
context switch occurs. A message can be posted as first-in first-out (FIFO), or last-in-first-out
(LIFO), depending on the value specified in the opt argument. In either case, scheduling
occurs unless opt is set to OS_OPT_POST_NO_SCHED.
ARGUMENTS
p_tcb
is a pointer to the TCB of the task. Note that it is possible to post a message to
the calling task (i.e., self) by specifying a NULL pointer, or the address of its
TCB.
p_void
is the actual message sent to the task. p_void is a pointer-sized variable and its
meaning is application specific.
msg_size
specifies the size of the message posted (in number of bytes).
opt
determines the type of POST performed. Of course, it does not make sense to
post LIFO and FIFO simultaneously, so these options are exclusive:
523
A
Appendix A
OS_OPT_POST_FIFO
OS_OPT_POST_LIFO
OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_MSG_POOL_EMPTY
OS_ERR_Q_MAX
RETURNED VALUE
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
None
524
POST message to task, or place at the end of

the queue if the task is not waiting for
messages.
POST message to task, or place at the front of
the queue if the task is not waiting for
messages.
Do not call the scheduler after the post and
therefore the caller is resumed.
OSTaskQPost() will be doing additional
posts, the user does not want to reschedule
until all done, and multiple posts are to take
effect simultaneously. p_err is a pointer to a
variable that will contain an error code
returned by this function.
if the call was successful and the message
was posted to the tasks message queue.
if running out of OS_MSG to hold the message
being posted.
if the tasks message queue is full and cannot
accept more messages.
A
EXAMPLE
OS_TCB
CommRxTaskTCB;
CPU_INT08U
CommRxBuf[100];

{
OS_ERR err;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
OSTaskQPost(&CommRxTaskTCB,
(void *)&CommRxBuf[0],
sizeof(CommRxBuf),
OS_OPT_POST_FIFO,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
}
}
525
A
Appendix A
A-65 OSTaskRegGet()
OS_REG OSTaskRegGet (OS_TCB
*p_tcb,
OS_REG_ID
id,
OS_ERR
*p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_TASK.C
Task
OS_CFG_TASK_REG_TBL_SIZE > 0
C/OS-III allows the user to store task-specific values in task registers. Task registers are
different than CPU registers and are used to save such information as errno, which are
common in software components. Task registers can also store task-related data to be
associated with the task at run time such as I/O register settings, configuration values, etc. A
task may have as many as OS_CFG_TASK_REG_TBL_SIZE registers, and all registers have a
data type of OS_REG. However, OS_REG can be declared at compile time (see OS_TYPE.H) to
be nearly anything (8-, 16-, 32-, 64-bit signed or unsigned integer, or floating-point).
As shown below, a task is register is changed by calling OSTaskRegSet() and read by
calling OSTaskRegGet(). The desired task register is specified as an argument to these
functions and can take a value between 0 and OS_CFG_TASK_REG_TBL_SIZE-1.
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>@
267DVN5HJ6HW
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26B5(*
526
A
ARGUMENTS
p_tcb
is a pointer to the TCB of the task the user is receiving a task-register value
from. A NULL pointer indicates that the user wants the value of a task register of
the calling task.
id
is the identifier of the task register and valid values are from 0 to
OS_CFG_TASK_REG_TBL_SIZE-1.
p_err

function.
OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_REG_ID_INVALID
if the call was successful and the function

returned the value of the desired task register.
if a valid task register identifier is not
specified.
RETURNED VALUE
The current value of the task register.
NOTES/WARNINGS
None
527
A
Appendix A
EXAMPLE
OS_TCB
MyTaskTCB;

{
OS_ERR err;
OS_REG reg;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
reg = OSTaskRegGet(&MyTaskTCB,
5,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
}
}
528
A
A-66 OSTaskRegSet()
void OSTaskRegSet (OS_TCB
*p_tcb,
OS_REG_ID
id,
OS_REG
value,
OS_ERR
*p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_TASK.C
Task
OS_CFG_TASK_REG_TBL_SIZE > 0
C/OS-III allows the user to store task-specific values in task registers. Task registers are
different than CPU registers and are used to save such information as errno, which are
common in software components. Task registers can also store task-related data to be
associated with the task at run time such as I/O register settings, configuration values, etc. A
task may have as many as OS_CFG_TASK_REG_TBL_SIZE registers, and all registers have a
data type of OS_REG. However, OS_REG can be declared at compile time to be nearly
anything (8-, 16-, 32-, 64-bit signed or unsigned integer, or floating-point).
As shown below, a task is register is changed by calling OSTaskRegSet(), and read by
calling OSTaskRegGet(). The desired task register is specified as an argument to these
functions and can take a value between 0 and OS_CFG_TASK_REG_TBL_SIZE-1.
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267DVN5HJ6HW
267DVN5HJ*HW
>26B&)*B7$6.B5(*B7%/B6,=(@
26B5(*
529
A
Appendix A
ARGUMENTS
p_tcb
is a pointer to the TCB of the task you are setting. A NULL pointer indicates that
the user wants to set the value of a task register of the calling task.
id
is the identifier of the task register and valid values are from 0 to
OS_CFG_TASK_REG_TBL_SIZE-1.
value
is the new value of the task register specified by id.
p_err

function.
OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_REG_ID_INVALID
RETURNED VALUE
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
None
530
if the call was successful, and the function set

the value of the desired task register.
if a valid task register identifier is not
specified.
A
EXAMPLE
OS_TCB
MyTaskTCB;

{
OS_ERR err;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
reg = OSTaskRegSet(&MyTaskTCB,
5,
23,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
}
}
531
A
Appendix A
A-67 OSTaskReturnHook()
void OSTaskReturnHook (void);
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_CPU_C.C
OS_TaskReturn() ONLY
N/A
This function is called by OS_TaskReturn(). OS_TaskReturn() is called if the user

accidentally returns from the task code. In other words, the task should either be implemented
as an infinite loop and never return, or the task must call OSTaskDel((OS_TCB *)0, &err) to
delete itself to prevent it from exiting.
OSTaskReturnHook() is part of the CPU port code and this function must not be called by
the application code. OSTaskReturnHook() is actually used by the C/OS-III port
developer.
Note that after calling OSTaskReturnHook(), OS_TaskReturn() will actually delete the task
by calling:
OSTaskDel((OS_TCB *)0,
&err)
ARGUMENTS
p_tcb
is a pointer to the TCB of the task that is not behaving as expected. Note that
the OS_TCB is validated by OS_TaskReturn(), and is guaranteed to not be a
NULL pointer when OSTaskReturnHook() is called.
RETURNED VALUE
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
532
A
EXAMPLE
define. For this, the user can simply set the value of OS_AppTaskReturnHookPtr to point to
the desired hook function as shown in the example. If a task returns and forgets to call
OSTaskDel((OS_TCB *)0, &err) then C/OS-III will call OSTaskReturnHook() which in
turns calls App_OS_TaskReturnHook() through OS_AppTaskReturnHookPtr. When called,
the application hook is passed the address of the OS_TCB of the task returning.
void App_OS_TaskReturnHook (OS_TCB

{
}
*p_tcb)

{
CPU_SR_ALLOC();
/* OS_APP_HOOKS.C
*/
/* OS_APP_HOOKS.C
*/
:
OS_AppTaskReturnHookPtr = App_OS_TaskReturnHook;
:
}
void OSTaskReturnHook (OS_TCB *p_tcb)

{
if (OS_AppTaskReturnHookPtr != (OS_APP_HOOK_TCB)0) {
(*OS_AppTaskReturnHookPtr)(p_tcb);
}
#endif
}
/* OS_CPU_C.C
*/
533
A
Appendix A
A-68 OSTaskResume()
void OSTaskResume (OS_TCB *p_tcb,
OS_ERR *p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_TASK.C
Task
OSTaskResume() resumes a task suspended through the OSTaskSuspend() function. In

fact, OSTaskResume() is the only function that can unsuspend a suspended task. Obviously,
the suspended task can only be resumed by another task. If the suspended task is also
waiting on another kernel object such as an event flag, semaphore, mutex, message queue
etc., the suspension will simply be lifted (i.e., removed), but the task will continue waiting
for the object.
The user can nest suspension of a task by calling OSTaskSuspend() and therefore must
call OSTaskResume() an equivalent number of times to resume such a task. In other words,
if suspending a task five times, it is necessary to unsuspend the same task five times to
remove the suspension of the task.
ARGUMENTS
p_tcb
is a pointer to the TCB of the task that is resuming. A NULL pointer is not a valid
value as one cannot resume the calling task because, by definition, the calling
task is running and is not suspended.
p_err

function.
OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_TASK_RESUME_ISR
OS_ERR_TASK_RESUME_SELF
OS_ERR_TASK_NOT_SUSPENDED
534
if the call was successful and the desired task

is resumed.
if passing a NULL pointer for p_tcb. It is not
possible to resume the calling task since, if
suspended, it cannot be executing.
if the task attempting to be resumed is not
suspended.
A
RETURNED VALUE
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
None
EXAMPLE
OS_TCB
TaskY;

{
OS_ERR err;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
:
OSTaskResume(&TaskY,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
}
/* Resume suspended task
*/
535
A
Appendix A
A-69 OSTaskSemPend()
OS_SEM_CTR OSTaskSemPend (OS_TICK
timeout,
OS_OPT
opt,
CPU_TS
*p_ts,
OS_ERR
*p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_TASK.C
Task
Always enabled
OSTaskSemPend() allows a task to wait for a signal to be sent by another task or ISR
without going through an intermediate object such as a semaphore. If the task was
previously signaled when OSTaskSemPend() is called then, the caller resumes.
If no signal was received by the task and OS_OPT_PEND_BLOCKING is specified for the opt
argument, OSTaskSemPend() suspends the current task (assuming the scheduler is not
locked) until either a signal is received, or a user-specified timeout expires. A pended task
suspended with OSTaskSuspend() can receive signals. However, the task remains
suspended until it is resumed by calling OSTaskResume().
If no signals were sent to the task and OS_OPT_PEND_NON_BLOCKING was specified for the
opt argument, OSTaskSemPend() returns to the caller with an appropriate error code and
returns a signal count of 0.
ARGUMENTS
timeout
allows the task to resume execution if a signal is not received from a task or an
ISR within the specified number of clock ticks. A timeout value of 0 indicates
that the task wants to wait forever for a signal. The timeout value is not
synchronized with the clock tick. The timeout count starts decrementing on the
next clock tick, which could potentially occur immediately.
opt
determines whether the user wants to block or not, if a signal was not sent to
the task. Set this argument to either:
536
A

option.
p_ts
is a pointer to a timestamp indicating when the tasks semaphore was posted,

or the pend was aborted. If passing a NULL pointer (i.e., (CPU_TS *)0) the
timestamp will not be returned. In other words, passing a NULL pointer is valid
and indicates that the timestamp is not necessary.
A timestamp is useful when the task is to know when the semaphore was
posted, or how long it took for the task to resume after the semaphore was
posted. In the latter case, call OS_TS_GET() and compute the difference
between the current value of the timestamp and *p_ts. In other words:
p_err

OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_PEND_ABORT
OS_ERR_PEND_ISR
OS_ERR_SCHED_LOCKED
OS_ERR_TIMEOUT
if a signal is received.
called OSTaskSemPendAbort().
if calling this function with the opt argument
set to OS_OPT_PEND_NON_BLOCKING, and no
signal was received.
locked and the user wanted the task to block.
if a signal is not received within the specified
timeout.
RETURNED VALUE
The current value of the signal counter after it has been decremented. In other words, the
number of signals still remaining in the signal counter.
NOTES/WARNINGS
Do not call OSTaskSemPend() from an ISR.
537
A
Appendix A
EXAMPLE
{
OS_ERR
OS_SEM_CTR
CPU_TS
err;
ctr;
ts;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
ctr = OSTaskSemPend(100,
&ts,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
}
}
538
A
A-70 OSTaskSemPendAbort()
CPU_BOOLEAN OSTaskSemPendAbort (OS_TCB *p_tcb,
OS_OPT
opt,
OS_ERR *p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_TASK.C
Task
OSTaskSemPendAbort() aborts and readies a task currently waiting on its built-in

semaphore. This function should be used to fault-abort the wait on the tasks semaphore,
rather than to normally signal the task via OSTaskSemPost().
ARGUMENTS
p_tcb
is a pointer to the task for which the pend must be aborted. Note that it does
not make sense to pass a NULL pointer or the address of the calling tasks TCB
since, by definition, the calling task cannot be pending.
opt
provides options for this function.

OS_OPT_POST_NONE
p_err
OS_ERR_NONE
no option specified, call the scheduler by

default.
called even if the pend of a higher-priority
OSTaskSemPendAbort() will be doing
additional pend aborts, rescheduling will not
take place until finished, and multiple pend
aborts are to take effect simultaneously.
is a pointer to a variable that holds an error
code:
the pend was aborted for the specified task.
if the task was not waiting for a signal.
539
A
Appendix A
OS_ERR_PEND_ABORT_SELF
if p_tcb is a NULL pointer or the TCB of the

calling task is specified. The user is
attempting to pend abort the calling task,
which makes no sense since, by definition,
the calling task is not pending.
RETURNED VALUE
OSTaskSemPendAbort() returns DEF_TRUE if the task was made ready to run by this
function. DEF_FALSE indicates that the task was not pending, or an error occurred.
NOTES/WARNINGS
None
EXAMPLE
OS_TCB
CommRxTaskTCB;

{
OS_ERR
err;
CPU_BOOLEAN aborted;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
:
aborted = OSTaskSemPendAbort(&CommRxTaskTCB,
OS_OPT_POST_NONE,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
}
}
540
A
A-71 OSTaskSemPost()
OS_SEM_CTR OSTaskSemPost (OS_TCB
OS_OPT
OS_ERR
*p_tcb,
opt,
*p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_TASK.C
Task or ISR
Always enabled
OSTaskSemPost() sends a signal to a task through its local semaphore.

If the task receiving the signal is actually waiting for a signal to be received, it will be made
ready to run and, if the receiving task has a higher priority than the task sending the signal,
the higher-priority task resumes, and the task sending the signal is suspended; that is, a
context switch occurs. Note that scheduling only occurs if opt is set to OS_OPT_POST_NONE,
because the OS_OPT_POST_NO_SCHED option does not cause the scheduler to be called.
ARGUMENTS
p_tcb
is a pointer to the TCB of the task being signaled. A NULL pointer indicates that
the user is sending a signal to itself.
opt
provides options to the call.

OS_OPT_POST_NONE
No option, by default the scheduler will be

called.
Do not call the scheduler after the post,
therefore the caller is resumed.
OSTaskSemPost() will be doing additional
posts, reschedule waits until all is done, and
multiple
posts
are
to
take
effect
simultaneously.
541
A
Appendix A
p_err

function.
OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_SEM_OVF
if the call was successful and the signal was

sent.
the post would have caused the semaphore
counter to overflow.
RETURNED VALUE
The current value of the tasks signal counter, or 0 if called from an ISR and
OS_CFG_ISR_POST_DEFERRED_EN is set to 1.
NOTES/WARNINGS
None
EXAMPLE
OS_TCB
CommRxTaskTCB;

{
OS_ERR
OS_SEM_CTR
err;
ctr;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
ctr = OSTaskSemPost(&CommRxTaskTCB,
OS_OPT_POST_NONE,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
}
}
542
A
A-72 OSTaskSemSet()
OS_SEM_CTR OSTaskSemSet (OS_TCB
*p_tcb,
OS_SEM_CTR cnt;
OS_ERR
*p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_TASK.C
Task or ISR
Always Enabled
OSTaskSemSet() allows the user to set the value of the tasks signal counter. Set the signal
counter of the calling task by passing a NULL pointer for p_tcb.
ARGUMENTS
p_tcb
is a pointer to the tasks OS_TCB to clear the signal counter. A NULL pointer
indicates that the user wants to clear the callers signal counter.
cnt
the desired value for the task semaphore counter.
p_err

function.
OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_SET_ISR
if the call was successful and the signal

counter was cleared.
if calling this function from an ISR
RETURNED VALUE
The value of the signal counter prior to setting it.
NOTES/WARNINGS
None
543
A
Appendix A
EXAMPLE
OS_TCB
TaskY;

{
OS_ERR err;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
:
OSTaskSemSet(&TaskY,
0,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
}
}
544
A
A-73 OSTaskStatHook()
void OSTaskStatHook (void);
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_CPU_C.C
OS_TaskStat() ONLY
OS_CFG_TASK_STAT_EN
This function is called by OS_TaskStat().

OSTaskStatHook() is part of the CPU port code and must not be called by the application
code. OSTaskStatHook() is actually used by the C/OS-III port developer.
ARGUMENTS
None
RETURNED VALUE
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
EXAMPLE
define. The user can simply set the value of OS_AppStatTaskHookPtr to point to the
desired hook function as shown in the example. The statistic task calls OSStatTaskHook()
which in turns calls App_OS_StatTaskHook() through OS_AppStatTaskHookPtr.
545
A
Appendix A
void
App_OS_StatTaskHook (void)
/* OS_APP_HOOKS.C
*/
/* OS_APP_HOOKS.C
*/
{
}

{
CPU_SR_ALLOC();
:
OS_AppStatTaskHookPtr = App_OS_StatTaskHook;
:
}

{
}
#endif
}
546
/* OS_CPU_C.C
*/
A
A-74 OSTaskStkChk()
void OSTaskStkChk (OS_TCB
CPU_STK_SIZE
CPU_STK_SIZE
OS_ERR
*p_tcb,
*p_free,
*p_used,
*p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_TASK.C
Task
OS_CFG_TASK_STAT_CHK_EN
OSTaskStkChk() determines a tasks stack statistics. Specifically, it computes the amount of

free stack space, as well as the amount of stack space used by the specified task. This
function requires that the task be created with the OS_TASK_OPT_STK_CHK and
OS_TASK_OPT_STK_CLR options.
Stack sizing is accomplished by walking from the bottom of the stack and counting the
number of 0 entries on the stack until a non-zero value is found. It is possible to not set the
OS_TASK_OPT_STK_CLR when creating the task if the startup code clears all RAM, and tasks
are not deleted (this reduces the execution time of OSTaskCreate()).
C/OS-IIIs statistic task calls OSTaskStkChk() for each task created and stores the results in
each tasks OS_TCB so your application doesnt need to call this function if the statistic task
is enabled.
ARGUMENTS
p_tcb
is a pointer to the TCB of the task where the stack is being checked. A NULL
pointer indicates that the user is checking the calling tasks stack.
p_free
is a pointer to a variable of type CPU_STK_SIZE and will contain the number of

free bytes on the stack of the task being inquired about.
p_used
is a pointer to a variable of type CPU_STK_SIZE and will contain the number of

used bytes on the stack of the task being inquired about.
547
A
Appendix A
p_err

function.
OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_PTR_INVALID
OS_ERR_TASK_NOT_EXIST
OS_ERR_TASK_OPT
OS_ERR_TASK_STK_CHK_ISR

if either p_free or p_used are NULL pointers.
if the stack pointer of the task is a NULL
pointer.
if OS_OPT_TASK_STK_CHK is not specififed
whencreating the task being checked.
RETURNED VALUE
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
1. Execution time of this task depends on the size of the tasks stack.
2. The application can determine the total task stack space (in number of bytes) by adding
the value of *p_free and *p_used.
3. The #define CPU_CFG_STK_GROWTH must be declared (typically from OS_CPU.H). When
this #define is set to CPU_STK_GROWTH_LO_TO_HI, the stack grows from low memory to
high memory. When this #define is set to CPU_STK_GROWTH_HI_TO_LO, the stack grows
from high memory to low memory.
548
A
EXAMPLE
OS_TCB
MyTaskTCB;

{
OS_ERR
err;
CPU_STK_SIZE n_free;
CPU_STK_SIZE n_used;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
:
OSTaskStkChk(&MyTaskTCB,
&n_free,
&n_used,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
}
}
549
A
Appendix A
A-75 OSTaskStkInit()
void OSTaskStkInit (OS_TASK_PTR
p_task,
void
*p_arg,
CPU_STK
*p_stk_base,
CPU_STK
*p_stk_limit,
CPU_STK_SIZE
stk_size,
OS_OPT
opt);
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_CPU_C.C
OSTaskCreate() ONLY
N/A
This function is called by OSTaskCreate() to setup the stack frame of the task being
created. Typically, the stack frame will look as if an interrupt just occurred, and all CPU
registers were pushed onto the tasks stack. The stacking order of CPU registers is very CPU
specific.
OSTaskStkInit() is part of the CPU port code and this function must not be called by the
application code. OSTaskStkInit() is actually defined by the C/OS-III port developer.
ARGUMENTS
p_task
is the address of the task being created (see MyTask below). Tasks must be
declared as follows:
void
{
/* Do something with p_arg (optional) */
while (DEF_ON) {
/* Wait for an event to occur */
/* Do some work
*/
}
}
550
A
Or,
void
{
MyTask (void
OS_ERR
*p_arg)
err;
/* Do something with p_arg (optional) */

/* Do some work
*/
OSTaskDel((OS_TCB *)0,
&err);
}
p_arg
is the argument that the task will receive when the task first start (see code
above).
p_stk_baseis the base address of the tasks stack. This is typically the lowest address of the
area of storage reserved for the task stack. In other words, if declaring the tasks
stack as follows:
CPU_STK
MyTaskStk[100];
OSTaskCreate() would pass &OSMyTaskStk[0] to p_stk_base.

p_stk_limit
is the address of the tasks stack limit watermark. This pointer is

the same pointer passed to OSTaskCreate().
stk_size
is the size of the tasks stack in number of CPU_STK elements. In the example
above, the stack size is 100.
opt
is the options pass to OSTaskCreate() for the task being created.
551
A
Appendix A
RETURNED VALUE
The new top of stack after the tasks stack is initialized. OSTaskStkInit() will place values
on the tasks stack and will return the new pointer of the stack pointer for the task. The
value returned is very processor specific. For some processors, the returned value will point
to the last value placed on the stack while, with other processors, the returned value will
point at the next free stack entry.
NOTES/WARNINGS
EXAMPLE
The pseudo code below shows the typical steps performed by this function. Consult an
existing C/OS-III port for examples. Here it is assumed that the stack grows from high
memory to low memory.
CPU_STK
*OSTaskStkInit (OS_TASK_PTR
void
CPU_STK
CPU_STK
CPU_STK_SIZE
OS_OPT
p_task,
*p_arg,
*p_stk_base,
*p_stk_limit,
stk_size,
opt)
{
CPU_STK
*p_stk;
p_stk
= &p_stk_base[stk_size 1u];
(1)
*p_stk-- = Initialize the stack as if an interrupt just occurred; (2)
return (p_stk);
(3)
}
(1)
552
p_stk is set to the top-of-stack. It is assumed that the stack grows from high
memory locations to lower ones. If the stack of the CPU grew from low
memory locations to higher ones, the user would simply set p_stk to point at
the base. However, this also means that it would be necessary to initialize the
stack frame in the opposite direction.
A
(2)
Store the CPU registers onto the stack using the same stacking order as used
when an interrupt service routine (ISR) saves the registers at the beginning of
the ISR. The value of the register contents on the stack is typically not
important. However, there are some values that are critical. Specifically, place
the address of the task in the proper location on the stack frame and it may be
important to load the value of the CPU register and possibly pass the value of
p_arg in one of the CPU registers. Finally, if the task is to return by mistake, it
is a good idea to place the address of OS_TaskReturn() in the proper location
on the stack frame. This ensures that a faulty returning task is intercepted by
C/OS-III.
(3)
Finally, return the value of the stack pointer at the new top-of-stack frame.
Some processors point to the last stored location, while others point to the next
empty location. Consult the processor documentation so that the return value
points at the proper location.
553
A
Appendix A
Below is a complete example showing OSTaskCreate() which calls OSTaskStkInit()

with the proper arguments.
CPU_STK
MyTaskStk[100];
OS_TCB
MyTaskTCB;

{
/* Do something with parg (optional) */
}
void main (void)

{
OS_ERR err;
:
:
OSInit(&err);
/* Check err */
:
OSTaskCreate ((OS_TCB
(CPU_CHAR
(OS_TASK_PTR
(void
(OS_PRIO
(CPU_STK
(CPU_STK_SIZE
(CPU_STK_SIZE
(OS_MSG_QTY
(OS_TICK
(void
(OS_OPT
(OS_ERR
/* Check err */
:
:
OSStart(&err);
/* Check err */
}
554
*)&MyTaskTCB,
*)My Task,
/* p_task
of OSTaskStkInit() */
)MyTask,
*)0,
/* p_arg
)prio,
/* p_stk_base of OSTaskStkInit() */
*)&MyTaskStk[0],
/* p_stk_limit of OSTaskStkInit() */
)10,
)100,
/* stk_size
)0,
)0,
*)0,
/* opt */
)(OS_OPT_TASK_STK_CLR + OS_OPT_TASK_STK_CHK),
*)&err);
A
A-76 OSTaskSuspend()
void
OSTaskSuspend (OS_TCB *p_tcb,

OS_ERR *p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_TASK.C
Task
OSTaskSuspend() suspends (or blocks) execution of a task unconditionally. The calling

task may be suspended by specifying a NULL pointer for p_tcb, or simply by passing the
address of its OS_TCB. In this case, another task needs to resume the suspended task. If the
current task is suspended, rescheduling occurs, and C/OS-III runs the next highest priority
task ready to run. The only way to resume a suspended task is to call OSTaskResume().
Task suspension is additive, which means that if the task being suspended is delayed until n
ticks expire, the task is resumed only when both the time expires and the suspension is
removed. Also, if the suspended task is waiting for a semaphore and the semaphore is
signaled, the task is removed from the semaphore wait list (if it is the highest-priority task
waiting for the semaphore), but execution is not resumed until the suspension is removed.
The user can nest suspension of a task by calling OSTaskSuspend() and therefore it is
important to call OSTaskResume() an equivalent number of times to resume the task. If
suspending a task five times, it is necessary to unsuspend the same task five times to
remove the suspension of the task.
ARGUMENTS
p_tcb
is a pointer to the TCB of the task the user is suspending. A NULL pointer
indicates suspension of the calling task.
p_err

function.
OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_TASK_SUSPEND_ISR
if the call was successful and the desired task

was suspended.
if the function is called from an ISR.
555
A
Appendix A
OS_ERR_TASK_SUSPEND_IDLE
if attempting to suspend the idle task. This is

not allowed since the idle task must always
exist.
OS_ERR_TASK_SUSPEND_INT_HANDLERif attempting to suspend the ISR handler
task. This is not allowed since the ISR handler
task is a C/OS-III internal task.
RETURNED VALUE
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
1. OSTaskSuspend() and OSTaskResume() must be used in pairs.
2. A suspended task can only be resumed by OSTaskResume().
EXAMPLE
{
OS_ERR err;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
:
OSTaskSuspend((OS_TCB *)0,
&err);
/* Suspend current task
/* Check err */
:
}
}
556
*/
A
A-77 OSTaskSwHook()
void OSTaskSwHook (void)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_CPU_C.C
OSCtxSw() or OSIntCtxSw()
N/A
OSTaskSwHook() is always called by either OSCtxSw() or OSIntCtxSw() (see

OS_CPU_A.ASM), just after saving the CPU registers onto the task being switched out. This
hook function allows the port developer to perform additional operations (if needed) when
C/OS-III performs a context switch.
Before calling OSTaskSwHook(), OSTCBCurPtr is set to point at the OS_TCB of the task
being switched out, and OSTCBHighRdyPtr points at the OS_TCB of the new task being
switched in.
The code shown in the example below should be included in all implementations of
OSTaskSwHook(), and is used for performance measurements. This code is written in C for
portability.
ARGUMENTS
None
RETURNED VALUES
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
None
EXAMPLE
The code below calls an application specific hook that the application programmer can
define. The user can simply set the value of OS_AppTaskSwHookPtr to point to the desired
hook function. When C/OS-III performs a context switch, it calls OSTaskSwitchHook()
which in turn calls App_OS_TaskSwHook() through OS_AppTaskSwHookPtr.
557
A
Appendix A
void
App_OS_TaskSwHook (void)
/* OS_APP_HOOKS.C
*/
{
}

{
CPU_SR_ALLOC();
:
OS_AppTaskSwHookPtr = App_OS_TaskSwHook;
:
}
558
/* OS_APP_HOOKS.C
*/
A
void
{
OSTaskSwHook (void)
/* OS_CPU_C.C
*/
#if OS_CFG_TASK_PROFILE_EN > 0u

CPU_TS
ts;
#endif
#ifdef CPU_CFG_TIME_MEAS_INT_DIS_EN
CPU_TS
int_dis_time;
#endif

if (OS_AppTaskSwHookPtr != (OS_APP_HOOK_VOID)0) {
(*OS_AppTaskSwHookPtr)();
}
#endif
ts = OS_TS_GET();
if (OSTCBCurPtr != OSTCBHighRdyPtr) {
OSTCBCurPtr->CyclesDelta = ts - OSTCBCurPtr->CyclesStart;
OSTCBCurPtr->CyclesTotal = OSTCBCurPtr->CyclesTotal + OSTCBCurPtr->CyclesDelta;
}
OSTCBHighRdyPtr->CyclesStart = ts;
#ifdef CPU_CFG_INT_DIS_MEAS_EN
int_dis_time = CPU_IntDisMeasMaxCurReset();
if (int_dis_time > OSTCBCurPtr->IntDisTimeMax) {
OSTCBCurPtr->IntDisTimeMax = int_dis_time;
}
#endif
#if OS_CFG_SCHED_LOCK_TIME_MEAS_EN > 0u
if (OSSchedLockTimeMaxCur > OSTCBCurPtr->SchedLockTimeMax) {
OSTCBCurPtr->SchedLockTimeMax = OSSchedLockTimeMaxCur;
OSSchedLockTimeMaxCur
= (CPU_TS)0;
}
#endif
#endif
}
559
A
Appendix A
A-78 OSTaskTimeQuantaSet()
void
OSTaskTimeQuantaSet (OS_TCB *p_tcb,

OS_TICK time_quanta,
OS_ERR *p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_TASK.C
Task only
OSTaskTimeQuantaSet() is used to change the amount of time a task is given when time
slicing multiple tasks running at the same priority.
ARGUMENTS
p_tcb
is a pointer to the TCB of the task for which the time quanta is being set. A NULL
pointer indicates that the user is changing the time quanta for the calling task.
time_quanta
specifies the amount of time (in ticks) that the task will run when
C/OS-III is time slicing between tasks at the same priority.
Specifying 0 indicates that the default time as specified will be
used when calling the function OSSchedRoundRobinCfg(), or
OS_CFG_TICK_RATE_HZ
/
10 if you never called
OSSchedRoundRobinCfg().
Do not specify a large value for this argument as this means that
the task will execute for that amount of time when multiple tasks
are ready to run at the same priority. The concept of time slicing is
to allow other equal-priority tasks a chance to run. Typical time
quanta periods should be approximately 10 mS. A too small value
results in more overhead because of the additional context
switches.
p_err

function.
OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_SET_ISR
560
if the call was successful and the time quanta

for the task was changed.
A
RETURNED VALUE
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
Do not specify a large value for time_quanta.
EXAMPLE
{
OS_ERR err;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
:
OSTaskTimeQuantaSet((OS_TCB *)0,
OS_CFG_TICK_RATE_HZ / 4;
&err);
/* Check err */
:
}
}
561
A
Appendix A
A-79 OSTickISR()
void OSTickISR (void)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_CPU_A.ASM
Tick interrupt
N/A
OSTickISR() is invoked by the tick interrupt, and the function is generally written in
assembly language. However, this depends on how interrupts are handled by the processor.
(see Chapter 9, Interrupt Management on page 165).
ARGUMENTS
None
RETURNED VALUES
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
None
EXAMPLE
The code below indicates how to write OSTickISR() if all interrupts vector to a common
location, and the interrupt handler simply calls OSTickISR(). As indicated, this code can be
written completely in C and can be placed either in OS_CPU_C.C of the C/OS-III port, or in
the board support package (BSP.C) and be reused by applications using the same BSP.

{
Clear the tick interrupt;
OSTimeTick();
}
562
A
The pseudo code below shows how to write OSTickISR() if each interrupt directly vectors to
its own interrupt handler. The code, in this case, would be written in assembly language and
placed either in OS_CPU_A.ASM of the C/OS-III port, or in the board support package (BSP.C).

{
Save all the CPU registers onto the current tasks stack;
OSTCBCurPtr->StkPtr = SP;
}
OSIntNestingCtr++;
Clear the tick interrupt;
OSTimeTick();
OSIntExit();
Restore the CPU registers from the stack;
}
563
A
Appendix A
A-80 OSTimeDly()
void OSTimeDly (OS_TICK dly,
OS_OPT
opt,
OS_ERR *p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_TIME.C
Task only
N/A
OSTimeDly() allows a task to delay itself for an integral number of clock ticks. The delay
can either be relative (delay from current time), periodic (delay occurs at fixed intervals) or
absolute (delay until we reach some time).
In relative mode, rescheduling always occurs when the number of clock ticks is greater than
zero. A delay of 0 means that the task is not delayed, and OSTimeDly() returns immediately
to the caller.
In periodic mode, you must specify a non-zero period otherwise the function returns
immediately with an appropriate error code. The period is specified in ticks.
In absolute mode, rescheduling always occurs since all delay values are valid.
The actual delay time depends on the tick rate (see OS_CFG_TICK_RATE_HZ).
ARGUMENTS
dly
is the desired delay expressed in number of clock ticks. Depending on the

value of the opt field, delays can be relative or absolute.
A relative delay means that the delay is started from the current time +
dly.
A periodic delay means the period (in number of ticks).
An absolute delay means that the task will wake up when OSTaskTickCtr
reaches the value specified by dly.
564
A
opt
is used to indicate whether the delay is absolute or relative:

OS_OPT_TIME_DLY
OS_OPT_TIME_PERIODIC
OS_OPT_TIME_MATCH
p_err
Specifies a relative delay.

Specifies periodic mode.
Specifies that the task will wake up when
OSTaskTickCtr reaches the value specified
by dly

function.
OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_OPT_INVALID
OS_ERR_TIME_DLY_ISR
OS_ERR_TIME_ZERO_DLY
if the call was successful, and the task has

returned from the desired delay.
if a valid option is not specified.
if specifying a delay of 0 when the option was
set to OS_OPT_TIME_DLY. Note that a value of
0 is valid when setting the option to
OS_OPT_TIME_MATCH.
RETURNED VALUE
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
None
565
A
Appendix A
EXAMPLE
{
OS_ERR
err;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
:
OSTimeDly(10,
OS_OPT_TIME_PERIODIC,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
}
}
566
A
A-81 OSTimeDlyHMSM()
void OSTimeDlyHMSM (CPU_INT16U
CPU_INT16U
CPU_INT16U
CPU_INT32U
OS_OPT
OS_ERR
hours,
minutes,
seconds,
milli,
opt,
*p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_TIME.C
Task only
OSTimeDlyHMSM() allows a task to delay itself for a user-specified period that is specified in
hours, minutes, seconds, and milliseconds. This format is more convenient and natural than
simply specifying ticks as is true in the case of OSTimeDly(). Rescheduling always occurs
when at least one of the parameters is non-zero. The delay is relative from the time this
function is called.
C/OS-III allows the user to specify nearly any value when indicating that this function is
not to be strict about the values being passed (opt == OS_OPT_TIME_HMSM_NON_STRICT).
This is a useful feature, for example, to delay a task for thousands of milliseconds.
ARGUMENTS
hours
is the number of hours the task is delayed. Depending on the opt

value, the valid range is 0..99 (OS_OPT_TIME_HMSM_STRICT), or 0..999
(OS_OPT_TIME_HMSM_NON_STRICT). Please note that it not recommended to
delay a task for many hours because feedback from the task will not be
available for such a long period of time.
minutes
is the number of minutes the task is delayed. The valid range of values is 0 to 59
(OS_OPT_TIME_HMSM_STRICT), or 0..9,999 (OS_OPT_TIME_HMSM_NON_STRICT).
Please note that it not recommended to delay a task for tens to hundreds of
minutes because feedback from the task will not be available for such a long
period of time.
seconds
is the number of seconds the task is delayed. The valid range of values is 0 to 59
(OS_OPT_TIME_HMSM_STRICT), or 0..65,535 (OS_OPT_TIME_HMSM_NON_STRICT).
567
A
Appendix A
milli
is the number of milliseconds the task is delayed. The valid range of

values is 0 to 999 (OS_OPT_TIME_HMSM_STRICT), or 0..4,294,967,295
(OS_OPT_TIME_HMSM_NON_STRICT). Note that the resolution of this
argument is in multiples of the tick rate. For instance, if the tick rate is set to
100Hz, a delay of 4 ms results in no delay. Also, the delay is rounded to the
nearest tick. Thus, a delay of 15 ms actually results in a delay of 20 ms.
opt
is the desired mode and can be either:

OS_OPT_TIME_HMSM_STRICT
OS_OPT_TIME_HMSM_NON_STRICT
p_err
(see above)
(see above)
is a pointer to a variable that contains an error code returned by this function.

OS_ERR_NONE
if the call was successful and the task

has returned from the desired delay.
OS_ERR_TIME_DLY_ISR
OS_ERR_TIME_INVALID_HOURS
if not specifying a valid value for
hours.
OS_ERR_TIME_INVALID_MINUTES
minutes.
OS_ERR_TIME_INVALID_SECONDS
seconds.
OS_ERR_TIME_INVALID_MILLISECONDS if not specifying a valid value for
milliseconds.
OS_ERR_TIME_ZERO_DLY
if specifying a delay of 0 because all
the time arguments are 0.
RETURNED VALUE
None
568
A
NOTES/WARNINGS
1. Note that OSTimeDlyHMSM(0,0,0,0,OS_OPT_TIME_HMSM_???,&err) (i.e., hours, minutes,
seconds, milliseconds are 0) results in no delay, and the function returns to the caller.
2. The total delay (in ticks) must not exceed the maximum acceptable value that an
OS_TICK variable can hold. Typically OS_TICK is a 32-bit value.
EXAMPLE
{
OS_ERR err;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
:
OSTimeDlyHMSM(0,
0,
1,
0,
&err);
/* Delay task for 1 second */
/* Check err */
:
:
}
}
569
A
Appendix A
A-82 OSTimeDlyResume()
void OSTimeDlyResume (OS_TCB *p_tcb,
OS_ERR *p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_TIME.C
Task only
OSTimeDlyResume() resumes a task that has been delayed through a call to either
OSTimeDly(), or OSTimeDlyHMSM().
ARGUMENTS
p_tcb
is a pointer to the TCB of the task that is resuming. A NULL pointer is not valid
since it would indicate that the user is attempting to resume the current task
and that is not possible as the caller cannot possibly be delayed.
p_err

OS_ERR_NONE
if the call was successful and the task was

resumed.
OS_ERR_STATE_INVALID
if the task is in an invalid state.
OS_ERR_TIME_DLY_RESUME_ISR if calling this function from an ISR.
OS_ERR_TIME_NOT_DLY
if the task was not delayed.
OS_ERR_TASK_SUSPENDED
if the task to resume is suspended and will
remain suspended.
RETURNED VALUE
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
Do not call this function to resume a task that is waiting for an event with timeout.
570
A
EXAMPLE
OS_TCB
AnotherTaskTCB;

{
OS_ERR err;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
OSTimeDlyResume(&AnotherTaskTCB,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
}
}
571
A
Appendix A
A-83 OSTimeGet()
OS_TICK OSTimeGet (OS_ERR *p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_TIME.C
Task + ISR
N/A
OSTimeGet() obtains the current value of the system clock. Specifically, it returns a
snapshot of the variable OSTaskTickCtr. The system clock is a counter of type OS_TICK
that counts the number of clock ticks since power was applied, or since OSTaskTickCtr
was last set by OSTimeSet().
ARGUMENTS
p_err

OS_ERR_NONE
RETURNED VALUE
The current value of OSTaskTickCtr (in number of ticks).
NOTES/WARNINGS
None
572
A
EXAMPLE
{
OS_TICK
OS_ERR
clk;
err;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
:
clk = OSTimeGet(&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
/* Get current value of system clock */
}
}
573
A
Appendix A
A-84 OSTimeSet()
void OSTimeSet (OS_TICK ticks,
OS_ERR *p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_TIME.C
Task + ISR
N/A
OSTimeSet() sets the system clock. The system clock is a counter, which has a data type of
OS_TICK, and it counts the number of clock ticks since power was applied. or since the
system clock was last set.
ARGUMENTS
ticks
is the desired value for the system clock, in ticks.
p_err
is a pointer to a variable that will contain an error code returned by this function.
OS_ERR_NONE
RETURNED VALUE
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
You should be careful when using this function because other tasks may depend on the
current value of the tick counter (OSTickCtr). Specifically, a task may delay itself (see
OSTimeDly() and specify to wake up when OSTickCtr reaches a specific value.
574
A
EXAMPLE
{
OS_ERR
err;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
:
OSTimeSet(0,
&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
}
/* Reset the system clock
*/
575
A
Appendix A
A-85 OSTimeTick()
void OSTimeTick (void)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_TIME.C
ISR
N/A
OSTimeTick() announces that a tick has just occurred, and that time delays and timeouts
need to be updated. This function must be called from the tick ISR.
ARGUMENTS
None
RETURNED VALUE
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
None
EXAMPLE
void MyTickISR (void)
{
/* Clear interrupt source */
OSTimeTick();
:
:
}
576
A
A-86 OSTimeTickHook()
void OSTimeTickHook (void);
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_CPU_C.C
OSTimeTick() ONLY
N/A
This function is called by OSTimeTick(), which is assumed to be called from an ISR.

OSTimeTickHook() is called at the very beginning of OSTimeTick() to give priority to user
or port-specific code when the tick interrupt occurs.
If the #define OS_APP_HOOKS_EN is set to 1 in OS_CFG.H, OSTimeTickHook() will call
AppTimeTickHook().
OSTimeTickHook() is part of the CPU port code and the function must not be called by the
application code. OSTimeTickHook() is actually used by the C/OS-III port developer.
ARGUMENTS
None
RETURNED VALUE
None
NOTES/WARNINGS
577
A
Appendix A
EXAMPLE
define. The user can simply set the value of OS_AppTimeTickHookPtr to point to the
desired hook function OSTimeTickHook() is called by OSTimeTick() which in turn calls
App_OS_TimeTickHook() through the pointer OS_AppTimeTickHookPtr.
void App_OS_TimeTickHook (void)

{
}
/* OS_APP_HOOKS.C
*/

{
CPU_SR_ALLOC();
/* OS_APP_HOOKS.C
*/
/* OS_CPU_C.C
*/
:
OS_AppTimeTickHookPtr = App_OS_TimeTickHook;
:
}
void OSTimeTickHook (void)

{
if (OS_AppTimeTickHookPtr != (OS_APP_HOOK_VOID)0) {
(*OS_AppTimeTickHookPtr)();
}
#endif
}
578
A
A-87 OSTmrCreate()
void OSTmrCreate (OS_TMR
CPU_CHAR
OS_TICK
OS_TICK
OS_OPT
OS_TMR_CALLBACK_PTR
void
OS_ERR
*p_tmr,
*p_name,
dly,
period,
opt,
p_callback,
*p_callback_arg,
*p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_TMR.C
Task Only
OS_CFG_TMR_EN
OSTmrCreate() allows the user to create a software timer. The timer can be configured to
run continuously (opt set to OS_TMR_OPT_PERIODIC), or only once (opt set to
OS_TMR_OPT_ONE_SHOT). When the timer counts down to 0 (from the value specified in
period), an optional callback function can be executed. The callback can be used to signal
a task that the timer expired, or perform any other function. However, it is recommended to
keep the callback function as short as possible.
The timer is created in the stop mode and therefore the user must call OSTmrStart() to
actually start the timer. If configuring the timer for ONE-SHOT mode, and the timer expires,
call OSTmrStart() to retrigger the timer, or OSTmrDel() to delete the timer if it is not
necessary to retrigger it, or not use the timer anymore. Note: use the callback function to
delete the timer if using the ONE-SHOT mode.
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579
A
Appendix A
PERIODIC MODE (see opt) dly > 0, period > 0

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ARGUMENTS
p_tmr
is a pointer to the timer-control block of the desired timer. It is assumed that

storage for the timer will be allocated in the application. In other words, declare a
global variable as follows, and pass a pointer to this variable to OSTmrCreate():
OS_TMR MyTmr;
580
A
p_name
is a pointer to an ASCII string (NUL terminated) used to assign a name to the

timer. The name can be displayed by debuggers or C/Probe.
dly
specifies the initial delay (specified in timer tick units) used by the timer (see
drawing above). If the timer is configured for ONE-SHOT mode, this is the
timeout used. If the timer is configured for PERIODIC mode, this is the timeout to
wait before the timer enters periodic mode. The units of this time depends on
how often the user will call OSTmrSignal() (see OSTimeTick()). If
OSTmrSignal() is called every 1/10 of a second (i.e., OS_CFG_TMR_TASK_RATE_HZ
set to 10), dly specifies the number of 1/10 of a second before the delay expires.
Note that the timer is not started when it is created.
period
specifies the period repeated by the timer if configured for PERIODIC mode.
Set the period to 0 when using ONE-SHOT mode. The units of time depend
on how often OSTmrSignal() is called. If OSTmrSignal() is called every 1/10
of a second (i.e., OS_CFG_TMR_TASK_RATE_HZ set to 10), the period specifies
the number of 1/10 of a second before the timer times out.
opt
is used to specify whether the timer is to be ONE-SHOT or PERIODIC:

OS_OPT_TMR_ONE_SHOT
OS_OPT_TMR_PERIODIC
ONE-SHOT mode
PERIODIC mode
p_callback is a pointer to a function that will execute when the timer expires (ONE-SHOT
mode), or every time the period expires (PERIODIC mode). A NULL pointer
indicates that no action is to be performed upon timer expiration. The callback
function must be declared as follows:
void MyCallback (OS_TMR *p_tmr, void *p_arg);
When called, the callback will be passed the pointer to the timer as well as an
argument (p_callback_arg), which can be used to indicate to the callback
what to do. Note that the user is allowed to call all of the timer related
functions
(i.e.,
OSTmrCreate(),
OSTmrDel(),
OSTmrStateGet(),
OSTmrRemainGet(), OSTmrStart(), and OSTmrStop()) from the callback
function.
Do not make blocking calls within callback functions.
581
A
Appendix A
p_callback_arg
p_err
is an argument passed to the callback function when the timer expires

(ONE-SHOT mode), or every time the period expires (PERIODIC
mode). The pointer is declared as a void * so it can point to any
data.

OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_OBJ_CREATED
OS_ERR_OBJ_PTR_NULL
OS_ERR_TMR_INVALID_DLY
OS_ERR_TMR_INVALID_PERIOD
OS_ERR_TMR_INVALID_OPT
OS_ERR_TMR_ISR

if the timer was already created
if p_tmr is a NULL pointer
if specifying an invalid delay in ONE-SHOT
mode. In other words, it is not allowed to
delay for 0 in ONE-SHOT mode.
if specifying an invalid period in PERIODIC
mode. It is not allowed to have a 0 period in
PERIODIC.
if not specifying a valid options.
RETURNED VALUES
None.
NOTES/WARNINGS
2. The timer is not started when it is created. To start the timer, call OSTmrStart().
3. Do not make blocking calls within callback functions.
4. Keep callback functions as short as possible.
582
A
EXAMPLE
OS_TMR
CloseDoorTmr;

{
OS_ERR
err;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
OSTmrCreate(&CloseDoorTmr,
Door close
10,
100,
OS_OPT_TMR_PERIODIC,
DoorCloseFnct,
0,
&err);
/* Check err */
}
/* p_tmr
/* p_name
/* dly
/* period
/* opt
/* p_callback
/* p_callback_arg
/* p_err
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
void
{
DoorCloseFnct (void *p_arg)
/* Close the door! */

}
583
A
Appendix A
A-88 OSTmrDel()
CPU_BOOLEAN OSTmrDel(OS_TMR
OS_ERR
*p_tmr,
*p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_TMR.C
Task only
OS_CFG_TMR_EN and
OS_CFG_TMR_DEL_EN
OSTmrDel() allows the user to delete a timer. If a timer was running it will be stopped, then
deleted. If the timer has already timed out and is therefore stopped, it will simply be
deleted.
It is up to the user to delete unused timers. If deleting a timer, Do not reference it again.
ARGUMENTS
p_tmr
is a pointer to the timer to be deleted.
p_err
a pointer to an error code and can be any of the following:

OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_OBJ_TYPE
OS_ERR_TMR_INVALID
OS_ERR_TMR_ISR
OS_ERR_TMR_INACTIVE
OS_ERR_TMR_INVALID_STATE
if the timer was deleted.

if the user did not pass a pointer to a timer.
if p_tmr is a NULL pointer.
This function is called from an ISR, which is
not allowed.
p_tmr is pointing to an inactive timer. In
other words, this error appears when pointing
to a timer that has been deleted or was not
created.
the timer is in an invalid state.
RETURNED VALUES
DEF_TRUE if the timer was deleted, DEF_FALSE if not.
584
A
NOTES/WARNINGS
1. Examine the return value to make sure what is received from this function is valid.
3. When deleting a timer, do not reference it again.
EXAMPLE
OS_TMR
CloseDoorTmr;

{
OS_ERR
err;
CPU_BOOLEAN deleted;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
deleted = OSTmrDel(&CloseDoorTmr,
&err);
/* Check err */
}
}
585
A
Appendix A
A-89 OSTmrRemainGet()
OS_TICK OSTmrRemainGet(OS_TMR *p_tmr,
OS_ERR *p_err);
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_TMR.C
Task only
OS_CFG_TMR_EN
OSTmrRemainGet() allows the user to obtain the time remaining (before timeout) of the
specified timer. The value returned depends on the rate (in Hz) at which the timer task is
signaled (see OS_CFG_TMR_TASK_RATE_HZ). If OS_CFG_TMR_TASK_RATE_HZ is set to 10, the
value returned is the number of 1/10 of a second before the timer times out. If the timer has
timed out, the value returned is 0.
ARGUMENTS
p_tmr
is a pointer to the timer the user is inquiring about.
p_err

OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_OBJ_TYPE
OS_ERR_TMR_INVALID
OS_ERR_TMR_ISR
OS_ERR_TMR_INACTIVE
586
if the function returned the time remaining for

the timer.
p_tmr is not pointing to a timer.
This function is called from an ISR, which is
not allowed.
other words, this error will appear when
pointing to a timer that has been deleted or
was not created.
A
RETURNED VALUES
The time remaining for the timer. The value returned depends on the rate (in Hz) at which
the timer task is signaled (see OS_CFG_TMR_TASK_RATE_HZ). If OS_CFG_TMR_TASK_RATE_HZ
is set to 10 the value returned is the number of 1/10 of a second before the timer times out.
If specifying an invalid timer, the returned value will be 0. If the timer expired, the returned
value will be 0.
NOTES/WARNINGS
1. Examine the returned error code to ensure the results from this function are valid.
EXAMPLE
OS_TICK
OS_TMR
TimeRemainToCloseDoor;
CloseDoorTmr;

{
OS_ERR
err;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
TimeRemainToCloseDoor = OSTmrRemainGet(&CloseDoorTmr,
&err);
/* Check err */
}
}
587
A
Appendix A
A-90 OSTmrStart()
CPU_BOOLEAN OSTmrStart (OS_TMR
OS_ERR
*p_tmr,
*p_err);
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_TMR.C
Task
OS_CFG_TMR_EN
OSTmrStart() allows the user to start (or restart) the countdown process of a timer. The
timer must have previously been created.
ARGUMENTS
p_tmr
is a pointer to the timer to start (or restart).
p_err

OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_OBJ_TYPE
OS_ERR_TMR_INVALID
OS_ERR_TMR_INACTIVE
OS_ERR_TMR_ISR
RETURNED VALUES
DEF_TRUE
if the timer was started
DEF_FALSE if an error occurred.
NOTES/WARNINGS
588
if the timer was started.

other words, this error occurs if pointing to a
timer that has been deleted or was not
created.
This function was called from an ISR, which is
not allowed.
A
2. The timer must have previously been created.
EXAMPLE
OS_TMR
CloseDoorTmr;

{
OS_ERR
err;
CPU_BOOLEAN status;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
status = OSTmrStart(&CloseDoorTmr,
&err);
/* Check err */
}
}
589
A
Appendix A
A-91 OSTmrStateGet()
OS_STATE OSTmrStateGet(OS_TMR *p_tmr,
OS_ERR *p_err);
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_TMR.C
Task only
OS_CFG_TMR_EN
OSTmrStateGet() allows the user to obtain the current state of a timer. A timer can be in
one of four states:
OS_TMR_STATE_UNUSED
OS_TMR_STATE_STOPPED
OS_TMR_STATE_COMPLETED
OS_TMR_STATE_RUNNING
the timer has not been created

the timer is created but has not yet started, or
has been stopped.
the timer is in one-shot mode, and has
completed its delay.
the timer is currently running
ARGUMENTS
p_tmr
is a pointer to the timer that the user is inquiring about. This pointer is returned
when the timer is created (see OSTmrCreate()).
p_err

OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_OBJ_TYPE
OS_ERR_TMR_INVALID
OS_ERR_TMR_ISR
RETURNED VALUES
The state of the timer (see description).
590
if the function returned the state of the timer.

This function was called from an ISR, which is
not allowed.
A
Notes/Warnings
1. Examine the return value to ensure the results from this function are valid.
EXAMPLE
OS_STATE
OS_TMR
CloseDoorTmrState;
CloseDoorTmr;

{
OS_ERR err;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
CloseDoorTmrState = OSTmrStateGet(&CloseDoorTmr,
&err);
/* Check err */
}
}
591
A
Appendix A
A-92 OSTmrStop()
CPU_BOOLEAN
OSTmrStop (OS_TMR
OS_OPT
void
OS_ERR
*p_tmr,
opt,
*p_callback_arg,
*p_err)
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_TMR.C
Task
OS_CFG_TMR_EN
OSTmrStop() allows the user to stop a timer. The user may execute the callback function of
the timer when it is stopped, and pass this callback function a different argument than was
specified when the timer was started. This allows the callback function to know that the
timer was stopped since the callback argument can be set to indicate this (this is application
specific). If the timer is already stopped, the callback function is not called.
ARGUMENTS
p_tmr
is a pointer to the timer control block of the desired timer.
opt
is used to specify options:

OS_OPT_TMR_NONE
OS_OPT_TMR_CALLBACK
OS_OPT_TMR_CALLBACK_ARG
p_callback_arg
p_err
is a new argument to pass the callback functions (see options

above).

OS_ERR_NONE
OS_ERR_OBJ_TYPE
OS_ERR_TMR_INACTIVE
592
No option
Run the callback function with the argument
specified when the timer was created.
Run the callback function, but use the
argument passed in OSTmrStop() instead of
the one specified when the task was created.

if p_tmr is not pointing to a timer object.
the timer cannot be stopped since it is
inactive.
A
OS_ERR_TMR_INVALID
OS_ERR_TMR_INVALID_OPT
OS_ERR_TMR_ISR
OS_ERR_TMR_NO_CALLBACK
OS_ERR_TMR_STOPPED
When passing a NULL pointer for the p_tmr

argument.
if the user did not specify a valid option.
if the timer lacks a callback function. This
should be specified when the timer is created.
if the timer is currently stopped.
RETURNED VALUES
DEF_TRUE
if the timer was stopped (even if it was already stopped).
DEF_FALSE if an error occurred.
NOTES/WARNINGS
1. Examine the returned error code to make ensure the results from this function are valid.
3. The callback function is not called if the timer is already stopped.
593
A
Appendix A
EXAMPLE
OS_TMR
CloseDoorTmr;

{
OS_ERR
err;
(void)&p_arg;
while (DEF_ON) {
OSTmrStop(&CloseDoorTmr,
OS_TMR_OPT_CALLBACK,
(void *)0,
&err);
/* Check err */
}
}
594
A
A-93 OSVersion()
CPU_INT16U OSVersion (OS_ERR *p_err);
File
Called from
Code enabled by
OS_CORE.C
Task or ISR
N/A
OSVersion() obtains the current version of C/OS-III.
ARGUMENTS
p_err

Currently, OSVersion() always return:
OS_ERR_NONE
RETURNED VALUE
The version is returned as x.yy multiplied by 1000. For example, v3.00.0 is returned as 3000.
NOTES/WARNINGS
None
595
A
Appendix A
EXAMPLE
{
CPU_INT16U
OS_ERR
os_version;
err;
while (DEF_ON) {
:
:
os_version = OSVersion(&err);
/* Check err */
:
:
}
}
596
/* Obtain C/OS-III's version
*/
Appendix
B
C/OS-III Configuration Manual
Three (3) files are used to configure C/OS-III as highlighted in Figure B-1: OS_CFG.H,
OS_TYPE.H, and OS_CFG_APP.H.
Table B-1 shows where these files are typically located on your on a computer.
File
Directory
OS_CFG.H
\Micrium\Software\uCOS-III\Cfg\Template
OS_CFG_APP.H
\Micrium\Software\uCOS-III\Cfg\Template
OS_TYPE.H
\Micrium\Software\uCOS-III\Source
Table B-1 Configuration files and directories
597
Appendix B
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Figure B-1 Task pending on multiple objects
598

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FB-1(1)
C/OS-III Features (OS_CFG.H):

OS_CFG.H is used to determine which features are needed from C/OS-III for
an application (i.e., product). Specifically, this file allows a user to determine
whether to include semaphores, mutexes, event flags, run-time argument
checking, etc. If C/OS-III is provided in linkable object form, the available
features are determined in advanced.
If using a pre-compiled C/OS-III library, make sure to use the same OS_CFG.H
file used to build this library so that all the data types properly match up.
FB-1(2)
C/OS-III Data Types (OS_TYPE.H):

OS_TYPE.H establishes C/OS-III-specific data types used when building an
application. It specifies the size of variables used to represent task priorities,
the size of a semaphore count, and more. This file contains recommended data
types for C/OS-III, however these can be altered to make better use of the
CPUs natural word size. For example, on some 32-bit CPUs, it is better to
declare boolean variables as 32-bit values for performance considerations, even
though an 8-bit quantity is more space efficient (assuming performance is more
important than footprint).
The port developer typically makes those decisions, since altering the contents
of the file requires a deep understanding of the CPU and, most important, how
data sizes affect C/OS-III.
If using a pre-compiled C/OS-III library, make sure to use the same
OS_TYPE.H file used to build this library so that all the data types properly
match up.
FB-1(3)
C/OS-III Stacks, Pools and other data sizes (OS_CFG_APP.H):

C/OS-III can be configured at the application level through #define constants
in OS_CFG_APP.H even if C/OS-III is provided in linkable object form. The
#defines allows a user to specify stack sizes for all C/OS-III internal tasks:
the idle task, statistic task, tick task, timer task, and the ISR handler task.
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OS_CFG_APP.H also allows users to specify task priorities (except for the idle
task since it is always the lowest priority), the tick rate, tick wheel size, the
timer wheel size, and more.
You can simply copy OS_CFG_APP.H into the project directory and alter the
contents of this file for the application. Once altered, simply re-compile
OS_CFG_APP.C, and link the object file produced by the compiler with the rest
of the C/OS-III application. OS_CFG_APP.C maps the #define constants
defined in OS_CFG_APP.H to variables (placed in code space, i.e., ROM) that
C/OS-III uses at initialization. This process is necessary to allow using
C/OS-III in linkable object form. C/OS-III licensees will have full source code
for C/OS-III.
The contents of the three configuration files will be described in the following sections.
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B-1 C/OS-III FEATURES (OS_CFG.H)

Compile-time configuration allows users to determine which features to enable and those
features that are not needed. This assumes that the user has the C/OS-III source code. With
compile-time configuration, the code and data sizes of C/OS-III (i.e., its footprint) can be
reduced by enabling only the desired functionality.
Compile-time configuration is accomplished by setting a number of #define constants in a
file called OS_CFG.H that the application is expected to provide. With the full source code for
C/OS-III, simply copy OS_CFG.H into the application directory and change the copied file to
satisfy the applications requirements. This way, OS_CFG.H is not recreated from scratch.
The compile-time configuration #defines are listed below in alphabetic order and are not
necessarily found in this order in OS_CFG.H.
OS_CFG_APP_HOOKS_EN
When set to 1, this #define specifies that application-defined hooks can be called from
C/OS-IIIs hooks. This allows the application code to extend the functionality of
C/OS-III. Specifically:
The C/OS-III hook
Calls the Application-define hook through
OSIdleTaskHook()
OS_AppIdleTaskHookPtr
OSInitHook()
None
OSStatTaskHook()
OS_AppStatTaskHookPtr
OSTaskCreateHook()
OS_AppTaskCreateHookPtr
OSTaskDelHook()
OS_AppTaskDelHookPtr
OSTaskReturnHook()
OS_AppTaskReturnHookPtr
OSTaskSwHook()
OS_AppTaskSwHookPtr
OSTimeTickHook()
OS_AppTimeTickHookPtr
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Application hook functions could be declared as shown in the code below.
void
{
App_OS_TaskCreateHook (OS_TCB *p_tcb)
/* Your code here */

}
void App_OS_TaskDelHook (OS_TCB *p_tcb)
{
}
void App_OS_TaskReturnHook (OS_TCB *p_tcb)
{
}
void App_OS_IdleTaskHook (void)
{
}
void App_OS_StatTaskHook (void)
{
}
void App_OS_TaskSwHook (void)
{
}
void App_OS_TimeTickHook (void)
{
}
Its also up to a user to set the value of the pointers so that they point to the appropriate
functions as shown below. The pointers do not have to be set in main() but, set them after
calling OSInit().
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void
main (void)
{
OS_ERR
err;
OSInit(&err);
:
:
OS_AppTaskCreateHookPtr
OS_AppTaskDelHookPtr
OS_AppTaskReturnHookPtr
OS_AppIdleTaskHookPtr
OS_AppStatTaskHookPtr
OS_AppTaskSwHookPtr
OS_AppTimeTickHookPtr
:
:
OSStart(&err);
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
(OS_APP_HOOK_TCB )App_OS_TaskCreateHook;
(OS_APP_HOOK_TCB )App_OS_TaskDelHook;
(OS_APP_HOOK_TCB )App_OS_TaskReturnHook;
(OS_APP_HOOK_VOID)App_OS_IdleTaskHook;
(OS_APP_HOOK_VOID)App_OS_StatTaskHook;
(OS_APP_HOOK_VOID)App_OS_TaskSwHook;
(OS_APP_HOOK_VOID)App_OS_TimeTickHook;
Note that not every hook function need to be defined, only the ones the user wants to place
in the application code.
Also, if you don't intend to extend C/OS-IIIs hook through these application hooks, set
OS_CFG_APP_HOOKS_EN to 0 to save RAM (i.e., the pointers).
OS_CFG_ARG_CHK_EN
OS_CFG_ARG_CHK_EN determines whether the user wants most of C/OS-III functions to
perform argument checking. When set to 1, C/OS-III ensures that pointers passed to
functions are non-NULL, that arguments passed are within allowable range, that options are
valid, and more. When set to 0, OS_CFG_ARG_CHK_EN reduces the amount of code space
and processing time required by C/OS-III. Set OS_CFG_ARG_CHK_EN to 0 if you are certain
that the arguments are correct.
C/OS-III performs argument checking in over 40 functions. Therefore, you can save a few
hundred bytes of code space by disabling this check. However, always enable argument
checking until you are certain the code can be trusted.
OS_CFG_CALLED_FROM_ISR_CHK_EN determines whether most of C/OS-III functions are to
confirm that the function is not called from an ISR. In other words, most of the functions
from C/OS-III should be called by task-level code except post type functions (which can
603
Appendix B
B
also be called from ISRs). By setting this #define to 1 C/OS-III is told to make sure that
functions that are only supposed to be called by tasks are not called by ISRs. Its highly
recommended to set this #define to 1 until absolutely certain that the code is behaving
correctly and that task-level functions are always called from tasks. Set this #define to 0 to
save code space and, of course, processing time.
C/OS-III performs this check in approximately 50 functions. Therefore, you can save a few
hundred bytes of code space by disabling this check.
OS_CFG_DBG_EN
When set to 1, this #define adds ROM constants located in OS_DBG.C to help support
kernel aware debuggers. Specifically, a number of named ROM variables can be queried by
a debugger to find out about compiled-in options. For example, a debugger can find out the
size of an OS_TCB, C/OS-IIIs version number, the size of an event flag group
(OS_FLAG_GRP), and much more.
OS_CFG_FLAG_EN
OS_CFG_FLAG_EN enables (when set to 1) or disables (when set to 0) code generation of
event flag services and data structures. This reduces the amount of code and data space
needed when an application does not require event flags. When OS_CFG_FLAG_EN is set to
0, it is not necessary to enable or disable any of the other OS_CFG_FLAG_xxx #define
constants in this section.
OS_CFG_FLAG_DEL_EN
OS_CFG_FLAG_DEL_EN enables (when set to 1) or disables (when set to 0) code generation
of the function OSFlagDel().
OS_CFG_FLAG_MODE_CLR_EN enables (when set to 1) or disables (when set to 0) code
generation used to wait for event flags to be 0 instead of 1. Generally, wait for event flags to
be set. However, the user may also want to wait for event flags to be clear and in this case,
enable this option.
OS_CFG_FLAG_PEND_ABORT_EN enables (when set to 1) or disables (when set to 0) code
generation of the function OSFlagPendAbort().
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When set to 1, OS_CFG_ISR_POST_DEFERRED_EN reduces interrupt latency since interrupts
are not disabled during most critical sections of code within C/OS-III. Instead, the
scheduler is locked during the processing of these critical sections. The advantage of setting
OS_CFG_ISR_POST_DEFERRED_EN to 1 is that interrupt latency is lower, however, ISR to task
response is slightly higher. It is recommended to set
OS_CFG_ISR_POST_DEFERRED_EN to 1 when enabling the following services, as setting this
#define to 0 would potentially make interrupt latency unacceptably high:
C/OS-III Services
Enabled by
Event Flags
OS_CFG_FLAG_EN
Multiple Pend
OS???Post() with broadcast

OS???Del() with OS_OPT_DEL_ALWAYS
OS???PendAbort()
The compromise to make is:

OS_CFG_ISR_POST_DEFERRED_EN set to 1
Short interrupt latency, longer ISR-to-task response.
OS_CFG_ISR_POST_DEFERRED_EN set to 0
Long interrupt latency (see table above), shorter ISR-to-task response.
OS_CFG_MEM_EN
OS_CFG_MEM_EN enables (when set to 1) or disables (when set to 0) code generation of the
C/OS-III partition memory manager and its associated data structures. This feature allows
users to reduce the amount of code and data space needed when an application does not
require the use of memory partitions.
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OS_CFG_MUTEX_EN
OS_CFG_MUTEX_EN enables (when set to 1) or disables (when set to 0) the code generation
of all mutual exclusion semaphore services and data structures. This feature allows users to
reduce the amount of code and data space needed when an application does not require
the use of mutexes. When OS_CFG_MUTEX_EN is set to 0, there is no need to enable or
disable any of the other OS_CFG_MUTEX_XXX #define constants in this section.
OS_CFG_MUTEX_DEL_EN
OS_CFG_MUTEX_DEL_EN enables (when set to 1) or disables (when set to 0) code generation
of the function OSMutexDel().
OS_CFG_MUTEX_PEND_ABORT_EN enables (when set to 1) or disables (when set to 0) code
generation of the function OSMutexPendAbort().
OS_CFG_OBJ_TYPE_CHK_EN determines whether most of C/OS-III functions should check
to see if the function is manipulating the proper object. In other words, if attempting to post
to a semaphore, is the user in fact passing a semaphore object or another object by mistake?
It is recommended to set this #define to 1 until absolutely certain that the code is behaving
correctly and the user code is always pointing to the proper objects. Set this #define to 0 to
save code space as well as data space. C/OS-III object type checking is done nearly 30
times, and it is possible to save a few hundred bytes of code space and processing time by
disabling this check.
This constant determines whether the code to support pending on multiple events (i.e.,
semaphores or message queues) will be enabled (1) or not (0).
OS_CFG_PRIO_MAX
OS_CFG_PRIO_MAX specifies the maximum number of priorities available in the application.
Specifying OS_CFG_PRIO_MAX to just the number of priorities the user intends to use,
reduces the amount of RAM needed by C/OS-III.
In C/OS-III, task priorities can range from 0 (highest priority) to a maximum of 255 (lowest
possible priority) when the data type OS_PRIO is defined as a CPU_INT08U. However, in
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B
C/OS-III, there is no practical limit to the number of available priorities. Specifically, if

defining OS_PRIO as a CPU_INT16U, there can be up to 65536 priority levels. It is
recommended to leave OS_PRIO defined as a CPU_INT08U and use only 256 different
priority levels (i.e., 0..255), which is generally sufficient for every application. Always set the
value of OS_CFG_PRIO_MAX to even multiples of 8 (8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, etc.). The higher
the number of different priorities, the more RAM C/OS-III will consume.
An application cannot create tasks with a priority number higher than or equal to
OS_CFG_PRIO_MAX. In fact, C/OS-III reserves priority OS_CFG_PRIO_MAX-1 for itself;
OS_CFG_PRIO_MAX-1 is reserved for the idle task OS_IdleTask(). Additionally, do not use
priority 0 for an application since it is reserved by C/OS-IIIs ISR handler task. The
priorities of the application tasks can therefore take a value between 1 and
OS_CFG_PRIO_MAX2 (inclusive).
To summarize, there are two priority levels to avoid in an application:
Priority
Reserved by C/OS-III for
The ISR Handler Task (OS_IntQTask())
Reserved
Reserved
OS_CFG_PRIO_MAX-2
Reserved
OS_CFG_PRIO_MAX-1
The idle task (OS_IdleTask())
OS_CFG_Q_EN
OS_CFG_Q_EN enables (when set to 1) or disables (when set to 0) code generation of
message queue services and data structures. This reduces the amount of code space needed
when an application does not require the use of message queues. When OS_CFG_Q_EN is set
to 0, do not enable or disable any of the other OS_CFG_Q_XXX #define constants in this
section.
OS_CFG_Q_DEL_EN
OS_CFG_Q_DEL_EN enables (when set to 1) or disables (when set to 0) code generation of
the function OSQDel().
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OS_CFG_Q_FLUSH_EN
OS_CFG_Q_FLUSH_EN enables (when set to 1) or disables (when set to 0) code generation of
the function OSQFlush().
OS_CFG_Q_PEND_ABORT_EN enables (when set to 1) or disables (when set to 0) code
generation of the function OSQPendAbort().
OS_CFG_SCHED_LOCK_TIME_MEAS_EN
This constant enables (when set to 1) or disables (when set to 0) code generation to
measure the amount of time the scheduler is locked. This is useful when determining task
latency.
This constant enables (when set to 1) or disables (when set to 0) code generation for the
round-robin feature of C/OS-III.
OS_CFG_SEM_EN
OS_CFG_SEM_EN enables (when set to 1) or disables (when set to 0) code generation of the
semaphore manager and associated data structures. This reduces the amount of code and
data space needed when an application does not require the use of semaphores. When
OS_CFG_SEM_EN is set to 0, it is not necessary to enable or disable any of the other
OS_CFG_SEM_XXX #define constants in this section.
OS_CFG_SEM_DEL_EN
OS_CFG_SEM_DEL_EN enables (when set to 1) or disables (when set to 0) code generation of
the function OSSemDel().
OS_CFG_SEM_PEND_ABORT_EN enables (when set to 1) or disables (when set to 0) code
generation of the function OSSemPendAbort().
OS_CFG_SEM_SET_EN
OS_CFG_SEM_SET_EN enables (when set to 1) or disables (when set to 0) code generation of
the function OSSemSet().
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B
OS_CFG_STAT_TASK_EN
OS_CFG_STAT_TASK_EN specifies whether or not to enable C/OS-IIIs statistic task, as well
as its initialization function. When set to 1, the statistic task OS_StatTask() and statistic
task initialization function are enabled. OS_StatTask() computes the CPU usage of an
application, stack usage of each task, the CPU usage of each task at run time and more.
When enabled, OS_StatTask() executes at a rate of OS_CFG_STAT_TASK_RATE_HZ (see
OS_CFG_APP.H), and computes the value of OSStatTaskCPUUsage, which is a variable that
contains the percentage of CPU used by the application. OS_StatTask() calls
OSStatTaskHook() every time it executes so that the user can add their own statistics as
needed. See OS_STAT.C for details on the statistic task. The priority of OS_StatTask() is
configurable by the application code (see OS_CFG_APP.H).
OS_StatTask() also computes stack usage of each task created when the #define
OS_CFG_STAT_TASK_STK_CHK_EN is set to 1. In this case, OS_StatTask() calls
OSTaskStkChk() for each task and the result is placed in the tasks TCB. The .StkFree and
.StkUsed field of the tasks TCB represents the amount of free space (in bytes) and amount
of used space, respectively.
When OS_CFG_STAT_TASK_EN is set to 0, all variables used by the statistic task are not
declared (see OS.H). This, of course, reduces the amount of RAM needed by C/OS-III
when not enabling the statistic task. When setting OS_CFG_STAT_TASK_EN to 1, statistics will
be determined at a rate of OS_CFG_STAT_TASK_RATE_HZ (see OS_CFG_APP.H).
This constant allows the statistic task to call OSTaskStkChk() for each task created. For this
to happen, OS_CFG_STAT_TASK_EN needs to be set to 1 (i.e., the statistic task needs to be
enabled). However, call OSStatStkChk() from one of the tasks to obtain this information
about the task(s).
OS_CFG_STK_SIZE_MIN
This #define specifies the minimum stack size (in CPU_STK elements) for each task. This is
used by C/OS-III to verify that sufficient stack space is provided for when each task is
created. Suppose the full context of a processor consists of 16 registers of 32 bits. Also,
suppose CPU_STK is declared as being of type CPU_INT32U, at a bare minimum, set
OS_CFG_STK_SIZE_MIN to 16. However, it would be quite unwise to not accommodate for
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Appendix B
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storage of local variables, function call returns, and possibly nested ISRs. Refer to the port
of the processor used to see how to set this minimum. Again, this is a safeguard to make
sure task stacks have sufficient stack space.
OS_CFG_TASK_CHANGE_PRIO_EN enables (when set to 1) or disables (when set to 0) code
generation of the function OSTaskChangePrio().
OS_CFG_TASK_DEL_EN
OS_CFG_TASK_DEL_EN enables (when set to 1) or disables (when set to 0) code generation
of the function OSTaskDel().
OS_CFG_TASK_Q_EN
OS_CFG_TASK_Q_EN enables (when set to 1) or disables (when set to 0) code generation of
the OSTaskQXXX() functions used to send and receive messages directly to/from tasks and
ISRs. Sending messages directly to a task is more efficient than sending messages using a
message queue because there is no pend list associated with messages sent to a task.
OS_CFG_TASK_Q_PEND_ABORT_EN enables (when set to 1) or disables (when set to 0) code
generation of code for the function OSTaskQPendAbort().
This constant allows variables to be allocated in each tasks OS_TCB to hold performance
data about each task. If OS_CFG_TASK_PROFILE_EN is set to 1, each task will have a variable
to keep track of the number of times a task is switched to, the task execution time, the
percent CPU usage of the task relative to the other tasks and more. The information made
available with this feature is highly useful when debugging, but requires extra RAM.
This constant allows each task to have task context variables. Use task variables to store
such elements as errno, task identifiers and other task-specific values. The number of
variables that a task contains is set by this constant. Each variable is identified by a unique
identifier from 0 to OS_CFG_TASK_REG_TBL_SIZE-1. Also, each variable is declared as
having an OS_REG data type (see OS_TYPE.H). If OS_REG is a CPU_INT08U, all variables in
this table are of this type.
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OS_CFG_TASK_SEM_PEND_ABORT_EN enables (when set to 1) or disables (when set to 0)
code generation of code for the function OSTaskSemPendAbort().
OS_CFG_TASK_SUSPEND_EN enables (when set to 1) or disables (when set to 0) code
generation of the functions OSTaskSuspend() and OSTaskResume(), which allows the
application to explicitly suspend and resume tasks, respectively. Suspending and resuming a
task is useful when debugging, especially if calling these functions via a terminal interface
at run time.
OS_CFG_TIME_DLY_HMSM_EN enables (when set to 1) or disables (when set to 0) the code
generation of the function OSTimeDlyHMSM(), which is used to delay a task for a specified
number of hours, minutes, seconds, and milliseconds.
OS_CFG_TIME_DLY_RESUME_EN enables (when set to 1) or disables (when set to 0) the code
generation of the function OSTimeDlyResume().
OS_CFG_TMR_EN
Enables (when set to 1) or disables (when set to 0) the code generation of timer
management services.
OS_CFG_TMR_DEL_EN
OS_CFG_TMR_DEL_EN enables (when set to 1) or disables (when set to 0) the code
generation of the function OSTmrDel().
B-2 DATA TYPES (OS_TYPE.H)

OS_TYPE.H contains the data types used by C/OS-III, which should only be altered by the
implementer of the C/OS-III port. If the user only has access to a compiled C/OS-III library
or object code, make sure to use the same OS_TYPE.H used to compile the library in order to
use C/OS-III. Of course, if there is access to the source code of both the port and C/OS-III,
you can alter the contents of OS_TYPE.H. However, it is important to understand how each of
the data types that are being changed will affect the operation of C/OS-III-based applications.
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Appendix B
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The reason to change OS_TYPE.H is that processors may work better with specific word
sizes. For example, a 16-bit processor will likely be more efficient at manipulating 16-bit
values and a 32-bit processor more comfortable with 32-bit values, even at the cost of extra
RAM. In other words, the user may need to choose between processor performance and
RAM footprint.
If changing any of the data types, copy OS_TYPE.H in the project directory and change
that file (not the original OS_TYPE.H that comes with the C/OS-III release). Of course, to
change the data types, the user must have the full source code for C/OS-III and recompile
all of the code using the new data types.
Recommended data type sizes are specified in comments in OS_TYPE.H.
B-3 C/OS-III STACKS, POOLS AND OTHER (OS_CFG_APP.H)

C/OS-III allows the user to configure the sizes of the idle task stack, statistic task stack,
message pool, tick wheel, timer wheel, debug tables, and more. This is done through
OS_CFG_APP.H.
OS_CFG_TASK_STK_LIMIT_PCT_EMPTY
This #define sets the position (as a percentage to empty) of the stack limit for the idle,
statistic, tick, interrupt queue handler, and timer tasks stacks. In other words, the amount of
space to leave before the stack is empty. For example if the stack contains 1000 CPU_STK
entries and the user declares OS_CFG_TASK_STK_LIMIT_PCT_EMPTY to 10, the stack limit
will be set when the stack reaches 90% full, or 10% empty.
If the stack of the processor grows from high memory to low memory, the limit would be
set towards the base address of the stack, i.e., closer to element 0 of the stack.
If the processor used does not offer automatic stack limit checking, set this #define to 0.
OS_CFG_IDLE_TASK_STK_SIZE
This #define sets the size of the idle tasks stack as follows:
CPU_STK OSCfg_IdleTaskStk[OS_CFG_IDLE_TASK_STK_SIZE];
Note that the stack size needs to be at least greater than OS_CFG_STK_SIZE_MIN.
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OS_CFG_INT_Q_SIZE
If OS_CFG_ISR_POST_DEFERRED_EN is set to 1 (see OS_CFG.H), this #define specifies the
number of entries that can be placed in the interrupt queue. The size of this queue depends
on how many interrupts could occur in the time it takes to process interrupts by the ISR
Handler Task. The size also depends on whether or not to allow interrupt nesting. A good
start point is approximately 10 entries.
OS_CFG_INT_Q_TASK_STK_SIZE
If OS_CFG_ISR_POST_DEFERRED_EN is set to 1 (see OS_CFG.H) then this #define sets the
size of the ISR handler tasks stack as follows:
CPU_STK OSCfg_IntQTaskStk[OS_CFG_INT_Q_TASK_STK_SIZE];
OS_CFG_ISR_STK_SIZE
This specifies the size of C/OS-IIIs interrupt stack (in CPU_STK elements, see OS_TYPE.H).
Note that the stack size needs to accommodate for worst case interrupt nesting, assuming
the processor supports interrupt nesting.
OS_CFG_MSG_POOL_SIZE
This entry specifies the number of OS_MSGs available in the pool of OS_MSGs. The size is specified
in number of OS_MSG elements. The message pool is declared in OS_CFG_APP.C as follows:
OS_MSG OSCfg_MsgPool[OS_CFG_MSG_POOL_SIZE];
OS_CFG_STAT_TASK_PRIO
This #define allows a user to specify the priority assigned to the C/OS-III statistic task. It
is recommended to make this task a very low priority and possibly even one priority level
just above the idle task, or, OS_CFG_PRIO_MAX-2.
OS_CFG_STAT_TASK_RATE_HZ
This #define defines the execution rate (in Hz) of the statistic task. It is recommended to
make this rate an even multiple of the tick rate (see OS_CFG_TICK_RATE_HZ).
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OS_CFG_STAT_TASK_STK_SIZE
This #define sets the size of the statistic tasks stack as follows:
CPU_STK OSCfg_StatTaskStk[OS_CFG_STAT_TASK_STK_SIZE];
OS_CFG_TICK_RATE_HZ
This #define specifies the rate in Hertz of C/OS-IIIs tick interrupt. The tick rate should be
set between 10 and 1000 Hz. The higher the rate, the more overhead it will impose on the
processor. The desired rate depends on the granularity required for time delays and
timeouts.
OS_CFG_TICK_TASK_PRIO
This #define specifies the priority to assign to the C/OS-III tick task. It is recommended to
make this task a fairly high priority, but it does not need to be the highest. The priority
assigned to this task must be greater than 0 and less than OS_CFG_PRIO_MAX-1.
OS_CFG_TICK_TASK_STK_SIZE
This entry specifies the size of C/OS-IIIs tick task stack (in CPU_STK elements). Note that
the stack size must be at least greater than OS_CFG_STK_SIZE_MIN.
OS_CFG_TICK_WHEEL_SIZE
This #define determines the number of entries in the OSTickWheel[] table. This wheel
reduces the number of tasks to be updated by the tick task. The size of the wheel should be
a fraction of the number of tasks expected in the application.
This value should be a number between 4 and 1024. Task management overhead is
somewhat determined by the size of the wheel. A large number of entries might reduce the
overhead for tick management but would require more RAM. Each entry requires a pointer
and a counter of the number of entries in each spoke of the wheel. This counter is
typically a 16-bit value. It is recommended that OS_CFG_TICK_WHEEL_SIZE not be a
multiple of the tick rate. If the application has many tasks, a large wheel size is
recommended. As a starting value, use a prime number (3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, etc.).
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OS_CFG_TMR_TASK_PRIO
This #define allows a user to specify the priority to assign to the C/OS-III timer task. It is
recommended to make this task a medium-to-low priority, depending on how fast the timer
task will execute (see OS_CFG_TMR_TASK_RATE_HZ), how many timers running in the
application, and the size of the timer wheel, etc. The priority assigned to this task must be
greater than 0 and less than OS_CFG_PRIO_MAX-1.
Start with these simple rules:
The faster the timer rate, the higher the priority to assign to this task.
The higher the timer wheel size, the higher the priority to assign this task.
The higher the number of timers in the system, the lower the priority.
In other words:
High Timer Rate
Higher Priority
High Timer Wheel Size
Higher Priority
High Number of Timers
Lower Priority
OS_CFG_TMR_TASK_RATE_HZ
This #define specifies the rate in Hertz of C/OS-IIIs timer task. The timer task rate should
typically be set to 10 Hz. However, timers can run at a faster rate at the price of higher
processor overhead. Note that OS_CFG_TMR_TASK_RATE_HZ MUST be an integer multiple of
OS_CFG_TICK_TASK_RATE_HZ. In other words, if setting OS_CFG_TICK_TASK_RATE_HZ to
1000, do not set OS_CFG_TMR_TASK_RATE_HZ to 11 since 90.91 ticks would be required for every
timer update, and 90.91 is not an integer multiple. Use approximately 10 Hz in this example.
OS_CFG_TMR_TASK_STK_SIZE
This #define sets the size of the timer tasks stack as follows:
CPU_STK OSCfg_TmrTaskStk[OS_CFG_TMR_TASK_STK_SIZE];
615
Appendix B
B
OS_CFG_TMR_WHEEL_SIZE
Timers are updated using a rotating wheel mechanism. This wheel reduces the number of
timers to be updated by the timer manager task. The size of the wheel should be a fraction
of the number of timers in the application.
This value should be a number between 4 and 1024. Timer management overhead is
somewhat determined by the size of the wheel. A large number of entries might reduce the
overhead for timer management but would require more RAM. Each entry requires a pointer
and a counter of the number of entries in each spoke of the wheel. This counter is
typically a 16-bit value. It is recommended that this value not be a multiple of the tick rate.
If an application has many timers a large wheel size is recommended. As a starting value,
use a prime number (3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, etc.).
616
Appendix
C
Migrating from C/OS-II to C/OS-III
C/OS-III is a completely new real-time kernel with roots in C/OS-II. Portions of the
C/OS-II Application Programming Interface (API) function names are the same, but the
arguments passed to the functions have, in some places, drastically changed.
Appendix C explains several differences between the two real-time kernels. However,
access to C/OS-II and C/OS-III source files best highlights the differences.
617
Appendix C
Table C-1 is a feature-comparison chart for C/OS-II and C/OS-III.

