The Most Popular RTOS, Ranked
Voting rules: Choose the RTOS you think is the most popular!
Updated on May 9, 2024 06:49
In the dynamic world of software development, choosing the right Real-Time Operating System (RTOS) can be crucial for the successful deployment of applications requiring timely and efficient responses. Professionals and hobbyists alike face the challenge of selecting from numerous options, each boasting unique features and capabilities. A clear, community-driven ranking can guide users by highlighting preferences based on real-world usage and satisfaction.
By casting a vote for your preferred RTOS on this site, you contribute to a broader understanding of what works best in various environments, from embedded systems to complex, multi-threaded applications. Your input not only helps others make informed decisions but also influences the development and improvement of these systems. Engage with the community here to share experiences, insights, and preferences, shaping the future of real-time operating systems.
What Is the Most Popular RTOS?
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136votesIt is one of the most widely used RTOS in the industry due to its flexibility, scalability, and open-source nature. It is designed to be small, simple, and easy to use, making it ideal for a wide range of embedded systems.FreeRTOS is a popular open-source real-time operating system (RTOS) designed for embedded systems. It provides a small footprint, ease of use, and strong scalability features. FreeRTOS allows developers to efficiently build applications that require strict real-time responsiveness, multi-threading, and inter-task coordination.
- Kernel Type: Preemptive
- Scheduling: Priority-based
- Task Management: Preemptive scheduling, task prioritization
- Memory Management: Static memory allocation
- Concurrency: Multi-threaded
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225votesIt is a scalable and secure RTOS developed by the Linux Foundation that supports a wide range of hardware platforms and architectures. It is open-source, highly configurable, and supports a variety of communication protocols.
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318votesIt is a widely used commercial RTOS that provides fast, predictable, and reliable real-time performance. It is highly configurable, supports multiple processors and architectures, and provides a rich set of features for developing embedded systems.ThreadX is a real-time operating system (RTOS) designed for embedded systems that require high-performance and reliable task scheduling. It is a small footprint RTOS that provides preemptive multithreading, fast interrupt response, priority-based scheduling, and efficient memory management.
- Kernel size: As small as 1.5KB
- Memory footprint: As low as 2KB
- Preemptive scheduling: Supports preemptive multitasking
- Fast interrupt response: Designed for low-latency interrupt handling
- Priority-based scheduling: Allows assignment of priorities to tasks
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417votesIt is a highly portable and scalable RTOS that provides fast and efficient real-time performance. It is widely used in the automotive, medical, and industrial automation industries due to its reliability and ease of use.µC/OS-III (MicroC/OS-III) is a real-time operating system (RTOS) designed for embedded systems. Built upon its predecessors, µC/OS and µC/OS-II, it is developed by Jean J. Labrosse and maintained by Micrium Inc.
- Kernel type: Preemptive, priority-based
- Maximum number of tasks: Unlimited
- Task priorities: 256 levels
- Memory management: Dynamic memory allocation with fixed-sized blocks
- Real-time performance: Deterministic scheduling with ultra-fast context switching
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516votesIt is a commercial RTOS that provides real-time performance, scalability, and reliability. It is widely used in mission-critical systems such as spacecraft, medical devices, and industrial control systems due to its proven track record and support for a wide range of hardware platforms.VxWorks is a real-time operating system (RTOS) designed and developed by Wind River Systems. It is known for its reliability, performance, and wide range of features. VxWorks is primarily used in embedded systems, aerospace and defense, industrial automation, and telecommunications.
- Real-time capabilities: VxWorks provides deterministic, real-time performance, ensuring tasks are completed within specified time constraints.
- Multi-core support: VxWorks effectively utilizes multi-core processors, enabling efficient utilization of system resources.
- Safety and security features: VxWorks offers various safety and security features, including memory protection, partitioning, and secure boot.
- Scalability: VxWorks supports a wide range of hardware, from low-power microcontrollers to high-performance multicore systems.
- Distributed processing: VxWorks supports distributed processing across multiple nodes, facilitating communication and synchronization.
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66votesIt is an open-source RTOS that provides real-time performance, configurability, and scalability. It is designed to be highly portable and can run on a wide range of hardware platforms and architectures.eCos (Embedded Configurable Operating System) is a free and open-source, highly configurable real-time operating system (RTOS) designed for embedded systems. It was created by eCosCentric Limited, which provides support and development services for the eCos community. eCos is known for its flexibility, efficiency, and small footprint, making it suitable for a wide range of applications.
- Configurability: Highly configurable with a component-based architecture
- Real-time support: Provides deterministic and low-latency response for real-time applications
- Small footprint: Designed for resource-constrained embedded systems
- Modularity: Supports dynamic loading and unloading of modules
- Portability: Supports a wide range of processors and development boards
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713votes
Nucleus RTOS
Mentor GraphicsIt is a commercial RTOS that provides real-time performance, scalability, and reliability. It is widely used in the automotive, medical, and industrial control industries due to its proven track record and support for a wide range of hardware platforms.Nucleus RTOS is a popular real-time operating system (RTOS) known for its small footprint and high performance. It was created by Mentor Graphics, a company specializing in electronic design automation (EDA) software and embedded systems development.- Small Footprint: Nucleus RTOS is designed to have a small memory footprint, making it suitable for resource-constrained embedded systems.
- High Performance: The RTOS provides fast interrupt response times and efficient task scheduling, enabling real-time performance.
