Linux for Embedded and Real-Time Applications
|
 |
Book Description
In this applications-oriented reference, Doug Abbott shows how to put Linux to work in embedded and real-time applications. Among the topics Abbott discusses include memory management, device drivers, interrupt handling, kernel instrumentation, boatloaders, embedded networking, inter-task communications, periodic vs. "one shot" timing, POSIX threads, hardware abstraction layers, and program debugging. Abbott uses numerous real-world examples to show how implement a variety of embedded applications using Linux. Abbott discusses the strengths and weaknesses for embedded applications of different implementations of Linux, and he also examines the different real-time extensions for Linux. This book incorporates many programming exercises with solutions. All code listings are provided on the accompanying CD-ROM, as well as an electronic version of the text.
*Fully describes the use of Linux operating system for embedded and real-time applications
*Covers advanced topics such as device drivers, kernel implementation, POSIX threads
*The CD accompanying the book includes an electronic version of the book as well as related software tools and code listings
|
2 out of 2 people found the following review helpful:
Don't waste your moneySaturday, February 19, 2005
This book is VERY light on content (it's a pretty small book, 193 pages for the primary material). If you just look at the table of contents, you can get more depth in a couple hours of googling.
It just isn't a very useful book. It has nothing to offer a programmer with any level of experience with Linux or embedded systems, and it doesn't really educate the guy who's new to those subjects. It's more like a collection of superficial magazine articles.
The amount of real-time covered is really minimal. It touches on defining real-time computing, then has a (short and fairly useless) chapter on RTAI that doesn't do anything.
Go with Yaghmour's "Building Embedded Linux Systems", it's a MUCH better book, and is probably cheaper.
2 out of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Good Introduction to Embedded LinuxFriday, January 16, 2004
This book is easy to read, and a good place to *START* for Embedded Linux. The organization of the chapters probably makes more sense once you're done reading it. It contains an excellent introduction to RTOS, multi-tasking, and relevant Linux programming concepts. The book is not intended as a complete guide to Embedded Linux or Real-Time issues, but rather helps the reader get started with an example using inexpensive hardware to drive a real embedded application. Important Embedded Linux concepts are covered including (remote) debugging, kernel modules, device drivers, and the available extensions to Linux for enabling an embedded and soft/firm real-time environment. Linux is not ready for hard real-time applications, but it's on the radar (which is why WindRiver is starting to support Linux based tools). I think this is a good first book for Embedded Linux in order to avoid getting lost in the wealth of other information available. I think I would like to see more/some real-world architectural based examples added to the book/CD. The book is not filled with useless pages of source code listings. If this book were to try and cover all real-time and Embedded Linux concepts and issues, it would be 1000 pages! A good book to start with!
21 out of 23 people found the following review helpful:
No DepthFriday, June 06, 2003
I bought this book hoping for an in depth look at using Linux for real-time. The table of contents would lead you to believe that this is the case.
Instead I found that it covered this topic only at a very high level. It might be good for an introduction to this topic, but there is very little depth here. For example, the chapter on Linux and Real-time is only 5 pages long! While the description of configuring BlueCat Linux (seems pretty off-topic to me) is 14 pages.
Unless you're a newbie to this topic, don't bother.