Feature
C/OS-II
C/OS-III
Year of introduction
1998/2002
2009
Book
Yes
Yes
Source code available (Licensees only)
Yes
Yes
Preemptive Multitasking
Yes
Yes
Maximum number of tasks
255
Unlimited
Unlimited
Round Robin Scheduling
No
Yes
Semaphores
Yes
Yes
Mutual Exclusion Semaphores (Nestable)
Yes
Yes
Event Flags
Yes
Yes
Message Mailboxes (not needed)
Yes
No
Message Queues
Yes
Yes
Fixed Sized Memory Management
Yes
Yes
Signal a task without requiring a semaphore
No
Yes
Send messages to a task without requiring a message queue
No
Yes
Software Timers
Yes
Yes
Task suspend/resume (Nestable)
Yes
Yes
Deadlock prevention
Yes
Yes
Scalable
Yes
Yes
Code Footprint
6K to 26K
6K to 20K
Data Footprint
1K+
1K+
ROMable
Yes
Yes
Run-time configurable
No
Yes
C/OS-II
C/OS-III
Yes
Yes
Number of tasks at each priority level
Feature
Compile-time configurable
618
Feature
C/OS-II
C/OS-III
Yes
Yes
1200~
< 1000~
Yes
Yes
Task registers
Yes
Yes
Limited
Extensive
User definable hook functions
Yes
Yes
Time stamps on posts
No
Yes
Built-in Kernel Awareness support
Yes
Yes
Optimizable Scheduler in assembly language
No
Yes
Tick handling at task level
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Number of services
~90
~70
MISRA-C:1998 (except 5 rules)
Yes
N/A
MISRA-C:2004 (except 5 rules)
No
Yes
DO178B Level A and EUROCAE ED-12B
Yes
In progress
Medical FDA pre-market notification (510(k)) and pre-market
Yes
In progress
SIL3/SIL4 IEC for transportation and nuclear systems
Yes
In progress
IEC-61508
Yes
In progress
ASCII names for each kernel object

Interrupt Latency
Built-in performance measurements
approval (PMA)
Table C-1 C/OS-II and C/OS-III features comparison chart
619
Appendix C
C-1 DIFFERENCES IN SOURCE FILE NAMES AND CONTENTS

Table C-2 shows the source files used in both kernels. Note that a few of the files have the
same or similar name. Even though C/OS-III has more source files, the final compiled
footprint is actually smaller for a full configuration.
C/OS-II
C/OS-III
Note
OS_APP_HOOKS.C
(1)
OS_CFG_APP.C
(2)
OS_CFG_APP.H
(3)
OS_CFG_R.H
OS_CFG.H
(4)
OS_CORE.C
OS_CORE.C
OS_CPU.H
OS_CPU.H
(5)
OS_CPU_A.ASM
OS_CPU_A.ASM
(5)
OS_CPU_C.C
OS_CPU_C.C
(5)
OS_DBG_R.C
OS_DBG.C
(6)
OS_FLAG.C
OS_FLAG.C
OS_INT.C
(7)
OS_PEND_MULTI.C
(8)
OS_PRIO.C
(9)
OS_MBOX.C
OS_MEM.C
(10)
OS_MEM.C
OS_MSG.C
OS_MUTEX.C
OS_MUTEX.C
OS_Q.C
OS_Q.C
OS_SEM.C
OS_SEM.C
OS_STAT.C
OS_TASK.C
OS_TASK.C
OS_TIME.C
OS_TIME.C
OS_TMR.C
OS_TMR.C
UCOS_II.H
(11)
(12)
OS_VAR.C
(13)
OS_TYPE.H
(14)
OS.H
(15)
Table C-2 C/OS-II and C/OS-III files
620
TC-2(1)
C/OS-II does not have this file, which is now provided for convenience so the
user can add application hooks. Copy this file to the application directory and
edit the contents of the file.
TC-2(2)
OS_CFG_APP.C did not exist in C/OS-II. This file needs to be added to a

project build for C/OS-III.
TC-2(3)
In C/OS-II, all configuration constants were placed in OS_CFG.H. In C/OS-III,

some of the configuration constants are placed in this file, while others are in
OS_CFG.H. OS_CFG_APP.H contains application-specific configurations such as
the size of the idle task stack, tick rate, and others.
TC-2(4)
In C/OS-III, OS_CFG.H is reserved for configuring certain features of the

kernel. For example, are any of the semaphore services required, and will the
application have fixed-sized memory partition management?
TC-2(5)
These are the port files and a few variables and functions will need to be
changed when using a C/OS-II port as a starting point for the C/OS-III port.
C/OS-II variable changes to
in C/OS-III
OSIntNesting
OSIntNestingCtr
OSTCBCur
OSTCBCurPtr
OSTCBHighRdy
OSTCBHighRdyPtr
C/OS-II function changes to
in C/OS-III
OSInitHookBegin()
OSInitHook()
OSInitHookEnd()
N/A
OSTaskStatHook()
OSStatTaskHook()
OSTaskIdleHook()
OSIdleTaskHook()
OSTCBInitHook()
N/A
OSTaskStkInit()
OSTaskStkInit()
The name of OSTaskStkInit() is the same but it is listed here since the code
for it needs to be changed slightly as several arguments passed to this function
are different. Specifically, instead of passing the top-of-stack as in C/OS-II,
OSTaskStkInit() is passed the base address and the size of the task stack.
621
Appendix C
TC-2(6)
In C/OS-III, OS_DBG.C should always be part of the build. In C/OS-II, the

equivalent file (OS_DBG_R.C) was optional.
TC-2(7)
OS_INT.C contains the code for the Interrupt Queue handler, which is a new
feature in C/OS-III, allowing post calls from ISRs to be deferred to a task-level
handler. This is done to reduce interrupt latency (see Chapter 9, Interrupt
Management on page 165).
TC-2(8)
Both kernels allow tasks to pend on multiple kernel objects. In C/OS-II, this
code is found in OS_CORE.C, while in C/OS-III, the code is placed in a
separate file.
TC-2(9)
The code to determine the highest priority ready-to-run task is isolated in

C/OS-III and placed in OS_PRIO.C. This allows the port developer to replace
this file by an assembly language equivalent file, especially if the CPU used
supports certain bit manipulation instructions and a count leading zeros (CLZ)
instruction.
TC-2(10)
C/OS-II provides message mailbox services. A message mailbox is identical to

a message queue of size one. C/OS-III does not have these services since they
can be easily emulated by message queues.
TC-2(11)
Management of messages for message queues is encapsulated in OS_MSG.C in

C/OS-III.
TC-2(12)
The statistics task and its support functions have been extracted out of
OS_CORE.C and placed in OS_STAT.C for C/OS-III.
TC-2(13)
All the C/OS-III variables are instantiated in a file called OS_VAR.C.
TC-2(14)
In C/OS-III, the size of most data types is better adapted to the CPU
architecture used. In C/OS-II, the size of a number of these data types was
assumed.
TC-2(15)
In C/OS-II, the main header file is called UCOS_II.H. In C/OS-III, it is

renamed to OS.H.
622
C-2 CONVENTION CHANGES

There are a number of convention changes from C/OS-II to C/OS-III. The most notable is
the use of CPU-specific data types. Table C-3 shows the differences between the data types
used in both kernels.
C/OS-II (OS_CPU.H)
C/CPU (CPU.H)
Note
BOOLEAN
CPU_BOOLEAN
INT8S
CPU_INT8S
INT8U
CPU_INT8U
INT16S
CPU_INT16S
INT16U
CPU_INT16U
INT32S
CPU_INT32S
INT32U
CPU_INT32U
OS_STK
CPU_OS_STK
(1)
OS_CPU_SR
CPU_SR
(2)
C/OS-II (OS_CFG.H)
C/CPU (CPU.H)
OS_STK_GROWTH
CPU_CFG_STK_GROWTH
(3)
Table C-3 C/OS-II vs. C/OS-III basic data types
TC-3(1)
A task stack in C/OS-II is declared as an OS_STK, which is now replaced by a

CPU specific data type CPU_STK. These two data types are equivalent, except
that defining the width of the CPU stack in C/CPU makes more sense.
TC-3(2)
It also makes sense to declare the CPUs status register in C/CPU.
TC-3(3)
Stack growth (high-to-low or low-to-high memory) is declared in C/CPU since

stack growth is a CPU feature and not an OS one.
623
Appendix C
Another convention change is the use of the acronym cfg which stands for configuration.
Now, all #define configuration constants and variables have the CFG or Cfg acronym in
them as shown in Table C-4. Table C-4 shows the configuration constants that have been
moved from OS_CFG.H to OS_CFG_APP.H. This is done because C/OS-III is configurable at
the application level instead of just at compile time as with C/OS-II.
C/OS-II (OS_CFG.H)
C/OS-III (OS_CFG_APP.H)
Note
OS_CFG_MSG_POOL_SIZE
OS_CFG_ISR_STK_SIZE
OS_CFG_TASK_STK_LIMIT_PCT_EMPTY
OS_TASK_IDLE_STK_SIZE
OS_CFG_IDLE_TASK_STK_SIZE
OS_CFG_INT_Q_SIZE
OS_CFG_INT_Q_TASK_STK_SIZE
OS_CFG_STAT_TASK_PRIO
OS_CFG_STAT_TASK_RATE_HZ
OS_TASK_STAT_SIZE
OS_CFG_STAT_TASK_STK_SIZE
OS_TICKS_PER_SEC
OS_CFG_TICK_RATE_HZ
(1)
OS_CFG_TICK_TASK_PRIO
OS_CFG_TICK_TASK_STK_SIZE
OS_CFG_TICK_WHEEL_SIZE
OS_CFG_TMR_TASK_PRIO
OS_TMR_CFG_TICKS_PER_SEC
OS_CFG_TMR_TASK_RATE_HZ
OS_TASK_TMR_STK_SIZE
OS_CFG_TMR_TASK_STK_SIZE
OS_TMR_CFG_WHEEL_SIZE
OS_CFG_TMR_WHEEL_SIZE
Table C-4 C/OS-III uses CFG in configuration
TC-4(1)
The very useful OS_TICKS_PER_SEC in C/OS-II was renamed to

OS_CFG_TICK_RATE_HZ in C/OS-III. The HZ indicates that this #define
represents Hertz (i.e., ticks per second).
Table C-5 shows additional configuration constants added to OS_CFG.H, while several
C/OS-II constants were either removed or renamed.
624
C/OS-II (OS_CFG.H)
C/OS-III (OS_CFG.H)
OS_APP_HOOKS_EN
OS_CFG_APP_HOOKS_EN
OS_ARG_CHK_EN
OS_CFG_ARG_CHK_EN
Note
OS_DEBUG_EN
OS_CFG_DBG_EN
OS_EVENT_MULTI_EN
OS_EVENT_NAME_EN
(1)
(2)
OS_MAX_EVENTS
(3)
OS_MAX_FLAGS
(3)
OS_MAX_MEM_PART
(3)
OS_MAX_QS
(3)
OS_MAX_TASKS
(3)
OS_LOWEST_PRIO
OS_CFG_PRIO_MAX
OS_CFG_SCHED_LOCK_TIME_MEAS_EN
OS_CFG_STK_SIZE_MIN
OS_FLAG_EN
OS_CFG_FLAG_EN
OS_FLAG_ACCEPT_EN
(6)
OS_FLAG_DEL_EN
OS_CFG_FLAG_DEL_EN
OS_FLAG_WAIT_CLR_EN
OS_FLAG_NAME_EN
(2)
OS_FLAG_NBITS
(4)
OS_FLAG_QUERY_EN
(5)
OS_CFG_PEND_ABORT_EN
OS_MBOX_EN
OS_MBOX_ACCEPT_EN
(6)
625
Appendix C
C/OS-II (OS_CFG.H)
C/OS-III (OS_CFG.H)
Note
OS_MBOX_DEL_EN
OS_MBOX_PEND_ABORT_EN
OS_MBOX_POST_EN
OS_MBOX_POST_OPT_EN
OS_MBOX_QUERY_EN
OS_MEM_EN
(5)
OS_CFG_MEM_EN
OS_MEM_NAME_EN
(2)
OS_MEM_QUERY_EN
(5)
OS_MUTEX_EN
OS_CFG_MUTEX_EN
OS_MUTEX_ACCEPT_EN
OS_MUTEX_DEL_EN
(6)
OS_CFG_MUTEX_DEL_EN
OS_MUTEX_QUERY_EN
OS_Q_EN
(5)
OS_CFG_Q_EN
OS_Q_ACCEPT_EN
(6)
OS_Q_DEL_EN
OS_CFG_Q_DEL_EN
OS_Q_FLUSH_EN
OS_CFG_Q_FLUSH_EN
OS_Q_POST_EN
(7)
OS_Q_POST_FRONT_EN
(7)
OS_Q_POST_OPT_EN
(7)
OS_Q_QUERY_EN
(5)
OS_SCHED_LOCK_EN
OS_SEM_EN
OS_CFG_SEM_EN
OS_SEM_ACCEPT_EN
626
(6)
OS_SEM_DEL_EN
OS_CFG_SEM_DEL_EN
OS_SEM_PEND_ABORT_EN
C/OS-II (OS_CFG.H)
C/OS-III (OS_CFG.H)
OS_SEM_QUERY_EN
Note
(5)
OS_SEM_SET_EN
OS_CFG_SEM_SET_EN
OS_TASK_STAT_EN
OS_CFG_STAT_TASK_EN
OS_TASK_STK_CHK_EN
OS_TASK_CHANGE_PRIO_EN
OS_TASK_CREATE_EN
OS_TASK_CREATE_EXT_EN
OS_TASK_DEL_EN
OS_CFG_TASK_DEL_EN
OS_TASK_NAME_EN
(2)
OS_CFG_TASK_Q_EN
OS_TASK_QUERY_EN
OS_TASK_PROFILE_EN
(5)
OS_TASK_SUSPEND_EN
OS_TASK_SW_HOOK_EN
OS_TICK_STEP_EN
(8)
OS_TIME_DLY_HMSM_EN
OS_TIME_DLY_RESUME_EN
OS_TIME_GET_SET_EN
OS_TIME_TICK_HOOK_EN
OS_TMR_EN
OS_CFG_TMR_EN
OS_TMR_CFG_NAME_EN
OS_TMR_DEL_EN
(2)
OS_CFG_TMR_DEL_EN
Table C-5 C/OS-III uses CFG in configuration
627
Appendix C
TC-5(1)
DEBUG is replaced with DBG.
TC-5(2)
In C/OS-II, all kernel objects have ASCII names after creation. In C/OS-III,
ASCII names are assigned when the object is created.
TC-5(3)
In C/OS-II, it is necessary to declare the maximum number of kernel objects

(number of tasks, number of event flag groups, message queues, etc.) at
compile time. In C/OS-III, all kernel objects are allocated at run time so it is
no longer necessary to specify the maximum number of these objects. This
feature saves valuable RAM as it is no longer necessary to over allocate objects.
TC-5(4)
In C/OS-II, event-flag width must be declared at compile time through

OS_FLAG_NBITS. In C/OS-III, this is accomplished by defining the width (i.e.,
number of bits) in OS_TYPE.H through the data type OS_FLAG. The default is
typically 32 bits.
TC-5(5)
C/OS-III does not provide query services to the application.
TC-5(6)
C/OS-III does not directly provide accept function calls as with C/OS-II.
Instead, OS???Pend() functions provide an option that emulates the accept
functionality.
TC-5(7)
In C/OS-II, there are a number of post functions. The features offered are
now combined in the OS???Post() functions in C/OS-III.
TC-5(8)
The C/OS-View feature OS_TICK_STEP_EN is not present in C/OS-III since

C/OS-View is an obsolete product.
628
C-3 VARIABLE NAME CHANGES

Some of the variable names in C/OS-II are changed for C/OS-III to be more consistent
with coding conventions. Significant variables are shown in Table C-6.
C/OS-II (uCOS_II.H)
C/OS-III (OS.H)
OSCtxSwCtr
OSTaskCtxSwCtr
OSCPUUsage
OSStatTaskCPUUsage
OSIdleCtr
OSIdleTaskCtr
OSIdleCtrMax
OSIdleTaskCtrMax
OSIntNesting
OSIntNestingCtr
OSPrioCur
OSPrioCur
OSPrioHighRdy
OSPrioHighRdy
OSRunning
OSRunning
OSSchedNesting
OSSchedLockNestingCtr
Note
(1)
(2)
(3)
OSSchedLockTimeMax
OSTaskCtr
OSTaskQty
OSTCBCur
OSTCBCurPtr
(4)
OSTCBHighRdy
OSTCBHighRdyPtr
(4)
OSTime
OSTickCtr
(5)
OSTmrTime
OSTmrTickCtr
Table C-6 Changes in variable naming
TC-6(1)
In C/OS-II, OSCPUUsage contains the total CPU utilization in percentage

format. If the CPU is busy 12% of the time, OSCPUUsage has the value 12. In
C/OS-III, the same information is provided in OSStatTaskCPUUsage.
TC-6(2)
In C/OS-II, OSIntNesting keeps track of the number of interrupts nesting.

C/OS-III uses OSIntNestingCtr. The Ctr has been added to indicate that
this variable is a counter.
629
Appendix C
TC-6(3)
OSSchedNesting represents the number of times OSSchedLock() is called.

C/OS-III renames this variable to OSSchedLockNestingCtr to better represent
the variables meaning.
TC-6(4)
In C/OS-II, OSTCBCur and OSTCBHighRdy are pointers to the OS_TCB of the

current task, and to the OS_TCB of the highest-priority task that is ready to run.
In C/OS-III, these are renamed by adding the Ptr to indicate that they are
pointers.
TC-6(5)
The internal counter of the number of ticks since power up, or the last time the
variable was changed through OSTimeSet(), has been renamed to better
reflect its function.
C-4 API CHANGES

The most significant change from C/OS-II to C/OS-III occurs in the API. In order to port a
C/OS-II-based application to C/OS-III, it is necessary to change the way services are
invoked.
Table C-7 shows changes in the way critical sections in C/OS-III are handled. Specifically,
C/OS-II defines macros to disable interrupts, and they are moved to C/CPU since they are
CPU specific functions.
C/OS-II (OS_CPU.H)
C/CPU (CPU.H)
OS_ENTER_CRITICAL()
CPU_CRITICAL_ENTER()
OS_EXIT_CRITICAL()
CPU_CRITICAL_EXIT()
Note
Table C-7 Changes in variable naming
One of the biggest changes in the C/OS-III API is its consistency. In fact, based on the
function performed, it is possible to guess which arguments are needed, and in what order.
For example, *p_err is a pointer to an error-returned variable. When present, *p_err is
always the last argument of a function. In C/OS-II, error-returned values are at times
returned as a *perr, and at other times as the return value of the function.
630
C-4-1 EVENT FLAGS

Table C-8 shows the API for event-flag management.
C/OS-II (OS_FLAG.C)
C/OS-III (OS_FLAG.C)
OS_FLAGS
Note
(1)
OSFlagAccept(
OS_FLAG_GRP *pgrp,
OS_FLAGS
INT8U
INT8U
flags,
wait_type,
*perr);
OS_FLAG_GRP *
OSFlagCreate(
OS_FLAGS
INT8U
void
OSFlagCreate(
flags,
*perr);
(2)
OS_FLAG_GRP
CPU_CHAR
*p_grp,
*p_name,
OS_FLAGS
OS_ERR
flags,
*p_err);
OS_FLAG_GRP *
OS_OBJ_QTY
OSFlagDel(
OS_FLAG_GRP *pgrp,
OSFlagDel(
OS_FLAG_GRP
*p_grp,
OS_OPT
OS_ERR
opt,
*p_err);
INT8U
INT8U
opt,
*perr);
INT8U
OSFlagNameGet(
OS_FLAG_GRP *pgrp,
INT8U
INT8U
**pname,
*perr);
void
(3)
OSFlagNameSet(
OS_FLAG_GRP *pgrp,
INT8U
INT8U
*pname,
*perr);
OS_FLAGS
OS_FLAGS
OSFlagPend(
OS_FLAG_GRP *pgrp,
OSFlagPend(
OS_FLAG_GRP
OS_FLAGS
INT8U
INT32U
INT8U
flags,
wait_type,
timeout,
*perr);
OS_FLAGS
OS_TICK
*p_grp,
flags,
timeout,
OS_OPT
OS_TS
opt,
*p_ts,
OS_ERR
*p_err);
631
Appendix C
C/OS-II (OS_FLAG.C)
C/OS-III (OS_FLAG.C)
OS_FLAGS
OS_FLAGS
OSFlagPendGetFlagsRdy(
OSFlagPendGetFlagsRdy(
void);
OS_ERR
OS_FLAGS
OSFlagPost(
Note
*p_err);
OS_FLAGS
OSFlagPost(
OS_FLAG_GRP *pgrp,
OS_FLAGS
flags,
OS_FLAG_GRP
OS_FLAGS
*p_grp,
flags,
INT8U
INT8U
OS_OPT
OS_ERR
opt,
*p_err);
opt,
*perr);
OS_FLAGS
(4)
OSFlagQuery(
OS_FLAG_GRP *pgrp,
INT8U
*perr);
Table C-8 Event Flags API
TC-8(1)
In C/OS-III, there is no accept API. This feature is actually built-in the

OSFlagPend() by specifying the OS_OPT_PEND_NON_BLOCKING option.
TC-8(2)
In C/OS-II, OSFlagCreate() returns the address of an OS_FLAG_GRP, which is

used as the handle to the event-flag group. In C/OS-III, the application must
allocate storage for an OS_FLAG_GRP, which serves the same purpose as the
OS_EVENT. The benefit in C/OS-III is that it is not necessary to predetermine
the number of event flags at compile time.
TC-8(3)
In C/OS-II, the user may assign a name to an event-flag group after the group
is created. This functionality is built-into OSFlagCreate() for C/OS-III.
TC-8(4)
C/OS-III does not provide query services, as they are typically rarely used.
632
C-4-2 MESSAGE MAILBOXES

Table C-9 shows the API for message mailbox management. Note that C/OS-III does not
directly provide services for managing message mailboxes. Given that a message mailbox is
a message queue of size one, C/OS-III can easily emulate message mailboxes.
C/OS-II (OS_MBOX.C)
C/OS-III (OS_Q.C)
Note
void *
OSMboxAccept(
OS_EVENT
(1)
*pevent);
OS_EVENT *
OSMboxCreate(
void
void
OSQCreate(
*pmsg);
void *
(2)
OS_Q
CPU_CHAR
*p_q,
*p_name,
OS_MSG_QTY
OS_ERR
max_qty,
*p_err);
OS_OBJ_QTY,
OSMboxDel(
OS_EVENT
*pevent,
INT8U
INT8U
opt,
*perr);
void *
OSMboxPend(
OSQDel(
OS_Q
OS_OPT
OS_ERR
*p_q,
opt,
*p_err);
void *
OSQPend(
(3)
OS_EVENT
INT32U
*pevent,
timeout,
OS_Q
OS_TICK
INT8U
*perr);
OS_OPT
opt,
CPU_TS
OS_ERR
INT8U
OS_OBJ_QTY
OSMBoxPendAbort(
OS_EVENT
*pevent,
OSQPendAbort(
OS_Q
INT8U
INT8U
opt,
*perr);
OS_OPT
OS_ERR
*p_q,
timeout,
*p_ts,
*p_err);
*p_q,
opt
*p_err);
633
Appendix C
C/OS-II (OS_MBOX.C)
C/OS-III (OS_Q.C)
INT8U
void
OSMboxPost(
OSQPost(
OS_EVENT
void
*pevent,
*pmsg);
OS_Q
Void
OS_MSG_SIZE
OS_OPT
OS_ERR
Note
(4)
*p_q,
*p_void,
msg_size,
opt,
*p_err);
INT8U
OSMboxPostOpt(
OS_EVENT
void
INT8U
(4)
*pevent,
*pmsg,
opt);
INT8U
OSMboxQuery(
(5)
OS_EVENT
*pevent,
OS_MBOX_DATA *p_mbox_data);
Table C-9 Message Mailbox API
TC-9(1)
In C/OS-III, there is no accept API since this feature is built into the
OSQPend() by specifying the OS_OPT_PEND_NON_BLOCKING option.
TC-9(2)
In C/OS-II, OSMboxCreate() returns the address

used as the handle to the message mailbox. In
must allocate storage for an OS_Q, which serves
OS_EVENT. The benefit in C/OS-III is that it is not
the number of message queues at compile time.
TC-9(3)
C/OS-III returns additional information about the message received.

Specifically, the sender specifies the size of the message as a snapshot of the
current timestamp is taken and stored as part of the message. The receiver of
the message therefore knows when the message was sent.
TC-9(4)
In C/OS-III, OSQPost() offers a number of options that replaces the two post
functions provided in C/OS-II.
TC-9(5)
C/OS-III does not provide query services, as they were rarely used.
634
of an OS_EVENT, which is
C/OS-III, the application
the same purpose as the
necessary to predetermine
C-4-3 MEMORY MANAGEMENT

Table C-10 shows the difference in API for memory management.
C/OS-II (OS_MEM.C)
C/OS-III (OS_MEM.C)
OS_MEM *
OSMemCreate(
void
INT32U
INT32U
INT8U
void
OSMemCreate(
OS_MEM
CPU_CHAR
void
OS_MEM_QTY
OS_MEM_SIZE
OS_ERR
*p_mem,
*p_name,
*p_addr,
n_blks,
blk_size,
*p_err);
void *
OSMemGet(
OS_MEM
OS_ERR
*p_mem,
*p_err);
void *
OSMemGet(
OS_MEM
INT8U
*pmem,
*perr);
INT8U
OSMemNameGet(
OS_MEM
INT8U
INT8U
void
OSMemNameSet(
OS_MEM
INT8U
INT8U
INT8U
OSMemPut(
OS_MEM
void
*addr,
nblks,
blksize,
*perr);
Note
(1)
*pmem,
**pname,
*perr);
*pmem,
*pname,
*perr);
void
OSMemPut(
OS_MEM
void
OS_ERR
(2)
*p_mem,
*p_blk,
*p_err);
(3)
*pmem,
*pblk);
INT8U
OSMemQuery(
OS_MEM
*pmem,
OS_MEM_DATA *p_mem_data);
Table C-10 Memory Management API
TC-10(1)
In C/OS-II, OSMemCreate() returns the address of an OS_MEM object, which is

used as the handle to the newly created memory partition. In C/OS-III, the
application must allocate storage for an OS_MEM, which serves the same
purpose. The benefit in C/OS-III is that it is not necessary to predetermine the
number of memory partitions at compile time.
635
Appendix C
TC-10(2)
C/OS-III does not need an OSMemNameSet() since the name of the memory
partition is passed as an argument to OSMemCreate().
TC-10(3)
C/OS-III does not support query calls.
C-4-4 MUTUAL EXCLUSION SEMAPHORES

Table C-11 shows the difference in API for mutual exclusion semaphore management.
C/OS-II (OS_MUTEX.C)
C/OS-III (OS_MUTEX.C)
Note
BOOLEAN
(1)
OSMutexAccept(
OS_EVENT
*pevent,
INT8U
*perr);
OS_EVENT *
OSMutexCreate(
INT8U
INT8U
void
OSMutexCreate(
prio,
*perr);
OS_EVENT *
OSMutexDel(
(2)
OS_MUTEX
CPU_CHAR
*p_mutex,
*p_name,
OS_ERR
*p_err);
void
OSMutexDel(
OS_EVENT
INT8U
*pevent,
opt,
OS_MUTEX
OS_OPT
*p_mutex,
opt,
INT8U
*perr);
OS_ERR
*p_err);
void
OSMutexPend(
void
OSMutexPend(
(3)
OS_EVENT
INT32U
*pevent,
timeout,
OS_MUTEX
OS_TICK
*p_mutex,
timeout,
INT8U
*perr);
OS_OPT
CPU_TS
opt,
*p_ts,
OS_ERR
*p_err);
OS_OBJ_QTY
OSMutexPendAbort(
636
OS_MUTEX
OS_OPT
*p_mutex,
opt,
OS_ERR
*p_err);
C/OS-II (OS_MUTEX.C)
C/OS-III (OS_MUTEX.C)
INT8U
void
OSMutexPost(
OS_EVENT
Note
OSMutexPost(
*pevent);
OS_MUTEX
OS_OPT
*p_mutex,
opt,
OS_ERR
*p_err);
INT8U
OSMutexQuery(
OS_EVENT
*pevent,
OS_MUTEX_DATA *p_mutex_data);
Table C-11 Mutual Exclusion Semaphore Management API
TC-11(1)
In C/OS-III, there is no accept API, since this feature is built into the
OSMutexPend() by specifying the OS_OPT_PEND_NON_BLOCKING option.
TC-11(2)
In C/OS-II, OSMutexCreate() returns the address of an OS_EVENT, which is

used as the handle to the message mailbox. In C/OS-III, the application
must allocate storage for an OS_MUTEX, which serves the same purpose as the
OS_EVENT. The benefit in C/OS-III is that it is not necessary to predetermine
the number of mutual-exclusion semaphores at compile time.
TC-11(3)
C/OS-III returns additional information when a mutex is released. The releaser

takes a snapshot of the current time stamp and stores it in the OS_MUTEX. The
new owner of the mutex therefore knows when the mutex was released.
TC-11(4)
C/OS-III does not provide query services as they were rarely used.
637
Appendix C
C-4-5 MESSAGE QUEUES

Table C-12 shows the difference in API for message-queue management.
C/OS-II (OS_Q.C)
C/OS-III (OS_Q.C)
void *
OSQAccept(
OS_EVENT *pevent,
INT8U
*perr);
(1)
(2)
void
OSQCreate(
OS_Q
CPU_CHAR
OS_MSG_QTY
OS_ERR
*p_q,
*p_name,
max_qty,
*p_err);
OS_EVENT *
OSQDel(
OS_EVENT *pevent,
INT8U
opt,
INT8U
*perr);
OS_OBJ_QTY,
OSQDel(
OS_Q
OS_OPT
OS_ERR
*p_q,
opt,
*p_err);
INT8U
OSQFlush(
OS_EVENT *pevent);
OS_MSG_QTY
OSQFlush(
OS_Q
OS_ERR
*p_q,
*p_err);
void *
OSQPend(
OS_EVENT *pevent,
INT32U
timeout,
INT8U
*perr);
void *
OSQPend(
OS_Q
OS_MSG_SIZE
OS_TICK
OS_OPT
CPU_TS
OS_ERR
*p_q,
*p_msg_size,
timeout,
opt,
*p_ts,
*p_err);
INT8U
OSQPendAbort(
OS_EVENT *pevent,
INT8U
opt,
INT8U
*perr);
OS_OBJ_QTY
OSQPendAbort(
OS_Q
OS_OPT
OS_ERR
*p_q,
opt,
*p_err);
INT8U
OSQPost(
OS_EVENT *pevent,
void
*pmsg);
void
OSQPost(
OS_Q
*p_q,
void
*p_void,
OS_MSG_SIZE msg_size,
OS_OPT
opt,
OS_ERR
*p_err);
OS_EVENT *
OSQCreate(
void
INT16U
638
**start,
size);
Note
(3)
(4)
C/OS-II (OS_Q.C)
C/OS-III (OS_Q.C)
Note
INT8U
OSQPostFront(
OS_EVENT *pevent,
void
*pmsg);
INT8U
OSQPostOpt(
OS_EVENT *pevent,
void
*pmsg,
INT8U
opt);
(4)
INT8U
OSQQuery(
OS_EVENT *pevent,
OS_Q_DATA *p_q_data);
(5)
Table C-12 Message Queue Management API
TC-12(1)
In C/OS-III, there is no accept API as this feature is built into the OSQPend()
by specifying the OS_OPT_PEND_NON_BLOCKING option.
TC-12(2)
In C/OS-II, OSQCreate() returns the address of an OS_EVENT, which is used

as the handle to the message queue. In C/OS-III, the application must
allocate storage for an OS_Q object, which serves the same purpose as the
OS_EVENT. The benefit in C/OS-III is that it is not necessary to predetermine at
compile time, the number of message queues.
TC-12(3)
C/OS-III returns additional information when a message queue is posted.

Specifically, the sender includes the size of the message and takes a snapshot
of the current timestamp and stores it in the message. The receiver of the
message therefore knows when the message was posted.
TC-12(4)
In C/OS-III, OSQPost() offers a number of options that replaces the three

post functions provided in C/OS-II.
TC-12(5)
639
Appendix C
C-4-6 SEMAPHORES
Table C-13 shows the difference in API for semaphore management.
C/OS-II (OS_SEM.C)
INT16U
OSSemAccept(
OS_EVENT
OS_EVENT *
OSSemCreate(
INT16U
OS_EVENT *
OSSemDel(
OS_EVENT
INT8U
INT8U
void
OSSemPend(
OS_EVENT
INT32U
INT8U
C/OS-III (OS_SEM.C)
(1)
*pevent);
cnt);
*pevent,
opt,
*perr);
*pevent,
timeout,
*perr);
void
OSSemCreate(
OS_SEM
CPU_CHAR
OS_SEM_CTR
OS_ERR
*p_sem,
*p_name,
cnt,
*p_err);
OS_OBJ_QTY,
OSSemDel(
OS_SEM
OS_OPT
OS_ERR
*p_sem,
opt,
*p_err);
OS_SEM_CTR
OSSemPend(
OS_SEM
OS_TICK
OS_OPT
CPU_TS
OS_ERR
(2)
(3)
*p_sem,
timeout,
opt,
*p_ts,
*p_err);
INT8U
OSSemPendAbort(
OS_EVENT
*pevent,
INT8U
opt,
INT8U
*perr);
OS_OBJ_QTY
OSSemPendAbort(
OS_SEM
*p_sem,
OS_OPT
opt,
OS_ERR
*p_err);
void
OSSemPost(
OS_EVENT
void
OSSemPost(
OS_SEM
OS_OPT
OS_ERR
*pevent);
INT8U
OSSemQuery(
OS_EVENT
*pevent,
OS_SEM_DATA *p_sem_data);
640
Note
*p_sem,
opt,
*p_err);
(4)
C/OS-II (OS_SEM.C)
C/OS-III (OS_SEM.C)
void
OSSemSet(
void
OSSemSet(
OS_SEM
OS_SEM_CTR
OS_ERR
OS_EVENT
INT16U
INT8U
*pevent,
cnt,
*perr);
Note
*p_sem,
cnt,
*p_err);
Table C-13 Semaphore Management API
TC-13(1)
In C/OS-III, there is no accept API since this feature is built into the
OSSemPend() by specifying the OS_OPT_PEND_NON_BLOCKING option.
TC-13(2)
In C/OS-II, OSSemCreate() returns the address of an OS_EVENT, which is used

as the handle to the semaphore. In C/OS-III, the application must allocate
storage for an OS_SEM object, which serves the same purpose as the OS_EVENT.
The benefit in C/OS-III is that it is not necessary to predetermine the number
of semaphores at compile time.
TC-13(3)
C/OS-III returns additional information when a semaphore is signaled. The

ISR or task that signals the semaphore takes a snapshot of the current
timestamp and stores this in the OS_SEM object signaled. The receiver of the
signal therefore knows when the signal was sent.
TC-13(4)
C/OS-III does not provide query services, as they were rarely used.
641
Appendix C
C-4-7 TASK MANAGEMENT

Table C-14 shows the difference in API for task-management services.
C/OS-II (OS_TASK.C)
C/OS-III (OS_TASK.C)
INT8U
OSTaskChangePrio(
void
OSTaskChangePrio(
INT8U
INT8U
oldprio,
newprio);
OS_TCB
OS_PRIO
OS_ERR
void
OSTaskCreate(
OS_TCB
CPU_CHAR
OS_TASK_PTR
void
OS_PRIO
CPU_STK
CPU_STK_SIZE
CPU_STK_SIZE
OS_MSG_QTY
OS_TICK
void
OS_OPT
OS_ERR
INT8U
OSTaskCreateExt(
void
(*task)(void *p_arg),
void
*p_arg,
OS_STK
*ptos,
INT8U
prio,
INT16U
id,
OS_STK
*pbos,
INT32U
stk_size,
void
*pext,
INT16U
opt);
void
OSTaskCreate(
OS_TCB
CPU_CHAR
OS_TASK_PTR
void
OS_PRIO
CPU_STK
CPU_STK_SIZE
CPU_STK_SIZE
OS_MSG_QTY
OS_TICK
void
OS_OPT
OS_ERR
*p_tcb,
*p_name,
*p_task,
*p_arg,
prio,
*p_stk_base,
stk_limit,
stk_size,
q_size,
time_quanta,
*p_ext,
opt,
*p_err);
INT8U
OSTaskDel(
INT8U
void
OSTaskDel(
OS_TCB
OS_ERR
*p_tcb,
*p_err);
642
(1)
*p_tcb,
prio,
*p_err);
INT8U
OSTaskCreate(
void
void
*p_arg,
OS_STK
*ptos,
INT8U
prio);
prio);
Note
(2)
*p_tcb,
*p_name,
*p_task,
*p_arg,
prio,
*p_stk_base,
stk_limit,
stk_size,
q_size,
time_quanta,
*p_ext,
opt,
*p_err);
(2)
C/OS-II (OS_TASK.C)
Note
INT8U
OSTaskDelReq(
INT8U
prio);
INT8U
OSTaskNameGet(
INT8U
prio,
INT8U
**pname,
INT8U
*perr);
void
OSTaskNameSet(
INT8U
prio,
INT8U
*pname,
INT8U
*perr);
(3)
OS_MSG_QTY
OSTaskQFlush(
OS_TCB
OS_ERR
void *
OSTaskQPend(
OS_TICK
OS_OPT
OS_MSG_SIZE
CPU_TS
OS_ERR
INT32U
OSTaskRegGet(
INT8U
INT8U
INT8U
prio,
id,
*perr);
(4)
*p_tcb,
*p_err);
(4)
timeout,
opt,
*p_msg_size,
*p_ts,
*p_err);
CPU_BOOLEAN
OSTaskQPendAbort(
OS_TCB
*p_tcb,
OS_OPT
opt,
OS_ERR
*p_err);
(4)
void
OSTaskQPost(
OS_TCB
void
OS_MSG_SIZE
OS_OPT
OS_ERR
(4)
*p_tcb,
*p_void,
msg_size,
opt,
*p_err);
OS_REG
OSTaskRegGet(
OS_TCB
OS_REG_ID
OS_ERR
*p_tcb,
id,
*p_err);
643
Appendix C
C/OS-II (OS_TASK.C)
void
void
OSTaskRegSet(
INT8U
INT8U
INT32U
INT8U
prio,
id,
value,
*perr);
INT8U
OSTaskResume(
INT8U
INT8U
OSTaskSuspend(
INT8U
644
OSTaskRegGet(
OS_TCB
OS_REG_ID
*p_tcb,
id,
OS_REG
OS_ERR
value,
*p_err);
Note
void
prio);
prio);
OSTaskResume(
OS_TCB
OS_ERR
*p_tcb,
*p_err);
OS_SEM_CTR
OSTaskSemPend(
OS_TICK
timeout,
OS_OPT
opt,
CPU_TS
*p_ts,
OS_ERR
*p_err);
(5)
CPU_BOOLEAN
OSTaskSemPendAbort(
OS_TCB
*p_tcb,
OS_OPT
opt,
OS_ERR
*p_err);
(5)
CPU_BOOLEAN
OSTaskSemPendAbort(
OS_TCB
*p_tcb,
OS_OPT
opt,
OS_ERR
*p_err);
(5)
OS_SEM_CTR
OSTaskSemPost(
OS_TCB
*p_tcb,
OS_OPT
opt,
OS_ERR
*p_err);
(5)
OS_SEM_CTR
OSTaskSemSet(
OS_TCB
*p_tcb,
OS_SEM_CTR cnt,
OS_ERR
*p_err);
(5)
void
OSTaskSuspend(
OS_TCB
OS_ERR
*p_tcb,
*p_err);
C/OS-II (OS_TASK.C)
INT8U
void
OSTaskStkChk(
OS_TCB
CPU_STK_SIZE
CPU_STK_SIZE
OS_ERR
OSTaskStkChk(
INT8U
prio,
OS_STK_DATA *p_stk_data);
Note
(6)
*p_tcb,
*p_free,
*p_used,
*p_err);
void
(7)
OSTaskTimeQuantaSet(
OS_TCB
*p_tcb,
OS_TICK
time_quanta,
OS_ERR
*p_err);
INT8U
OSTaskQuery(
INT8U
OS_TCB
(8)
prio,
*p_task_data);
Table C-14 Task Management API
TC-14(1)
In C/OS-II, each task must have a unique priority. The priority of a task can be
changed at run-time, however it can only be changed to an unused priority.
This is generally not a problem since C/OS-II supports up to 255 different
priority levels and is rare for an application to require all levels. Since C/OS-III
supports an unlimited number of tasks at each priority, the user can change the
priority of a task to any available level.
TC-14(2)
C/OS-II provides two functions to create a task: OSTaskCreate() and

OSTaskCreateExt(). OSTaskCreateExt() is recommended since it offers
more flexibility. In C/OS-III, only one API is used to create a task,
OSTaskCreate(), which offers similar features to OSTaskCreateExt() and
provides additional ones.
TC-14(3)
C/OS-III does not need an OSTaskNameSet() since an ASCII name for the
task is passed as an argument to OSTaskCreate().
TC-14(4)
C/OS-III allows tasks or ISRs to send messages directly to a task instead of

having to pass through a mailbox or a message queue as does C/OS-II.
TC-14(5)
C/OS-III allows tasks or ISRs to directly signal a task instead of having to pass
through a semaphore as does C/OS-II.
645
Appendix C
TC-14(6)
In C/OS-II, the user must allocate storage for a special data structure called
OS_STK_DATA, which is used to place the result of a stack check of a task. This
data structure contains only two fields: .OSFree and .OSUsed. In C/OS-III, it
is required that the caller pass pointers to destination variables where those
values will be placed.
TC-14(7)
C/OS-III allows users to specify the time quanta of each task on a per-task
basis. This is available since C/OS-III supports multiple tasks at the same
priority, and allows for round robin scheduling. The time quanta for a task is
specified when the task is created, but it can be changed by the API at run
time.
TC-14(8)
C-4-8 TIME MANAGEMENT

Table C-15 shows the difference in API for time-management services.
C/OS-II (OS_TIME.C)
C/OS-III (OS_TIME.C)
void
OSTimeDly(
INT32U
void
OSTimeDly(
OS_TICK
OS_OPT
OS_ERR
ticks);
(1)
dly,
opt,
*p_err);
INT8U
OSTimeDlyHMSM(
INT8U
hours,
INT8U
minutes,
INT8U
seconds,
INT16U
ms);
void
OSTimeDlyHMSM(
CPU_INT16U
CPU_INT16U
CPU_INT16U
CPU_INT32U
OS_OPT
OS_ERR
INT8U
OSTimeDlyResume(
INT8U
prio);
void
OSTimeDlyResume(
OS_TCB
*p_tcb,
OS_ERR
*p_err);
INT32U
OSTimeGet(void);
OS_TICK
OSTimeGet(
OS_ERR
646
Note
(2)
hours,
minutes,
seconds
milli,
opt,
*p_err);
*p_err);
C/OS-II (OS_TIME.C)
C/OS-III (OS_TIME.C)
void
OSTimeSet(
void
OSTimeSet(
INT32U
ticks);
void
OSTimeTick(void)
OS_TICK
OS_ERR
Note
ticks,
*p_err);
void
OSTimeTick(void)
Table C-15 Time Management API
TC-15(1)
C/OS-III includes an option argument, which allows the user to delay a task
for a certain number of ticks, or wait until the tick counter reaches a certain
value. In C/OS-II, only the former is available.
TC-15(2)
OSTimeDlyHMSM() in C/OS-III is more flexible as it allows a user to specify

whether to be strict about the ranges of hours (0 to 999), minutes (0 to 59),
seconds (0 to 59), and milliseconds (0 to 999), or whether to allow any values
such as 200 minutes, 75 seconds, or 20,000 milliseconds.
C-4-9 TIMER MANAGEMENT

Table C-16 shows the difference in API for timer-management services. The timer
management in C/OS-III is similar to that of C/OS-II except for minor changes in
arguments in OSTmrCreate().
C/OS-II (OS_TMR.C)
C/OS-III (OS_TMR.C)
OS_TMR *
OSTmrCreate(
INT32U
INT32U
INT8U
OS_TMR_CALLBACK
void
INT8U
INT8U
void
OSTmrCreate(
OS_TMR
CPU_CHAR
OS_TICK
OS_TICK
OS_OPT
OS_TMR_CALLBACK_PTR
void
OS_ERR
dly,
period,
opt,
callback,
*callback_arg,
*pname,
*perr);
Note
*p_tmr,
*p_name,
dly,
period,
opt,
*p_callback,
*p_callback_arg,
*p_err);
647
Appendix C
C/OS-II (OS_TMR.C)
C/OS-III (OS_TMR.C)
BOOLEAN
CPU_BOOLEAN
OSTmrDel(
OS_TMR
OS_ERR
*p_tmr,
*p_err);
OS_TICK
OSTmrRemainGet(
OS_TMR
OS_ERR
*p_tmr,
*p_err);
*p_tmr,
*p_err);
OSTmrDel(
OS_TMR
INT8U
INT8U
OSTmrNameGet(
OS_TMR
INT8U
INT8U
INT32U
OSTmrRemainGet(
OS_TMR
INT8U
*ptmr,
*perr);
Note
*ptmr,
**pdest,
*perr);
*ptmr,
*perr);
INT8U
OSTmrStateGet(
OS_TMR
*ptmr,
INT8U
*perr);
OS_STATE
OSTmrStateGet(
OS_TMR
OS_ERR
*ptmr,
*perr);
CPU_BOOLEAN
OSTmrStart(
OS_TMR
OS_ERR
*p_tmr,
*p_err);
*ptmr,
opt,
*callback_arg,
*perr);
CPU_BOOLEAN
OSTmrStop(
OS_TMR
OS_OPT
void
OS_ERR
*p_tmr,
opt,
*p_callback_arg,
*p_err);
BOOLEAN
OSTmrStart(
OS_TMR
INT8U
BOOLEAN
OSTmrStop(
OS_TMR
INT8U
void
INT8U
INT8U
OSTmrSignal(void);
Table C-16 Timer Management API
648
C-4-10 MISCELLANEOUS
Table C-17 shows the difference in API for miscellaneous services.
C/OS-II (OS_CORE.C)
C/OS-III (OS_CORE.C)
Note
INT8U
OSEventNameGet(
OS_EVENT *pevent,
INT8U
**pname,
INT8U
*perr);
void
OSEventNameSet(
OS_EVENT *pevent,
INT8U
*pname,
INT8U
*perr);
(1)
INT16U
OSEventPendMulti(
OS_EVENT **pevent_pend,
OS_EVENT **pevent_rdy,
void
**pmsgs_rdy,
INT32U
timeout,
INT8U
*perr);
OS_OBJ_QTY
OSPendMulti(
OS_PEND_DATA *p_pend_data_tbl,
OS_OBJ_QTY
tbl_size,
OS_TICK
timeout,
OS_OPT
opt,
OS_ERR
*p_err);
(2)
void
OSInit(void)
void
OSInit(
OS_ERR
(3)
void
OSIntEnter(void)
void
OSIntEnter(void);
void
OSIntExit(void)
void
OSIntExit(void)
*p_err);
void
OSSched(void);
void
OSSchedLock(void)
void
OSSchedLock(
OS_ERR
(4)
*p_err);
void
OSSchedRoundRobinCfg(
CPU_BOOLEAN
en,
OS_TICK
dflt_time_quanta,
OS_ERR
*p_err);
(5)
void
OSSchedRoundRobinYield(
OS_ERR
*p_err);
(6)
649
Appendix C
C/OS-II (OS_CORE.C)
C/OS-III (OS_CORE.C)
void
void
OSSchedUnlock(void)
OSSchedUnlock(
OS_ERR
Note
(7)
*p_err);
void
void
OSStart(void)
OSStart(void);
void
OSStatInit(void)
void
OSStatTaskCPUUsageInit(
OS_ERR
*p_err);
(8)
INT16U
OSVersion(void)
CPU_INT16U
OSVersion(
OS_ERR
(9)
*p_err);
Table C-17 Miscellaneous API
TC-17(1)
Objects in C/OS-III are named when they are created and these functions are
not required in C/OS-III.
TC-17(2)
The implementation of the multi-pend functionality is changed from C/OS-II.

