The Chair for Operating Systems (Univ.-Prof. Dr. habil. Th. Bemmerl) provides the following
Master Thesis (Masterarbeit / Diplomarbeit) in the range of
Multi-Core Real-Time Computing:
Hardware-Independent Inter-Process Communication for Real-Time Applications
Hardwareunabhängige Interprozesskommunikation für Echtzeitanwendungen
Background
Until recently, specialized Operating Systems designed for real-time (RTOS) were needed for predictably timed tasks.
With the advent of multi-core processors even in common off-the-shelf systems, these systems can be employed as real-time systems without deep operating system changes: a research project at the Chair for Operating Systems evaluates the isolation of a (group of) CPU(s) for real-time tasks. The isolated tasks run uninterrupted from the operating system and avoid system calls. By this approach, all inpredictably timed actions are avoided.
The drawback is the unavailability of operating system services to the isolated real-time tasks. To bypass this shortcomming, a memory-based inter-process communication is needed. Real-time tasks as well as processes in the non-isolated part of the system can all connect to common shared-memory segments. The members can now exchange data through defined areas in this shared memory. To avoid race-conditions, this shared resource must be protected by synchronization primitives (e.g. Mutexes). To adopt optimally to different real-time requirements, multiple algorithms are needed.
Assignment
The isolation environment and a proof-of-concept for shared-memory based IPC are available. After research on synchronization based on atomic operations and lock-free algorithms, either the existing functions are to be extended by more sophisticated methods or a new library/framework shall be developed. Part of the work is also the development of sample applications as well as benchmarks. All implemented algorithms should be modeled theoretically and measured with synthetic benchmarks for worst-time execution on different CPU architectures.
We offer
- Comfortable working environment
- A good equipped computer infrastructure
- Personal and engaged supervision
Profile of requirements
- Prerequisites for starting a Master's thesis and a Bachelor's degree (Vordiplom) in:
Electrical Engineering, Information Technology or Computer Engineering
- Good programming skills in C, basic Assembler experience
- Competence to work autonomous and creative
- Curiosity and patience to look into algorithms and explain system behavior
Contact
Dipl.-Ing. Georg Wassen
Lehrstuhl für Betriebssysteme (LfBS), RWTH Aachen
Kopernikusstraße 16, D-52056 Aachen
Tel.: +49 241 80 24599, Fax: +49 241 80 627634
E-Mail: wassen@lfbs.rwth-aachen.de | 