- Preemptive Multitasking: Nucleus RTOS supports preemptive multitasking, allowing multiple tasks to run simultaneously and efficiently utilize system resources.
- Real-time Determinism: The RTOS provides deterministic task scheduling, ensuring precise timing for critical real-time applications.
- Scalability: Nucleus RTOS is scalable, allowing developers to easily tailor the operating system to suit various system sizes and requirements.
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814votesIt is an open-source RTOS that is designed for the Internet of Things (IoT) and provides real-time performance, scalability, and security. It supports a wide range of communication protocols and is highly configurable.RIOT (Real-Time Operating System) is a lightweight and energy-efficient operating system designed for Internet of Things (IoT) devices. It provides a flexible and scalable platform for resource-constrained devices.
- Architecture: Microkernel-based
- Supported Platforms: ARM Cortex-M, Atmel AVR, MSP430, Intel x86, and more
- Networking Support: IPv6, 6LoWPAN, and RPL routing
- Communication Protocols: UDP, TCP, CoAP, MQTT, and more
- Power Management: Advanced low-power features for energy optimization
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92votes
Integrity RTOS
Green Hills SoftwareIt is a commercial RTOS that provides real-time performance, scalability, and reliability. It is widely used in the aerospace, defense, and industrial control industries due to its proven track record and support for a wide range of hardware platforms.Integrity RTOS is a real-time operating system (RTOS) developed by Green Hills Software. It is designed to provide a high level of reliability, safety, and security for embedded systems across various industries.- Deterministic Performance: Provides consistent and predictable response times
- Robustness: Built-in fault detection and recovery mechanisms
- Security: Offers secure boot and tamper-resistant features
- Safety Certification: Certified for safety-critical applications (e.g., DO-178C)
- Fault Tolerance: Supports fail-safe and fault-tolerant design
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104votesIt is a commercial RTOS that provides real-time performance, configurability, and scalability. It is widely used in the automotive, medical, and industrial automation industries due to its reliability and ease of use.MQX RTOS is a real-time operating system designed for embedded systems. It provides preemptive scheduling, multitasking, and inter-task communication for efficient performance in resource-constrained environments.
- Preemptive scheduling: Yes
- Multitasking: Yes
- Inter-task communication: Yes
- Resource-constrained environments support: Yes
- Real-time capabilities: Yes
Missing your favorite RTOS?
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Discussion
Ranking factors for popular RTOS
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Market share and adoptionDetermine how widely the RTOS is used across industries and applications, such as automotive, medical, industrial control, and aerospace.
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PerformanceEvaluate the real-time performance capabilities of the RTOS, such as task switching time, interrupt latency, and scheduler efficiency.
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ScalabilityAssess whether the RTOS can efficiently scale to support systems with varying levels of complexity and resource requirements.
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FootprintConsider the memory footprint of the RTOS kernel, as a smaller footprint typically indicates better resource efficiency.
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Ease of use and developmentEvaluate the availability of rich development tools, documentation, and support resources that ease the learning curve and simplify the development process.
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EcosystemExamine the availability and compatibility of middleware, libraries, and hardware support for the RTOS. This can include communication protocols, file systems, and support for various microcontrollers and processor architectures.
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Licensing and costConsider the licensing model for the RTOS (open-source, commercial, or royalty-based) and its impact on total cost, support, and maintenance.
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Reliability and robustnessAssess the maturity, stability, and fault-tolerance of the RTOS in safety-critical applications where system failures can have severe consequences.
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SecurityEvaluate the built-in security features of the RTOS and support for secure communication and encryption protocols.
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Certification and complianceDetermine whether the RTOS is certified or compliant with industry-specific standards (such as ISO 26262 for automotive or DO-178C for avionics).
About this ranking
This is a community-based ranking of the most popular RTOS. We do our best to provide fair voting, but it is not intended to be exhaustive. So if you notice something or RTOS is missing, feel free to help improve the ranking!
Statistics
- 2582 views
- 147 votes
- 10 ranked items
Voting Rules
A participant may cast an up or down vote for each RTOS once every 24 hours. The rank of each RTOS is then calculated from the weighted sum of all up and down votes.
More information on most popular rtos
RTOS or Real-Time Operating System is an operating system designed for real-time applications that require deterministic behavior and execution of tasks within a specific timeframe. RTOS is widely used in industries such as aerospace, defense, automotive, and medical devices, where real-time performance is crucial.
There are several popular RTOS options available in the market, including FreeRTOS, VxWorks, Zephyr, and RTLinux. Each of these RTOS has its unique features and capabilities, making them suitable for different applications.
FreeRTOS is an open-source, portable, and scalable RTOS that is widely used in embedded systems. It has a small memory footprint and supports a wide range of microcontrollers. VxWorks, on the other hand, is a commercial RTOS known for its high reliability and real-time performance. It is commonly used in critical systems such as avionics and medical equipment.
Zephyr is a new open-source RTOS that is gaining popularity for its scalability, security, and real-time capabilities. It supports a wide range of hardware platforms and comes with a rich set of features, making it suitable for IoT and edge computing applications. RTLinux is a real-time Linux kernel that provides real-time capabilities on top of the standard Linux kernel. It is commonly used in industrial automation and control systems.
In conclusion, the most popular RTOS depends on the application's requirements, hardware platform, and development constraints. StrawPoll provides a platform for users to create and participate in polls and rankings related to RTOS and other topics, allowing users to share
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