However, the purpose of multi-pend is the same, to allow a task to pend (or
wait) on multiple objects. In C/OS-III, however, it is possible to only
multi-pend on semaphores and message queues and not event flags and
mutexes.
TC-17(3)
An error code is returned in C/OS-III for this function. Initialization is

successful if OS_ERR_NONE is received back from OSInit(). In C/OS-II, there
is no way of knowing whether there is an error in the configuration that caused
OSInit() to fail.
TC-17(4)
An error code is returned in C/OS-III for this function.
TC-17(5)
Enable or disable C/OS-IIIs round-robin scheduling at run time, as well as

change the default time quanta.
TC-17(6)
A task that completes its work before its time quanta expires may yield the CPU
to another task at the same priority.
TC-17(7)
650
TC-17(8)
Note the change in name for the function that computes the capacity of the
CPU for the purpose of computing CPU usage at run-time.
TC-17(9)
C-4-11 HOOKS AND PORT

Table C-18 shows the difference in APIs used to port C/OS-II to C/OS-III.
C/OS-II (OS_CPU*.C/H)
void
OSInitHookBegin(void);
C/OS-III (OS_CPU*.C/H)
Note
OS_TS
OSGetTS(void);
(1)
void
OSInitHook(void);
void
OSInitHookEnd(void);
void
OSTaskCreateHook(
OS_TCB
*ptcb);
void
OSTaskCreateHook(
OS_TCB
*p_tcb);
void
OSTaskDelHook(
OS_TCB
*ptcb);
void
OSTaskDelHook(
OS_TCB
void
OSTaskIdleHook(void);
void
OSIdleTaskHook(void);
*p_tcb);
void
OSTaskReturnHook(
OS_TCB
*p_tcb);
void
OSTaskStatHook(void)
void
OSStatTaskHook(void);
void
OSTaskStkInit(
void
void
*p_arg,
OS_STK
*ptos,
INT16U
opt);
CPU_STK *
OSTaskStkInit(
OS_TASK_PTR
p_task,
void
*p_arg,
CPU_STK
*p_stk_base,
CPU_STK
*p_stk_limit,
CPU_STK_SIZE size,
OS_OPT
opt);
void
OSTaskSwHook(void)
void
OSTaskSwHook(void);
(2)
(3)
651
Appendix C
C/OS-II (OS_CPU*.C/H)
C/OS-III (OS_CPU*.C/H)
void
Note
(4)
OSTCBInitHook(
OS_TCB
*ptcb);
void
void
OSTimeTickHook(void);
OSTimeTickHook(void);
void
OSStartHighRdy(void);
void
OSStartHighRdy(void);
(5)
void
OSIntCtxSw(void);
void
OSIntCtxSw(void);
(5)
void
OSCtxSw(void);
void
OSCtxSw(void);
(5)
Table C-18 Hooks and Port API
TC-18(1)
C/OS-III requires that the Board Support Package (BSP) provide a 32-bit
free-running counter (from 0x00000000 to 0xFFFFFFFF and rolls back to
0x00000000) for the purpose of performing time measurements. When a signal
is sent, or a message is posted, this counter is read and sent to the recipient.
This allows the recipient to know when the message was sent. If a 32-bit
free-running counter is not available, simulate one using a 16-bit counter.
TC-18(2)
C/OS-III is able to terminate a task that returns. Recall that tasks should not
return since they should be either implemented as an infinite loop, or deleted if
implemented as run once.
TC-18(3)
The code for OSTaskStkInit() must be changed slightly in C/OS-III since

several arguments passed to this function are different than in C/OS-II. Instead
of passing the top-of-stack as in C/OS-II, OSTaskStkInit() is passed the base
address of the task stack, as well as the size of the stack.
TC-18(4)
This function is not needed in C/OS-III.
TC-18(5)
These functions are a part of OS_CPU_A.ASM, and should only require name
changes for the following variables:
652
C/OS-II variable changes to
in C/OS-III
OSIntNesting
OSIntNestingCtr
OSTCBCur
OSTCBCurPtr
OSTCBHighRdy
OSTCBHighRdyPtr
653
Appendix C
654
Appendix
D
MISRA-C:2004 and C/OS-III
MISRA C is a software development standard for the C programming language developed by
the Motor Industry Software Reliability Association (MISRA). Its aims are to facilitate code
safety, portability, and reliability in the context of embedded systems, specifically those
systems programmed in ANSI C. There is also a set of guidelines for MISRA C++.
There are now more MISRA users outside of the automotive industry than within it. MISRA
has evolved into a widely accepted model of best practices by leading developers in such
sectors as aerospace, telecom, medical devices, defense, railway, and others.
The first edition of the MISRA C standard, "Guidelines for the use of the C language in
vehicle based software," was produced in 1998 and is officially known as MISRA-C:1998.
MISRA-C:1998 had 127 rules, of which 93 were required and 34 advisory. The rules were
numbered in sequence from 1 to 127.
In 2004, a second edition "Guidelines for the use of the C language in critical systems," or
MISRA-C:2004 was produced with many substantial changes, including a complete
renumbering of the rules.
The MISRA-C:2004 document contains 141 rules, of which 121 are "required" and 20 are
"advisory," divided into 21 topical categories, from "Environment" to "Run-time failures."
C/OS-III follows most of the MISRA-C:2004 except that five (5) of the required rules were
suppressed. The reasoning behind this is discussed within this appendix.
IAR Embedded Workbench for ARM (EWARM) V5.40 was used to verify MISRA-C:2004
compliance, which required suppressing the rules to achieve a clean build.
655
Appendix D
D-1 MISRA-C:2004, RULE 8.5 (REQUIRED)

Rule Description
There shall be no definitions of objects or functions in a header file.
Offending code appears as
OS_EXT
OS_IDLE_CTR
OSIdleTaskCtr;
OS_EXT allows us to declare extern and storage using a single declaration in OS.H but
allocation of storage actually occurs in OS_VAR.C.
Rule suppressed
The method used in C/OS-III is an improved scheme as it avoids declaring variables in
multiple files. Storage for a variable must be declared in one file (such as OS_VAR.C) and
another file needs to extern the variables in a separate file (such as OS.H).
Occurs in
OS.H

Rule Description:
When an array is declared with external linkage, its size shall be stated explicitly or defined
implicitly by initialization.
extern
CPU_STK
OSCfg_IdleTaskStk[];
C/OS-III can be provided in object form (linkable object), but requires that the value and
size of known variables and arrays be declared in application code. It is not possible to
know the size of the arrays.
656
D
Rule suppressed
There is no choice other than to suppress or add a fictitious size, which would not be
proper. For example, we could specify a size of 1 and the MISRA-C:2004 would pass.
Occurs in:
OS.H

Rule Description
A function shall have a single point of exit at the end of the function.
if (argument is invalid) {
Set error code;
return;
}
Rule suppressed
We prefer to exit immediately upon finding an invalid argument rather than create nested
if statements.
Occurs in
OS_CORE.C
OS_FLAG.C
OS_INT.C
OS_MEM.C
OS_MSG.C
OS_MUTEX.C
OS_PEND_MULTI.C
OS_PRIO.C
OS_Q.C
OS_SEM.C
OS_STAT.C
OS_TASK.C
OS_TICK.C
OS_TIME.C
OS_TMR.C
657
Appendix D

Rule Description
An unconditional break statement shall terminate every non-empty switch clause.
switch (value) {
case constant_value:
/* Code */
return;
}
Rule suppressed
The problem involves using a return statement to exit the function instead of using a break.
When adding a break statement after the return, the compiler complains about the
unreachable code of the break statement.
Occurs in
OS_FLAG.C
OS_MUTEX.C
OS_Q.C
OS_TMR.C
658

Rule Description
Array indexing shall be the only allowed form of pointer arithmetic.
:
p_tcb++;
:
Rule suppressed
It is common practice in C to increment a pointer instead of using array indexing to
accomplish the same thing. This common practice is not in agreement with this rule.
Occurs in
OS_CORE.C
OS_CPU_C.C
OS_INT.C
OS_MSG.C
OS_PEND_MULTI.C
OS_PRIO.C
OS_TASK.C
OS_TICK.C
OS_TMR.C
659
Appendix D
660
Appendix
E
Bibliography
Bal Sathe, Dhananjay. 1988. Fast Algorithm Determines Priority. EDN (India), September, p. 237.
Comer, Douglas. 1984. Operating System Design, The XINU Approach. Englewood Cliffs, New
Jersey: Prentice-Hall. ISBN 0-13-637539-1.
Kernighan, Brian W. and Dennis M. Ritchie. 1988. The C Programming Language, 2nd edition.
Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-110362-8.
Klein, Mark H., Thomas Ralya, Bill Pollak, Ray Harbour Obenza, and Michael Gonzlez. 1993. A
Practioners Handbook for Real-Time Analysis: Guide to Rate Monotonic Analysis for Real-Time
Systems. Norwell, Massachusetts: Kluwer Academic Publishers Group. ISBN 0-7923-9361-9.
Labrosse, Jean J. 2002, MicroC/OS-II, The Real-Time Kernel, CMP Books, 2002, ISBN
1-57820-103-9.
Li, Qing. Real-Time Concepts for Embedded Systems, CMP Books, July 2003, ISBN 1-57820-124-1.
The Motor Industry Software Reliability Association, MISRA-C:2004, Guidelines for the Use of
the C Language in Critical Systems, October 2004. www.misra-c.com.
661
Appendix E
662
Appendix
F
Licensing Policy
This book contains C/OS-III, precompiled in linkable object form, and is accompanied by
an evaluation board and tools (compiler/assembler/linker/debugger). The user may use
C/OS-III with the evaluation board that accompanied the book and it is not necessary to
purchase anything else as long as the initial purchase is used for educational purposes.
Once the code is used to create a commercial project/product for profit, however, it is
necessary to purchase a license.
It is necessary to purchase this license when the decision to use C/OS-III in a design is
made, not when the design is ready to go to production.
contact Micrim and discuss the intended use with a sales representative.
CONTACT MICRIUM
Weston, FL 33326
USA
Phone: +1 954 217 2036
Fax: +1 954 217 2037
E-mail: Licensing@Micrium.com
Web: www.Micrium.com
663
Appendix F
664
and the
NXP LPC1700
Jean J. Labrosse
Freddy Torres
Weston, FL 33326
Micrim Press
Weston, FL 33326
USA
www.micrium.com
Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks.
In all instances where Micrim Press is aware of a trademark claim, the product name appears in
initial capital letters, in all capital letters, or in accordance with the vendors capitalization
preference. Readers should contact the appropriate companies for more complete information
on trademarks and trademark registrations. All trademarks and registered trademarks in this
book are the property of their respective holders.
Copyright 2010 by Micrim Press except where noted otherwise. Published by Micrim Press.
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this publication may be
reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval
system, without the prior written permission of the publisher; with the exception that the
program listings may be entered, stored, and executed in a computer system, but they may not
be reproduced for publication.
The programs and code examples in this book are presented for instructional value. The
programs and examples have been carefully tested, but are not guaranteed to any particular
purpose. The publisher does not offer any warranties and does not guarantee the accuracy,
adequacy, or completeness of any information herein and is not responsible for any errors or
omissions. The publisher assumes no liability for damages resulting from the use of the
information in this book or for any infringement of the intellectual property rights of third parties
that would result from the use of this information.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2010930936
Library of Congress subject headings:
1. Embedded computer systems
2. Real-time data processing
3. Computer software - Development
For bulk orders, please contact Micrim Press at: +1 954 217 2036
ISBN: 978-0-9823375-5-4
100-uCOS-III-NXP-LPC1768-001
Foreword by Geoff Lees and Reinhard Keil

There have been books in the past addressing how real-time kernels work. But this book
is unlike any other. A collaborative work between NXP Semiconductors, ARM-Keil, and
Micrim, the new C/OS-III/NXP book is the guide for embedded designers to learn
about working with real-time kernels from a practical standpoint by tying it in with actual
hardware use. Following in the footsteps of the popular C/OS-II, this new C/OS-III
book illustrates how using Keil's tools is a low cost way to experience NXP's Cortex-M3
based LPC1700.
The LPC1700 is the highest performance Cortex-M3 in the market and is an ideal chip for
embedded engineers to experience a Cortex-M product with a high level of integration at a
low power consumption. It also introduces engineers to the full range of NXP ARM-based
parts that are pin- and software-compatible across the cores. NXP was happy to have
worked with both ARM-Keil and Micrim in the development of this book and feel it is an
essential tool for any engineer in designing their next product.
Geoff Lees
Vice President and General Manager
Microcontroller product line
NXP Semiconductors
667
Foreword by Geoff Lees and Reinhard Keil
As I look at the multitude of books on my shelf Im excited to add Jean Labrosses C/OS-III
to my library. This book is a must-have guide to working with and understanding real-time
kernels and their applications in the embedded world of microcontrollers. Even experienced
embedded programmers will appreciate the easy-to-master approach of the book.
The teams from Micrim, NXP Semiconductor and the tool group at ARM, Keil, have put
together this guide with practical examples using Keils MDK-ARM (the premier IDE and
compiler for ARM microcontrollers) and the MCB1700 development board (featuring the
NXP LPC1768, an LCD, serial communication and more). Taking advantage of the advance
debug features of the ARM Cortex-M3 core found in the NXP LPC1768 microcontroller, this
book leads you through each step in understanding the real-time kernel used in C/OS-III
on actual hardware. The outstanding combination of these tools enables embedded
developers to learn the advantages of a real-time OS and how to use them in their
embedded applications.
Reinhard Keil
Director of MCU Tools
ARM Germany GmbH
668
Chapter
1
Introduction
Part II of this book delivers to the reader the experience of C/OS-III through the use of
world-class tools and step-by-step instruction.
The book is packaged with the ARM/Keil MCB1700 evaluation board. The MCB1700
Evaluation Board is available in two different configurations:
MCB1750 Evaluation board which contains an NXP LPC1758, Cortex-M3 based

Microcontroller.
MCB1760 Evaluation board which contains an NXP LPC1768, Cortex-M3 based

Microcontroller.
There are also two revisions of the board: Rev. 1 and Rev 1.2. In revision 1.2 only minor
changes have been made that have no influence on examples and applications. Here are the
changes in detail:
Different USB host connector. Because of a mistake in the layout of revision 1, it was
necessary to use an upright version of USB host connector. Revision 1.2 has the
intended angular version populated.
Two 0 Ohm resistors R82 and R83 have been added to be able to disconnect the USB
interface from pin P1.22 and P1.19 in case these pins are not used for USB host.
About half of all holes of the port headers were too small by mistake.
To build the example code provided in Part II of this book, you will need to download the
Keil Microcontroller Development Kit (MDK-ARM), which enables you to build applications
up to 32 Kbytes in size (see Chapter 3, Setup on page 689). You can also download the
award-winning C/Probe from the Micrim website to monitor and change application
variables at run time (see Chapter 3, Setup on page 689).
669
1
Chapter 1
The heart of the LPC1700 family is the ARM Cortex-M3 CPU, one of the most popular CPU
cores on the market today. The Cortex-M3 runs the very efficient ARMv7 instruction set.
The LPC1758/68 runs at clock frequencies up to 100 MHz and contains such
high-performance peripherals as a 10/100 Ethernet MAC, full-speed USB 2.0
(Host/Device/OTG), timers, UARTs, and more. The LPC1758/68 also features built-in flash
memory of 512 Kbytes, and 64 Kbytes of high-speed static RAM.
1-1 THE KEIL MCB1700

Figure 1-1 shows a picture of the Keil MCB1700. Board features include:
Low cost
100 MHz LPC1758/68 Cortex-M3 based microcontroller
On-chip memory: 512KB flash memory, 64KB RAM
10/100 Ethernet connector
Color QVGA TFT LCD
SD/MMC card socket
USB 2.0 full speed host/device/OTG
Dual CAN Interfaces
Dual RS-232C serial ports
5-position joystick and push-button
Potentiometer for analog-to-digital converter (ADC) input
70 GPIO pins
LEDs
Debug interface connectors (20-pin JTAG, 10-pin Cortex debug, 20-pin Cortex debug +
ETM trace)
670
1
Introduction
The LPC1758/68 is capable of running a TCP/IP stack such as Micrims high-quality

C/TCP-IP. This allows applications to network with other devices, as well as access the
Internet. Other application protocols allow applications to run a DHCP client (to obtain an
IP address), FTP client/server, HTTP server (i.e., a web server), SMTP client (to send
e-mails), POP3 client (to receive e-mails), and more. C/TCP-IP can also be used as an
interface to C/Probe.
The LPC1758/68 is also capable of running USB stacks such as Micrims C/USB-Device,
and C/USB-Host. The USB controller is a full-speed device, and can transfer data up to 12
Mbps. The MCB1700 can thus act as a USB device or a USB host. As a device, the evaluation
board can act as a Human Interface Device (HID) or a Mass Storage Device (MSD),
especially with the on-board SD card. In other words, the MCB1700 can appear as a disk
drive to a PC. As a USB host, the MCB1700 interfaces to USB memory sticks, allowing for
the storage and retrieval of data.
The included microSD connector allows applications to run a file system such as Micrims
C/FS to save and retrieve contents onto a Micro Secure Digital (microSD) card. The
microSD card can be used to log data to a file, which can be read from a PC (assumes USB
Device, MSD, or an FTP client or server). Note that the microSD card is not provided with
the MCB1700 evaluation board.
The two RS-232C connectors allow an application to output information to a terminal (or a
terminal emulator). One of the two RS-232C interfaces can also be used with C/Probe.
Appendix E contains the complete schematics for the MCB1700.
671
1
Chapter 1
10/100
Ethernet Port
USB
Host/Device
Cortex Debug
Port
JTAG Debug
Port
RS232C
(COM0)
CAN2
QVGA TFT
LCD
RS232C
(COM1)
CAN1
Prototype
Area
microSD
Socket
Potentiometer
LEDs (8)
ETM Interface
Push Buttons
5-Position
Joystick
Figure 1-1 Keil MCB1700 Evaluation Board
672
1
Introduction
1-2 PART II CHAPTER CONTENTS

Chapter 1, The ARM Cortex-M3 and the LPC1768. This chapter provides a brief
introduction to the ARM Cortex-M3 CPU and its implementation in the LPC1768.
Chapter 2, Setup. The chapter explains how to set up the test environment to run C/OS-III
examples. The chapter describes how to download the 32K version of the Keil MDK-ARM tool
chain, how to obtain example code that accompanies the book, and how to connect the
MCB1700 evaluation board to a PC.
Chapter 3, DMA-Based LED Blinking. This chapter explains how to get C/OS-III up
and running. This first example will perform a modified version of the classical blink a
light test. After 10 seconds the application sets the CPU in sleep mode. The LPC1768s sleep
mode halts the clock to the CPUs core and powers down the on-chip flash memory but the
peripheral clocks and the SRAM memory module remain powered.
DMA is used to transfer data that is located in SRAM to the LEDs (which are connected to
GPIOs on the MCB1700 evaluation board) while the CPU is in sleep mode. Since the CPU is
in sleep mode, DMA requests are made by Timer 0 at a rate of 1Hz. An external interrupt
(INT0 push button) brings the CPU back to normal mode and the execution is resumed.
Chapter 4, LCD Display. This chapter describes how to create a simple Graphical User
Interface (GUI) to be used in a multitask environment.
Chapter 5, Ringtone Player. In this chapter we implement a Ringtone Player using the
MCB1700s speaker and the LPC17xxs digital-to-analog converter (DAC). The ringtones are
stored onto the LPC17xxs on-chip flash memory in a Ring Tone Text Transfer Language
Format (RTTTL). A simple user interface is created to allow the user to select and play a
specific ringtone from a playlist.
The example requires a tone generator that creates a sine wave to be output to the DAC.
The audio is sampled at 44,100 Hz and, instead of using a timer to generate an interrupt
every 22.67 s, the LPC17xxs DMA is used to eliminate the overhead of an interrupt.
The example also shows how audio quality is reduced when the applications task priorities
are not properly assigned.
673
1
Chapter 1
Chapter 6, Playing Audio Wave Files. This chapter describes the implementation of a
simple media player. The media player will play files in WaveForm Audio file format
(WAVE) from a microSD card. The audio will be played through the LPC17xx DAC and the
MCB1700s speaker.
Files can be uploaded into the microSD card using the Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP)
through an Ethernet connection. Note that the microSD card is not provided with the
MCB1700 evaluation board and you will thus need to acquire such a card from your favorite
computer part supplier.
Appendix A, C/OS-III Port for the Cortex-M3. This appendix explains how C/OS-III
was adapted to the Cortex-M3 CPU. The Cortex-M3 contains interesting features specifically
designed for real-time kernels, and C/OS-III makes good use of these.
Appendix B, C/CPU Port to the Cortex-M3. This appendix describes how C/CPU was
adapted to the Cortex-M3 processors.
Appendix C, C/Probe. This appendix provides a brief description of Micrim's
award-winning C/Probe, which easily allows users to display and change target variables
at run time.
Appendix D, Debugging with ARM CoreSight Technology on Cortex-M3
Processors. This appendix describes the debug components in the ARM CoreSight as
implemented in the NXP LPC1768.
Appendix E, MCB1700 Schematics. This appendix provides the full schematics for the
Keil MCB1700 evaluation board.
Appendix F, Bibliography.
Appendix G, Licensing C/OS-III.
674
1
Introduction
1-3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank Mr. Bob Boys from ARM/Keil for his support and help on this project.
His knowledge and insight of the Cortex-M3 architecture and the Keil tools have proved to
be invaluable.
Thank you to Mr. Kenneth Dwyer and the fine folks at NXP for their help and for working
with Micrim to make this book a reality.
Finally, thank you to my great team at Micrim for the help and support they provided for
this project.
675
1
Chapter 1
676
Chapter
2
The ARM Cortex-M3 and the NXP LPC1768
The ARM Cortex family is a new generation of processor that provides a standard
architecture for a wide range of technological demands. Unlike other ARM CPUs, the Cortex
family is a complete processor core that provides a standard CPU and system architecture.
The Cortex-M3 family is designed for cost-sensitive and microcontroller applications.
This chapter provides a brief summary of the Cortex-M3 architecture. Additional reference
material is provided in the Appendix F, Bibliography on page 819.
While ARM7 and ARM9 CPUs are successfully integrated into standard microcontrollers,
they do show their SoC heritage. Each specific manufacturer has designed an interrupt
handling solution. However, the Cortex-M3 provides a standardized microcontroller core,
which goes beyond the CPU to provide the complete heart of a microcontroller (including
the interrupt system, SysTick timer, debug system and memory map). The 4 Gbyte address
space of Cortex-M3 is split into well-defined regions for code, SRAM, peripherals, and
system peripherals. Unlike the ARM7, the Cortex-M3 is a Harvard architecture with multiple
busses that allow it to perform operations in parallel, boosting overall performance. Unlike
earlier ARM architectures, the Cortex family allows unaligned data access. This ensures the
most efficient use of the internal SRAM. The Cortex family also supports setting and clearing
of bits within two 1Mbyte regions of memory by a method called bit banding. This allows
efficient access to peripheral registers and flags located in SRAM memory, without the need
for a full Boolean processor.
One of the key components of the Cortex-M3 core is the Nested Vector Interrupt Controller
(NVIC). The NVIC provides a standard interrupt structure for all Cortex-based microcontrollers
and exceptional interrupt handling. The NVIC provides dedicated interrupt vectors for up to 240
peripheral sources so that each interrupt source can be individually prioritized. In the case of
back-to-back interrupts, the NVIC uses a tail chaining method that allows successive interrupts
to be serviced with minimal overhead. During the interrupt-stacking phase, a high-priority
interrupt can preempt a low-priority interrupt without incurring additional CPU cycles. The
interrupt structure is also tightly coupled to the low-power modes within the Cortex-M3 core.
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Although the Cortex-M3 is designed as a low cost core, it is still a 32-bit CPU with support
for two operating modes: Thread mode and Handler mode, which can be configured with
their own stacks. This allows more sophisticated software design and support for such
real-time kernels as C/OS-II and C/OS-III.
The Cortex core also includes a 24-bit auto reload timer that is intended to provide a
periodic interrupt for the kernel. While the ARM7 and ARM9 CPUs have two instruction sets
(the ARM 32-bit and Thumb 16-bit), the Cortex family is designed to support the ARM
Thumb-2 instruction set. This blends both 16-bit and 32-bit instructions to deliver the
performance of the ARM 32-bit instruction set with the code density of the Thumb 16-bit
instruction set. The Thumb-2 is a rich instruction set designed as a target for C/C++
compilers. This means that a Cortex application can be entirely coded in C.
2-1 THE CORTEX CPU

The Cortex CPU is a 32-bit RISC CPU. This CPU has a simplified version of the ARM7/9
programmers model, but a richer instruction set with good integer math support, better bit
manipulation, and harder real-time performance.
The Cortex CPU executes most instructions in a single cycle, which is achieved with a
three-stage pipeline.
The Cortex CPU is a RISC processor featuring a load and store architecture. In order to
perform data processing instructions, the operands must be loaded into CPU registers, the
data operation must be performed on these registers, and the results saved back to memory.
Consequently, all program activity focuses on the CPU registers.
As shown in Figure 2-1, the CPU registers consists of sixteen 32-bit wide registers. Registers
R0-R12 can be used to hold variables or addresses. Registers R13-R15 have special functions
within the Cortex CPU. Register R13 is used as a stack pointer. This register is banked, which
allows the Cortex CPU to have two operating modes, each with its own separate stack space.
In the Cortex CPU the two stacks are called the main stack (ISR stack) and the process stack
(Task stack). The next register, R14, is called the link register, and it is used to store the return
address when a call is made to a function. This allows the Cortex CPU to make a fast entry
and exit to a function. If the code calls several levels of subroutines, the compiler
automatically stores R14 onto the stack. The final register R15 is the program counter. Since
R15 is part of the CPU registers it can be read and manipulated like any other register.
678

2
ELW
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Figure 2-1 The Cortex-M3 CPU Registers
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2-1-1 THE PROGRAM STATUS REGISTER

In addition to the CPU registers there is a separate register called the Program Status
Register (PSR). The PSR is not part of the main CPU registers and is only accessible through
two dedicated instructions. The PSR contains a number of fields that influence the execution
of the Cortex CPU. Refer to the Cortex-M3 Technical Reference Manual for details.

1 = & 9 4 ,&,,7 7

,&,,7

,65 1XPEHU
Figure 2-2 The Cortex-M3 PSR Register
While most Thumb-2 instructions execute in a single cycle, some (such as load and store
instructions) take multiple cycles. To enable the Cortex CPU to have a deterministic
interrupt response time, these instructions are interruptible.
2-1-2 STACKING AND INTERRUPTS

Tasks execute in Thread mode using the process stack; interrupts execute in Handler mode
using the main stack. The task context is automatically saved on the process stack when an
exception occurs, whereupon the processor moves to Handler mode, making the main stack
active. On return from the exception, the task context is restored and Thread mode reinstated.
Figure 2-3 shows the stacking order of the CPU registers during an exception or interrupt. The
software only needs to save/restore registers R4-R11 (if required by the Interrupt Service
Routine); the other registers are saved automatically by hardware upon accepting the interrupt.
680

2
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2-2 NESTED VECTOR INTERRUPT CONTROLLER (NVIC)

The Cortex-M3 includes not only the core CPU (ALU, control logic, data interface, instruction
decoding, etc.), but also several integrated peripherals. Most important is the Nested Vectored
Interrupt Controller (NVIC), designed for low latency, efficiency and configurability.
The NVIC saves half of the processor registers automatically upon interrupt, restoring them upon
exit, which allows for efficient interrupt handling. Moreover, back-to-back interrupts are handled
without saving/restoring registers (since that is unnecessary). This is called Tail Chaining.
The NVIC offers 8 to 256 priority levels, with dynamic priority assignment. The NVIC also is
capable of handling between 1 and 240 external interrupt sources.
The NVIC is a standard unit within the Cortex core. This means that all Cortex-based
microcontrollers have the same interrupt structure, regardless of the manufacturer.
Therefore, application code and operating systems can be easily ported from one
microcontroller to another, and the programmer does not need to learn a new set of
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2
registers. The NVIC is also designed to have very low interrupt latency. This is both a feature
of the NVIC itself and of the Thumb-2 instruction set, which allows such multi-cycle
instructions as load and store multiple to be interruptible.
The NVIC peripheral eases the migration between Cortex-M3 processors. This is particularly
true for C/OS-III.
2-3 EXCEPTION VECTOR TABLE

The Cortex vector table starts at the bottom of the address range. However, rather than start
at zero, the vector table starts at address 0x00000004 and the first four bytes are used to
store the starting address of the stack pointer. The vector table is shown in Table 2-1.
Each of the interrupt vector entries is four bytes wide and holds the start address of each
service routine associated with the interrupt. The first 15 entries are for exceptions that
occur within the Cortex core. These include the reset vector, non-maskable interrupt, fault
and error management, debug exceptions, and the SysTick timer interrupt. The Thumb-2
instruction set also includes system service call instructions which, when executed, generate
an exception. The user peripheral interrupts start from entry 16, and will be linked to
peripherals as defined by the manufacturer. In software, the vector table is usually
maintained in the startup by locating the service routine addresses at the base of memory.
No.
Type
Priority
Type of Priority
Description
Reset
-3
Fixed
Reset
NMI
-2
Fixed
Non-Maskable Interrupts
Hard Fault
-1
Fixed
Default fault if other handler not

implemented
MemManageFault
Settable
MPU violation
Bus Fault
Settable
Fault if AHB error
Usage Fault
Settable
Program error exception
7-10
Reserved
11
SV Call
682
N/A
3
Settable
System Call Service

2
No.
Type
Priority
Type of Priority
Description
12
Debug Monitor
Settable
Breakpoints, watchpoints, external debug
13
Reserved
N/A
N/A
14
PendSV
Settable
Pendable request
15
SysTick
Settable
System tick timer
16
Interrupt #0
Settable
External interrupt #0
Settable
Settable
256
Interrupt #240
247
Settable
External interrupt #240
Table 2-1 The Cortex-M3 Exception Table
The PendSV vector is used by C/OS-III to perform a context switch, while the SysTick
vector is used by C/OS-III for the clock tick interrupt.
2-4 SYSTICK (SYSTEM TICK)

The Cortex core includes a 24-bit down counter with auto reload and end of count
interrupt, called the SysTick. The SysTick was designed to be used as an RTOS clock tick
interrupt, and it is present in all Cortex implementations.
The SysTick timer has three registers. The current value and reload value should be
initialized with the count period. The control and status register contains an ENABLE bit to
start the timer running, and a TICKINT bit to enable its interrupt line.
The SysTick peripheral eases the migration between Cortex-M3 processors, which is
particularly true for C/OS-III.
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2-5 MEMORY MAP

Unlike most previous ARM processors, the Cortex-M3 has a fixed-memory map as shown in
Figure 2-4.
ROM table
External PPB
ETM
Vendor Specific
Private Peripheral Bus - External
TPIU
Private Peripheral Bus - Internal
Reserved
NVIC
External Device
1GB
External RAM
1 GB
Peripheral
0.5GB
SRAM
0.5GB
Code
0.5GB
Reserved
FPB
DWT
ITM
Bit band alias
Bit band region
Bit band alias
Bit band region
Figure 2-4 Cortex-M3 Memory Map
The first 1.0 Gbyte of memory is split evenly between a code region and a SRAM region.
Although code can be loaded and executed from the SRAM, instructions would be fetched
using the system bus, which incurs an extra wait state. It is likely that code would run
slower from SRAM than from on-chip flash memory located in the code region.
684

2
The next 0.5 Gbyte of memory is the on-chip peripheral region. All user peripherals
provided by the microcontroller vendor will be located in this region.
The first Mbyte of both the SRAM and Peripheral regions is bit-addressable using a
technique called bit banding. Since all SRAM and user peripherals on the processor are
located in these regions, every memory location of the processor can be manipulated in a
word-wide or bitwise fashion.
The next 2.0 Gbytes of address space is allocated to external memory-mapped SRAM
and peripherals.
The final 0.5 Gbyte is allocated to the internal Cortex processor peripherals and a region for
future vendor-specific enhancements to the Cortex processor. All Cortex processor registers
are at fixed locations for all Cortex-based microcontrollers.
2-6 INSTRUCTION SET

The ARM7 and ARM9 CPUs execute two instruction sets: the ARM 32-bit instruction set and
the Thumb 16-bit instruction set. This allows developers to optimize a program by selecting
the instruction set used for different procedures: for example, 32-bit instructions for speed,
and 16-bit instructions for code compression.
The Cortex CPU is designed to execute the Thumb-2 instruction set, which is a blend of
16-bit and 32-bit instructions. The Thumb-2 instruction set yields a 26% code density
improvement over the ARM 32-bit instruction set, and a 25% improvement in performance
over the Thumb 16-bit instruction set.
The Thumb-2 instruction set has improved multiply instructions, which can execute in a
single cycle, and a hardware divide that takes between 2 7 cycles.
Of special interest to C/OS-III is the Count Leading Zeros (CLZ) instruction, which greatly
improves the scheduling algorithm, See Chapter 6, The Ready List on page 131 in Part I of
this book.
685
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2
2-7 DEBUGGING FEATURES

The Cortex core has a debug system called CoreSight as shown in Figure 2-5. The full
CoreSight debug system has a Debug Access Port (DAP), which allows connection to the
microcontroller by a JTAG tool. The debug tool can connect using the standard 5-pin JTAG
interface or a serial 2-wire interface.
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In addition to the JTAG debug features, the full CoreSight debug system contains a Data
Watch Trace (DWT) and an Embedded Trace Macrocell (ETM). For software testing there is
Instrumentation Trace Macrocell (ITM) and Flash Patch Block (FPB). The LPC1768
implements the CoreSight debug system and also includes the Embedded Trace Macrocell.
The CoreSight debug system provides eight hardware breakpoints which can be
non-intrusively set and cleared while the Cortex CPU is running. In addition, the Data Watch
Trace allows you to view the contents of memory locations non-intrusively while the Cortex
CPU runs. The CoreSight debug system can stay active when the Cortex core enters a low
power or sleep mode. This makes a world of difference when debugging a low-power
application. Additionally the LPC1768 timers can be halted when the CPU is halted by the
CoreSight system. This allows you to single-step the code and keep the timers in
synchronization with the instructions executing on the Cortex CPU.
The Data Watch Trace module also contains a 32-bit CPU cycle counter, which can be used
to make time measurements. This is particularly interesting for C/CPU, which can use this
cycle counter for time stamping. A detailed description of the ARM CoreSight Technology is
described in Appendix D on page 803.
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2
2-8 THE NXP LPC1768

NXPs LPC1700 series uses a low power, cost effective Cortex-M3 core that operates at core
frequency clock rates up to 120 MHz. The LPC1700 family offers memory configurations of
up to 512 KB of flash memory and up to 64 KB of SRAM. The LPC1700 series features a
multi-layer AHB bus that allows high-bandwidth peripherals such as Ethernet and USB to
run simultaneously, without impacting performance. The LPC176x devices are available in
an LQFP100 package while the LPC175x MCUs are offered in an LQFP80 package. The
LPC1700 series is pin compatible with the popular NXP LPC2300 series of ARM7
microcontrollers, allowing designers to compare the M3 and ARM7 cores in the same socket
and simply choose the microcontroller that is best for their application. With its wide array
of peripherals and high performance, the LPC1700 is ideal for e-Metering, lighting, industrial
networking, alarm systems, white goods and motor control applications.
The peripheral complement of the LPC1700 family includes Ethernet MAC, Full speed USB
Host/Device/OTG interface, DMA controller, enhanced serial interfaces such as UART, CAN,
SPI, I2C and I2S. Peripherals such as the Quadrature Encoder, 12-bit ADC and PWM are
designed with motor control in mind. The LPC1700 Timer blocks are flexible and have extra
functionality such as toggle port pin on match events. In addition there are general purpose
PWM, 10bit DAC, an ultra-low power RTC with separate battery supply and up to 70 general
purpose I/O pins. The following are some key peripheral features:
10/100 Ethernet MAC
USB 2.0 full-speed device/Host/OTG controller with on-chip PHY
Four UARTs with fractional baud rate generation, RS-485, modem control I/O, and IrDA
Two CAN 2.0B controllers
Three SSP/SPI controllers
Three I2C-bus interfaces with one supporting fast mode plus (1 Mbit/s data rates)
I2S interface for digital audio
12-bit ADC with eight channels
10-bit DAC
Real-Time Clock operating at < 1 uA
Eight channel General Purpose DMA controller

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Up to 70 General Purpose I/O
Motor control PWM and Quadrature Encoder Interface to support three-phase motors
Four 32-bit general purpose timers/counters
4 MHz internal RC oscillator trimmed to 1 % accuracy
Since the LPC1700 is based on the Cortex-M3 architecture, it utilizes a multi-layer AHB
matrix scheme to connect the Cortex-M3 buses and other bus masters to peripherals in a
flexible manner that optimizes performance by allowing peripherals on different slave ports
of the matrix to be accessed simultaneously by different bus masters. The various
peripherals supported in the LPC1700 family of devices are located on two APB buses called
APB slave group 0 bus (APB0) and APB slave group 1 (APB1). They are connected to the
AHB masters (CPU and DMA) via the two AHB to APB bridges using two separate slave
ports from the multilayer AHB matrix.
The LPC1700 has a Memory Protection Unit (MPU) which can be used to improve the
reliability of an embedded system by protecting critical data within the user application. The
MPU allows separating processing tasks by disallowing access to each other's data, disabling
access to memory regions, allowing memory regions to be defined as read-only and
detecting unexpected memory accesses that could potentially break the system. For safety
critical applications the LPC1700 is a great choice. Features such as hardware flash signature
generation, independent oscillators and clocks make it ideal for these applications. NXP has
made freely available its VDE certified IEC60335 Class B library code.
The LPC1700 family integrates a flash accelerator which attempts to have the next Cortex-M3
instruction that will be needed in its latches in time to prevent CPU fetch stalls. The flash
accelerator block allows maximization of the performance of the Cortex-M3 processor when it
is running code from flash memory, while also saving power. The flash accelerator also
provides speed and power improvements for data accesses to the flash memory.
In addition to the traditional JTAG and ETM interfaces the LPC1700 supports Serial Wire
Debug (SWD) interface and Serial Wire Output (SWO) debug options. Serial Wire Debug
(SWD) has the same functionality as the JTAG interface (5 pins) and is a two-pin debugging
mode that uses only a clock and data interface. Serial Wire Output (SWO) is used for trace
functions and uses 1 pin for trace output. Note that the ETM function in LPC1700 is
functionally very different than the trace that is available for previous ARM7 based devices,
using only 5 pins instead of 10 for trace data. Finally, the ARM Cortex-M3 in the LPC1700 is
configured to support up to six hardware breakpoints and four data watch points.
688
Chapter
3
Setup
In this chapter, you will learn how to setup an environment to run C/OS-III-based projects
on the Keil MCB1700 evaluation board
It is assumed that the following elements are available:
1
A Windows-based PC running Windows-XP, Vista or Windows 7
The Keil MCB1700 evaluation board with ULINK family USB-JTAG adapter for
high-performance debug/download.
The Keil Microcontroller Development Kit version 4.11 or higher (evaluation version
available for download)
Micrims C/Probe (available for download)
The example code that accompanies this book (available for download)
689
Chapter 3
3-1 DOWNLOADING KEIL VISION

Examples provided with this book were built using the Keil Microcontroller Development
Kit (MDK-ARM) version 4.11.
KEIL VISION
Vision is an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) and is a component of the Keil
MDK-ARM development system. Vision supports ARM7, ARM9, Cortex-M0, Cortex-M1,
Cortex-M3, Cortex-M4, Cortex-R4 and Cortex-R4F processors.
MDK-ARM components include the Vision IDE, RealView compiler, assembler and
linker. The Keil ULINK JTAG/SWD adapter family includes the ULINK2, ULINK-ME and the
ULINKpro.
MDK-ARM provides these features:
Vision IDE with Integrated Debugger, flash programmer and the RealView ARM
compiler.
Serial Wire Viewer trace capability is included.
Choice of USB adapters: ULINK2, ULINK-ME, ULINKpro and Segger J-Link.
Keil Technical Support is included for one year. This helps you get your project
completed faster.
You can download a non-time limited version of Keil MDK-ARM that allows you to write
applications of up to 32 Kbytes in size (code and data). In order to download the evaluation
version of the Keil MDK-ARM please access the following web link:
http://www.keil.com/demo/eval/arm.htm
After entering your contact information, you can download the installer, simple execute the
installer and follow the on-screen instructions.
690
Setup
3-2 DOWNLOADING KEIL MCB1700 AND LPC17XX

DOCUMENTATION
The Keil MCB1700 users guide is available from the Keil website.
http://www.keil.com/support/man/docs/mcb1700/
The NXP LPC17xx series device documentation can be found using the following web link:
http://ics.nxp.com/products/lpc1000/lpc17xx/
3-3 DOWNLOADING C/PROBE

C/Probe is an award-winning Microsoft Windows-based application that allows users to
display or change the value (at run time) of virtually any variable or memory location on a
connected embedded target. See Appendix C, Micrims C/Probe on page 795 for a brief
introduction.
C/Probe is used in all of the examples described in this book and allows you to gain
run-time visibility of your application. There are two versions of C/Probe:
The full version of C/Probe is included when you purchase a C/OS-III license. The full
version supports, RS 232C, TCP/IP, USB, and other interfaces. The full version allows users
to display or change an unlimited number of variables.
The trial version is not time limited, but only allows users to display or change up to 5
application variables. However, the trial version allows users to monitor any C/OS-III
variables because C/Probe is C/OS-III aware.
Both versions are available from Micrim's website. Simply point your favorite browser to:
www.micrium.com/page/downloads/windows_probe_trial
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Chapter 3
You can simply follow the links to download the desired version (or both). If not already
registered on the Micrim website, you will be asked to do so. Once downloaded, execute
the appropriate C/Probe setup file:
Micrium-uC-Probe-Setup-Full.exe
Micrium-uC-Probe-Setup-Trial.exe
3-4 C/OS-III LIBRARY

C/OS-III is provided in linkable library format. The library has been compiled with some
limitations. However, you will get the full source code for C/OS-III if you purchase a
license to use C/OS-III in your product.
C/OS-III libraries were created for each example so that only the required features are
enabled for a particular example.
COMMON LIMITATIONS
The linkable library supports only 18 different priority levels (0 to 17) but allows you to
have an unlimited number of tasks at priorities 2 to 15 (0, 1, 16 and 17 are reserved for
the OSs internal tasks).
The library does not perform argument checking for the Application Programming
Interface (API), does not validate object types (to confirm, for example, that a mutex
has not been mistakenly passed to a semaphore function), and does not verify that only
valid APIs are called from ISRs (Interrupt Service Routines).
The library does not support the OSTimeDlyResume() API, does not support software
timers (OSTmr???()), does not support memory partitions (OSMem???()) and does not
support task registers (OSTaskReg???()).
692
Setup
LIMITATIONS FOR THE LED BLINKING AND RINGTONE EXAMPLES
The library does not include C/OS-IIIs event flags, queues and timers.
The library has been compiled assuming the Post Deferred mode.
The library does not support the C/OS-III multi-pend feature.
LIMITATIONS FOR THE LCD DISPLAY EXAMPLE
The library does not enable the C/OS-III Statistics task.
The library does not support the C/OS-III multi-pend feature.
LIMITATIONS FOR THE PLAYING WAVE FILES EXAMPLE
There are no specific limitations for this project.
3-5 C/TCP-IP, C/DHCPC AND C/TFTPS LIBRARY

C/TCP-IP, C/DHCPc and C/TFTPs are provided in linkable library format to allow you to
run the Playing Wave Files example. These libraries have been compiled with some
limitations as listed below. However, C/TCP-IP licensees will obtain the full source code
for C/TCP-IP and thus all these restrictions can easily be lifted.
C/TCP-IP library only supports UDP.
C/TCP-IP ARP cache only contains 3 entries.
C/TCP-IP only allows up to 4 sockets.
The select() API is disabled.
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Chapter 3
3-6 C/FS LIBRARY

C/FS is provided in linkable library format to allow you to run the Playing Wave Files
example. This library contains the limitations listed below. However, C/FS licensees will
obtain the full source code for C/FS and thus all these restrictions can easily be lifted.
C/FS only works with SD cards.
You can only open 2 files at any given time.
3-7 C/OS-III PROJECTS FOR THIS BOOK

All the example projects are listed in the following link:
http://www.micrium.com/Books/Micrium-uCOS-III/
Download and execute the following file:
Micrium-Book-uCOS-III-NXP-LPC1768.exe
Once installed, all files available with this book are placed
under the \Micrium\Software directory as shown in
Figure 3-1 at right.
Figure 3-1 Folder structure
694
Setup
3-7-1 EXAMPLE PROJECTS FOLDERS

The \EvalBoards folder is the standard Micrim sub-directory where all evaluation board
examples are placed. The sub-directory contains additional sub-directories organizing
evaluation boards by chip manufacturers. In this case, NXP is the manufacturer of the
LPC17xx used on the Keil MCB1700 board and projects are compiled using
the MDK-ARM Microcontroller Development Kit. So, project files are found under
Micrium\Software\EvalBoards\NXP\MCB1700\KeilMDK
\Micrium\Software\EvalBoards\NXP\MCB1700\KeilMDK\BSP
This directory contains the Board Support Package (BSP) files used to support the
peripherals found in the MCB1700 board. A BSP is a collection of functions that
encapsulates access to peripherals found on the board. Specifically, functions are available
to turn on or off the onboard LEDs, to write to the LCD, to read the status of the joystick
and push buttons, and to perform other board-specific operations. This directory also
contains BSP files for C/FS and C/TCP-IP.
\Micrium\Software\EvalBoards\NXP\MCB1700\KeilMDK\uCOS-III-Ex1
This directory presents a simple project that demonstrates how to properly initialize and
start a C/OS-III-based application. In this project Direct Memory Access (DMA) will be
used to transfer a blink pattern that is located in SRAM to the LEDs (through GPIOs) on
the MCB1700 board. This project is described in Chapter 4, DMA-Based LED Blinking
on page 701.
This directory demonstrates a few features of the LPC1758/68 in conjunction with C/OS-III.
In this example multiple tasks will access the MCB1700s on-board LCD. One task displays
the boards potentiometer values, another task shows a slideshow of images and a third task
will display the creation of a drawing controlled by the joystick. This project is described in
Chapter 5, LCD Display on page 719
This directory demonstrates a simple audio application using C/OS-III, the LPC1758/68
DAC and the boards speaker. This example allows changing the priority of the audio task
so that the audio quality is affected when a high priority task preempts the audio task. This
project is described in Chapter 6, Ringtone Player on page 729
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Chapter 3
This directory demonstrates a real-time application where the system will simulate a wave
file player. The files will be stored on an SD card (the SD card is not included with the
MCB1700) that is retrieved using C/FS. A simple graphical user interface is provided to
select which file to play. Audio files are placed on the SD cards using the Ethernet
connection to a PC. The PC uses TFTP to transfer the audio files to the SD card. This project
is described in Chapter 7, Playing Audio Wave Files on page 751
\Micrium\Software\EvalBoards\NXP\MCB1700\KeilMDK\uCOS-III-LIB
This directory contains all the libraries used in the examples. This directory also contains all
the configuration files used to configure these libraries. Due to the 32K limitation in the
evaluation version of the Keil Vision, a specific library was created for each of the
examples. The library file micrium.lib can be found in the following sub-directories:
\Micrium\Software\EvalBoards\NXP\MCB1700\KeilMDK\uCOS-III-Lib\Ex1
In addition to the libraries, some other precompiled resources can be found in these
directories.
\Micrium\Software\EvalBoards\NXP\MCB1700\KeilMDK\uCOS-III-Lib\LCD
This directory contains precompiled files with images and fonts used in the LCD Display
example.
\Micrium\Software\uC-CPU
This directory contains the header and source files for C/CPU. C/CPU contains CPU
specific typedefs, #defines, macros and functions.
\Micrium\Software\uC-CSP
This directory contains the header and source files for C/CSP (chip support package).
C/CSP is a common API that provide hardware access to some of the MCUs peripherals
(GPIO, Interrupt controller, timers).
696
Setup
\Micrium\Software\uC-LIB
This directory contains the header files for Micrims C/LIB. C/LIB contains Micrims
version of commonly used functions such as string copy, memory copy, etc.
\Micrium\Software\uC-OS-III
This directory contains the header files for the C/OS-III library. It also contains the
application configuration file os_cfg_app.c and the generic OS chip support for the
ARM Cortex-M3.
The following directories contain only header files for C/FS (the File System suite),
C/Probe (Real time monitor), C/Serial (Serial communications), C/TCP-IP (the TCP/IP
stack), C/DHCPc (the DHCP client) and C/TFTPs (the TFTP server).
\Micrium\Software\uC-FS
\Micrium\Software\uC-DHCPc-V2
\Micrium\Software\uC-Probe
\Micrium\Software\uC-Serial
\Micrium\Software\uC-TCPIP-V2
\Micrium\Software\uC-TFTPs
All the examples projects are compatible with the MCB1750 and MCB1760 configurations
and with board revisions (1.0 and 1.2).
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3-8 CONNECTING THE KEIL MCB1700 BOARD TO A PC

Figure 3-2 shows the connections between the PC and the MCB1700 board.
3-8-1 POWER SUPPLY & DEBUGGING

The MCB1700 requires one USB connection for power and another for the ULINK-USB
adapter between the development PC and the JTAG connector, as shown in Figure 3-2.
USB to RS-232
Adapter
Serial Ports
ULINK
USB JTAG adapter
USB Power Supply
Router
DHCP Server
Ethernet cable
Keil MCB1700
Figure 3-2 MCB1700 Setup
3-8-2 SERIAL PORTS

The MCB1700 board has two serial ports. By default, serial port COM0 is used to
communicate with C/Probe and serial port COM1 is used for tracing.
If your computer doesnt have physical RS-232 ports, you will need to use one or two
USB-to-Serial converters to connect your PC to the on-board serial port(s). USB-to-Serial
converters are available from most PC accessory suppliers.
698
Setup
3-8-3 C/PROBE INTERFACE

C/Probe can access the target using three different protocols.
JTAG/SWD protocol through J-Link
RS-232
TCP-IP
JTAG/SWD and RS-232 are enabled for all the examples. TCP-IP is only available in the
Playing Wave Files example, since it requires C/TCP-IP.
3-8-4 ETHERNET CONNECTION

Only the Playing Wave Files example requires an Ethernet connection. For this example you
can connect the board directly to the PC using a crossover cable or you can connect it to a
router as shown in Figure 3-2.
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Chapter
4
DMA-Based LED Blinking
In this chapter, you will learn to create a C/OS-III-based application using the Keil
Microcontroller Development Kit (MDK) and the Vision Integrated Development
Environment (IDE). First, a functional description of the example will be provided where
you will learn how to open, compile and debug the example application. You will also
learn how to use C/Probe and its built-in kernel awareness.
4-1 EXAMPLE DESCRIPTION

This first example will perform a modified version of the classical blink a light test. After 10
seconds the application sets the CPU in sleep mode. The LPC1700s sleep mode halts the
clock to the CPUs core and powers down the on-chip flash memory but the peripheral
clocks and the SRAM memory module remain powered.
DMA is used to transfer data that is located in SRAM to the LEDs (which are connected to
GPIOs on the MCB1700 development board) while the CPU is in sleep mode. Since the CPU
is in sleep mode, DMA requests are made by Timer 0 at a rate of 1Hz. An external interrupt
(INT0 push button) brings the CPU back to normal mode and the execution is resumed.
The block diagram for this example is shown in Figure 4-1.
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External
Interrupt
Startup
Task
CPU resumes
execution
Ext Interrupt
Handler
10 sec?
No
- Turn off all LEDs
- Turn CPU Power Mode LED
- Stop Timer 0
- Clear external interrupt
- Enable SysTick Interrupt
(Resume OS)
Yes
- Turn off CPU Power/Heartbeat LEDs

- Start DMA transfer
- Start Timer 0
- Disable SysTick interrupt
- Enable external 0 interrupt
- Enter CPU in low power mode
Toggle Heartbeat
LED
Figure 4-1 LED Blinking Diagram
The LED and button configurations are shown in Figure 4-2:
Power Indicator LED: This LED shows the current power mode. The LED is ON for
normal mode and OFF for low-power mode.
Heart Beat LED: The purpose of this LED is to show that C/OS-III is running. This
LED blinks at a 5 Hz rate.
LEDs toggled by DMA: When the application sets the CPU in sleep mode, these LEDs
represent the memory contents of the memory area used to perform the DMA transfer.
Power Indicator
LED
Heart Beat LED
Toggled by CPU
Exit from
"Sleep" Mode
LEDs Toggled by DMA

Figure 4-2 LED configuration
702
4-2 OPENING AND RUNNING THE PROJECT

You need to first open the Vision IDE. In the Project menu, click on Open Project, then
navigate the file browser through the following directory path to locate uCOS-III-Ex1.uvproj
as shown below.
Figure 4-3 Opening the Vision Project
After the project is open, you will be able to see the workspace as shown in Figure 4-4.
Notice that all files are organized in groups. This allows you to easily navigate through the
project files in the different Micrim modules.
The APP (application) group contains all the code for the example application. It also
contains all the configuration files which are used to configure the application and all other
modules.
The BSP group contains the Board Support Package code. The BSP code allows the
application to access some of the peripherals on the MCB1700 boards such as push
buttons, LCD, LEDs, etc.
The uC/OS-III group contains the header file os.h for C/OS-III. Note that this group also
contains some source files that need to be compiled with your application.
The Library group contains the linkable library file micrium.lib, which contains all the
precompiled code needed for this example.
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4
The other groups contain only the header files for some of the other modules used in this
example.
Figure 4-4 Workspace for LED Blinking example
The project must be built in order to run it on the target. This is accomplished by pressing
the F7 button on your PC, Build Target.
The application then needs to be downloaded onto the internal flash memory of the
LPC1758/68. Select Flash > Erase and Select Flash > Download. Once the application has
been downloaded onto the CPUs internal flash memory, you can start the debugging
session clicking on the Start/Stop Debug Session button or pressing Ctrl + F5 as shown in
Figure 4-5.
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4
Start/Stop Debug Session
Flash Menu
Figure 4-5 Downloading and debugging Example 1
After starting the debug session, simply press F5 or the Run icon to run the application code.
At this point, a number of things should happen:
The Power LED should be turned on.
The Heart Beat LED should blink at a 5 Hz rate.
After 10 seconds the Power LED and the Heart Beat LED should turn OFF. Then, the
DMA transfer will start and the LEDs on Pins 2.3 2.6 should show a pattern which is
defined in the code (see app.c).
When the DMA is completed, all LEDs will be turned off. At this point, you can press
the push button labeled INT0 to resume the execution.
After the execution is resumed the process will be repeated indefinitely.
4-3 RUNNING C/PROBE

It is assumed that you installed the trial version of C/Probe on your PC as part of the setup.
Start C/Probe by locating the C/Probe icon on your PC. The icon, by the way, represents
a box and the eye sees inside the box (which corresponds to your embedded system). In
fact, at Micrim, we like to say, Think outside the box, but see inside with C/Probe!
Figure 4-6 shows the initial screen when C/Probe is first started.
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Main Menu
Figure 4-6 C/Probe Startup screen
Click on the Main Menu icon to open up the main menu as shown in Figure 4-7. Then,
click the Open icon and navigate the file browser and locate the following directory:
Then select the C/Probe workspace uCOS-III-Ex1-Probe.wsp.
Previous Projects
Options
Figure 4-7 C/Probes Main Menu
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4
C/Probe will then open the workspace we created to demonstrate this first example.
After the workspace is open, the communication settings need to be configured. Click the
Main Menu icon but this time, click the Options icon to setup options as shown in Figure 4-8.
If you are going to use a serial interface you must select the RS-232 option. If you have a
J-Link, you can use the J-Link option. A J-Link is another JTAG/SWD interface similar to
the U-Link but is currently supported by C/Probe.
Figure 4-8 Selecting the RS-232C C/Probe Options
If the RS-232 option is selected, make sure you select the right COM port number and the
proper baud rate. By default the target is configured for a baudrate of 57,600. The baudrate
on the target can be changed in App_ProbeInit(). After closing the communication dialog
box, click on the run icon to start capturing information.
Two data screens were created for this example. The first data screen (C/OS-III KA) is the
kernel awareness for C/OS-Probe as shown Figure 4-9.
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Kernel Objects Tabs
Figure 4-9 C/Probe Kernel awareness
F4-9(1)
The first column shows the item number (1 to the total number of tasks).
F4-9(2)
The second column displays the name of each task. The name of a task is
assigned when the task is created in the application.
F4-9(3)
The priority of each task is displayed in the third column.
F4-9(4)
The next column indicates the state of each task. A task can be in one of eight
states as described in Chapter 5, Task Management on page 83 of this book.
The idle task will always be shown to be in the ready state. The tick and timer
tasks will either be ready or pending because both tasks wait (i.e., pend) on
their internal task semaphore. The statistics task will show delayed because it
calls OSTimeDly() at a rate configured by OSCfg_StatTaskRate_Hz.
F4-9(5)
The CPU Usage column indicates the CPU usage of each task relative to other
tasks. You need to monitor OSStatTaskCPUUsage in order to determine how
much total CPU usage the application consumes.
F4-9(6)
The CtxSwCtr column indicates the number of times the task executed. In other
words, the number of times it has been context switched to.
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4
F4-9(7)
The Interrupt Disable Time column indicates the maximum amount of time
interrupts were disabled when running the corresponding task.
F4-9(8)
The Scheduler Lock Time column indicates the maximum amount of time the
scheduler was locked when running the corresponding task.
F4-9(9)
The next three columns indicate the stack usage of each task. This information
is collected by the statistics task. The numbers represent the number of stack
entries. Specifically, on the ARM-Cortex-M3 each entry corresponds to 4 bytes.
F4-9(10)
The next five columns provide statistics about each tasks internal message
queue. If a task doesnt make use of its task message queue, all its entries are 0.
F4-9(11)
The last three columns provide run-time statistics regarding each tasks internal
semaphore.
F4-9(12)
The other tabs shows information related to semaphores, queues, mutexes,

event flags, memory partitions, the tick wheel, the timer wheel and other
aspects of C/OS-III.
The second data screen shows some variables used in the LED Blinking example. As shown
in Figure 4-10, the spreadsheet component is used to display the interrupt service routine
execution time. Basically it accesses entry #18 (External interrupt source) from the
CSP_MainVectTbl[]. This table contains .TimeCur and .TimeMax fields which hold the
current and maximum interrupt execution time, respectively. The values are expressed in
CPU_TS units. Columns 4 and 5 convert the value to microseconds using the frequency of
the timer that is used for time stamp measurements (100 Mhz in this case).
Two virtual LEDs were used to show the same hardware LED states as explained in
Figure 4-2.
Note that the numeric components for OSTickCtr will stop increasing after 10 seconds.
After the external interrupt occurs, the counter will start increasing again.
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Run Button
Interrupt Handler
Execution Time
Virtual LEDs
Figure 4-10 C/Probe Workspace
4-4 HOW THE EXAMPLE PROJECT WORKS

Since the evaluation license of Keil MDK-ARM is limited to 32K (code + data) some
application objects were allocated from a heap (managed by C/LIB) so that they did not
count in the 32K limitation.
Figure 4-11 shows the memory layout used for this example. The bottom 8K from the
second 32K on-chip SRAM block is used to allocate the application tasks stacks.
0x00000000 - 0x007FFFF
512 Kbytes
On-chip
non-volatile
memory
0x10000000 - 0x10001FFF
32 Kbytes
On-chip SRAM
0x2007C000 - 0x20083FFF
32 Kbytes
On-chip SRAM
On-chip SRAM
Typically used for
peripherals data
C/LIB Heap
Application tasks
stacks
0x2007C000 - 0x20081FFF
24 Kbytes
0x20082000 - 0x20083FFF
8 Kbytes
Figure 4-11 Memory Layout
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4
Listing 4-1 shows the code for main(). This code can used as a template to initialize any
C/OS III-based application.
void
main (void)
{
OS_ERR
os_err;
#if (CPU_CFG_NAME_EN == DEF_ENABLED)
CPU_ERR cpu_err;
#endif
BSP_PreInit();
(1)
CPU_Init();
(2)
#if (CPU_CFG_NAME_EN == DEF_ENABLED)

CPU_NameSet((CPU_CHAR *)CSP_DEV_NAME,
(CPU_ERR *)&cpu_err);
#endif
Mem_Init();
(3)
App_ObjAlloc();
OSInit(&os_err);
(4)
*)App_TaskStartTCBPtr,
(5)
(CPU_CHAR
*)"Start",
(OS_TASK_PTR )App_TaskStart,
(void
*)0,
(OS_PRIO
)APP_CFG_TASK_START_PRIO,
(CPU_STK
*)App_TaskStartStkPtr,
(CPU_STK_SIZE )APP_CFG_TASK_START_STK_SIZE_LIMIT,
(CPU_STK_SIZE )APP_CFG_TASK_START_STK_SIZE,
(OS_MSG_QTY
)0u,
(OS_TICK
)0u,
(void
*)0,
(OS_OPT
(OS_ERR
*)&os_err);
OSStart(&os_err);
(6)
(void)&os_err;
return (0);
}
Listing 4-1 main() in app.c
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Chapter 4
4
L4-1(1)
main() starts by calling a Board Support Package (BSP) pre-initialization

function BSP_PreInit(). This function initializes components that must be
operational before the kernel is initialized (i.e., external memory). Peripherals
that do not require any services from the kernel are also initialized by this
function. BSP_PreInit() calls BSP_CPU_Init() (which performs the CPUs
clocks initialization), CSP_IntInit() (which initializes the interrupt controller)
and CPU_IntDis() (which disables all interrupts).
L4-1(2)
CPU_Init() is called to initialize the C/CPU services (see Appendix B,

C/CPU Port for the Cortex-M3 on page 785). A name is assigned to the CPU
by calling CPU_NameSet(). This allows a debugger or C/Probe to display the
name of the CPU being used by the application. CSP_DEV_NAME is defined in
the C/CSP device definition file csp_dev.h.
L4-1(3)
Mem_Init() initializes the C/LIB memory management module.

App_ObjAlloc() allocates all of the applications objects from the heap.
L4-1(4)
OSInit() is then called to initialize C/OS-III. Normally, you will want to verify
that OSInit() returned without an error; however, in this example this check
has been omitted for clarity. OSInit() creates four internal tasks: the idle task,
the tick task, the ISR queue handler task and the statistics task.
L4-1(5)
OSTaskCreate() is called to create an application task called

App_TaskStart(). OSTaskCreate() is explained in the C/OS-III API
reference manual in Part I of this book.
App_TaskStartTCBPtr is a pointer to the OS_TCB used for the start task.
App_TaskStartStkPtr is a pointer to the start tasks stack; it points to an array
of CPU_STKs. In C/OS-III, each task requires its own stack space. The size of
each stack greatly depends on the application. In this example, the stack size is
declared through APP_CFG_TASK_START_STK_SIZE, which is defined in
app_cfg.h.
APP_CFG_TASK_START_STK_PRIO determines the priority of the start task and is
defined in app_cfg.h..
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4
L4-1(6)
OSStart() is finally called to start the multitasking process. OSStart() will

start the highest priority task created. In this example, the highest priority task
is App_TaskStart().
The code for App_TaskStart() is shown in Listing 4-2
(1)
static CPU_INT08U
App_DMA_Mem[10u] = {
(DEF_BIT_06 |
0u
|
0u
|
(DEF_BIT_06 | DEF_BIT_05 | DEF_BIT_04 |
(DEF_BIT_06 |
0u
| DEF_BIT_04 |
(DEF_BIT_06 |
0u
| DEF_BIT_04 |
(DEF_BIT_06 | DEF_BIT_05 | 0u
|
(0u
| DEF_BIT_05 | DEF_BIT_04 |
(0u
| 0u
| 0u
|
};
static
static
CPU_BOOLEAN
CPU_BOOLEAN
DEF_BIT_03
0u
DEF_BIT_03
0u
DEF_BIT_03
0u
DEF_BIT_03
DEF_BIT_03
0u
0u
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
DEF_BIT_02),
DEF_BIT_02),
0u
),
0u
),
DEF_BIT_02),
0u
),
DEF_BIT_02),
DEF_BIT_02),
0u
),
0u
)
App_ProbeLED_PwrMode;
App_ProbeLED_HeartBeat;
static void App_TaskStart (void *p_arg)

{
OS_ERR
err;
CPU_INT08U
time_ctr;
CSP_DEV_NBR ch_nbr;
CPU_BOOLEAN status;
(void)p_arg;
(void)App_ProbeLED_PwrMode;
(void)App_ProbeLED_HeartBeat;
BSP_PostInit();
OS_CSP_TickInit();
#if (OS_CFG_STAT_TASK_EN > 0u)
OSStatTaskCPUUsageInit(&err);
#endif
(2)
(3)
(4)
#ifdef CPU_CFG_INT_DIS_MEAS_EN
CPU_IntDisMeasMaxCurReset();
#endif
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Chapter 4
4
BSP_LED_Off(0);
BSP_LED_On(APP_LED_CPU_PWR_MODE);
(5)
App_SerialInit();
App_ProbeInit();
App_TaskCreate();
App_ObjCreate();
(6)
CSP_TmrInit();
CSP_DMA_InitExt();
(7)
CSP_GPIO_Cfg((CSP_DEV_NBR
(CSP_GPIO_MSK
(CSP_OPT
(CSP_OPT_FLAGS
(CPU_BOOLEAN
(CSP_OPT
(CSP_OPT
)CSP_GPIO_PORT_NBR_02,
)DEF_BIT_10,
(8)
)CSP_GPIO_DIR_IN,
)CSP_GPIO_FLAG_MODE_NONE,
)DEF_YES,
)CSP_INT_POL_EDGE_NEGATIVE,
)CSP_GPIO_FNCT_01);
(9)
(void)CSP_DMA_CH_AllocExt( CSP_DMA_CH_PRIO_ANY_LOW,
&ch_nbr);
CSP_DMA_CH_CfgExt((CSP_DEV_NBR
(CSP_OPT
(CSP_OPT
(CSP_OPT
(CSP_OPT
(CSP_OPT
(CSP_DEV_NBR
(CSP_DEV_NBR
)ch_nbr,
)CSP_DMA_XFER_TYPE_MEM_TO_PER,
)0u,
)CPU_WORD_SIZE_08,
)0u,
)CPU_WORD_SIZE_08,
)0u,
)CSP_DMA_XFER_PER_REQ_TMR_00_MATCH_0);
CSP_TmrOutCmpCfg(CSP_TMR_NBR_00,
CSP_TMR_PIN_OUT_NBR_00,
CSP_TMR_OPT_PIN_OUT_TOGGLE,
1u);
(10)
(11)
CSP_IntVectReg((CSP_DEV_NBR
)CSP_INT_CTRL_NBR_MAIN,
(CSP_DEV_NBR
)CSP_INT_SRC_NBR_EINT_00,
(CPU_FNCT_PTR )App_Ext0_IntHandler,
(void
*)ch_nbr);
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4
time_ctr
App_ProbeLED_PwrMode
= 0;
= DEF_ON;
App_ProbeLED_HeartBeat = DEF_OFF;
while (DEF_TRUE) {
(12)
OSTimeDlyHMSM(0u, 0u, 0u, 100u,

&err);
BSP_LED_Toggle(APP_LED_HEART_BEAT);
time_ctr++;
(13)
App_ProbeLED_HeartBeat = ~App_ProbeLED_HeartBeat;
if (time_ctr == 100u) {
time_ctr = 0u;
App_ProbeLED_PwrMode
= DEF_OFF;
App_ProbeLED_HeartBeat = DEF_OFF;
(14)
BSP_LED_Off(APP_LED_HEART_BEAT);
BSP_LED_Off(APP_LED_CPU_PWR_MODE);
CSP_DMA_XferStartExt((CSP_DEV_NBR
) ch_nbr,
(void
*) APP_ADDR_FIO2PIN_PIN,
(void
*)&App_DMA_Mem[0],
(CPU_SIZE_T
) sizeof(App_DMA_Mem),
(CSP_OPT_FLAGS ) CSP_DMA_OPT_FLAG_XFER_SRC_INC);
CSP_TmrStart(CSP_TMR_NBR_00);
CPU_IntSrcDis(CPU_INT_SYSTICK);
CSP_IntEn(CSP_INT_CTRL_NBR_MAIN,
CSP_INT_SRC_NBR_EINT_00);
CPU_WaitForInt();
(15)
}
}
}
Listing 4-2 App_TaskStart() in app.c
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Chapter 4
4
L4-2(1)
App_DMA_Mem[] is the memory array used to perform the DMA transfer. Its
contents correspond to the pattern we want to display on the LEDs. For
example, in the first DMA request only LEDs on ports P2.6, P2.3 and P2.2 will
be turned ON, in the second DMA request P2.6, P2.5, P2.4 and P2.2 will be
turned ON.
App_ProbeLED_PwrMode and App_ProbeLED_HeartBeat are variables that will
be monitored by C/Probe.
L4-2(2)
BSP_PostInit() performs the BSP post initialization (see bsp.c). This

function is intended to initialize peripheral drivers used in this example: LEDs,
Push Buttons, Potentiometer (ADC) and the Joystick. Even though these
peripherals dont make use of OS services we decided to initialize them in this
function because they will be used after the OS is started.
L4-2(3)
OS_CSP_TickInit() is called to initialize the tick interrupt and this function

can be found in os_csp.c.
L4-2(4)
OSStatTaskCPUUsageInit() is called to determine the capacity of the

CPU. To determine the counter value corresponding to 0% CPU usage,
the stat task allows the idle task to run for (OSCfg_TickRate_Hz /
OSCfg_StatTaskRate_Hz) ticks. The number of loops is counted and placed in
the variable OSStatTaskCtr just before OSStatCPUUsageInit() returns.
OSStatTaskCtrMax is used to determine the CPU usage when other tasks are
added. Specifically, as you add tasks to the application, OSStatTaskCtr is
incremented less by the idle task because other tasks consume CPU cycles.
CPU usage is determined by the following equation:
The value of OSStatTaskCPUUsage can be displayed at run-time by C/Probe.

However, this simple example barely uses any CPU time and most likely CPU
usage will be near 0.
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4
L4-2(5)
Here, the power indicator LED is turned ON.

The C/Serial and C/Probe modules are then
App_SerialInit() and App_ProbeInit(), respectively.
initialized
by
L4-2(6)
App_TaskCreate()
initializes
all
the
application
tasks
while
App_ObjCreate() initialize all kernel objects used in the application. In this
example, both functions are empty, but they will be populated in the other
examples of this book.
L4-2(7)
CSP_TmrInit() and CSP_DMA_InitExt() perform the timer and DMA module

initialization in the C/CSP.
L4-2(8)
CSP_GPIO_Cfg() performs the external interrupt pin configuration. This

function configures pin 10 of port 2 as an input pin. An interrupt will be
generated when this input is asserted (falling edge).
L4-2(9)
CSP_DMA_CH_AllocExt() allocates a channel for a new DMA transfer and then

CSP_DMA_CH_CfgExt() configures the DMA channel parameters.
L4-2(10)
CSP_TmrOutCmpCfg() configures timer 0 for output compare mode. In fact,

timer 0 is configured to toggle the pin MAT0.0 (match 0 pin 0) at a rate of 1 Hz.
L4-2(11)
The interrupt handler for the external interrupt App_Ext0_IntHandler() is

installed in the interrupt controller.
L4-2(12)
A typical C/OS-III task is written as an infinite loop.
L4-2(13)
The heart beat LED is toggled every 100 ms (the LED will blink at a rate of
5 Hz).
L4-2(14)
After 10 sec (time_ctr = 100 * 100 ms) the heart beat and the power indicator
LEDs are turned OFF, the DMA transfer and the timer are started and the
Systick interrupt is disabled (stopping C/OS-III tick interrupt).
L4-2(15)
The sleep mode is invoked by the Wait for Interrupt (WFI) instruction. This
instruction is called in the CSP_WaitForInt() function.
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Chapter 4
4-5 SUMMARY
There are several interesting things to notice from this example:
The example workspace presented in this chapter provides a quick introduction on

basic concepts when using C/OS-III. It also provides a template application where you
can start developing your own application.
The LPC1700 features several power modes to reduce the devices current
consumption. In this example the CPU was set in low power mode, causing the CPU
to stop executing instructions but allowing some peripherals (DMA, timer, SRAM and
GPIOs) to still be active. You can use this feature to reduce power when the CPU is in
the idle task.
The built-in kernel awareness in C/Probe allows you to monitor, debug, and visualize
a C/OS-III based application. The task tab allows you to monitor tasks stack usage to
ensure that your tasks have sufficient stack space. The task tab also provides other
useful information about each task.
C/Probe also helps to monitor any aspect of your application. For example in
C/CSP, we store the interrupt execution time for all the interrupt service routines.
This allows you to improve your interrupt service routines based on these
performance values.
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Chapter
5
LCD Display
This chapter describes how to create a simple graphical user interface (GUI) for a
multitasking environment. In this example, three different tasks will be responsible for
updating a section of the graphical LCD.
The first task monitors the value of the on-board potentiometer which is connected to
one of the ADC channels.
The second task runs a slideshow of bitmaps that are loaded onto the on-chip flash memory.
The last task monitors the status of the joystick. Moving the joystick enables you to draw
lines on the LCD in an area reserved for the joystick.
The task diagram is shown in Figure 5-1.

ADC
Monitor
Task
Slide
Show
Task
Joystick
Monitor
Task
Potentiometer
Status Area
Bitmap Slideshow
Area
GUI API
GUI Lock
GUI internal functions &

LCD controller access
Drawing Area
(Joystick)
240 x 320
Color LCD
Figure 5-1 Task diagram for LCD Display example
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Chapter 5

5
Open the Vision IDE, and then select Project > Open Project. Navigate the file browser
through the following directory path to locate uCOS-III-Ex2.uvproj as shown below.
The GUI images and fonts are precompiled in a different project; the files are included in
the BSP LCD Images and BSP LCD Fonts groups as a reference only, and they are not
included in the build.
The GUI images and fonts are actually saved in a hexadecimal file called Resources.hex.
The images and fonts are stored in a table. This will be explained in the following section.
The location of the font table and image table can be found in the Resources.map file.
Note that this example project uses an initialization file called Resources.ini. This file
describes how the software will be loaded into the LPC1768s flash memory. In this case, the
fonts and images are loaded before the application.
Press the F7 key on your PC to build the project, and then download it into the internal
flash memory. Select Flash > Erase, and then select Flash > Download. You can start the
debugging session by clicking the Start/Stop Debug Session button or by pressing Ctrl + F5
once the application has been downloaded in the CPUs internal flash memory.
You should be able the see the data displayed on the graphic LCD.

The example code is found mainly in the app.c file. There are four functions that deserve
special explanation:
App_TaskStart() creates and initializes all objects and modules used in the
application. This funtion initializes the GUI and then toggles the heartbeat LED.
App_TaskPot() is a task that monitors the potentiometer every 100 ms. It calls
BSP_PotGet() to get the potentiometer value and scales its value from 0-4095 to 0-100.
The scaled value is then displayed in text mode and graphically using a bar graph.
720
LCD Display
App_TaskImg() is a task that shows a different image every 2 seconds.

5
App_TaskJoy() is a task that monitors the joystick position every 10 ms. The task uses
two local variables (pos_cur_x, pos_cur_y) to keep track of an imaginary pencil
cursor. If the joystick state is changed, this task draws a pixel in the pencil position
determined by pos_cur_x and pos_cur_y. If the center of the joystick is pressed the
current drawing is erased.
5-2-1 GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE (GUI) IMPLEMENTATION.

The MCB1700 includes a 240x320 LCD graphics display driven by an ILITEK ILI9320 LCD
controller for revision 1.0 and a SPFD5408 for revision 1.2. The LCD controller interfaces to
the ILI9320 through a serial peripheral interface (SPI).
The GUI implementation is found in the bsp_lcd.c and bsp_lcd.h files under the
\BSP\LCD folder.
The GUI application programming interface (API) is divided in three different groups as
shown Figure 5-2:
Text functions
Drawing functions
Miscellaneous functions
721
Chapter 5
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Figure 5-2 GUI API
The current state of the GUI context is stored in a structure as shown in Listing 5-1.
typedef struct bsp_lcd_dev {

BSP_LCD_COLOR
BgColor;
BSP_LCD_COLOR
BSP_LCD_TEXT_POS
BSP_LCD_TEXT_POS
BSP_LCD_TEXT_POS
BSP_LCD_TEXT_POS
BSP_LCD_PIXEL
BSP_LCD_FONT
OS_MUTEX
CPU_TS32
BSP_LCD_IMG
BSP_LCD_FONT
} BSP_LCD_DEV;
TextColor;
TextLineMax;
TextLineCur;
TextColMax;
TextColCur;
TextPixelCur;
*TextFontPtr;
Lock;
MaxTimeOut;
**ImgTblPtr;
**FontTblPtr;
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
(9)
(10)
Listing 5-1 BSP_LCD_DEV structure in bsp_lcd.c
722
LCD Display
L5-1(1)
.BgColor is the current GUI background color. Several color definitions can be
found in the bsp_lcd.h file, for example:
BSP_LCD_COLOR_BLACK
BSP_LCD_COLOR_GRAY
BSP_LCD_COLOR_BLUE
etc.
L5-1(2)
.TextColor stores the current color of the text in the GUI.
L5-1(3)
.TextLineCur and .TextLineMax are used to store the current line and the
maximum number of lines in the GUI, respectively. The maximum number of
lines is calculated based on the height of the font.
L5-1(4)
.TextColCur and .TextColMax are used to store the current column and the
maximum number of columns in the GUI, respectively. The maximum number
of columns is calculated based on the width of the font.
L5-1(5)
.TextPixelCur stores the current pixel in the horizontal direction in the GUI.
L5-1(6)
.TextFontPtr is a pointer to the current font used in the GUI.
L5-1(7)
Lock is an OS mutex used to protect all the persistent data and shared registers.
L5-1(8)
.MaxTimeOut is the maximum SPI timeout value (in CPU timestamp units) to
abort an SPI transaction.
L5-1(9)
.ImgTblPtr is a pointer to the system images table.
L5-1(10)
.FontTblPtr is a pointer to the system fonts table.
The LPC17xxs synchronous serial port (SSP) is used to perform all the SPI transfers between
the processor and the LCD controller. The BSP_LCD_SPI_Xfer() function implements a
simple SPI transfer as shown in Listing 5-2.
723
Chapter 5
static
CPU_INT08U
BSP_LCD_SPI_Xfer (CPU_INT08U
datum)
{
CPU_TS32
CPU_TS32
CPU_TS32
CPU_INT32U
ts_start;
ts_elapsed;
ts_elapsed_max;
reg_val;
BSP_LCD_SSP1_REG_DR
ts_elapsed_max
ts_start
ts_elapsed
=
=
=
=
(CPU_INT32U)datum;
BSP_LCD_Ctxt.MaxTimeOut;
CPU_TS_Get32();
CPU_TS_Get32() - ts_start;
(1)
(2)
(3)
while ((DEF_BIT_IS_CLR(BSP_LCD_SSP1_REG_SR, BSP_LCD_SSP1_BIT_SR_RNE)) &&
(ts_elapsed < ts_elapsed_max)) {
ts_elapsed = CPU_TS_Get32() - ts_start;
}
(4)
if (DEF_BIT_IS_CLR(BSP_LCD_SSP1_REG_SR, BSP_LCD_SSP1_BIT_SR_RNE)) {
return ((CPU_INT08U)0);
}
reg_val = (BSP_LCD_SSP1_REG_DR & DEF_INT_08_MASK);
return ((CPU_INT08U)reg_val);
(5)
Listing 5-2 BSP_LCD_SPI_Xfer() function in bsp_lcd.c
L5-2(1)
Data to be transmitted is written in the SSP1 data register.
L5-2(2)
The maximum timeout for the bus is stored in the ts_elapsed_max variable.
L5-2(3)
The code waits until the receive FIFO not empty (RNE) flag is set in the SSP1
status register or a timeout occurs. The timeout is calculated using the C/CPU
timestamp API.
L5-2(4)
If the RNE flag is not set, a timeout has occurred and a 0 is returned.
L5-2(5)
If the RNE flag is set, the data is returned.
Listing 5-3 shows an example of a BSP_LCD_Pixel() function that writes a pixel to a

specific (x, y) coordinate.
724
LCD Display
void
BSP_LCD_Pixel (BSP_LCD_PIXEL
BSP_LCD_PIXEL
BSP_LCD_COLOR
x,
y,
color)
{
BSP_LCD_Lock();
BSP_LCD_CtrlRegWr(ILI9320_REG_HOR_ADDR_START, x);
BSP_LCD_CtrlRegWr(ILI9320_REG_HOR_ADDR_END,
x + 1u);
(1)
(2)
BSP_LCD_CtrlRegWr(ILI9320_REG_VER_ADDR_START, y);
BSP_LCD_CtrlRegWr(ILI9320_REG_VER_ADDR_END,
y + 1u);
BSP_LCD_CtrlRegWr(ILI9320_REG_HOR_GRAM_ADDR_SET, x);
BSP_LCD_CtrlRegWr(ILI9320_REG_VER_GRAM_ADDR_SET, y);
BSP_LCD_CTRL_CS_LOW();
(3)
BSP_LCD_SPI_Xfer(BSP_LCD_SPI_ILI9320_START_SET_IX);
BSP_LCD_SPI_Xfer(0u);
BSP_LCD_SPI_Xfer(ILI9320_REG_GRAM_DATA_WR);
BSP_LCD_CTRL_CS_HIGH();
BSP_LCD_CTRL_CS_LOW();
BSP_LCD_SPI_Xfer(BSP_LCD_SPI_ILI9320_START_WR_REG);
BSP_LCD_SPI_Xfer(color >> 8u);
BSP_LCD_SPI_Xfer(color & DEF_INT_08_MASK);
(4)
BSP_LCD_CTRL_CS_HIGH();
BSP_LCD_Unlock();
(5)
Listing 5-3 BSP_LCD_Pixel()function in bsp_lcd.c
L5-3(1)
The LCD access lock is acquired. BSP_LCD_Lock() calls OSMutexPend().
L5-3(2)
The vertical/horizontal start and end addresses are stored in the ILI9320 registers.
L5-3(3)
BSP_LCD_CTRL_CS_LOW() and BSP_LCD_CTRL_CS_HIGH() macros are used to

clear and set the CS signal on the SPI bus, respectively.
L5-3(4)
The color is written in the ILI9320/SPFD5408s GRAM (Graphics RAM).
L5-3(5)
The LCD access lock is released. BSP_LCD_Unlock() calls OSMutexPost().

725
Chapter 5
5-2-2 FONT AND IMAGE SUPPORT

5
All the fonts and bitmaps used in this example are stored as constant data into the flash
memory. The information is compiled in a different project so that it doesnt count towards
the 32K limitation of the compiler. Figure 5-3 shows how the fonts and bitmaps work in the
example project.
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Figure 5-3 Font and Image support.
F5-3(1)
The 512K bytes of flash memory is divided in two regions. The first region is
used to store the application code, and the second is used to store the GUI
fonts and images. The LPC17xx flash loader flashes these two images
independently.
F5-3(2)
All images are referenced using an image table. Every entry of the image
table contains the address of a particular Image Data Type or BSP_LCD_IMG
which is stored in flash memory. The image table BSP_LCD_ImgTbl[] is
defined in img_tbl.c.
726
LCD Display
F5-3(3)
The BSP_LCD_IMG data type is used to abstract the image parameters such as
name, width, height and the image bitmap.
F5-3(4)
Fonts are stored in a way similar to the images. A font table contains pointers to
the different fonts available in flash memory. The font table can be found in
font_tbl.c.
F5-3(5)
The font data type is used to abstract the font information. It has a pointer to a
font name, the first and last characters supported by the font, the width and
height of the characters, and a table of character information.
F5-3(6)
Character information is a data type containing information related to a

character such as the width, the distance (in pixels) to the next character, the
number of bytes used in the bitmap, and a bitmap pointer to where the
character bitmap is stored.
5-3 SUMMARY
This example shows a typical shared resource scenario where multiple threads attempt to
manipulate a shared object (the LCD). In this case, the shared data is protected by a mutex
which makes the GUI thread-safe and reentrant.
The Keil IDE Flash utility offers a lot of flexibility by downloading scripts using debug
commands and debug functions.
727
Chapter 5
728
Chapter
6
Ringtone Player
In this chapter, a ring tone player is implemented using the MCB1700s speaker and the
LPC17xx DAC. The ringtones are stored onto the LPC17xxs on-chip flash memory in a Ring
Tone Text Transfer Language Format (RTTTL). A simple user interface is created to allow the
user to select and play a specific ringtone from a playlist.
The example requires a tone generator that creates a sine wave to be output to the DAC.
The audio is sampled at 44,100 Hz, and instead of using a timer to generate an interrupt
every 22.67 s, the LPC17xxs DMA is used to eliminate the overhead associated with an
interrupt.
The example also shows how audio quality is reduced when the applications task priorities
are not properly assigned.
The example project is delivered as a precompiled project because of the limitations of the
32K version of the Keil tools. Therefore, the example cannot be modified unless you have
access to the full version of the tools. However, the example can still be debugged.
729
Chapter 6

6
Open the Vision IDE and select Project > Open Project. Navigate the file browser to the
following directory path to locate uCOS-III-Ex3.uvproj as shown below.
If you try to compile the project in the evaluation version of the Keil IDE, you will get the
following message:
.\IFLASH\uCOS-III-Ex3.axf: error: L6047U: The size of this image (xxxx
bytes) exceeds the maximum allowed for this version of the linker
In addition to that, the executable .axf file will be deleted, in that case there is a copy of the
executable file that can be used to restore the original.
uCOS-III-Ex3-Backup.axf
located in the output directory
\Micrium\Software\EvalBoards\NXP\MCB1700\KeilMDK\uCOS-III-Ex3\IFLASH
In order to run and debug the project, select Flash > Erase, and then select Flash > Download.
You can start the debugging session by clicking on the Start/Stop Debug Session button, or
by pressing Ctrl + F5 once the application has been downloaded into the CPUs internal
flash memory.
At this point, you should be able to see the ringtone list displayed on the LCD. You can
navigate through the list using the joystick. If you press up or down on the joystick you will
highlight a new song from the list. If you toggle right or left you will move to the next page
of ringtones. There is also a volume bargraph on the LCD that shows the current volume
level. You can control the volume using the on-board potentiometer.
The push button (INTO) controls the priority of the audio task. If you press the push
button, the priority of the audio task is decreased, and the resulting drop in the sample
rate negatively affects the quality of the audio. The reason why this happens will be
explained in the next section.
730
Ringtone Player

The Ringtone Player example is explained using a top-down methodology. The RTTTL
specification is described first. From this description, we will start identifying all the different
requirements needed by the Ringtone Player. Finally, we integrate all the pieces together to
complete the Ringtone Player project.
6-2-1 REQUIREMENTS
RING TONE TEXT TRANSFER LANGUAGE FORMAT
The Ring Tone Text Transfer Language (RTTTL) is a format developed by Nokia to transfer
ringtones between cellphones.
The RTTTL is a string that is divided in three sections separated by colons:
1
Name Section: A string of characters represents the name of the ringtone. The original
format only allows a maximum of 10 characters. We modified the format to allow up to
20 characters.
Control or default section: This section consists of a set of values and identifiers.
Each of the values is associated with an identifier via an equal sign, and the
identifier-value pairs are separated by commas. These pairs establish the default settings
for the ringtone. Three default settings are specified by the RTTTL standard:
Duration (d=): This represents the duration of the note. In music, a note is
measured in whole note, half note, quarter note, eighth note, sixteenth note or,
thirty-secondth note. These duration are represented by the values 1, 2, 4, 8, 16,
and 32, respectively.
Octave (o=): This corresponds to the octave of the note and only the following
values are allowed for the octave 4, 5, 6 and 7.
Beats per minute(b=): Is the tempo, in beats per minute.
Data section: Is a set of notes separated by commas. Every note has a duration
specifier, a note letter (a, a#, b, c, c#, etc) and an octave specifier. If a duration or an
octave specifier is not present, the value from the default section is selected.
731
Chapter 6
Figure 6-1 shows an example of a ring tone in RTTTL format. In the data section, the note
8p doesnt have an octave identifier so the default value of 5 is used. When a note has a
. it signifies a dotted note. A dotted note increases the duration of the basic note by half
of its original value. In the case of the "d" note highlighted below, no duration value is
specified, so the default of 4 would normally be used. Because of the dot, however, the
actual duration is 6.
Name
Section
Default
Section
d
=8
note = p (pause)
octave = 5 (default)
"IndianaJones:d=4,o=5,b=250:32p,e5,8p,8f5,8g5,8p,1c6,
8p,d5,8p,8e5,1f5,p,g5,8p,8a5,8b5,8p,1f6,p,a5,8p,8b5,
2c6,2d6,2e6,e5,8p,8f5,8g5,8p,1c6,p,d.6,8p,8e6,1f5"
d
=8
note = g
octave = 5
d
= 4 + 4/2 = 6
note = d
octave = 6
Figure 6-1 RTTTL Ringtone example
NOTE FREQUENCY
As previously explained, the RTTTL is made of notes each having a specific frequency.
In western music, the note frequencies are mathematically related to each other and
are defined around the center note A4. The frequency for note A4 is 440 Hz, and the
mathematical expression for any note frequency (fnote) taking the A4 note frequency (fA4) as
a reference is given by the following equation:
Where n is the note distance expressed in half-steps away from the A4 note. If the note is
above A4, then n is positive and if its below A4, then n is negative.
732
Ringtone Player
SINE WAVE GENERATOR

Several methods can be used to generate a sine wave. A table look-up method is not
suitable for this application because the Ringtone Player generates multiple waves of
different frequencies increasing the total storage for a look-up table. Another method would
be to use Taylor series approximation but due to the number of arithmetic operations, this is
also not suitable for an audio application.
An efficient technique is based on using a positive feedback system that employs the principle
of oscillation. Oscillation can only be achieved if the system satisfies the Bakhause criterion.
Figure 6-2 shows the block diagram for the oscillator and its difference equation:
\Q

\Q D\Q D\Q E Q

\
D
D
E

\
FRV

$VLQ R
R V
Figure 6-2 IIR Filter and Difference equation.
In this equation, A is the amplitude of the sinusoidal wave, o is the sinusoidal wave
frequency and s is the sampling frequency. The advantage of this oscillator is that it
requires few arithmetic operations and consumes little memory space.
The Ringtone Player needs to send the audio data to the DAC and the audio data needs to
be output at a constant rate. This is determined by the sampling frequency. Common
sample frequencies in audio are:
733
Chapter 6
8,000 Hz,
11,025 Hz,
16,000 Hz,
22,050 Hz,
32,000 Hz,
44,100 Hz,
48,000 Hz,
96,000 Hz and,
192,000 Hz.
Finally, the ringtone player needs to interact with the user. A user interface has thus been
created to allow the user to select different tones from a playlist and control the volume.
6-2-2 RINGTONE PLAYER ARCHITECTURE

Based on the explanation provided in the previous section, the Ringtone Player must
include the following components to meet all its requirements:
An RTTTL parser that reads ringtones in RTTTL format
A digital sine wave generator.
An audio manager
A user interface
Figure 6-3 shows a block diagram of the Ringtone Player:
734
Ringtone Player
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Figure 6-3 Ringtone Player Block Diagram
F6-3(1)
The user interface task App_TaskUserIF() monitors the joystick,

potentiometer and push button. App_TaskUserIF() also displays the ringtone
playlist in the graphics LCD. The user interface was created using the GUI
developed in the LCD Display example.
The joystick allows you to navigate through the playlist. A new ringtone starts
playing when you press on the center button of the joystick.
The potentiometer controls the volume of the ringtone, and a bargraph on the
LCD displays the current value of the volume.
Finally, the push button swaps the priority of the RTTTL player task and
another, specially-created task. We purposely created a task that uses 90% of
the CPU to simulate higher priority tasks that consume a lot of CPU time. This
allows us to demonstrate that a real-time task like the ringtone task can suffer
in output quality if its priority is not set properly.
735
Chapter 6
F6-3(2)
When a song is selected, the user interface task posts a message to the RTTTL
player task (App_TaskRTTTL()) using a task message queue. The message is a
pointer to the start of the song which is in RTTTL format.
F6-3(3)
The RTTTL task parses the ringtone (assuming the RTTTL format) and requests
a buffer from the audio manager task in order to store the audio data
corresponding to the current note and its duration. The audio manager
initializes the DMA transfer to send the contents of the audio buffer to the DAC.
The audio manager is configured for 44 KHz and uses 16 bits per sample. The
audio manager is described in detail in the next section.
F6-3(4)
If the push button is pressed, the user interface will swap priorities between the
RTTTL player and the task that consumes a high percentage of the CPU
(App_TaskMath()) affecting the audio playback.
6-2-3 AUDIO MANAGER

The audio manager is responsible for separating the application from the audio hardware,
the audio stream and audio buffers. The audio manager code can be found in audio.c/h.
Figure 6-4 shows a flow diagram of the audio manager.
736
Ringtone Player
Free buffer.
Application
Task
Buffer with Audio.
Buffer processed by DMA
Audio_StreamOpen()
Audio_StreamBufGet()
Audio_StreamClose()
Audio_StreamBufPut()
(8)
(1)
OSSemPend()
Stream
Buffer
(2)
Stream Buffers
Signal
(3)
Initialize DMA
if first element in
the queue
Mem_PoolBlkGet()
N
Stream Buffers
Queue
Mem_PoolBlkFree()
OSSemPost()
(6)
(7)
(4)
(5)
DMA Callback
DMA complete
Interrupt
Figure 6-4 Audio manager
F6-4(1)
The function AudioStreamOpen() opens an audio stream. This function

configures the DAC based on the sample rate, as well as a DMA channel to
transfer data from memory to the DAC. Once the function is called, the audio
stream is placed in an opened state.
F6-4(2)
The application can request a buffer from the audio manager by calling
Audio_StreamBufGet(). If a buffer is available, then the stream buffer signal is
consumed (decrements the semaphore).
The stream buffer is obtained by the audio manager from the free stream
buffer pool.
737
Chapter 6
F6-4(3)
The application starts filling the buffer with audio samples. In the case of the
Ringtone Player, the sine wave generator data output is copied into the stream
buffer. When the buffer is full, the content of the buffer is sent to the audio
manager to be processed by the hardware. Audio_StreamBufPut() pushes the
buffer back into the stream buffer queue. If it is the first element, the DMA
channel is initialized to copy the buffer data to the DAC without requiring CPU
intervention.
F6-4(4)
After a buffer is transmitted using DMA, a transfer-complete interrupt is

generated.
F6-4(5)
The DMA callback function (called from the generic DMA interrupt) returns the
processed stream buffer to the pool of free stream buffers.
F6-4(6)
Another DMA transfer is initiated if another buffer is available in the stream

buffer queue.
F6-4(7)
The DMA callback function signals the Stream Buffers Signal semaphore
indicating that a buffer has been returned to the free pool. If an application was
waiting for a buffer, this action will resume execution of that application.
F6-4(8)
The application closes the audio stream by calling AudioStreamClose(). If

there are still buffers in the queue, the audio stream is not closed immediately,
but instead enters a closing state until all the buffer are sent to the DAC. When
all buffers are sent, the audio stream enters the closed state.
This audio manager architecture is very efficient because it relieves the CPU from transferring
the audio from the application buffer to the DAC. This transfer is performed by DMA. The
DMA also reduces the total overhead of the system because the CPU is only interrupted when
the contents of a full buffer have been transmitted. For example, if your application is
sampling at 44,100 Hz, assuming a buffer size of 1024 bytes and 16-bit resolution, then the
audio buffer can hold up to 512 samples, and thus an interrupt on the CPU occurs every 512
* 22.67 s = 11 ms instead of every 22.67 s.
738
Ringtone Player
6-2-4 IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AUDIO MANAGER ON THE

LPC17XX
6
The audio manager code is found in audio.c and audio.h

In order to modify and play with this example, you will need the full version of the Keil tools
instead of the 32K trial package. In this case, you can configure the application as follows:
#define
#define
AUDIO_CFG_STREAM_BUF_NBR
AUDIO_CFG_STREAM_BUF_SIZE
4u
(2u * 1024u)
AUDIO_CFG_STREAM_BUF_NBR
configures the maximum number of stream buffers
AUDIO_CFG_STREAM_BUF_SIZE
configures the size of the stream buffers
Listing 6-1 shows the audio stream buffer data type, which is filled in by the application.
typedef
typedef
struct
audio_stream_buf
CPU_IN16U
AUDIO_STREAM_BUF;
AUDIO_SAMPLE_NBR;
struct audio_stream_buf {
void
*DataPtr;
AUDIO_SAMPLE_NBR
NbrSample;
AUDIO_SAMPLE_NBR
NbrSampleMax;
CPU_BOOLEAN
Silence;
AUDIO_STREAM_BUF *NextPtr;
};
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
Listing 6-1 AUDIO_STREAM_BUF in audio.h
L6-1(1)
.DataPtr points to the data section of the stream buffer. The application must
write audio data into this memory location.
L6-1(2)
.NbrSample is filled by the application. This variable specifies to the audio

manager the number of samples that need to be transferred from memory to
the DAC.
739
Chapter 6
L6-1(3)
.NbrSampleMax stores the number of samples that the application can write to
this buffer. It depends on the bytes-per-sample configured when the stream is
opened.
L6-1(4)
.Silence is a flag that can mark a stream buffer as a silence buffer. A silence
buffer contains an audio pause having a duration determined by the
.NbrSample variable.
L6-1(5)
.NextPtr is a pointer to the next stream buffer and is used by the audio
manager to queue multiple stream buffers.
CPU_BOOLEAN
Audio_StreamOpen (CPU_INT08U
CPU_INT32U
CPU_BOOLEAN
CPU_INT08U
bits_per_sample;
CSP_DEV_NBR
CPU_INT32U
CPU_INT32U
dma_ch_nbr;
dac_freq;
dac_cnt;
fmt,
sample_freq,
vol_ctrl_en)
CPU_BOOLEAN status;
CPU_SR_ALLOC();
if (Audio_StreamState != AUDIO_STREAM_CLOSED) {
return (DEF_FAIL);
}
switch (fmt) {
case AUDIO_STREAM_FMT_08_UNSIGNED:
bits_per_sample = 8u;
break;
case AUDIO_STREAM_FMT_16_UNSIGNED:
case AUDIO_STREAM_FMT_16_SIGNED:
bits_per_sample = 16u;
break;
default:
return (DEF_FAIL);
}
740
(1)
Ringtone Player
switch (sample_freq) {
case AUDIO_SAMPLE_RATE_VAL_11_025:
(2)
break;
default:
return (DEF_FAIL);
}
(3)
dac_freq = CSP_PM_PerClkFreqGet(CSP_PM_PER_CLK_NBR_AD_00);
if (sample_freq > dac_freq) {
return (DEF_FAIL);
}
dac_cnt = dac_freq / sample_freq;
(4)
if (dac_cnt > DEF_INT_16U_MAX_VAL) {
return (DEF_FAIL);
}
status = CSP_DMA_CH_AllocExt(CSP_DMA_CH_PRIO_ANY_LOW,
&dma_ch_nbr);
(5)
if (status == DEF_FAIL) {
return (DEF_FAIL);
}
CSP_DMA_CH_CfgExt((CSP_DEV_NBR
(CSP_OPT
(CSP_OPT
(CSP_OPT
(CSP_OPT
(CSP_OPT
(CSP_DEV_NBR
(CSP_DEV_NBR
)dma_ch_nbr,
)CSP_DMA_XFER_TYPE_MEM_TO_PER,
)0u,
)CPU_WORD_SIZE_16,
)0u,
)CPU_WORD_SIZE_16,
)0u,
)CSP_DMA_XFER_PER_REQ_DAC);
AUDIO_REG_DAC_DACCTRL
AUDIO_REG_DAC_DACR
AUDIO_REG_DAC_DACCTRL
AUDIO_REG_DAC_DACCNTVAL
=
=
=
|
|
=
0u;
0u;
AUDIO_BIT_DAC_DACCTRL_CNT_ENA
AUDIO_BIT_DAC_DACCTRL_DMA_ENA
AUDIO_BIT_DAC_DACCTRL_DBLBUF_ENA;
dac_cnt;
(6)
741
Chapter 6
(7)
Audio_StreamDMA_XferSizeMax = CSP_DMA_XferSizeMaxGetExt(dma_ch_nbr);
Audio_StreamDMA_ChNbr
Audio_StreamBitsPerSample
Audio_StreamSampleFreqVal
= dma_ch_nbr;
= bits_per_sample;
= sample_freq;
Audio_StreamState
Audio_StreamVolCtrl
Audio_StreamFmt
= AUDIO_STREAM_OPENED;
= vol_ctrl_en;
= fmt;
return (DEF_OK);
}
Listing 6-2 Audio_StreamOpen() in audio.c
L6-2(1)
The audio manager supports three different formats:
AUDIO_STREAM_FMT_08_UNSIGNED: Samples are represented as unsigned

8 bit values (0255)
AUDIO_STREAM_FMT_16_UNSIGNED: Samples are represented as unsigned

16 bit values (065535)
AUDIO_STREAM_FMT_16_SIGNED: Samples are represented as signed 16 bit

values (-3276832768)
L6-2(2)
The audio manager only supports the following sample rates: 11,025 KHz,
22,050 KHz and 44,100 KHz.
L6-2(3)
The LPC17xx DAC includes a timeout counter that can be used to generate a
DMA request from the DMA controller. CSP_PM_PerClkFreqGet() is used to
get the DAC peripheral clock frequency.
L6-2(4)
The DAC timer reload value is calculated base on the sampling rate. This value
will be written to the DAC counter value register, DACCNTVAL.
L6-2(5)
A new DMA channel is requested and configured.
742
Ringtone Player
L6-2(6)
L6-2(7)
The DAC is configured by clearing the DAC converter register (DACR) which
allows the DAC to support a maximum update rate of 1 MHz. The
double-buffering, timeout counter and DMA burst request are enabled in the
DAC control register (DACCTRL). Finally, the timeout value is loaded in the
counter value register (DACCNTVAL).
The state of the audio stream is set to the opened state.
6-2-5 RINGTONE FILES

All ringtones are stored in the on-chip flash memory, using the same method described in
the LCD Display example. The ringtones are found in the RTTTL_File[] array in rtttl.c.
The #define APP_CFG_RTTTL_FILE_ADDR defines the address where the ringtones are
located and this address can be obtained from the Resources.map file. Note that the array
starts with a semicolon character, and all the ring tones are separated with semicolons.
Note that the last song Oscilloscope test is uses to perform signal analysis with an
oscilloscope.
6-3 ANALYSIS WITH C/PROBE

Audio signals need to be generated at a constant rate. If the microcontroller is not fast
enough or the software is not implemented correctly, the system can miss samples, causing
poor audio quality.
Taking the audio manager application as an example (see Figure 6-4), there are two places
where samples can be missed:
Application: If the application task does not fill the buffer at the proper rate, a buffer
underrun condition occurs.
ISR handler: Samples are skipped if the interrupt service routine execution time is
greater than the sample period.
C/Probe will be used to analyze these timing issues. Start C/Probe and open the
workspace uCOS III-Ex3-Probe.wsp located in the example project folder.
743
Chapter 6
As we explained in Chapter 4, DMA-Based LED Blinking on page 701 you can select
either RS-232 or J-link as the communication method for C/Probe.
6
Two data screen were created for this example, the RingTonePlayer data screen is shown
in Figure 6-5.
(1) Volume Indicator
(2) Interrupt Handler

Execution Time
(3) Statistics reset
Figure 6-5 Ringtone C/Probe data screen
F6-5(1)
The volume indicator shows the current value of the Ringtone Player volume.
F6-5(2)
The table shows the interrupt handler execution time for the DMA. It shows a
value of 17.83 s. Note that a new DMA transfer is scheduled early in the DMA
ISR callback function (Audio_DMA_Callback()) so that a new audio buffer is
sent in less than 17.83 s. Also, the double-buffering feature is enabled in the
LPC17xxs DAC, which increases the time windows required to send another
sample or to initialize a new DMA transfer.
F6-5(3)
A switch is used to reset C/OS-III statistics. Toggling to ON and then back to

OFF will reset the statistics.
The second data screen C/OS-III KA is shown in Figure 6-6.

744
Ringtone Player
Figure 6-6 C/Probe Kernel Awareness
As you can see the RTTTL player task has near 0% CPU usage. The CPU intensive task
(Math) is using almost 90% of the total CPU time, but since its running at a lower priority
than the audio task, the audio quality is good. If you press the push button, the priority of
the Math Task will be raised and the RTTTL player wont have enough CPU time to run,
causing you to hear distortion in the ringtone.
6-4 AUDIO SIGNAL ANALYSIS

This section presents a series of analyses and measurements performed on the audio signal
in order to validate the frequency and time characteristics described in the previous
sections. Two tools were used to capture and analyze the audio signal.
Tektronix MSI2024 Mixed Signal Oscilloscope for data acquisition.
NI LabVIEW Signal Express Tektronix Edition for data acquisition and time/frequency
analysis.
Jumper SPK connects the DAC output to the input of the LM386 amplifier. This jumper is left
open to connect to the oscilloscope probe.
All the tests were performed using the Oscilloscope test song. This ringtone has the
following characteristics:
745
Chapter 6
Tone Data : d=8,o=5,b=60:32a,16p,32d#,16p,32f,16p,32a,16p,32d#,16p,32f,16p
Default duration: 8
Default Octave: 5
Beats per minute: 60
The ringtone will output three different notes :
A5 at 880Hz
D#5 at 622.25Hz
F5
at 698.46Hz
Each note has a duration of 125 ms and each note is separated by a pause of 250 ms.
6-4-1 SAMPLE RATE

Figure 6-7 shows a data capture of the audio signal. The signal is captured with the
following parameters:
Scale: 20 s per division
Sample Rate: 250 MHz or 4ns.
The cursors are used to measure the time between samples. The measurement shows an
audio sample period of 22.628 s which is very close to the desired value of 22.67s
746
Ringtone Player
Figure 6-7 Audio Output Oscilloscope Capture (Zoom In)
747
Chapter 6
6-4-2 TOTAL HARMONIC DISTORTION

6
The total harmonic distortion (THD) is calculated for the tone F5. Figure 6-8 shows the
spectral analysis for the tone F5. The analysis was performed using the signal analysis
package from the NI LabVIEW Signal Express Tektronix Edition.
Figure 6-8 Tone F5 Power Spectrum Graph.
The fundamental frequency is 696.67819 Hz and the THD is 0.6427%. These numbers are
obtained from the LabView analysis software, and show the low distortion of the sine wave
generated with the IIR filter.
748
Ringtone Player
6-4-3 NOTE FREQUENCY AND NOTE DURATION

Figure 6-9 shows the audio signal for the Oscilloscope test ring tone. This figure shows
that the pause has a duration of 250.077 ms and every note has a duration of 125.386 ms,
as expected.
Figure 6-9 Audio Output Oscilloscope Capture
Figure 6-10 shows the frequency response of the audio signal. In this figure three harmonics
are easily identified. The first harmonic has a frequency of 618 Hz, which corresponds to
note D#5. The second harmonic has a frequency of 697 Hz, which corresponds to note F5.
The last harmonic has a frequency of 878 Hz, which corresponds to note A#5.
749
Chapter 6
Figure 6-10 Audio Signal Spectrum Analysis
6-5 SUMMARY
As a general rule, you should assign high priorities to tasks that occur at a high rate or have
short deadlines. A bad choice of priority for the audio task is apparent because you can
hear its effect. However, this might not be obvious in other applications.
You should also consider the use of high quality analysis tools such as the Tektronics
MSI2024 and C/Probe.
750
Chapter
7
Playing Audio Wave Files
The media player plays files in Waveform Audio File format (WAVE) from a microSD card.
The audio is played through the LPC17xx DAC and the MCB1700s speaker.
Files can be uploaded into the microSD card using the Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP)
through an Ethernet connection.
The example plays audio files saved in WAVE format with the following settings:
Audio format: PCM
Number of bits: 8 or 16 bits
Sampling Rate: 11,025 Hz, 22,050 Hz and 44,100 Hz
The example project is delivered as a precompiled project because of the limitations of the
32K version of the Keil tools. Therefore, the example cannot be modified nor debugged
unless you have access to the full version of the Keil tools.
751
7
Chapter 7

Open the Vision IDE and click Project > Open Project. Navigate the file browser to the
following directory path to locate uCOS-III-Ex4.uvproj as shown below.
\Micrium\Software\EvalBoards\NXP\MCB1700\KeilMDK\uCOS-III-Ex4\
There are two project target configurations for this example project as shown in Figure 6-1:
IFLASH(LPC1758): Intended to be used only with the MCB1750 board.
IFLASH(LPC1768): Intended to be used only with the MCB1760 board.
These two configurations are needed because the Media Independent Interface
Management (MIIM) signals ENET_MDC and ENET_MDIO are routed in different pins. Also
in the first revision of the LPC1758, these signals are not supported (see section 3.5 of
LPC1758 errata) so they need to be emulated in software utilizing GPIO.
Figure 7-1 Project configurations
If you try to compile the project in the evaluation version of the Keil IDE, you will get an error
due to the size of the example. In addition to that, the executable .axf files will be deleted. In
that case there is a copy of the executable files that can be used to restore the originals.
uCOS-III-Ex4-1768-Backup.axf
uCOS-III-Ex4-1758-Backup.axf
located in the output directory
\Micrium\Software\EvalBoards\NXP\MCB1700\KeilMDK\uCOS-III-Ex4\IFLASH
In order to run the example, click Flash > Erase, and then click Flash > Download. After the
download process has completed, you can simply press the reset button on the board and
the example will start running.
752
7
7-1-1 APPLICATION MODES

The application has two modes:
Playlist mode: In playlist mode you can see a list of all the audio files present in the
SD card under the \Music folder. If there are no files present on the SD card or the SD
card is not present on the board, an error message will be displayed on the LCD screen.
Upload mode: This mode allows you to upload the WAVE files to the SD card using
TFTP protocol.
You can switch modes using the INT0 button. Note that you can only switch modes if an SD
card is present; otherwise, the application will be waiting until an SD card is inserted in the
SD card slot.
7-1-2 PLAYING THE SONGS

If you are in playlist mode, you will see the list of .wav files located in the \Music directory.
Simply, navigate to the song you want to hear using the joystick and then press the center
position. The user interface allows the user to see ten songs at a time. If you want to move
to the next set of songs, toggle the joystick to the right or to the left to select a different
page. Please note that some songs might not be playable because they might not be saved
in a format supported by this application.
7-1-3 UPDATING THE MICROSD CARD

To upload songs to the microSD card over Ethernet press the INT0 button. This will switch
the audio player form playlist mode to upload mode. The display will show you the boards
link status, the DHCP server status and the IP address:
Link Status: Shows whether the link is up (Connected) or down (Disconnected)
DHCP Status: Shows the status of the DHCP client
IP address: Shows the IP address configured by the DHCP client
753
7
Chapter 7
There are two ways to connect the board to the network.
Directly to the PC: In this mode, you need a crossover cable to connect the PC to the
Ethernet connector on the board. In this mode, the board will obtain an IP address
automatically (negotiated between the board and your PC). In this mode, both the
target and the PC will obtain an IP address from the link-local address range
169.254.0.0/16. However, this process can take up to 120 seconds.
Through a router: In this mode, the built-in DHCP server included in most
commercial routers will provide an IP address to the target. Note that for simplicity, the
target application will initialize and start the DHCP client without checking if the link is
up. Also the application will not re-initialize the DHCP client after a
disconnect/connect event. In this case you might need to reset the target to get a new
IP address from the server. In other words, if you disconnect the cable, you will need
to restart the target application.
When the display indicates that the DHCP client is in the configured state, you can start
uploading the files to the microSD card. Some sample wave files are included in the
following folder:
\Micrium\Software\EvalBoards\NXP\MCB1700\Resources\Wav Files
Note that some of the files included in this folder cannot be played because their format is
not supported by the application. You can extend the target application to support some
compressed formats. This is left as an exercise for the reader.
754
7
To upload the files onto the microSD card, you can simply open a command line window,
use the TFTP command, and specify the IP address of the target (displayed through the user
interface). However, a batch file is included (upload_all.bat) to automate the upload
process. To use the batch file, type upload_all in the command line window and specify
the target IP address as shown in Figure 7-2.
Figure 7-2 Command-line window
755
7
Chapter 7
7-2 HOW THE EXAMPLE PROJECT RUNS

The application diagram is shown in Figure 7-3.
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8VHU
,QWHUIDFH
,QSXWV
26)ODJ3RVW
26)ODJ3HQG
8VHU
,QWHUIDFH
/&'
PV

267DVN43RVW
'+&3F
7)73V
:$9
3OD\HU
267DVN43HQG
)6

6'&DUG
GHWHFW
-R\VWLFN
3XVK%XWWRQ
6WDWXV
3RWHQWLRPHWHU
6'&DUG
7&3,3
'+&36WDWXV
/LQN6WDWXV
,QSXWV
(WKHUQHW
&RQWUROOHU
3+<
1HWZRUN6HUYLFHV
Figure 7-3 Application block diagram
F7-3(1)
A task is responsible for monitoring the target boards inputs (e.g., joystick,
microSD card detect, push button, etc.), the link and DHCP client status. This
task executes periodically every 100 milliseconds and is implemented by
App_TaskUserIF_In().
F7-3(2)
An event flag group is used to notify a user interface task when certain events
are detected. The user interface task is responsible for updating the color LCD
when an input event or network event has occurred. The user interface is
implemented by App_TaskUserIF_LCD().
756
7
F7-3(3)
In playlist mode, the user interface task retrieves all the audio files located in
the \Music folder. The names of the files are listed in the LCD allowing the
user to navigate through them using the joystick. In this mode, the TFTP server
is disabled, and thus the user cannot upload files. This is necessary to prevent
file system changes while the user is navigating through the files.
F7-3(4)
The file system reads the file from the microSD card through the NXP serial
peripheral interface (SPI).
F7-3(5)
In upload mode, the user interface task retrieves the link and DHCP status, and
displays this information. The TFTP server is enabled only in this mode.
F7-3(6)
If a file is selected in playlist mode, the user interface task opens the file and
sends a message with a pointer to the file handle to the playback task.
F7-3(7)
The playback task receives the file handle, and starts parsing the audio file. It
opens an audio stream with the audio parameters specified in the WAVE file
header. If the audio file has an unsupported format, this task does not open the
stream and waits for a new file handle. This task is implemented in
App_TaskAudioWav().
7-2-1 WAVE FILE FORMAT

The Waveform Audio File Format (WAVE) is a subset of Microsofts Resource Interchange
File Format (RIFF) specification. The RIFF is a tagged file structure developed for use on
multimedia platforms.
The basic building block of a RIFF file is called a chunk. Figure 7-4 shows the
representation of a chunk.
757
7
Chapter 7
ChunkID
4 bytes
ChunkSize
4 bytes
ChunkData
ChunkSize
Figure 7-4 RIFFs chunk definition
F7-4(1)
ChunkID is a four-character code that identifies the representation of the chunk

data.
F7-4(2)
ChunkSize is a 32-bit unsigned value identifying the size of the ChunkData

section.
F7-4(3)
ChunkData is binary data of fixed or variable size.
A RIFF form is a chunk with the letters RIFF in the ChunkID.

The first double-word of chunk data in the RIFF chunk is a four-character code value
identifying the data representation or the form type. Following the form-type code is a
series of sub-chunks. Which sub-chunks are present depends on the form type.
Figure 7-5 shows the representation of a typical WAVE file. As you can see the WAVE file is
made of RIFF chunks.
758
7
)LHOG1DPH
)LHOG6L]H
6XE&KXQN,'
5,))
6XE&KXQN6L]H
)RUPDW :$9(
5,)))RUP
)LHOG1DPH
)LHOG6L]H
6XE&KXQN,'
)PW
6XE&KXQN6L]H
$XGLR)RUPDW [
&KDQQHOV
6DPSOHV3HU6HF
$YJ%\WHV3HU6HF
%ORFN$OLJQ
%LWV3HU6DPSOH
IPW
FKXQN
)LHOG1DPH
)LHOG6L]H
6XE&KXQN,'
GDWD
6XE&KXQN6L]H
GDWD
GDWD
FKXQN
Figure 7-5 WAVE file format.
F7-5(1)
A WAVE file starts with a RIFF form. The format for the RIFF form is WAVE,
indicating Wave Audio File format.
F7-5(2)
There are several WAVE chunks in the WAVE specification. Only the format and
the data chunk are supported by this example. The format chunk describes the
sound datas format.
Audio Format: The audio coding format. This example supports only the
Microsoft Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) format.
Channels: The number of channels represented in the waveform data.

759
7
Chapter 7
F7-5(3)
SamplePerSec: The number of samples per seconds at which each channel

should be played.
AvgBytesPerSec: The average number of bytes per second at which the

waveform should be transferred.
BlockAlign: The block alignment (in bytes) of the waveform data.
The data chunk contains the actual sound coded based on the format
chunk fields.
7-3 C/PROBE
In this example, C/Probe will be used to monitor some variables in the target. This
example assumes you have the full version of C/Probe, since the example requires more
than the five variables allowed by the trial version of C/Probe. In this example, C/Probe
uses the TCP/IP protocol.
Start C/Probe and open the workspace uCOS-III-Ex4-Probe.wsp located in the example
project folder.
Then select the TCP-IP (UDP) option in the communications options as shown in Figure 7-6.
Figure 7-6 C/Probe communication options
760
7
In the TCP-IP tab, enter the target IP address in the Remote Host field as shown in
Figure 7-7. Do not change the Remote Port field as this is expected to be 9930 by the target.
Figure 7-7 C/Probe communication options (TCP-IP)
The example C/Probe workspace is shown in Figure 7-8.
(2) Current Playlist

(1) Volume Control
(3) Current Song
(6) Statistics Reset
(4) WAV File Settings
(5) SD Card Status
Figure 7-8 C/Probe workspace.
761
7
Chapter 7
F7-8(1)
This dial control can be used to change the volume of the current song.
F7-8(2)
The current playlist is displayed in a spreadsheet component. The spreadsheet

reads the value of App_UserIF_SongLstCache[], which contains a subset of
song directory entries (files).
F7-8(3)
This numeric control displays the current song that is being played.
F7-8(4)
These numeric controls show the current audio file sampling rate and bits per
sample.
F7-8(5)
The microSD card status is shown using an LED component. If the microSD
card is present this LED will light up (green).
F7-8(6)
The example workspace also includes a kernel awareness datascreen. The

statistics reset switch clears and re-initialize all the statistics values displayed in
the kernel awareness.
762
Appendix
A
C/OS-III Port for the Cortex-M3
This appendix describes the adaptation of C/OS-III to the Cortex-M3 which is called a port.
The port files are found in the following directory:
\Micrium\Software\uCOS-III\Ports\ARM-Cortex-M3\Generic\RealView
The port consists of three files:
OS_CPU.H
OS_CPU_C.C
OS_CPU_A.ASM
763
A
Appendix A
A-1 OS_CPU.H
OS_CPU.H contains processor- and implementation-specific #defines constants, macros,
and typedefs. OS_CPU.H is shown in Listing A-1.
#ifndef
OS_CPU_H
(1)
#define OS_CPU_H
#ifdef
OS_CPU_GLOBALS
(2)
#define OS_CPU_EXT
#else
#define OS_CPU_EXT extern
#endif
/*
***********************************************************************************************
**
*
MACROS
***********************************************************************************************
**
*/
#define OS_TASK_SW()
OSCtxSw()
(3)
#define OS_TS_GET()
CPU_TS_TmrRd()
(4)
/*
***********************************************************************************************
**
*
PROTOTYPES
***********************************************************************************************
**
*/
void OSCtxSw
void OSIntCtxSw
void OSStartHighRdy
void OS_CPU_PendSVHandler
void OS_CPU_SysTickHandler
void OS_CPU_SysTickInit
#endif
(void);
(void);
(void);
(void);
(void);
(CPU_INT32U
(5)
(6)
(7)
cnts);
Listing A-1 OS_CPU.H
LA-1(1)
Typical multiple header file inclusion protection.
LA-1(2)
OS_CPU_GLOBALS and OS_CPU_EXT allow us to declare global variables that are

specific to this port. However, the port doesnt contain any global variables and
thus these statements are just included for completeness and consistency.
764
A
LA-1(3)
The task level context switch code is performed by OSCtxSw(). This function is
actually implemented in OS_CPU_A.ASM.
LA-1(4)
Timestamps are obtained by calling CPU_TS_TmrRd(). On the Cortex-M3,

CPU_TS_TmrRd() reads the DWT_CYCCNT register which is a 32-bit free-running
up counter.
LA-1(5)
The prototypes of mandatory C/OS-III functions.
LA-1(6)
The Cortex-M3 processor provides a special interrupt handler specifically

designed for use by context switch code. This is called the PendSV Handler and
is implemented by OS_CPU_PendSVHandler(). The function is found in
OS_CPU_A.ASM.
LA-1(7)
The Cortex-M3 has a timer dedicated for RTOS use called the SysTick. The code
to initialize and handle the SysTick interrupt is found in OS_CPU_C.C. Note that
this code is part of the C/OS-III port file and not the Board Support Package
(BSP), because the SysTick is available to all Cortex-M3 implementations and is
always handled the same by C/OS-III.
765
A
Appendix A
A-2 OS_CPU_C.C
A C/OS-III port requires that the following functions be declared:
OSIdleTaskHook()
OSInitHook()
OSStatTaskHook()
OSTaskCreateHook()
OSTaslDelHook()
OSTaskReturnHook()
OSTaskStkInit()
OSTaskSwHook()
OSTimeTickHook()
The Cortex-M3 port implements two additional functions as described in the previous
sections:
OS_CPU_SysTickHandler()
OS_CPU_SysTickInit()
A-2-1 OS_CPU_C.C OSIdleTaskHook()

The idle task hook allows the port developer to extend the functionality of the idle task. For
example, you can place the processor in low power mode when no other higher-priority
tasks are running. This is especially useful in battery-powered applications. Listing A-2
shows the typical code for OSIdleTaskHook().

{
if (OS_AppIdleTaskHookPtr != (OS_APP_HOOK_VOID)0) {
(*OS_AppIdleTaskHookPtr)();
}
#endif
}
(1)
(2)
(3)
Listing A-2 OS_CPU_C.C OSIdleTaskHook()
766
A
LA-2(1)
Application level hook functions are enabled by OS_CFG_APP_HOOKS_EN.
LA-2(2)
If the application developer wants his/her own function to be called on every

iteration of the idle task, the developer needs to initialize the value of
OS_AppIdleTaskHookPtr to point to the desired function to call.
Note that C/OS-III initializes OS_AppIdleTaskHookPtr to NULL when
OSInit() is called and therefore, the code must set this pointer only after
calling OSInit().
The application hook function must not make any blocking calls because the
idle task must never block. In other words, it cannot call OSTimeDly(),
OSTimeDlyHMSM(), or OSTaskSuspend() (to suspend self), and any of the
OS???Pend() functions.
Examples of application hooks are found in OS_APP_HOOKS.C.
LA-2(3)
The application level idle task hook is called without any argument.
A-2-2 OS_CPU_C.C OSInitHook()

Listing A-3 shows the typical code for OSInitHook().
void
{
}
OSInitHook (void)
Listing A-3 OS_CPU_C.C OSInitHook()
OSInitHook() does not call any application level hook functions because it cant and thus,
there are no application hook function pointer. The reason for this is that OSInit()
initializes all the application hook pointers to NULL and because of that, it would not be
possible to redefine the application init hook pointer before OSInit() returns.
767
A
Appendix A
A-2-3 OS_CPU_C.C OSStatTaskHook()

OSTaskStatHook() allows the port developer to extend the functionality of the statistic task
by allowing him/her to add additional statistics. OSStatTaskHook() is called after
computing the total CPU usage (see OS_StatTask() in OS_STAT.C). Listing A-4 shows the
typical code for OSStatTaskHook().

{
}
#endif
}
(1)
(2)
Listing A-4 OS_CPU_C.C OSStatTaskHook()
LA-4(1)
If the application developer wants his/her own function to be called by C/OS-IIIs

statistic task (i.e., OS_StatTask()) then the developer needs to initialize the value
of OS_AppStatTaskHookPtr to point to the desired function to call.
Note that C/OS-III initializes OS_AppStatTaskHookPtr to NULL when OSInit()
is called and therefore, the code must set this pointer only after calling OSInit().
The application hook function must not make any blocking calls because it
would affect the behavior of the statistic task. Examples of application hooks
are found in OS_APP_HOOKS.C.
LA-4(2)
768
The application level statistic task hook is called without any argument.
A
A-2-4 OS_CPU_C.C OSTaskCreateHook()

OSTaskCreateHook() gives the port developer the opportunity to add code specific to the
port when a task is created. OSTaskCreateHook() is called once the OS_TCB fields are
initialized, but prior to making the task ready to run. Listing A-5 shows the typical code for
OSTaskCreateHook().

{
if (OS_AppTaskCreateHookPtr != (OS_APP_HOOK_TCB)0) {
(*OS_AppTaskCreateHookPtr)(p_tcb);
}
#else
(void)&p_tcb;
/* Prevent compiler warning */
#endif
}
(1)
(2)
Listing A-5 LOS_CPU_C.C OSTaskCreateHook()
LA-5(1)
If the application developer wants his/her own function to be called when a

task is created, the developer needs to initialize the value of
OS_AppTaskCreateHookPtr to point to the desired function to call.
The application hook function must not make any blocking calls and should
perform its function as quickly as possible.
Note that C/OS-III initializes OS_AppTaskCreateHookPtr to NULL when
OSInit() is called. The code must set this pointer only after calling OSInit().
LA-5(2)
The application level task create hook is passed the address of the OS_TCB of
the task being created.
769
A
Appendix A
A-2-5 OS_CPU_C.C OSTaskDelHook()

OSTaskDelHook() gives the port developer the opportunity to add code specific to the port
when a task is deleted. OSTaskDelHook() is called once the task has been removed from all
lists (the ready list, the tick list or a pend list). Listing A-6 shows the typical code for
OSTaskDelHook().
void OSTaskDelHook (OS_TCB *p_tcb)

{
if (OS_AppTaskDelHookPtr != (OS_APP_HOOK_TCB)0) {
(*OS_AppTaskDelHookPtr)(p_tcb);
}
#else
(void)&p_tcb;
#endif
}
(1)
(2)
Listing A-6 OS_CPU_C.C OSTaskDelHook()
LA-6(1)

task is deleted, the developer needs to initialize the value of
OS_AppTaskDelHookPtr to point to the desired function to call.
The application hook function must not make any blocking calls, and should
You should note that C/OS-III initializes OS_AppTaskDelHookPtr to NULL
when OSInit() is called and the code must set this pointer only after calling
OSInit().
LA-6(2)
770
The application level task delete hook is passed the address of the OS_TCB of
A
A-2-6 OS_CPU_C.C OSTaskReturnHook()

With C/OS-III, a task is never allowed to return. However, if this happens accidentally,
C/OS-III will catch this and delete the offending task. However, OSTaskDelHook() will be
called before the task is deleted. Listing A-7 shows the typical code for
OSTaskReturnHook().
void OSTaskReturnHook (OS_TCB *p_tcb)

{
if (OS_AppTaskReturnHookPtr != (OS_APP_HOOK_TCB)0) {
(*OS_AppTaskReturnHookPtr)(p_tcb);
}
#else
(void)&p_tcb;
#endif
}
(1)
(2)
Listing A-7 OS_CPU_C.C OSTaskReturnHook()
LA-7(1)

task returns, the developer needs to initialize the value of
OS_AppTaskReturnHookPtr to point to the desired function to call.
Note that C/OS-III initializes OS_AppTaskReturnHookPtr to NULL when
OSInit() is called and the code must set this pointer only after calling OSInit().
LA-7(2)
The application level task return hook is passed the address of the OS_TCB of
771
A
Appendix A
A-2-7 OS_CPU_C.C OSTaskStkInit()

This function initializes the stack frame of a task being created. When C/OS-III creates a
task it makes its stack look as if an interrupt just occurred and simulates pushing the context
of the task onto the task stack. OSTaskStkInit() is called by OSTaskCreate().
Listing A-8 shows the Cortex-M3 code for OSTaskStkInit().
CPU_STK *OSTaskStkInit (OS_TASK_PTR

p_task,
void
*p_arg,
CPU_STK
*p_stk_base,
CPU_STK
*p_stk_limit,
CPU_STK_SIZE stk_size,
OS_OPT
opt)
{
CPU_STK *p_stk;
(void)&opt;
(void)&p_stk_limit;
p_stk
= &p_stk_base[stk_size - 1u];
*p_stk-- = (CPU_INT32U)0x01000000L;
*p_stk-- = (CPU_INT32U)p_task;
*p_stk-- = (CPU_INT32U)OS_TaskReturn;
*p_stk-- = (CPU_INT32U)0x12121212L;
*p_stk-- = (CPU_INT32U)0x03030303L;
*p_stk-- = (CPU_INT32U)0x02020202L;
*p_stk-- = (CPU_INT32U)0x01010101L;
*p_stk-- = (CPU_INT32U)p_arg;
*p_stk-- = (CPU_INT32U)0x11111111L;
*p_stk-- = (CPU_INT32U)0x10101010L;
*p_stk-- = (CPU_INT32U)0x09090909L;
*p_stk-- = (CPU_INT32U)0x08080808L;
*p_stk-- = (CPU_INT32U)0x07070707L;
*p_stk-- = (CPU_INT32U)0x06060606L;
*p_stk-- = (CPU_INT32U)0x05050505L;
*p_stk
= (CPU_INT32U)0x04040404L;
return (p_stk);
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
(9)
Listing A-8 OS_CPU_C.C OSTaskStkInit()
772
A
LA-8(1)
OSTaskStkInit() is called by OSTaskCreate() and is passed six arguments:

1The tasks entry point (i.e., the address of the task).
2A pointer to an argument that will be passed to the task when the task starts,
i.e., p_arg.
3The base address of the storage area in RAM of the stack. Typically a stack is
declared as an array of CPU_STKs as shown below.
CPU_STK MyTaskStk[stk_size];
In this case, the base address is simply &MyTaskStk[0].
4The address of where the stack limit is to point to. This assumes that the CPU
supports stack limit checking. If not then this pointer is not used.
5The size of the stack is also passed to OSTaskStkInit().
6Finally, the opt argument of OSTaskCreate() is passed to OSTaskStkInit()
in case any of these are needed by OSTaskStkInit() for special options.
LA-8(2)
A local pointer is initialized to the top-of-stack to initialize. In the case of the

Cortex-M3, the stack grows from high memory to low memory and therefore,
the top-of-stack is at the highest address of the stack storage area.
LA-8(3)
The Cortex-M3s PSR register is initialized. The initial value sets the T bit in
the PSR, which causes the Cortex-M3 to use Thumb instructions (this should
always be the case).
LA-8(4)
This register corresponds to R15 which is the program counter. We initialize

this register to point to the task entry point.
LA-8(5)
This register corresponds to R14 (the link register), which contains the return
address of the task. As previously mentioned, a task is not supposed to return.
This pointer allows us, therefore, to catch this fault and properly terminate the
task. C/OS-III provides a function just for that purpose, OS_TaskReturn().
773
A
Appendix A
LA-8(6)
Registers R12, R3, R2 and R1 are initialized to a value that makes it easy for
them to be identified when a debugger performs a memory dump.
LA-8(7)
R0 is the register used by the C compiler to pass the first argument to a

function. Recall that the prototype for a task looks as shown below.
In this case, p_arg is simply passed in R0 so that when the task starts, it will
think it was called as with any other function.
LA-8(8)
Registers R11, R10, R9 and R8, R7, R6, R5 and R4 are initialized to a value that
makes it easy for them to be identified when a debugger performs a memory
dump.
LA-8(9)
Notice that the stack pointer is not decremented after the last register is placed
onto the stack. This is because the Cortex-M3 assumes that the stack pointer
points to the last element pushed onto the stack.
OSTaskStkInit() returns the new top-of-stack pointer to OSTaskCreate(),
which will save this value in the tasks OS_TCB in the .StkPtr field.
The stack frame of the task being created is shown in Figure A-1.
774
A
Lower Memory
Address
p_stk
R4 (0x04040404)
R5 (0x05050505)
R6 (0x06060606)
R7 (0x07070707)
R8 (0x08080808)
R9 (0x09090909)
Simulated
registers
saved
by
software
during
context
switch
R10 (0x10101010)
R11 (0x11111111)
R0 (p_arg)
R1 (0x01010101)
R2 (0x02020202)
R3 (0x03030303)
R12 (0x12121212)
R14 (OS_TaskReturn)
Simulated
registers
automatically
saved
by
hardware
R15 (p_task)
&p_stk_base[stk_size - 1u]
PSR
Higher Memory
Address
Figure A-1 Stack frame of task being created.
A-2-8 OS_CPU_C.C OSTaskSwHook()

OSTaskSwHook() is called when C/OS-III performs a context switch. If fact,
OSTaskSwHook() is called after saving the context of the task being suspended. Also,
OSTaskSwHook() is called with interrupts disabled.
Listing A-9 shows the code for OSTaskSwHook(). This function is fairly complex and
contains a lot of conditional compilation.
775
A
Appendix A
void
OSTaskSwHook (void)
{
CPU_TS
#ifdef
ts;
CPU_CFG_INT_DIS_MEAS_EN
CPU_TS
int_dis_time;
#endif
#endif

if (OS_AppTaskSwHookPtr != (OS_APP_HOOK_VOID)0) {
(1)
(*OS_AppTaskSwHookPtr)();
(2)
}
#endif
ts = OS_TS_GET();
(3)
if (OSTCBCurPtr != OSTCBHighRdyPtr) {
OSTCBCurPtr->CyclesDelta
= ts - OSTCBCurPtr->CyclesStart;
OSTCBCurPtr->CyclesTotal += (OS_CYCLES)OSTCBCurPtr->CyclesDelta;
}
OSTCBHighRdyPtr->CyclesStart
#ifdef
= ts;
(4)
int_dis_time = CPU_IntDisMeasMaxCurReset();
(5)
if (int_dis_time > OSTCBCurPtr->IntDisTimeMax) {

OSTCBCurPtr->IntDisTimeMax = int_dis_time;
}
#if OS_CFG_SCHED_LOCK_TIME_MEAS_EN > 0u
if (OSSchedLockTimeMaxCur > OSTCBCurPtr->SchedLockTimeMax) {
(6)
OSTCBCurPtr->SchedLockTimeMax = OSSchedLockTimeMaxCur;
}
OSSchedLockTimeMaxCur = (CPU_TS)0;
#endif
#endif
#endif
}
Listing A-9 OS_CPU_C.C OSTaskSwHook()
LA-9(1)

context switch occurs, the developer needs to initialize the value of
OS_AppTaskSwHookPtr to point to the desired function to call.
776
A
Note that C/OS-III initializes OS_AppTaskSwHookPtr to NULL when OSInit()

is called and your code must set this pointer only after calling OSInit().
LA-9(2)
The application level task switch hook is not passed any arguments. However,
the global C/OS-III variables OSTCBCurPtr and OSTCBHighRdyPtr will point
to the OS_TCB of the task being switched out and the OS_TCB of the task being
switched in, respectively.
LA-9(3)
This code measures the execution time of each task. This will be used by the
statistic task to compute the relative CPU usage (in percentage) that each task
uses.
If task profiling is enabled (i.e., OS_CFG_TASK_PROFILE_EN is set to 1) then we
obtain the current timestamp. If we are switching to a new task, we simply
compute how long the task that is being switched out ran for. We then
accumulate this in the .CyclesTotal field (64 bits) of the OS_TCB for that task.
LA-9(4)
OSTaskSwHook() stores the timestamp read as the beginning time of the new
task being switched in.
Note is that the execution time of each task also includes the execution time of
any interrupt that occurred while the task was executing. It would be possible
to exclude this, but it would require more overhead on the CPU.
LA-9(5)
If CPU_CFG_INT_DIS_MEAS_EN is set to 1, C/CPU measures the interrupt

disable time on a per-task basis. The code simply detects the maximum amount
of interrupt disable time for each task and stores it in the .IntDisTimeMax field
of the OS_TCB for the task being switched out.
LA-9(6)
If OS_CFG_SCHED_LOCK_TIME_MEAS_EN is set to 1, C/OS-III keeps track of the

maximum amount of time a task will have the scheduler locked for critical
sections. This value is saved in the .SchedLockTimeMax field of the OS_TCB of
the task being switched out.
777
A
Appendix A
A-2-9 OS_CPU_C.C OSTimeTickHook()

OSTimeTickHook() gives the port developer the opportunity to add code that will be called
by OSTimeTick(). OSTimeTickHook() is called from the tick ISR and must not make any
blocking calls (it would be allowed to anyway) and must execute as quickly as possible.
Listing A-10 shows the typical code for OSTimeTickHook().
void OSTimeTickHook (void)

{
if (OS_AppTimeTickHookPtr != (OS_APP_HOOK_VOID)0) {
(*OS_AppTimeTickHookPtr)();
}
#else
(void)&p_tcb;
#endif
}
(1)
(2)
Listing A-10 OS_CPU_C.C OSTimeTickHook()
LA-10(1)

tick interrupt occurs, the developer needs to initialize the value of
OS_AppTimeTickHookPtr to point to the desired function to call.
Note that C/OS-III initializes OS_AppTimeTickHookPtr to NULL when
OSInit() is called and the code must set this pointer only after calling
OSInit().
LA-10(2)
778
The application level time tick hook is not passed any arguments.
A
A-2-10 OS_CPU_C.C OS_CPU_SysTickHandler()

OS_CPU_SysTickHandler() is automatically invoked by the Cortex-M3 when a SysTick
interrupt occurs and interrupts are enabled. For this to happen, however, the address of
OS_CPU_SysTickHandler() must be placed in the interrupt vector table at the SysTick
entry (the 16th entry in the vector table of the Cortex-M3).
Listing A-11 shows the Cortex-M3 code for OS_CPU_SysTickHandler().
void OS_CPU_SysTickHandler (void)

{
CPU_SR_ALLOC();
OSIntNestingCtr++;
OSTimeTick();
OSIntExit();
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
Listing A-11 OS_CPU_C.C OS_CPU_SysTickHandler()
LA-11(1)
When the Cortex-M3 enters an interrupt, the CPU automatically saves critical
registers (R0, R1, R2, R3, R12, PC, LR and XPSR) onto the current tasks stack
and switches to the Main Stack (MSP) to handle the interrupt.
This means that R4 through R11 are not saved when the interrupt starts and the
ARM Architecture Procedure Call Standard (AAPCS) requires that all interrupt
handlers preserve the values of the other registers, if they are required during
the ISR.
LA-11(2)
The interrupt nesting counter is incremented in a critical section because the

SysTick interrupt handler could be interrupted by a higher priority interrupt.
LA-11(3)
The C/OS-III tick interrupt needs to call OSTimeTick().
LA-11(4)
Every interrupt handler must call OSIntExit() at the end of the handler.
779
A
Appendix A
A-2-11 OS_CPU_C.C OS_CPU_SysTickinit()

OS_CPU_SysTickInit() is called by your application code to initialize the SysTick
interrupt.
Listing A-12 shows the Cortex-M3 code for OS_CPU_SysTickInit().
void OS_CPU_SysTickInit (CPU_INT32U cnts)

{
CPU_REG_NVIC_ST_RELOAD = cnts - 1u;
CPU_REG_NVIC_SHPRI3
|= 0xFF000000u;
CPU_REG_NVIC_ST_CTRL |= CPU_REG_NVIC_ST_CTRL_CLKSOURCE
| CPU_REG_NVIC_ST_CTRL_ENABLE;
CPU_REG_NVIC_ST_CTRL |= CPU_REG_NVIC_ST_CTRL_TICKINT;
}
(1)
(1)
(2)
Listing A-12 OS_CPU_C.C OS_CPU_SysTickInit()
LA-12(1)
OS_CPU_SysTickInit() must be informed about the counts to reload into the

SysTick timer. The counts to reload depend on the CPU clock frequency and
the configured tick rate (i.e., OS_CFG_TICK_RATE_HZ in OS_CFG_APP.H).
LA-12(2)
The SysTick interrupt is set to the lowest priority because ticks are mostly
used for coarse time delays and timeouts, and we want application interrupts to
be handled first.
A-3 OS_CPU_A.ASM
OS_CPU_A.ASM contains processor-specific code for three functions that must be written in
assembly language:
OSStartHighRdy()
OSCtxSw()
OSIntCtxSw()
In addition, the Cortex-M3 requires the definition of a function to handle the PendSV exception.
OS_CPU_PendSVHandler()
780
A
A-3-1 OS_CPU_A.ASM OSStartHighRdy()

OSStartHighRdy() is called by OSStart() to start the process of multitasking. C/OS-III
will switch to the highest priority task that is ready to run.
Listing A-13 shows the Cortex-M3 code for OSStartHighRdy().
OSStartHighRdy
LDR
R0, =NVIC_SYSPRI14
LDR
R1, =NVIC_PENDSV_PRI
STRB
R1, [R0]
MOVS
R0, #0
MSR
PSP, R0
LDR
R0, =NVIC_INT_CTRL
LDR
R1, =NVIC_PENDSVSET
STR
R1, [R0]
CPSIE
I
OSStartHang
B
OSStartHang
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
Listing A-13 OS_CPU_A.ASM OSStartHighRdy()
LA-13(1)
OSStartHighRdy() starts by setting the priority level of the PendSV handler.

The PendSV handler is used to perform all context switches and is always set at
the lowest priority so that it executes after the last nested ISR.
LA-13(2)
The PendSV handler is invoked by triggering it. However, the PendSV will not
execute immediately because it is assumed that interrupts are disabled.
LA-13(3)
Interrupts are enabled and this should cause the Cortex-M3 processor to vector
to the PendSV handler (described later).
LA-13(4)
The PendSV handler should pass control to the highest-priority task that was
created and the code should never come back to OSStartHighRdy().
781
A
Appendix A
A-3-2 OS_CPU_A.ASM OSCtxSw() AND OSIntCtxSw()

OSCtxSw() is called by OSSched() and OS_Sched0() to perform a context switch from a task.
OSIntCtxSw() is called by OSIntExit() to perform a context switch after an ISR has completed.
Both of these functions simply trigger the PendSV exception handler, which does the
actual context switching.
Listing A-14 shows the Cortex-M3 code for OSCtxSw() and OSIntCtxSw().
OSCtxSw
LDR
LDR
STR
BX
OSIntCtxSw
LDR
LDR
STR
BX
R0, =NVIC_INT_CTRL
R1, =NVIC_PENDSVSET
R1, [R0]
LR
R0, =NVIC_INT_CTRL
R1, =NVIC_PENDSVSET
R1, [R0]
LR
Listing A-14 OS_CPU_A.ASM OSCtxSw() and OSIntCtxSw()
782
A
A-3-3 OS_CPU_A.ASM OS_CPU_PendSVHandler()

OS_CPU_PendSVHandler() is the code that performs a context switch initiated by a task, or
at the completion of an ISR. OS_CPU_PendSVHandler() is invoked by OSStartHighRdy(),
OSCtxSw() and OSIntCtxSw().
Listing A-15 shows the Cortex-M3 code for OS_CPU_PendSVHandler().
OS_CPU_PendSVHandler
CPSID
I
MRS
R0, PSP
CBZ
R0, OS_CPU_PendSVHandler_nosave
SUBS
R0, R0, #0x20
STM
R0, {R4-R11}
LDR
R1, =OSTCBCurPtr
LDR
R1, [R1]
STR
R0, [R1]
OS_CPU_PendSVHandler_nosave
PUSH
{R14}
LDR
R0, =OSTaskSwHook
BLX
R0
POP
{R14}
LDR
R0, =OSPrioCur
LDR
R1, =OSPrioHighRdy
LDRB
R2, [R1]
STRB
R2, [R0]
LDR
R0, =OSTCBCurPtr
LDR
R1, =OSTCBHighRdyPtr
LDR
R2, [R1]
STR
R2, [R0]
LDR
R0, [R2]
LDM
R0, {R4-R11}
ADDS
R0, R0, #0x20
MSR
PSP, R0
ORR
LR, LR, #0x04
CPSIE
I
BX
LR
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
(9)
(10)
(11)
(12)
Listing A-15 OS_CPU_A.ASM OS_CPU_PendSVHandler()
LA-15(1)
OS_CPU_PendSVHandler() starts by disabling all interrupts because interrupt

should not occur during a context switch.
783
A
Appendix A
LA-15(2)
This code skips saving the remaining 8 registers if this is the first time the PendSV
is called. In other words, when OSStartHighRdy() triggers the PendSV handler,
there is nothing to save from the previous task as there is no previous task.
LA-15(3)
If OS_CPU_PendSVHandler() is invoked from either OSCtxSw() or

OSIntCtxSw(), the PendSV handler saves the remaining eight CPU registers
(R4 through R11) onto the stack of the task switched out.
LA-15(4)
OS_CPU_PendSVHandler() saves the stack pointer of the task switched out into
that tasks OS_TCB. Note that the first field of an OS_TCB is .StkPtr (the tasks
stack pointer), which makes it convenient for assembly language code since
there are no offsets to determine.
LA-15(5)
The task switch hook (OSTaskSwHook()) is then called.
LA-15(6)
OS_CPU_PendSVHandler() copies the priority of the new task into the priority
of the current task, i.e.: OSPrioCur = OSPrioHighRdy;
LA-15(7)
OS_CPU_PendSVHandler() copies the pointer to the new tasks OS_TCB into the
pointer to the current tasks OS_TCB, i.e.: OSTCBCurPtr = OSTCBHighRdyPtr;
LA-15(8)
OS_CPU_PendSVHandler() retrieves the stack pointer from the new tasks

OS_TCB.
LA-15(9)
CPU registers R4 through R11 from the new task are loaded into the CPU.
LA-15(10)
The task stack pointer is updated with the new top-of-stack pointer.
LA-15(11)
Interrupts are re-enabled since we are finished performing the critical portion of
the context switch. If another interrupt occurs before we return from the PendSV
handler, the Cortex-M3 knows that there are eight registers still saved on the
stack, and there would be no need for it to save them. This is called Tail Chaining
and it makes servicing back-to-back interrupts quite efficient on the Cortex-M3.
LA-15(12)
By performing a return from the PendSV handler, the Cortex-M3 processors knows
that it is returning from interrupt and will thus restore the remaining registers.
784
Appendix
B
C/CPU Port for the Cortex-M3
C/CPU consists of files that encapsulate common CPU-specific functionality and CPU
compiler-specific data types. Appendix B describes the adaptation of C/CPU to the
Cortex-M3 as it relates to C/OS-III.
Notice how each variable, function, #define constant, or macro is prefixed with CPU_. This
makes it easier to identify them as belonging to the C/CPU module when invoked by other
modules, or application code.
The C/CPU files are found in the following three directories:
\Micrium\Software\uC-CPU\CPU_CORE.C
\Micrium\Software\uC-CPU\CPU_CORE.H
\Micrium\Software\uC-CPU\CPU_DEF.H
\Micrium\Software\uC-CPU\Cfg\Template\CPU_CFG.H
\Micrium\Software\uC-CPU\ARM-Cortex-M3\RealView\CPU.H
\Micrium\Software\uC-CPU\ARM-Cortex-M3\RealView\CPU_A.ASM
\Micrium\Software\uC-CPU\ARM-Cortex-M3\RealView\CPU_C.C
B-1 CPU_CORE.C
CPU_CORE.C contains C code that is common to all CPU architectures and this file must not
be changed. Specifically, CPU_CORE.C contains functions to allow C/OS-III and your
application to obtain time stamps, measure the interrupt disable time of the
CPU_CRITICAL_ENTER() and CPU_CRITICAL_EXIT() macros, a function that emulates a
count leading zeros instruction (if the processor does not have that instruction built-in), and
a few other functions.
The application code must call CPU_Init() before it calls any other C/CPU function. This
call can be placed in main() before calling C/OS-IIIs OSInit().
785
Appendix B
B
B-2 CPU_CORE.H
CPU_CORE.H contains function prototypes for the functions provided in CPU_CORE.C and
allocation of the variables used by the module to measure interrupt disable time. This file
must not be modified.
B-3 CPU_DEF.H
CPU_DEF.H contains miscellaneous #define constants used by the C/CPU module. This
file must not be modified.
B-4 CPU_CFG.H
CPU_CFG.H contains a template to configure C/CPU for an actual project. CPU_CFG.H
determines whether to enable measurement of the interrupt disable time, whether the CPU
implements a count leading zeros instruction in assembly language, or whether it will be
emulated in C, and more.
You should copy CPU_CFG.H to the application directory for a project and modify this file as
necessary. This obviously assumes that you have access to the source code. The source
code is provided to C/OS-III licensees.
Listing B-1 shows the recommended values for the Cortex-M3.
#define
#define
#define
#define
#define
#define
CPU_CFG_NAME_EN
CPU_CFG_NAME_SIZE
CPU_CFG_TS_EN
CPU_CFG_INT_DIS_MEAS_OVRHD_NBR
CPU_CFG_LEAD_ZEROS_ASM_PRESENT
DEF_ENABLED
16u
DEF_ENABLED
DEF_ENABLED
1u
DEF_ENABLED
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
Listing B-1 CPU_CFG.H recommended values
LB-1(1)
786
Assign an ASCII name to the CPU by calling CPU_NameSet(). This is useful for
debugging purposes.

B
LB-1(2)
The name of the CPU should be limited to 15 characters plus a NUL, unless this
value is changed.
LB-1(3)
This #define enables the code to measure timestamps. It is a feature required

by C/OS-III, and should always be set to DEF_ENABLED.
LB-1(4)
This #define determines whether to measure interrupt disable time. This is a

useful feature during development but it may be turned off when deploying a
system as measuring interrupt disable time adds measurement artifacts (i.e.,
overhead).
LB-1(5)
This #define determines how many iterations will be performed when

determining the overhead involved in measuring interrupt disable time. For the
Cortex-M3, the recommended value is 1.
LB-1(6)
The ARMv7 instruction set of the Cortex-M3 contains a Count Leading Zeros
(CLZ) instruction, which significantly improves the performance of the
C/OS-III scheduler and, therefore, this option always needs to be enabled.
B-5 C/CPU FUNCTIONS IN BSP.C

C/CPU also requires two Board Support Package (BSP) specific functions:
CPU_TS_TmrInit()
CPU_TS_TmrRd()
These functions are typically implemented in BSP.C of the evaluation or target board.
The Cortex-M3s Debug Watch Trace (DWT) contains a 32-bit CPU cycle counter (CYCCNT)
that is used by C/CPU for time stamping. The 32-bit counter is incremented at the CPU
clock rate which provides excellent time measurement accuracy. The CYCCNT will overflow
and reset from 0 after counting 4,294,967,296 CPU clock cycles. This is not a problem since
C/CPU maintains a 64-bit timestamp using two 32-bit values. The overflows are therefore
accounted for. However, for C/OS-III, we only need the lower 32 bits because that offers
sufficient resolution for what C/OS-III needs to do with it.
787
Appendix B
B
A 64-bit timestamp is unlikely to ever overflow for the life of a product. For example, if the
Cortex-M3 is clocked at 1 GHz (this is not possible at this time), the 64-bit timestamp would
overflow after approximately 585 years!
B-5-1 C/CPU FUNCTIONS IN BSP.C, CPU_TS_TmrInit()

Listing B-2 shows how to initialize the DWTs cycle counter.
#if (CPU_CFG_TS_TMR_EN == DEF_ENABLED)

void CPU_TS_TmrInit (void)
{
DEM_CR
|= (CPU_INT32U)DEM_CR_TRCENA;
DWT_CYCCNT = (CPU_INT32U)0u;
DWT_CR
|= (CPU_INT32U)0x00000001;
}
#endif
(1)
(2)
Listing B-2 BSP.C, CPU_TS_TmrInit()
LB-2(1)
We need to enable the trace module.
LB-2(2)
To initialize the DWTs CYCCNT set bit 0 in the DWTs Control Register
(DWT_CR). A read-modify-write avoids altering the other bits in the DWT_CR.
B-5-2 C/CPU FUNCTIONS IN BSP.C, CPU_TS_TmrRd()

The DWTs CYCCNT register is read by calling CPU_TS_TmrRd(). This function is
implemented as shown in Listing B-3.
#if (CPU_CFG_TS_TMR_EN == DEF_ENABLED)

CPU_TS_TMR CPU_TS_TmrRd (void)
{
return ((CPU_TS_TMR)DWT_CYCCNT);
}
#endif
Listing B-3 BSP.C, CPU_TS_TmrRd()
788

B
B-6 CPU.H
CPU.H contains processor- and implementation-specific #defines constants, macros
and typedefs.
B-6-1 CPU.H #DEFINES

CPU.H declares a number of processor specific #define constants and macros. The most
important ones related to C/OS-III are shown in Listing B-4.
#define
CPU_CFG_STK_GROWTH
#define
CPU_CFG_LEAD_ZEROS_ASM_PRESENT
CPU_STK_GROWTH_HI_TO_LO
#define
CPU_SR_ALLOC()
#define
CPU_CRITICAL_ENTER()
{ cpu_sr = CPU_SR_Save(); }
(4)
#define
CPU_CRITICAL_EXIT()
{ CPU_SR_Restore(cpu_sr);}
(5)
CPU_SR
(1)
(2)
cpu_sr = (CPU_SR)0;
(3)
Listing B-4 CPU.H, #defines
LB-4(1)
This #define specifies that the Cortex-M3 stack grows from high memory to
lower-memory addresses.
LB-4(2)
This #define indicates that the Cortex-M3 has an assembly language

instruction that counts leading zeros in a data word. This feature significantly
speeds up C/OS-IIIs scheduling algorithm.
LB-4(3)
The macro is used to allocate a local variable in a function that needs to protect a
critical section by disabling interrupts. C/OS-III uses CPU_SR_ALLOC() as follows:
void OSFunction (void)

{
CPU_SR_ALLOC();
/* Code protected by critical section */
:
}
789
Appendix B
B
The macro might not appear necessary if we are only declaring a single
variable, but the actual code in CPU.H is slightly more complex. Therefore the
macro hides this complexity from the user.
LB-4(4)
CPU_CRITICAL_ENTER() is invoked by C/OS-III to disable interrupts. As

shown, the macro calls CPU_SR_Save(), which is declared in CPU_A.ASM
(described later). CPU_SR_Save() saves the current state of the Cortex-M3s PSR
and then disables interrupts. The saved value of the PSR is returned to the
function that invokes CPU_CRITICAL_ENTER(). The PSR is saved in the local
variable allocated by CPU_SR_ALLOC(). CPU_SR_Save() is implemented in
assembly language because C cannot access CPU registers.
LB-4(5)
CPU_CRITICAL_EXIT() calls the function CPU_SR_Restore() (See CPU_A.ASM)

to restore the previously saved state of the PSR. The reason the PSR was saved
in the first place is because interrupts might already be disabled before
invoking CPU_CRITICAL_ENTER() and we want to keep them disabled when
we exit the critical section. If interrupts were enabled before calling
CPU_CRITICAL_ENTER(), they will be re-enabled by CPU_CRITICAL_EXIT().
B-6-2 CPU.H DATA TYPES

Micrim does not make use of the standard C data types. Instead, data types are declared
that are highly portable and intuitive. In addition, all data types are always declared in
upper case, which follows Micrims coding standard.
Figure B-5 shows the data types used by Micrim specific to the Cortex-M3 (assuming the
ARK/Keil RealView C compiler).
790

B
typedef
void
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
typedef
char
CPU_CHAR;
char
CPU_BOOLEAN;
char
CPU_INT08U;
char
CPU_INT08S;
short
CPU_INT16U;
short
CPU_INT16S;
int
CPU_INT32U;
int
CPU_INT32S;
long long CPU_INT64U;
long long CPU_INT64S;
float
CPU_FP32;
double
CPU_FP64;
CPU_INT08U CPU_REG08;
void
(*CPU_FNCT_VOID)(void);
void
(*CPU_FNCT_PTR )(void *);
unsigned
unsigned
signed
unsigned
signed
unsigned
signed
unsigned
signed
volatile
volatile
volatile
volatile
CPU_VOID;
/*
/*
/*
/*
/*
/*
/*
/*
/*
/*
/*
/*
/*
/*
/*
/*
8-bit
8-bit
8-bit
8-bit
16-bit
16-bit
32-bit
32-bit
64-bit
64-bit
32-bit
64-bit
8-bit
16-bit
32-bit
64-bit
character
boolean or logical
unsigned integer
signed integer
unsigned integer
signed integer
unsigned integer
signed integer
unsigned integer
signed integer
floating point
floating point
register
register
register
register
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
*/
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
Listing B-5 CPU.H, Data Types
LB-5(1)
Characters are assumed to be 8-bit quantities on the Cortex-M3.
LB-5(2)
It is often convenient to declare Boolean variables. However, even though a

Boolean represents either 1 or 0, a whole byte is used. This is done because
ANSI C does not define single bit variables.
LB-5(3)
The signed and unsigned integer data types are declared for 8, 16 and 32-bit
quantities.
LB-5(4)
C/OS-III requires that the compiler defines 64-bit data types. These are used
when computing CPU usage on a per-task basis. The 64-bit data types are used
when declaring OS_CYCLES in OS_TYPE.H.
LB-5(5)
Most of Micrims software components do not use floating-point values. These

data types are declared for consistency and to provide portable data types to
the application developer.
791
Appendix B
B
#define
CPU_CFG_ADDR_SIZE
CPU_WORD_SIZE_32
#define
CPU_CFG_DATA_SIZE
CPU_WORD_SIZE_32
(6)
#if
(CPU_CFG_ADDR_SIZE == CPU_WORD_SIZE_32)
typedef CPU_INT32U
CPU_ADDR;
#elif
(CPU_CFG_ADDR_SIZE == CPU_WORD_SIZE_16)
typedef CPU_INT16U
CPU_ADDR;
#else
typedef CPU_INT08U
CPU_ADDR;
#endif
#if
(CPU_CFG_DATA_SIZE == CPU_WORD_SIZE_32)
typedef CPU_INT32U
CPU_DATA;
#elif
(CPU_CFG_DATA_SIZE == CPU_WORD_SIZE_16)
typedef CPU_INT16U
CPU_DATA;
#else
typedef CPU_INT08U
CPU_DATA;
#endif
typedef
typedef
typedef
CPU_DATA
CPU_ADDR
CPU_INT16U
CPU_ALIGN;
CPU_SIZE_T;
CPU_ERR;
typedef
typedef
typedef
CPU_INT32U
CPU_ADDR
CPU_INT32U
CPU_STK;
CPU_STK_SIZE;
CPU_SR;
(7)
(8)
Listing B-6 CPU.H, Data Type (Continued)
LB-5(6)
Miscellaneous types are declared.
LB-5(7)
CPU_STK declares the width of a CPU stack entry and they are 32-bits wide on
the Cortex-M3. All C/OS-III stacks must be declared using CPU_STK.
LB-5(8)
C/CPU provides code to protect critical sections by disabling interrupts. This is

implemented by CPU_CRITICAL_ENTER() and CPU_CRITICAL_EXIT(). When
CPU_CRITICAL_ENTER() is invoked, the current state of the Cortex-M3s
Program Status Register (PSR) is saved in a local variable so that it can be
restored when CPU_CRITICAL_EXIT() is invoked. The local variable that holds
the saved PSR is declared as a CPU_SR.
792

B
B-6-3 CPU.H FUNCTION PROTOTYPES

CPU.H also contains a number of data types. The most significant prototypes related to
C/OS-III are shown in Listing B-6.
CPU_SR
CPU_SR_Save
void
CPU_DATA
CPU_SR_Restore
(CPU_SR
CPU_CntLeadZeros (CPU_DATA
(void);
cpu_sr);
val);
Listing B-7 CPU.H, Data Type
B-7 CPU_A.ASM
CPU_A.ASM contains assembly language functions provided by C/CPU. Three functions of
particular importance to C/OS-III are shown in Listing B-7.
CPU_SR_Save() obtains the current value of the Cortex-M3 PSR and then disables all CPU
interrupts. The value of the saved PSR is returned to the caller.
CPU_SR_Restore() reverses the process and restores the PSR to the value passed to
CPU_SR_Restored() as an argument.
CPU_CntLeadZeros() counts the number of zero bits starting from the most significant bit
position. This function is implemented in assembly language because the ARMv7 instruction
incorporates this functionality.
In all of the functions below, R0 contains the value passed to the function, as well as the
returned value.
793
Appendix B
B
Listing B-8 CPU_A.ASM
CPU_SR_Save
MRS
CPSID
BX
CPU_SR_Restore
MSR
BX
R0, PRIMASK
I
LR
PRIMASK, R0
LR
CPU_CntLeadZeros
CLZ
R0, R0
BX
LR
794
Appendix
C
Micrims C/Probe
C/Probe is an award-winning Microsoft Windows-based application that allows a user to
display or change the value (at run time) of virtually any variable or memory location on a
connected embedded target. The user simply populates C/Probes graphical environment with
gauges, numeric indicators, tables, graphs, virtual LEDs, bar graphs, sliders, switches, push
buttons, and other components, and associates each of these to a variable or memory location.
With C/Probe, it is not necessary to instrument the target code in order to display or
change variables at run time. In fact, there is no need to add printf() statements, hardware
such as Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs), or use any other
means to get visibility inside an embedded target at run time.
Two versions of C/Probe are available from Micrim (See section 3-3 Downloading
C/Probe on page 691).
C/OS-III licensees will receive one free license of the full version of C/Probe. This full
version supports J-Link, RS-232C, TCP/IP, USB, and other interfaces, and allows you to
display or change an unlimited number of variables. The trial version only allows you to
display or change up to 5 application variables. However, it allows you to monitor any
C/OS-III variables since C/Probe is C/OS-III aware.
The examples provided with this book assume that you have downloaded and installed one
of these two versions of C/Probe.
This appendix provides a brief introduction to C/Probe
795
Appendix C
Figure C-1 shows a block diagram of a typical development environment with the addition
of C/Probe as used with the NXP LPC17xx, available with this book.
(2)
(1)
Application
Code
(3)
Keil MCB1700
ARM/Keil uVision
Compiler/
Assembler
Linker/
Locator
TM
C-SPY
Debugger
(4)
C/Probe
J-Link
SWD
(5)
NXP PC1758/68
Target
(Cortex-M3)
(6)
RS-232C, TCP/IP or USB
Figure C-1 Development environment using the LPC17xx
FC-1(1)
This is the application code you are developing. It is assumed that you are
using C/OS-III provided with this book. However, C/Probe does not require
an RTOS, and can work with or without an RTOS.
FC-1(2)
The examples provided with this book assumes the ARM/Keil uVision
toolchain, but C/Probe works with any toolchain as long as the linker/locator
is able to produce an .ELF or .IEEE695 output file.
FC-1(3)
It is assumed that you will be testing the example projects using an ARM/Keil
MCB1700 evaluation board which is equipped with an NXP LPC1758/68 Micro
Controller Unit (MCU).
FC-1(4)
The MCB1700 evaluation board available with this book can be debugged
using a J-Tag interface. J-Tag debuggers are available from multiple sources
such as ARM/Keil (U-Link) and Segger ( J-Link).
FC-1(4)
C/Probe reads the exact same .ELF or .IEEE695 output file produced by the
linker/locator. From this file, C/Probe is able to extract names, data types and
addresses of all the global variables of the application code. This information
allows C/Probe to display any of the values of the variables using the display
objects available in C/Probe (gauges, meters, virtual LEDs, bar graphs,
numeric indicators, graphs, and more.
796
Micrims C/Probe
FC-1(5)
C/Probe is able to interface to the Cortex-M3 processor via the SWD interface
of the J-Link.
FC-1(6)
C/Probe can interface to a target using a Segger J-Link Pro debugger. The
J-Link needs to be SWD aware since not all J-Link debuggers are.
FC-1(7)
C/Probe can also interface to the MCB1700 board using RS-232C, Ethernet
(using TCP/IP) or USB.
Target resident code must be added when using RS-232C. This code is however
provided by Micrim, and the user needs only to add it to the application code
as part of the build. Also, unlike when using the J-Link, target data can only be
displayed or changed by C/Probe when the target is running. However, the
RS-232C interface allows data to be collected faster than through the onboard
J-Link.
Target resident code is also required if using the Ethernet port on the MCB1700
board. In fact, youll need a full TCP/IP stack such as Micrims C/TCP-IP.
Again, data can only be displayed and changed when the target is running.
However, the Ethernet interface provides the best throughput and data update
rates for C/Probe.
Finally, C/Probe also works over the on-board USB device connector. In this
case, the USB controller uses the device interface and requires a USB-Device
Human Interface Device (HID) stack such as Micrims C/USB-Device with
HID option. As with the RS-232C and TCP/IP, data can only be displayed or
changed when the target is running when using this interface.
797
Appendix C
C-1 C/PROBE IS A WINDOWS-BASED APPLICATION

As previously mentioned, C/Probe is a Microsoft Windows-based application. When
opening C/Probe you will see the environment shown in Figure C-2.
(6)
Run/Stop
(4)
Objects Ribbon
(4)
Object Table
(2)
Workspace
(3)
Symbol Browser
(1)
Data Screen
Figure C-2 Empty C/Probe project
FC-2(1)
C/Probes main focus is the Data Screen. This is where you drag and drop
such Objects as gauges, meters, graphs, virtual LEDs, sliders, switches, and
more, which are used to display or change the value of target variables at run
time. C/Probe allows you to define any number of Data Screens and each
Data Screen can be assigned a name. Each data screen is selected by using a
Tab at the top of the data screen area.
FC-2(2)
When data screens are created, their names also appear in the Workspace area.
The Workspace defines the structure of the C/Probe project. Data screens can
be imported from other projects, and can be exported.
798
Micrims C/Probe
FC-2(3)
The Symbol Browser contains a list of all the variables that can be displayed or
changed in the target by C/Probe. The variables are organized alphabetically
by compile modules (i.e., source files). You can expand each of those files and
view all the variables defined in that module, and search symbols by using the
search box.
FC-2(4)
The Object Ribbon is where to find the objects (gauges, meters, numeric
indicators, sliders, graphs, etc.) to drag and drop onto the data screen.
FC-2(5)
Similar objects are grouped together. Each group is selected by clicking on the
appropriate tab. Drag and drop any object onto a data screen of your choice,
and associate a variable to the instantiated object. Some objects even allow you
to associate multiple variables.
Figure C-3 shows a group of Meter objects and Figure C-4 shows a group of
Level objects.
Figure C-3 C/Probe meter objects
Figure C-4 C/Probe level objects
Figure C-5 shows a group of Slider objects, which can be used to modify target
variables.
Figure C-5 C/Probe slider objects
799
Appendix C
C-2 ASSIGNING A VARIABLE TO AN OBJECT

Assigning a variable to an object is quite simple as illustrated in Figure C-6. It is assumed
that the code has been downloaded to the target and the target is running.
(4)
Run/Stop
(1)
Select Objects
(2)
Drag and Drop
(3)
Find the Variable
Figure C-6 Assigning a variable to an object
800
Micrims C/Probe
FC-6(1)
Select the object that will allow you to better visualize the variable (a meter, a
thermometer, an LED, etc.).
FC-6(2)
Drag and drop the object onto the data screen.
FC-6(3)
Find the variable in the symbol browser. Simply type the first few letters of the
variable and C/Probe will narrow down the search. Click on the small box to
the left of the variable.
FC-6(4)
When you want to see the value of the variable, simply click on the Run/Stop
button on the upper left corner.
Add as many objects as you want to each data screen and use as many data screens as you
want. However, remember that the trial-version of C/Probe only allows you to have a total
of five application variables, but enables the display of any C/OS-III variable.
801
Appendix C
802
Appendix
D
Debugging with ARM CoreSight Technology
on Cortex-M3 Processors
There are four essential debug systems in CoreSight as implemented in NXP Cortex-M3
processors: All operate in real-time and steal no CPU cycles. Only ITM uses a minimal
amount of CPU time.
1
Serial Wire Viewer (SWV) and ITM (ITM has an easy-to-use printf feature).
Debug Access Point (DAP). Real-time memory read and write. Watch and Memory
windows.
Embedded Trace Macrocell (ETM). Captures and records all the program counter
values.
Breakpoints and Watchpoints.
803
D
Appendix D
D-1 SERIAL WIRE VIEWER (SWV)

SWV displays PC samples, exceptions (including interrupts), data reads and writes, ITM,
CPU counters and a timestamp. Variables can be displayed in a graphical format.
Figure D-1 Trace Records: PC samples, exception 15 exit, a data write displayed and a timestamp.
Figure D-2 Exceptions: These also appear in the Trace Records window.
804
D
Figure D-3 The Logic Analyzer can display up to four variables in real-time.
D-1-1 DAP: REAL-TIME MEMORY READ AND WRITE

Vision has the ability to read and write memory locations on-the-fly and without stealing
CPU cycles by using the Debug Access Port (DAP). The Cortex-M3 is a Harvard architecture:
this means it has separate code and data address busses. While the CPU is fetching
instructions at full speed from the code space, Vision can access the data space through
the DAP.
Micrim C/Probe uses this feature to interact in real-time with the target memory.
Figure D-4 C/Probe and Vision Watch and Memory windows using a J-Link
805
D
Appendix D
Figure D-4 illustrates C/Probe and Vision simultaneously interacting with the same
memory via DAP.
C/Probe is writing variable pLimit and Vision is reading it. The current value is 105.
Change the pLimit slider and the corresponding value changes in the Memory window.
C/Probe and Vision are both monitoring the variable AD_last. The current value is 83
(decimal).
D-1-2 EMBEDDED TRACE MACROCELL (ETM)

ETM provides all the program counter values (as opposed to a sample of the PCs available
in the SWV). An adapter such as the Keil ULINKpro is needed. ETM provides the data for
Code Coverage and Performance Analysis.
Figure D-5 ETM Instruction Trace window with source code displayed when using ULINKpro.
D-1-3 BREAKPOINTS AND WATCHPOINTS
Breakpoints: NXP Cortex-M3 processors have six hardware breakpoints. Breakpoints

can be set on-the-fly with Vision while the program is running. Vision will use one,
or perhaps two for its operations.
Watchpoints: Sometimes referred to as Access Breaks, these can be thought of

conditional breakpoints. They can be set to stop the program on a specified number of
data read or write values as well as other events. Two Watchpoints are available in NXP
LPC1700 processors.
806
D
D-2 WHAT KIND OF DATA CAN THE SERIAL WIRE VIEWER

DISPLAY?
Global variables.
Static variables.
Structures.
Peripheral registers just read or write to them. The same is true for memory locations.
Cannot see local variables (just make them global or static).
Cannot see register to register operations. ETM records these instructions but not the
data values.
Cannot see DMA transfers. DMA bypasses the CPU and SWV can only see CPU actions.
Executed instructions. SWV samples them and ETM captures them all.
D-3 DEBUG PORTS: JTAG, SWD AND SWJ
JTAG: The JTAG port is used to access the Cortex-M3 debug module from the outside
world. A USB to JTAG adapter connects the debugger software Vision to the target
chip using up to five pins.
Serial Wire Debug (SWD): SWD is a two-wire alternative to the JTAG port. SWD has a
bi-directional signal plus a clock. It shares the JTAG signals TMS and TCK respectively
on the JTAG port. SWD can do everything JTAG can except for boundary scan.
SWD or JTAG is selected in Vision. SWD is preferred, especially if Serial Wire Viewer
(SWV) is used.
807
D
Appendix D
D-4 HARDWARE CONNECTIONS: CONNECTING TO A TARGET

There are three standard target connectors used for ARM processors. ARM has specified a
new 10 and 20-pin high-density headers for Cortex designs to save PCB space. The
MCB1700 is equipped with all three.
1
The legacy JTAG connector. This is labeled JTAG on the MCB1700; see Figure D-6.
This contains all JTAG, SWD and SWV signals but not ETM.
The new Hi-Density 10 pin ARM connector. This is labeled Cortex Debug on the
MCB1700. Figure D-7. This contains all JTAG, SWD and SWV signals but not ETM. A
cable is supplied with Keil ULINK.
The new Hi-Density 20 pin ARM connector. This is labeled Cortex Debug+ETM on the
MCB1700. Figure D-6. This contains all JTAG, SWD and SWV signals and up to 4 bits
ETM.
JTAG
SWD
SWV
ETM
Notes
Legacy 20 pin
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Connector is large and takes up much space.
High-Density 10 pin
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Is ARM Recommended for new designs.
High-Density 20 pin
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Is ARM Recommended for new designs.
Table D-1 Summary of adapter connectors.
Figure D-6 20 pin ETM and 10 pin Hi-density JTAG/SWD
808
D
D-5 USEFULNESS OF THE TRACE

SWV and ETM Trace adds significant power to debugging efforts. Problems which may take
hours, days or even weeks in big projects can often be found in a fraction of these times.
Usually, these techniques allow finding bugs without stopping the program. These are the
types of problems that can be found:
Pointer problems.
Illegal instructions and data aborts (such as misaligned writes).
Code overwrites writes to flash memory, unexpected writes to peripheral registers

(SFRs)
A corrupted stack.
Out of bounds data or uninitialized variables and arrays.
Stack overflows; what causes the stack to grow bigger than it should ?
Runaway programs: Your program has no longer responds, and you need to know what
instruction caused this. This is probably the most important use of trace.
Communication protocol and timing issues or system timing problems.
Profile analysis and code coverage.
ETM Trace captures all the program counters. Every instruction is displayed in the
Instruction Trace window along with any associated source code.
ETM shows the instructions in all register-to-register operations. ETM does not show any
data values. You use Serial Wire Viewer to do that.
809
D
Appendix D
810
Appendix
E
Schematics
This appendix contains the schematic diagrams for the ARM/Keil MCB1700 evaluation board
that is available separately for use with this book.
811
812
+3.3VA
+3.3VA
VDDREG
VDDIO
GND
L4
GND
L2
L1
BLM
BLM
L3
BLM
BLM
GND
GND
C12
1u
C7
1u
C2
12
42
84
28
54
71
96
11
VDDA 10
10n VSSA
C13
13
10n VREF- 15
C1 100n
100n
C3 100n
C4
100n
C5 100n
C6
100n
VREF+
C8
GND
31
41
55
72
97
83
LPC1768
VSSA
VDDA
NC
VREF-
VREF+
VDDREG_1
VDDREG_2
XTAL_O
XTAL_I
RTCK_O
K
RTCK_I
K
VBAT
TDO/SWO
TDI
TMS/SWDIO
nTRST
TCK/SWDCLK
TCK/SWDCL
K
K
RSTOUT
nRESET
VDDIO_1
RTCK
VDDIO_2
VDDIO_3
VDDIO_4
VSS_1
VSS_2
VSS_3
VSS_4
VSS_5
VSS_6
IC1B
C9
23 XTAL_O
22 XTAL_I
12MHz
22p
22p
22p
22p
C14
C11
Q2
18 RTCK_O
32.768 kHz C10
Q1
VBAT
TDO/SWO
TDI
TMS/SWDIO
TRST_N
TCK/SWDCLK
RSTOUTN
RST
RTCK
16 RTCK_I
19
1
2
3
4
5
14
17
100
GND
GND
P3.25
P3.26
P4.28
P4.29
P0.0
P0.1
P0.2
P0.3
P0.4
P0.5
P0.6
P0.7
P0.8
P0.9
P0.10
P0.11
P0.15
P0.16
P0.17
P0.18
P0.19
P0.20
P0.21
P0.22
P0.23
P0.24
P0.25
P0.26
P0.27
P0.28
P0.29
P0.30
Header 4 x 1
1
2
3
4
P3 P4
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
P0
82
85
P4.28
P4.29
P1.0/ENET_TXD0
P1.1/ENET_TXD1
P1.4/ENET_TX_EN
P1.8/ENET_CRS
P1.9/ENET_RXD0
P1.10/ENET_RXD1
P1.14/ENET_RX_ER
P1.15/ENET_REF_CLK
P1.16/ENET_MDC
P1.17/ENET_MDIO
LPC1768
LPC1760.SchDoc
Size: A4
Date: 29.7.2009
Sheet
Web:
1 of 6
www.keil.com/MCB1700
Revision: 1.2
P0.8/I2STX_WS/MISO1/MAT2.2
P0.9/I2STX_SDA/MOSI1/MAT2.3
P0.10/TXD2/SDA2/MAT3.0 P1.18/USB_UP_LED/PWM1.1/CAP1.0
P0.11/RXD2/SCL2/MAT3.1
P1.19/MC0A/nUSB_PPWR/CAP1.1
P0.15/TXD1/SCK0/SCK
P1.20/MCFB0/PWM1.2/SCK0
P1.21/MCABORT/PWM1.3/SSEL0
P0.16/RXD1/SSEL0/SSEL
P1.22/MC0B/USB_PWRD/MAT1.0
P0.17/CTS1/MISO0/MISO
P1.23/MCFB1/PWM1.4/MISO0
P0.18/DCD1/M0SI0/MOSI
P1.24/MCFB2/PWM1.5/MOSI0
P0.19/DSR1/SDA1
P1.25/MC1A/MAT1.1
P0.20/DTR1/SCL1
P1.26/MC1B/PWM1.6/CAP0.0
P0.21/RI1/RD1
P1.27/CLKOUT/nUSB_OVRCR/CAP0.1
P0.22/RTS1/TD1
P1.28/MC2A1.0/MAT0.0
P0.23/AD0.0/I2SRX_CLK/CAP3.0
P0.23/AD0.0/I2SRX_CLK/CAP
K
3.0
P1.29/MC2B/PCAP1.1/MAT0.1
P1.30/VBUS/AD0.4
P0.24/AD0.1/I2SRX_WS/CAP3.1
P1.31/SCK1/AD0.5
P0.25/AD0.2/I2SRX_SDA/TXD3
P0.26/AD0.3/AOUT/RXD3
P0.27/SDA0/USB_SDA
P2.0/PWM1.1/TXD1
P0.28/SCL0/USB_SCL
P2.1/PWM1.2/RXD1
P0.29/USB_D+
P2.2/PWM1.3/CTS1/TRACEDATA3
P0.30/USB_DP2.3/PWM1.4/DCD1/TRACEDATA2
P2.4/PWM1.5/DSR1/TRACEDATA1
P2.5/PWM1.6/DTR1/TRACEDATA0
P3.25/MAT0.0/PWM1.2
P2.6/PCAP1.0/RI1/TRACECLK
P3.26/STCLK/MAT0.1/PWM1.3
P3.26/STCLK/MAT0.1/P
K
WM1.3
P2.7/RD2/RTS1
P2.8/TD2/TXD2
P4.28/RX_MCLK/MAT2.0/TXD3
K
P2.9/USB_CONNECT/RXD2
P4.29/TX_MCLK/MAT2.1/RXD3
K
P2.10/nEINT0/NMI
P2.11/nEINT1/I2STX_CLK
P2.12/nEINT2/I2STX_WS
P2.13/nEINT3/I2STX_SDA
P0.0/RD1/TXD3/SDA1
P0.1/TD1/RXD3/SCL1
P0.2/TXD0/AD0.7
P0.3/RXD0/AD0.6
P0.4/I2SRX_CLK/RD2/CAP2.0
P0.4/I2SRX_CLK/RD2/CAP
K
2.0
P0.5/I2SRX_WS/TD2/CAP2.1
P0.6/I2SRX_SDA/SSEL1/MAT2.0
P0.7/I2STX_CLK/SCK1/MAT2.1
P0.7/I2STX_CLK/SCK
K
1/MAT2.1
IC1A
MCB1700
27
26
8
7
6
25
24
29
30
63
61
60
59
58
57
56
9
77
76
48
49
62
46
47
98
99
81
80
79
78
P3.25
P3.26
P0.24
P0.25
P0.26
P0.27
P0.28
P0.29
P0.30
P0.16
P0.17
P0.18
P0.19
P0.20
P0.21
P0.22
P0.23
P0.8
P0.9
P0.10
P0.11
P0.15
P0.0
P0.1
P0.2
P0.3
P0.4
P0.5
P0.6
P0.7
P2.0
P2.1
P2.2
P2.3
P2.4
P2.5
P2.6
P2.7
P2.8
P2.9
P2.10
P2.11
P2.12
P2.13
66
65
64
53
52
51
50
P1.18
P1.19
P1.20
P1.21
P1.22
P1.23
P1.24
P1.25
P1.26
P1.27
P1.28
P1.29
P1.30
P1.31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
43
44
45
21
20
75
74
73
70
69
68
67
P1.0
P1.1
P1.4
P1.8
P1.9
P1.10
P1.14
P1.15
P1.16
P1.17
95
94
93
92
91
90
89
88
87
86
P2.0
P2.1
P2.2
P2.3
P2.4
P2.5
P2.6
P2.7
P2.8
P2.9
P2.10
P2.11
P2.12
P2.13
P1.0
P1.1
P1.4
P1.8
P1.9
P1.10
P1.14
P1.15
P1.16
P1.17
P1.18
P1.19
P1.20
P1.21
P1.22
P1.23
P1.24
P1.25
P1.26
P1.27
P1.28
P1.29
P1.30
P1.31
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
P2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
P1
Appendix E
+3.3VA
GND
+3.3VA
GND
L8
L6
L5
VDDREG
GND
GND
BLM
BLM
BLM
L7
BLM
VDDIO
1u
C23
1u
C21
C16
VREF++ 10
100n 34
67
100n 21
42
100n 56
77
VDDAA 8
10n VSSAA 9
C24
10n VREF-- 12
C22
C15
100n
C17
C18
100n
C19
C20
100n
GND
24
33
43
57
66
78
IC2B
VSSA
VDDA
VREF-
VREF+
LPC1758
XTAL_O
XTAL_I
RTCK_O
K
RTCK_I
K
VBAT
TDO/SWO
TDI
TMS/SWDIO
nTRST
TCK/SWDCLK
TCK/SWDCL
K
K
nRSTOUT
nRESET
VDDREG_1
VDDREG_2
VDDIO_1
VDDIO_2
VDDIO_3
VDDIO_4
VSS_1
VSS_2
VSS_3
VSS_4
VSS_5
VSS_6
20
19
15
13
16
1
2
3
4
5
11
14
Q3 C32
XTAL_OO
XTAL_II
C91
12MHz
C90
Q4
C89
RTCK_OO
32.768 kHz
RTCK_II
VBAT
TDO/SWO
TDI
TMS/SWDIO
TRST_N
TCK/SWDCLK
RSTOUTN
RST
22p
22p
22p
22p
GND
GND
P4.28
P4.29
P0.0
P0.1
P0.2
P0.3
P0.6
P0.7
P0.8
P0.9
P0.10
P0.11
P0.15
P0.16
P0.17
P0.18
P0.22
P0.25
P0.26
P0.29
P0.30
IC2A
LPC1758
LPC1750.SchDoc
Size: A4
Date: 29.7.2009
Sheet
Web:
2 of 6
Revision: 1.2
P4.28/RX_MCLK/MAT2.0/TXD3
K
P2.7/RD2/RTS1
P4.29/TX_MCLK/MAT2.1/RXD3
K
P2.8/TD2/TXD2/ENET_MDC
P2.9/USB_CONNECT/RXD2/ENET_MDIO
P2.10/nEINT0/NMI
P2.0/PWM1.1/TXD1
P2.1/PWM1.2/RXD1
P2.2/PWM1.3/CTS1/TRACEDATA3
P2.3/PWM1.4/DCD1/TRACEDATA2
P2.4/PWM1.5/DSR1/TRACEDATA1
P2.5/PWM1.6/DTR1/TRACEDATA0
P2.6/PCAP1.0/RI1/TRACECLK
P0.0/RD1/TXD3/SDA1
P1.0/ENET_TXD0
P0.1/TD1/RXD3/SCL1
P1.1/ENET_TXD1
P0.2/TXD0/AD0.7
P1.4/ENET_TX_EN
P0.3/RXD0/AD0.6
P1.8/ENET_CRS
P0.6/I2SRX_SDA/SSEL1/MAT2.0
P1.9/ENET_RXD0
P0.7/I2STX_CLK/SCK1/MAT2.1
P0.7/I2STX_CLK/SCK
K
1/MAT2.1
P1.10/ENET_RXD1
P0.8/I2STX_WS/MISO1/MAT2.2
P1.14/ENET_RX_ER
P0.9/I2STX_SDA/MOSI1/MAT2.3
P1.15/ENET_REF_CLK
P0.10/TXD2/SDA2/MAT3.0
P0.11/RXD2/SCL2/MAT3.1
P1.18/USB_UP_LED/PWM1.1/CAP1.0
P0.15/TXD1/SCK0/SCK
P1.19/MC0A/nUSB_PPWR/CAP1.1
P0.16/RXD1/SSEL0/SSEL
P1.20/MCFB0/PWM1.2/SCK0
P0.17/CTS1/MISO0/MISO
P1.22/MC0B/USB_PWRD/MAT1.0
P0.18/DCD1/MOSI0/MOSI
P1.23/MCFB1/PWM1.4/MISO0
P0.22/RTS1/TD1
P1.24/MCFB2/PWM1.5/MOSI0
P0.25/AD0.2/I2SRX_SDA/TXD3
P1.25/MC1A/CLKOUT/MAT1.1
P0.26/AD0.3/AOUT/RXD3
P1.26/MC1B/PWM1.6/CAP0.0
P0.29/USB_D+
P1.28/MC2A/PCAP1.0/MAT0.0
P0.30/USB_DP1.29/MC2B/PCAP1.1/MAT0.1
P1.30/VBUS/AD0.4
P1.31/SCK1/AD0.5
MCB1700
65
68
37
38
79
80
64
63
62
61
39
40
47
48
46
45
44
7
6
22
23
51
50
49
41
60
59
58
55
54
53
52
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
35
36
18
17
76
75
74
73
72
71
70
69
P2.7
P2.8
P2.9
P2.10
P2.0
P2.1
P2.2
P2.3
P2.4
P2.5
P2.6
P1.18
P1.19
P1.20
P1.22
P1.23
P1.24
P1.25
P1.26
P1.28
P1.29
P1.30
P1.31
P1.0
P1.1
P1.4
P1.8
P1.9
P1.10
P1.14
P1.15
Schematics
813
P2.10
ISP
INT0
GND
R31
22k
10
2
4
6
8
11
13
15
17
1
19
8
6
15
Y1
Y2
Y3
Y4
Y5
Y6
Y7
Y8
VCC
INT0
74LVC244T
GND
A1
A2
A3
A4
A5
A6
A7
A8
OE1
OE2
IC9
GND
100n
18
16
14
12
9
7
5
3
8
7
6
5
8
7
6
5
RST
R40 680R
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
GND
GND
T3
BC850B
R22
22k
+3.3V
100n
C42
100n
100n
C36
R33 680R
+3.3V
C52
100n
20
GND
D6
R28
33k
13
PMLL4448
12
16
2
+3.3V
10
V-
VCC
V+
14
GND
C1+
C1C2+
C2-
IC6
ST3232C
11
C48
GND
GND
+3.3V
R27
22k
100n
C38
1
3
4
5
GND
100n
C35
+3.3V
P1.28
P1.29
P1.31
P2.2
P2.3
P2.4
P2.5
P2.6
2
1
LED
P0.3
P2.1
P0.2
P2.0
1
2
1
2
GND
C46
100n
RESET
D2
+3.3V
GND
GND
GND
PMLL4448
C33
P2.6
P2.5
P2.4
P2.3
P2.2
P1.31
P1.29
P1.28
GND
PMLL4448
D4
R24
33k
GND
T4
BC850B
1
2
R23
47k RST
SubD 9F
COM0
SubD 9F
ENET_MDIO
P2.9
GND
1
6
2
7
3
8
4
9
5
GND
1
6
2
7
3
8
4
9
5
COM1
R35
L9
DP
P0.29
DH+
DH-
P0.30
DM
GND
P1.18
E/U
1
2
3
GND
UMODE
1
2
3
D+
6
5
4
3
2
1
1
2
3
4
5
6
D-
GND
R36
680R
USC
VIN
1
2
P8
LD1117S33
R37
680R
UGL
R38
2k2
R34
10k
USB_COM_LED.SchDoc
Size: A4
Date: 29.7.2009
1k5
R39
T5
BC857B
+3.3V
GND
C49
10u
Sheet
Web:
P1.30
R32
R30
C53
18p
GND
18p
C51
GND
33R
33R
R25
4k7
VDDIO
VBAT
R26
220k
VBAT
VDDIO
VDDREG
GND
USB-B
C47
100n
DEVICE
1
VBUS
2
D3
D+
4
GND
GND
VDDREG
3 of 6
Revision: 1.2
BAT60A
D5
+5V
D3
BAT60A
VBUS
+3.3V
C44
100n
GND
+3.3VA
+5V
C40
100n
GND
C41
10u
GND
C45
10u
VIN
D1
C37 BAT60A
10u
GND
2
4
GND
BAT60A
D7
2
4
LD1117S33
IN
OUT
GND OUT
IN
OUT
GND OUT
GND
IC8
3
1
IC7
LD1117S50
2
4
MCB1700
3
1
IN
OUT
GND OUT
IC5
C39
100n
GND
C43
100n
GND
3
1
GND
C34
100n
GND
BLM
Power
R21
1k
0R_MCB1760 only
10
11
10
11
VIN
1
2
1
2
814
1
2
R29
1M
GND
C50
4n7
GND
+3.3V
+3.3V
CR1220
BAT
1
2
Appendix E
R41
15k
GND
+3.3V
P1.27
100n P1.19
R83
C54
+5V
+3.3V
R46
0R_MCB1750 only
R54
0R_MCB1760 only
R55
P0.11
0R_MCB1750 only
R56
P0.28
0R_MCB1760 only
P0.27
P0.10
0R
3
4
2
1
7
OUT A
0R
R8
GND
LM3526M-L
FLG B
ENB
FLG A
ENA OUT B
IN
IC10
P0.22
RSTOUTN
GND
GND
100n
C60
GND
10u
C56
R82
0R
GND
R47 R48 R49 R50 R51 R52 R53

100k 3k3 3k3 10k 10k 100k 10k
ISP1301
ADR/PSW
SDA
SCL
RESET_N
I
INT_N
SPEED
VREG3V3
SUSPEND
OE_N/INT_N
VM
VP
RCV
SE0/VM
DAT/VP
IC11
100n
C55
GND
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
GND
R44
15k
GND
GND
R45
15k
100n
1
2
3
4
C59
C57
+3.3V
100n
GND
33R
R43
33R
R42
GND
C58
100n
USB-A right angle
VBUS
DD+
GND
HOST
GND
23
17
16
15
19
18
22
21
GND
CGND
AGND
DP
DM
VBUS
ID
C2
C1
VCCIO
VCC
24
20
DM
DP
+3.3V
P1.22
PPAD
25
22p
22p
USB_OTG.SchDoc
Size: A4
Date: 29.7.2009
MCB1700
DH+
DH-
GND
C62
R57
R58
C61
GND
33R
33R
GND
10u
C64
GND
Sheet
Web:
USB-micro-AB
4 of 6
ID
D+
DVUSB
GND
OTG
Revision: 1.2
GND
100n
C63
4
3
2
1
5
GND
GND1
GND2
GND3
GND4
GND
GND1
GND2
GND3
GND4
Schematics
815
+3.3V
GND
R19
GND
P0.8
P0.9
P4.29
P0.17
P0.15
GND
C29
100n
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
29
30
28
26
27
24
25
22
23
GND
100n
P0.16
P0.18
+3.3VA
GND
C85
100n
GND
C31
GND
GND
+3.3V
N.P.
0R
R18
+3.3V
+3.3V
P4.28
RST
P0.7
1
2
3
4
P7
10k
T_CS
T_SCK
PJS-008-2000-1
D2-NC
D3-CD/NSS
CMD-MOSI
VDD
CLK
VSS
D0-MISO
D1-NC
SW2
SW1
SD
SDO
SDI
BL_VDD
GND1
GND2
VDD
VCI
AD0.2
GND
AD0.2
D8
D9
D10
D11
D12
D13
D14
D15
D0
D1
D2
D3
D4
D5
D6
D7
LCD TFT Display
BL_GND
BL_CONTROL
RESET
CS
RS
WR/SCL
RD
LCD1
P0.25
GND
31
32
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
+3.3V
TRST_N
TDI
TMS/SWDIO
TCK/SWDCLK
RTCK
TDO/SWO
RST
P0.5
+3.3V
ENET_MDC
GND
R20
10k
+3.3V JTAG
1
VCC VCC
3
TRST
5
TDI
7
TMS
9
TCLK
11
RTCK
13
TDO
15
RST
17
19
R17
10k
GND
R16
GND
0R
R14
0R
R5
1
2
3
E/C
10k
R2
GND
+3.3V
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
C26
TXD
RXD
SD_CAN_DEBUG.SchDoc
Size: A4
Date: 29.7.2009
MCB1700
100n
GND
C30
+5V
CANL
SPLIT
CANH
TJA1040
+5V
CANL
SPLIT
CANH
TJA1040
100n
GND
STB
IC4
TXD
RXD
STB
IC3
CAN/ETH MCB1750 only
0R_MCB1760 only
P2.8
P2.7
P0.1
P0.0
GND
2
2
GND
P0.6
Sh4
Sh3
Sh2
Sh1
Sh4
Sh3
Sh2
Sh1
1
2
5
6
7
8
4
3
2
1
8
7
6
5
1
2
3
4
+5V
3
+5V
816
3
60R
R6
60R
1
3
5
Sheet
Web:
R1
VCC SWDIO/TMS
GND SWCLK/TCK
K
GND
SWO/TDO
KEY
NC/TDI
GNDdetect nRESET
Cortex Debug + ETM
5 of 6
2
4
6
8
10
5
3
1
19
17
15
13
11
9
GND
N.P
0R
+3.3V
R10
GND
R7
N.P
0R
+3.3V
R3
TRCO3
TRCO2
TRCO1
TRCO0
TRCCK
RESET
TDI
KEY
TDO
SWCLK
SWDIO VCC
GND
GND
GND
Cortex Debug
20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
1n
C28
1n
C25
Revision: 1.2
GND
+3.3V
P2.2
P2.3
P2.4
P2.5
P2.6
RST
TDI
TDO/SWO
TCK/SWDCLK
TMS/SWDIO
R15
R13 60R
60R
R4
GND
+3.3V
GND
SubD 9M
CAN2
SubD 9M
CAN1
10
11
10
11
TMS/SWDIO
TCK/SWDCLK
TDO/SWO
TDI
RST
5
9
4
8
3
7
2
6
1
5
9
4
8
3
7
2
6
1
Appendix E
P1.0
P1.1
3
4
5
6
10k 7
29
+3.3V
GND
2k2
100n
C75
GND
100n
GND
C74
100n
R73
P1.9
P1.10
22
32
48
38
43
44
45
46
41
39
P1.14
C73
+3.3V
40
42
P1.8
R70 0R_MCB1760 only
2
P1.4
R67
P1.17
0R_MCB1760 only
30
P1.16
ENET_MDC 31
ENET_MDIO
+3.3V
R63
RST
RX_ER/MDIX_EN
RX_DV/MII_MODE
P0.26
DP83848CVV
AVDD33
IOVDD33
IOVDD33
RX_CLK
SPK
RXD_0/PHYAD1
RXD_1/PHYAD2
RXD_2/PHYAD3
RXD_3/PHYAD4
TD+
TD-
25MHz_OUT
X1
X2
RD+
RD-
SPK
100n
C77
GND
C71
C70
100n
10u
GND
35
47
15
19
36
VIN
GND
100n
C78
100n
GND
VS
BYPASS
IN+
IN-
I
INH
R68
GND
GAIN
GAIN
VOUT
GND
GND
100MHz
GND
1
8
680R
GND
C67
100n
GND
C79
33n
R77
10R
GND
C76
10u
C86
10u
C87
10u
C88
10u
GND
+3.3V
OSC1 50MHz T3 +3.3V

4
OUT VDD
R66 2k2
IC13
LM386M-1
C80
3
2
3
2 1
C72
100n
2k2
21 R74
+3.3V
2k2
20 R75
11
10
8
9
12
18
37
23
P1.15
SJ1
24 R71 4k87 1%
26 LED_ACT
27
28 LED_LINK
25
34
33
14
13
17
16
GND
GND
10k
R78
1k
R76
IOGND
IOGND
AGND
AGND
DGND
RESERVED
RESERVED
RESERVED
RESERVED
RESERVED
RESERVED
RESERVED
PFBIN1
PFBIN2
PFBOUT
RBIAS
LED_ACT/COL/AN_EN
LED_SPEED/AN1
LED_LINK/AN0
CRS/CRS_DV/LED_CFG
COL/PHYAD0
MDIO
MDC
TX_EN
TXD_0
TXD_1
TXD_2
TXD_3/SNI_MODE
TX_CLK
PWR_DOWN/INT
RESET_N
IC12
Spk
1
2
Loudspeaker
49R9 1%
R69
100n
Ethernet_Spk.SchDoc
Size: A4
Date: 29.7.2009
MCB1700
C81
GND
100n
P1.26
100n
A
Cntr
C27
+3.3V
C69
100n
Sheet
Web:
100n
C83
Cmn
RX-
CR
RX+
TX-
CT
TX+
ETH
J00-0065
LED_LINK
LED_ACT
R80
10k
GND
100n
C84
R79
10k
GND
100R
R81
P1.25
P1.24
GND
R61 R62
110R 110R
+3.3V
+3.3V
R59 R60
2k2 2k2
6 of 6
Revision: 1.2
Joystick
GND
GND
C66
100n
+3.3V
+3.3V
R12
10k
P1.20
C82
R11
10k
P1.23
R9
10k
C68
100n
C65
100n
+3.3V
49R9 1%
R72
GND
R65
49R9 1%
R64
+3.3V
49R9 1%
YEL_LED_C
10
GRN_LED_C
11
CHS_GND
8
9
GRN_LED_A
12
YEL_LED_A
N.C.
7
Schematics
817
Appendix E
818
Appendix
F
Bibliography
LPC1700 User Manual UM10360, NXP Semiconductors.
LPC1768 Errata Sheet, NXP Semiconductors.
LPC1700 Timer triggered memory to GPIO data transfer AN10850, NXP Semiconductors.
LPC17xx Main PLL Parameter Calculator, NXP Semiconductors.
LPC17xx Example Software Package, NXP Semiconductors.
LPC1700CMSIS Standard Peripheral Firmware Library, NXP Semiconductors.
Cortex-M3 Technical Reference Manual, Revision 2, ARM Limited.
Ring Tone Transfer Language, Wikipedia.
RTTTL Format Specifications, Bespin.org.
A tutorial about RTTTL specification, Mobilefish.com.
RTTTL Ring Tones files, Free-ringtones.eu.com.
Francis Kua, Generation of a Sine Wave Using a TMS320C54x Digital Signal Processor, Texas
Instruments.
Yao-Ting Cheng, TMS320C62x Algorithm: Sine Wave Generation, Texas Instruments.
Multimedia Programming Interface and Data Specifications 1.0, IBM Corporation &
Microsoft Corporation.
819
Appendix F
820
Appendix
G
Licensing Policy
This book contains C/OS-III, precompiled in linkable object form, and is accompanied by
an evaluation board and tools (compiler/assembler/linker/debugger). The user may use
C/OS-III with the evaluation board that accompanied the book and it is not necessary to
purchase anything else as long as the initial purchase is used for educational purposes.
Once the code is used to create a commercial project/product for profit, however, it is
necessary to purchase a license.
It is necessary to purchase this license when the decision to use C/OS-III in a design is
made, not when the design is ready to go to production.
contact Micrim and discuss the intended use with a sales representative.
Contact Micrim
Micrim
Weston, FL 33326
+1 954 217 2036
+1 954 217 2037 (FAX)
E-Mail : sales@micrium.com
Website : www.micrium.com
821
G
Appendix G
822
Index
A
adding tasks to the ready list ..........................................139
analysis with C/Probe ...................................................743
ANSI C ..................................................27, 43, 331, 343, 655
API ..............................................................................28, 617
API changes .....................................................................630
app.c ........................................................................711, 720
app_cfg.h ...................................................................60, 712
application code ................................................................44
application modes ...........................................................753
application programming interface ..........................28, 617
App_ProbeInit() ................................................................707
App_TaskAudioWav() ......................................................757
App_TaskImg() .................................................................721
App_TaskJoy() .................................................................721
App_TaskPot() .................................................................720
App_TaskStart() .......................................................715, 720
AppTaskStart() ....................................... 6466, 73, 125127
App_TaskUserIF_In() .......................................................756
App_TaskUserIF_LCD() ...................................................756
ARM/Keil MCB1700 .........................................................811
ARM7 ................................................................677678, 685
ARM9 ................................................................677678, 685
assigning a variable to an object ....................................800
asynchronously ................................................................165
audio manager .................................................736737, 739
audio output oscilloscope capture .........................747, 749
audio signal analysis ...............................................745, 750
audio.c .............................................................................742
Audio_StreamOpen() .......................................................742
B
background ..................................................................24, 27
bilateral rendezvous ........................................279, 301302
binary semaphores ..........................................................225
bit banding ...............................................................677, 685
board support package 43, 46, 60, 345, 351, 353, 563, 652,
765, 787
bounded ...................................................................241242
breakpoints ..................................................................... 806

broadcast ................................................ 267, 295, 299, 319
on post calls ......................................................... 81, 181
to a semaphore ........................................................... 294
BSP .......................................................................... 787788
BSP.C ...................................................................... 787788
BSP_Init() ............................................... 60, 66, 72, 126, 351
bsp_lcd.c ..................................................721722, 724725
bsp_lcd.h ................................................................. 721, 723
BSP_LCD_DEV ................................................................ 722
BSP_LCD_Pixel() ............................................................. 725
BSP_LCD_SPI_Xfer() ............................................... 723724
BSP_LED_On() ..................................................... 60, 67, 351
BSP_PotGet() .................................................................. 720
C
callback function ....127, 201, 203204, 215216, 579, 581
582, 592593
ChunkData ....................................................................... 758
ChunkID ........................................................................... 758
ChunkSize ....................................................................... 758
clock tick ......................................................................... 181
CLZ ............................................ 31, 132, 135, 622, 685, 787
compile-time, configurable ................................. 33, 89, 618
configurable .................................................................... 624
compile-time ................................................... 33, 89, 618
message queue .......................................................... 299
OS_StatTask() ..................................................... 124, 609
OS_TickTask() ............................................................. 117
OS_TmrTask() ..................................................... 127, 208
run-time ........................................................... 29, 33, 618
conjunctive ...................................................................... 281
consumer ................................................................. 302303
contacting Micrium ........................................................... 40
context switch .... 31, 38, 78, 80, 88, 96, 107, 113, 116, 155,
157, 159, 162163, 222, 225, 358, 360, 376, 396, 418, 440,
459, 463, 523, 541, 557
conventions ....................................................................... 35
CoreSight ......................................................................... 686
Cortex CPU ..................................................................... 678
Cortex-M3 ....................................................................... 803
823
Index
count leading zeros .........................................................685

countdown .........................................30, 127, 202205, 588
counting semaphores ......................................................232
CPU usage .......................................................768, 777, 791
CPU.H .......................................................764, 785, 789793
#defines .......................................................................789
data types ............................................................790793
function prototypes ....................................................793
CPU_A.ASM ..................... 765, 780783, 785, 790, 793794
cpu_a.asm ................ 52, 54, 5657, 346, 348350, 353, 563
CPU_C.C ..........................................................................785
cpu_c.c .............................................52, 54, 5657, 346, 348
CPU_CFG.H .....................................................................786
recommended values .................................................786
cpu_cfg.h .............5253, 56, 61, 78, 82, 113, 346, 348, 360
CPU_CFG_INT_DIS_MEAS_EN .......................................777
CPU_CntLeadZeros() .......................................................793
CPU_CORE.C ...........................................................785786
cpu_core.c ............................. 5253, 56, 345346, 348349
CPU_CORE.H ...........................................................785786
cpu_core.h .......................................5253, 56, 61, 346, 349
CPU_CRITICAL_ENTER() ..... 53, 78, 80, 220222, 348349,
414, 498, 513, 517, 533, 546, 558, 578, 630, 785, 790, 792
CPU_CRITICAL_EXIT() . 53, 78, 80, 220222, 348349, 414,
498, 513, 517, 533, 546, 558, 578, 630, 785, 790, 792
CPU_DATA .......................................................132135, 347
CPU_DEF.H ......................................................................786
cpu_def.h .......................................................5253, 56, 346
CPU_Init() .............................................................66, 72, 348
CPU_STK ...........................................................61, 773, 792
CPU_TS_TmrInit() ....................................................787788
C/CPU functions .......................................................788
CPU_TS_TmrRd() .............................................765, 787788
C/CPU functions .......................................................788
creating a memory partition ............................................332
credit tracking ..........................................................265, 296
critical region .....................................................77, 366, 379
csp_dev.h .........................................................................712
D
DAP ..........................................................................686, 805
data screen ......................................................798799, 801
data types (os_type.h) .....................................................611
data watch trace ..............................................................686
deadlock ...................................... 3132, 238, 253257, 618
prevention .......................................................3132, 618
deadly embrace ...............................................................253
debug access port ...................................................686, 805
debug ports .....................................................................807
debugging ................................................................686, 705
Cortex-M3 processors ................................................803
deferred post ................... 142143, 152, 174, 177, 179183
DHCP client ......................................................................753
direct post ........................ 142, 174176, 178, 180181, 183
direct vs. deferred post method .....................................180
824
disjunctive ....................................................................... 281

DMA ......................................................................... 718, 807
DWT ......................................................... 686, 765, 787788
DWT_CYCCNT ................................................................ 765
E
ELF/DWARF ...................................................................... 35
embedded systems ... 19, 23, 29, 83, 85, 94, 172, 337, 341,
475, 505, 655, 661
Embedded Trace Macrocell ........................................... 806
error checking ................................................................... 30
Ethernet ............. 26, 35, 41, 47, 86, 166, 275, 298, 300, 699
ETM .................................................................. 686, 806808
event flags ....32, 39, 81, 181, 185, 259, 267, 281283, 285
288, 292, 294296, 364365, 388, 618, 631
internals ...................................................................... 287
synchronization .......................................................... 388
using ............................................................................ 283
example project .............................. 695, 710, 720, 731, 756
opening and running .......................... 703, 720, 730, 752
exception vector table .................................................... 682
exceptions ....................................................................... 804
F
features of C/OS, C/OS-II and C/OS-III ..................... 32
FIFO ....73, 299, 306, 310, 314, 391392, 459461, 523525
fixed-size memory partitions .......................................... 395
floating-point ................................................................... 791
flow control ...................................................................... 302
fonts ......................................................................... 726727
font_tbl.c .......................................................................... 727
footprint ..................................................... 32, 379, 381, 618
foreground ................................................................... 24, 27
foreground/background systems ..................................... 24
FPU ............................................................................ 94, 168
fragmentation ............................ 90, 331332, 341, 424, 475
free() ......................................................................... 331, 341
G
gauges ......................................................795796, 798799
general statistics run-time ........................................... 356
getting a memory block from a partition ....................... 336
granularity ................................................................ 201, 614
graphs .......................................................795796, 798799
GUI ..................................................................................... 27
API ............................................................................... 722
implementation ........................................................... 721
H
HID ................................................................................... 797
hooks and port ................................................................ 651
human interface device .......................................... 671, 797
I
idle task (OS_IdleTask()) ..................................................115
IFLASH .............................................................................752
IIR Filter and Difference equation. ..................................733
ILI9320 ......................................................................721, 725
images ......................................................................726727
img_tbl.c ...........................................................................726
infinite loop 63, 67, 83, 85, 89, 115, 129, 356, 358, 501502,
532, 652
instruction set ..................................................................685
internal tasks ....................................................................114
interrupt ... 7779, 8182, 128, 151, 165175, 177181, 183,
219222, 258259, 297, 352, 605, 613, 630
controller ..................... 166167, 171173, 348, 352353
disable ...........................................................................78
disable time 53, 79, 82, 128, 165, 175176, 178, 180, 219,
258, 355356, 360
disable time, measuring ...............................................78
disable/enable .............................................................220
handler task .................................................................128
latency ..66, 165, 176, 178, 181, 219, 221, 258, 360, 605,
619, 622
management ...............................................................165
recovery ...............................................166, 176, 178179
response ..............................................165, 176, 178179
vector to a common location .....................................171
interrupt service routine ..........................................259, 338
intuitive ...................................................................28, 36, 92
IP address ........................................................................753
ISR ............................................................................259, 338
epilogue .......................................170171, 173, 176, 179
handler task .128129, 137, 144, 515, 556, 599, 607, 613
handler task (OS_IntQTask()) ......................................128
prologue ...................................... 170173, 176, 178179
typical C/OS-III ISR ...................................................167
ITM ...................................................................................804
J
J-Link ...............................................................................805
joystick .............................................................................721
JTAG .................................................................686, 807808
K
Keil Microcontroller Development Kit .............................689
kernel awareness debuggers ............................................31
kernel object ....................................................................363
L
LCD ..........................................................................719, 721
LCD controller ..........................................................721, 723
LED .................................34, 43, 67, 351, 701702, 716, 762
lib_ascii.c .....................................................................54, 57
lib_ascii.h .....................................................................54, 57
lib_def.h ........................................................................54, 57
lib_math.c .....................................................................54, 57
lib_math.h ...........................................................................54
lib_mem.c .................................................................... 54, 57

lib_mem.h .................................................................... 54, 57
lib_mem_a.asm ..................................................... 5455, 57
lib_str.c ........................................................................ 54, 57
lib_str.h ........................................................................ 54, 57
licensing .............................................. 35, 40, 663, 674, 821
LIFO ..................................299, 391392, 459461, 523524
lock/unlock ...................................................................... 222
locking ........... 28, 7982, 128, 146, 219, 222, 258, 297, 358
locking the scheduler ........................................................ 79
logic analyzer .................................................................. 805
low power ........................................................ 116, 183, 414
LPC1700 .......................................................................... 718
LPC1768 .......................................................................... 687
LPC17xx .......................................................................... 739
download documentation .......................................... 691
M
main() ............................................................................... 711
malloc() ................................ 61, 90, 331, 333336, 341, 423
MCB1700 ................................. 689, 698, 701, 721, 808, 811
connecting .................................................................. 698
download documentation .......................................... 691
MCB1750 ......................................................................... 752
MCB1760 ......................................................................... 752
MCU ............................................................... 4344, 46, 345
measuring interrupt disable time ..................................... 78
measuring scheduler lock time ........................................ 80
memory layout ................................................................. 710
memory management ..................................................... 635
memory management unit ................................................ 95
memory map ................................................................... 684
memory partitions .. 305, 332, 334, 338, 341, 357, 365, 395,
423424, 426, 429, 605
memory protection unit .................................................... 95
message mailboxes ........................................................ 633
message passing ...................................... 39, 297, 391392
message queue .39, 186, 297305, 307309, 311313, 319,
321, 329, 633, 638639, 645
configurable ................................................................ 299
internals ...................................................................... 316
message passing ........................................................ 391
OSQAbort() .................................................................. 456
OSQCreate() ................................................................ 446
OSQDel() ..................................................................... 448
OSQFlush() .................................................................. 450
OSQPend() .................................................................. 452
OSQPost() ................................................................... 459
OSTaskQAbort() .......................................................... 521
OSTaskQPendl() ......................................................... 518
OSTaskQPost() ........................................................... 523
task ...................................................................... 300, 392
using ............................................................................ 307
messages ........................................................................ 298
meters .............................................................. 796, 798799
microSD ................................................... 751, 753, 755, 757
migrating .................................................................... 39, 617
825
Index
miscellaneous ..................................................................649
MISRA-C
2004, Rule 14.7 (Required) .........................................657
2004, Rule 15.2 (Required) .........................................658
2004, Rule 17.4 (Required) .........................................659
2004, Rule 8.12 (Required) .........................................656
2004, Rule 8.5 (Required) ...........................................656
MMU .....................................................................54, 95, 512
MPU ....................................................................................95
MSD ..................................................................................671
multiple tasks
application with kernel objects ....................................68
waiting on a semaphore .............................................267
multitasking ................25, 28, 32, 83, 88, 129, 489, 501, 618
mutual exclusion semaphore . 242, 246250, 258, 363364,
430, 606, 636637
internals .......................................................................247
resource management ................................................387
N
nested task suspension ....................................................30
nested vector interrupt controller ...........................677, 681
note duration ....................................................................749
note frequency .........................................................732, 749
numeric indicators ...........................................795796, 799
NVIC .................................................................677, 681682
O
object names .....................................................................31
object ribbon ....................................................................799
objects .....................................................................798801
one-shot timers ................................................................203
OS_APP_HOOKS.C ................................. 767771, 777778
OS_AppIdleTaskHookPtr ................................................767
OS_AppStatTaskHookPtr ................................................768
OS_AppTaskDelHookPtr .................................................770
OS_AppTaskReturnHookPtr ...........................................771
OS_AppTaskSwHookPtr .........................................776777
OS_AppTimeTickHookPtr ...............................................778
os_cfg_app.c ...................................................................379
OS_CFG_APP.H ...............................................................780
OS_CFG_APP_HOOKS_EN .............................................767
OS_CFG_SCHED_LOCK_TIME_MEAS_EN ....................777
OS_CFG_TASK_PROFILE_EN .........................................777
OS_CFG_TICK_RATE_HZ ................................................780
OS_CPU.H ................................................................763764
OS_CPU_A.ASM ......................................763, 765, 780783
OS_CPU_PendSVHandler() .........................................783
OSCtxSw() ...................................................................782
OSStartHighRdy() ........................................................781
OS_CPU_C.C ................... 763, 766772, 775776, 778780
OS_CPU_SysTickHandler() .........................................779
OS_CPU_SysTickInit() .................................................780
OSIdleTaskHook() .......................................................766
OSInitHook() ................................................................767
OSStatTaskHook() .......................................................768
826
OSTaskCreateHook() .................................................. 769

OSTaskDelHook() ....................................................... 770
OSTaskReturnHook() .................................................. 771
OSTaskStkInit() ........................................................... 772
OSTaskSwHook() ........................................................ 775
OSTimeTickHook() ...................................................... 778
OS_CPU_PendSVHandler() ..................................... 765, 783
OS_CPU_SysTickHandler() ..................................... 766, 779
OS_CPU_SysTickInit() ............................................. 766, 780
OSCtxSw() ............................... 158, 396, 765, 780, 782784
os_dbg.c .......................................................................... 366
OSFlagCreate() ................................................................ 398
OSFlagDel() ..................................................................... 400
OSFlagPend() .................................................... 85, 402, 502
OSFlagPendAbort() ......................................................... 406
OSFlagPendGetFlagsRdy() ............................................. 409
OSFlagPost() ................................................................... 411
OSIdleTaskHook() ................................................... 413, 766
OSInit() ..................................................................... 137, 415
OSInitHook() .................................................... 417, 766767
OSIntCtxSw() ........................... 161, 418, 557, 780, 782784
OSIntEnter() ..................................................................... 420
OSIntExit() ................................................................ 151, 422
OS_IntQTask() ................................................................. 128
OSMemCreate() ............................................................... 423
OSMemGet() .................................................................... 426
OSMemPut() ............................................................ 232, 428
OSMutexCreate() ............................................................. 430
OSMutexDel() .................................................................. 432
OSMutexPend() ................................. 85, 245246, 434, 502
OSMutexPendAbort() ...................................................... 438
OSMutexPost() ................................................................ 440
OSPendMulti() ........................................................... 85, 442
OSQCreate() .................................................................... 446
OSQDel() .......................................................................... 448
OSQFlush() ...................................................................... 450
OSQPend() ......................................................... 85, 452, 502
OSQPendAbort() .............................................................. 456
OSQPost() ........................................................................ 459
OSSafetyCriticalStart() .................................................... 462
OSSched() ................................................................ 150, 463
OSSchedLock() ............................................................... 465
OS_SchedRoundRobin() ................................................. 152
OSSchedRoundRobinCfg() ............................................. 467
OSSchedRoundRobinYield() .......................................... 469
OSSchedUnlock() ............................................................ 471
OSSemCreate() ................................................................ 473
OSSemDel() ..................................................................... 475
OSSemPend() .................................................... 85, 478, 502
OSSemPendAbort() ......................................................... 481
OSSemPost() ................................................................... 484
OSSemSet() ..................................................................... 487
OSStart() .......................................................................... 489
OSStartHighRdy() .............................491, 780781, 783784
OS_STAT.C ...................................................................... 768
OSStatReset() ..................................................................493
OS_StatTask() ..................................................................609
configurable ................................................................124
OSStatTaskCPUUsage ....................................................708
OSStatTaskCPUUsageInit() .............................................495
OSStatTaskHook() ...........................................497, 766, 768
OSTaskChangePrio() .......................................................499
OSTaskCreate() ........................................................139, 501
OSTaskCreateHook() .................................88, 512, 766, 769
OSTaskDel() .......................................................85, 502, 514
OSTaskDelHook() ............................................................516
OSTaskQPend() .................................................85, 502, 518
OSTaskQPendAbort() ......................................................521
OSTaskQPost() ................................................................523
OSTaskRegGet() ..............................................................526
OSTaskRegSet() ...............................................................529
OSTaskResume() .............................................................534
OSTaskReturnHook() .......................................532, 766, 771
OSTaskSemPend() .............................................85, 502, 536
OSTaskSemPendAbort() .................................................539
OSTaskSemPost() ............................................................541
OSTaskSemSet() ..............................................................543
OSTaskStatHook() ...........................................................545
OSTaskStkChk() ...............................................................547
OSTaskStkInit() ................................550, 554, 766, 772774
OSTaskSuspend() ..............................................85, 502, 555
OSTaskSwHook() .............................557, 766, 775777, 784
OSTaskTimeQuantaSet() .................................................560
OSTaslDelHook() ..............................................................766
OSTickISR() ......................................................................562
OSTimeDly() ...............85, 122, 192193, 195, 502, 564, 708
OSTimeDlyHMSM() ....................................85, 197, 502, 567
OSTimeDlyResume() ................................................199, 570
OSTimeGet() .....................................................................572
OSTimeSet() .....................................................................574
OSTimeSet() and OSTimeGet() ........................................200
OSTimeTick() ....................................................118, 200, 576
OSTimeTickHook() ...........................................577, 766, 778
OSTmrCreate() .........................................................213, 579
OSTmrDel() .......................................................................584
OSTmrRemainGet() ..........................................................586
OSTmrStart() ....................................................................588
OSTmrStateGet() .............................................................590
OSTmrStop() ....................................................................592
OS_TmrTask(), configurable ....................................127, 208
OS_TS_GET() 60, 74, 113, 176, 179, 228, 239, 252, 270, 277,
289, 312, 350, 403, 435, 453, 479, 519, 537, 559
OS_TYPE.H ......................................................................791
OSVersion() ......................................................................595
pend
lists ........................................................ 38, 128, 185, 190
on a task semaphore .................................................. 276
on multiple objects ... 30, 33, 81, 181, 321, 371, 393, 619
periodic (no initial delay) ................................................. 204
periodic (with initial delay) .............................................. 204
periodic interrupt ............................................................. 191
peripherals ..................................................... 23, 43, 91, 345
per-task statistics - run-time .......................................... 360
playing the songs ............................................................ 753
polling .............................................................................. 165
porting ....................................................... 39, 155, 343, 345
posting (i.e. signaling) a task semaphore ...................... 277
preemption lock ................................................................ 77
preemptive scheduling ..................................... 92, 142143
priority ...73, 75, 81, 145146, 152, 154, 158, 163, 165166,
173, 181, 208, 259, 265, 267, 294, 361, 363, 491, 499, 523,
606607, 618
inheritance ............................................ 29, 219, 243, 258
inversion ...................................................... 234, 240241
level ........................................29, 132, 135136, 139140
OS_StatTask() ............................................................. 609
OS_TmrTask() ............................................................. 208
pend list ...................................................................... 185
priority ready bitmap .................................................. 149
round-robin scheduling ................................................ 28
producer .................................................................. 302303
program status register .......................................... 680, 792
protocol mechanism ............................................... 223, 260
R
ready list ............ 38, 101, 128, 131, 136140, 185, 512, 516
adding tasks ............................................................... 139
real-time kernels ............................................................... 25
real-time operating system ........................... 1920, 27, 117
reentrant .............................................. 8485, 246, 255, 343
rendezvous ...............................262, 279, 294295, 301302
resource sharing ............................................................. 219
response time .............................................. 24, 30, 165, 286
retriggering ...................................................................... 203
returning a memory block to a partition ........................ 337
RIFF ......................................................................... 758759
ring tone example ........................................................... 732
Ring Tone Text Transfer Language format .................... 731
ringtone player
architecture ................................................................. 734
block diagram ............................................................. 735
files .............................................................................. 743
RMS ............................................................................. 9293
ROMable .................................................. 21, 27, 29, 32, 618
round-robin scheduling .................................................. 146
RS-232C .......................................................................... 707
RTTTL .............................................................................. 731
run-time configurable ......................................... 29, 33, 618
partition .... 304305, 331341, 365, 423424, 426, 428429

partition memory manager ..............................................605
PCM ..........................................................................751, 759
827
Index
sample rate ......................................................................746

scalable ....................................................21, 2728, 32, 618
scheduling algorithm ...............................................182183
scheduling internals ........................................................149
scheduling points ....................................................144, 154
schematic .........................................................................811
semaphore .. 69, 88, 110111, 188, 219, 223242, 246250,
253, 255, 258, 260279, 281, 294297, 303304, 321, 325,
327, 340341, 361364, 430, 442, 473476, 478482, 484
485, 487488, 508, 539, 541543, 555, 606, 608, 618, 636
637, 640641, 645
internals (for resource sharing) ..................................235
internals (for synchronization) ....................................268
synchronization ...........................................................389
serial peripheral interface ........................................721, 757
serial port .........................................................................698
serial wire debug .............................................797, 807808
serial wire viewer .............................................804, 807808
servers ..............................................................................315
short interrupt service routine .........................................170
sine wave generator ........................................................733
single task application .......................................................60
sliders ...............................................................795, 798799
software timers ..................................2930, 32, 38, 50, 618
songs, playing ..................................................................753
source files .......................................................................620
spectrum analysis ............................................................750
SPFD5408 ................................................................721, 725
SPI ............................................................................721, 757
SSP ...................................................................................723
stack .....8688, 9091, 9498, 102, 106108, 111112, 124,
127, 129, 155157, 168169, 187, 190, 343, 346, 362, 397,
413, 504508, 510512, 547548, 550553, 563, 599, 609
610, 612615, 621, 623, 646, 652
pointer .................................................................155, 157
size .................................................................................94
stack overflows ................................................ 9495, 9798
stacking and interrupts ...................................................680
statistic task (OS_StatTask()) ..........................................124
statistics 36, 39, 124125, 127, 129, 355356, 360, 497, 547,
609, 622
status ................................................................106, 399, 589
superloops .........................................................................24
SWD .................................................................797, 807808
switched in .................................96, 101, 396397, 418, 557
SWJ ..................................................................................807
SWV ..................................................................804, 807808
symbol browser ...............................................798799, 801
synchronization ...............................................................281
synchronizing multiple tasks ...........................................294
synchronous serial port ...................................................723
system tick .......................................................117, 181, 183
SysTick ..................................... 677, 682683, 765, 779780
tail chaining ..................................................... 677, 681, 784

task
adding to the readylist ............................................... 139
latency ................................. 166, 176, 178179, 361, 608
management ....................................................... 384, 642
message ........................................................................ 30
message queue .................................................. 300, 392
registers .................................. 30, 33, 110, 526, 529, 619
semaphore ...................275277, 279, 296, 303304, 543
semaphores, synchronization .................................... 390
signals ............................. 30, 36, 141, 144, 273, 277, 329
stack overflows ............................................................ 95
states .......................................................................... 100
task control block ....................................... 61, 86, 105, 318
task management
internals ...................................................................... 100
services ......................................................................... 99
TCP-IP ............................................................................. 761
TFTP ........................................................................ 751, 757
thread .......................................................................... 25, 83
thread mode ............................................................ 678, 680
tick task (OS_TickTask()) ................................................ 117
tick wheel .......................... 39, 108, 121, 356, 381, 600, 612
time management ................. 29, 34, 38, 191, 386, 646647
time quanta ..................................................................... 509
time slicing ...................................................... 112, 146, 560
time stamps ......................................................... 33, 66, 619
timeouts ..................... 31, 117, 182183, 191, 200, 576, 614
timer management .......................................................... 647
internals ...................................................................... 205
internals - OS_TMR .................................................... 206
internals - Timer List ................................................... 211
internals - Timer Task ................................................. 208
internals - Timers States ............................................ 205
timer task (OS_TmrTask()) .............................................. 127
timer wheel .............................. 211, 213, 381, 600, 612, 615
timers ................127, 183, 201, 203204, 211212, 216, 394
timestamp ....7980, 182, 188, 228, 236237, 239, 248, 250,
252, 270, 277, 286, 289, 291, 298, 312, 316, 325, 339, 348,
351, 363365, 403, 435, 444, 453, 479, 519, 537, 634, 639,
641
Tone F5 Power Spectrum Graph. ................................... 748
TOS .................................................................................. 492
total harmonic distortion ................................................ 748
trace
usefulness ................................................................... 809
trace records ................................................................... 804
trace window ................................................................... 804
transient events ....................................................... 286287
828
U
UARTs ................................................................................ 41
uC/Probe ......................................................................... 760
UDP .................................................................................. 760
ULINK .............................................................................. 689
ULINKpro ......................................................................... 806
unbounded priority inversion ...29, 219, 240242, 248, 253,

258
unilateral rendezvous ..............................................262, 279
universal asynchronous receiver transmitters .................41
unlock ...............................................................................222
unlocking ..........................................................128, 219, 258
upload_all.bat ..................................................................755
USB ....................................................................................35
USB-JTAG ........................................................................689
user definable hooks .........................................................31
using event flags ..............................................................283
using memory partitions ..................................................338
V
variable name changes ...................................................629
vector .................................84, 166167, 171, 173, 183, 562
vector address .........................................................166, 171
projects ....................................................................... 694

stacks, pools and other (os_cfg_app.h) .................... 612
C/OS-III convention changes ....................................... 623
C/Probe .. 31, 3436, 45, 49, 109, 111, 207, 226, 235, 247,
249, 269, 271, 288, 290, 355, 367, 381, 398, 423, 430, 446,
473, 503, 581, 689, 699, 705, 718, 761, 796, 806
communication options ..................................... 760761
download .................................................................... 691
kernel awareness ................................................ 708, 745
startup screen ............................................................. 706
watch and memory windows ..................................... 805
workspace .......................................................... 710, 761
C/TCP-IP ................................................. 27, 671, 693, 797
C/TFTPs ......................................................................... 693
C/USB .............................................................. 27, 671, 797
VISION ........................................................................... 690
Vision ............................................................................. 806
download .................................................................... 690
project ......................................................................... 703
watch and memory windows ..................................... 805
W
wait lists .......................................................34, 38, 128, 185
walks the stack ..................................................................97
watchpoints .....................................................................806
watermark ............................64, 87, 107, 505, 509510, 551
WAVE .......................................................................757759
what is C/OS-III? ..............................................................21
whats new about this book? ............................................22
why a new C/OS version? ...............................................21
workspace ........................................................................798
Y
yielding .............................................................................146
Micrim
C/CPU .................... 674, 686, 724, 777, 785788, 792793
C/CPU functions
in BSP.C ..............................................................787788
in BSP.C, CPU_TS_TmrInit() .......................................788
in BSP.C, CPU_TS_TmrRd() .......................................788
in CPU_TS_TmrInit() ....................................................788
in CPU_TS_TmrRd() ....................................................788
C/DHCPc ........................................................................693
C/Eval-STM32F107 ........ 670671, 673674, 796797, 811
C/FS .........................................................................27, 671
library ...........................................................................694
C/GUI ...............................................................................27
C/LIB ....................................................................43, 5455
portable library functions .............................................54
C/OS-III ............................................................................27
features ..........................................................................32
features (os_cfg.h) ......................................................601
features with longer critical sections ...........................81
goals ..............................................................................22
library ...........................................................................692
porting .........................................................................349
829
Index
830
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uCOS-III-NXP-LPC1768 - The Real-Time Kernel

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Directories and Files ............................................................................. 41

Getting Started with C/OS-III ............................................................. 59

Critical Sections .................................................................................... 77

Task Management ................................................................................ 83

The Ready List .................................................................................... 131

Round-Robin Scheduling ................................................................... 146

Context Switching............................................................................... 155

Interrupt Management ........................................................................ 165

Pend Lists (or Wait Lists) .................................................................... 185

Time Management .............................................................................. 191

Timer Management ............................................................................. 201

Resource Management....................................................................... 217

Synchronization .................................................................................. 259

Event Flags Internals .......................................................................... 287

Message Passing ................................................................................ 297

Pending On Multiple Objects.............................................................. 321

Memory Management......................................................................... 331

Porting C/OS-III................................................................................. 343

Run-Time Statistics............................................................................. 355

OS_DBG.C Static ............................................................................. 366

C/OS-III API Reference Manual........................................................ 383

OSQCreate() ........................................................................................ 446

OSTaskSemSet() ................................................................................. 543

C/OS-III Configuration Manual ......................................................... 597

Migrating from C/OS-II to C/OS-III................................................. 617

Message Queues ................................................................................ 638

MISRA-C:2004 and C/OS-III ............................................................. 655

Bibliography ........................................................................................ 661

Licensing Policy .................................................................................. 663

Part II: C/OS-III and the NXP LPC1768

Introduction ......................................................................................... 669

The ARM Cortex-M3 and the NXP LPC1768 ..................................... 677

Exception Vector Table....................................................................... 682

Setup ................................................................................................... 689

DMA-Based LED Blinking................................................................... 701

LCD Display......................................................................................... 719

Ringtone Player................................................................................... 729

Playing Audio Wave Files ................................................................... 751

C/OS-III Port for the Cortex-M3 ....................................................... 763

OS_CPU_C.C OS_CPU_SysTickInit()............................................... 780

C/CPU Port for the Cortex-M3 ......................................................... 785

Micrims C/Probe ............................................................................ 795

Debugging with ARM CoreSight Technology on Cortex-M3 Processors

Serial Wire Viewer (SWV) .................................................................... 804

Bibliography ........................................................................................ 819

Licensing Policy .................................................................................. 821

Index ............................................................................................................................. 823

Foreword to C/OS-III by Jack Ganssle

Foreword to C/OS-III by Jack Ganssle

Flight management systems

Air conditioning units

Antilock braking systems

FAX machines / copiers

1-1 FOREGROUND/BACKGROUND SYSTEMS

Figure 1-1 Foreground/Background (SuperLoops) systems

1-2 REAL-TIME KERNELS

Figure 1-2 C/OS-III is a preemptive kernel

A low-priority task is executing.

The higher-priority task executes and performs the necessary processing in

1-3 RTOS (REAL-TIME OPERATING SYSTEM)

1-5 C/OS, C/OS-II AND C/OS-III FEATURES COMPARISON