Real-Time Systems
Realtidssystem

EDAF85, 7.5 credits, G2 (First Cycle)

Valid for: 2025/26
Faculty: Faculty of Engineering LTH
Decided by: PLED C/D
Date of Decision: 2025-04-14
Effective: 2025-05-05

General Information

Depth of study relative to the degree requirements: First cycle, in-depth level of the course cannot be classified
Mandatory for: IDA3
Language of instruction: The course will be given in Swedish

Aim

The aim of the course is to give an overview of different programming techniques available for solving problems occurring when computers are interfaced with external hardware.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding
For a passing grade the student must

• be able to describe different methods to guarantee mutual exclusion and avoid race conditions
• be able to analyse possible occurrence of deadlock in a given system
• be able to describe the properties of different scheduling methods
• be able to analyse a system with respect to timing requirements and deadlock

Competences and skills
For a passing grade the student must

• be able to structure a given real-time problem and to implement its solution in Java
• be able to make use of threads in programming of real-time systems
• be able to utilize semaphores, monitors and mailboxes in real-time programming problems
• be able to perform deadlock analysis and apply techniques for avoiding deadlock
• be able to perform schedulability analysis of a system in order to verify its schedulability

Contents

• Examples of real-time systems
• Basic concepts: concurrent processes, synchronization and communication, indivisible operations, mutual exclusion
• Semaphores, monitors, message passing
• Analysis of deadlock
• Input and output, interrupt handling
• Timing, priorities, periodic processes
• A survey of scheduling techniques
• Schedulability analysis for periodic processes

Examination details

Grading scale: TH - (U, 3, 4, 5) - (Fail, Three, Four, Five)
Assessment:

There will be a written examination which consists of assignments of exploratory nature and programming/design problems. The final grade of the course is based on the result of the written exam. In order to qualify for the exam, the students must have passed the compulsory parts of the course, i.e., laboratory exercises, including oral presentation of lab projects.

The examiner, in consultation with Disability Support Services, may deviate from the regular form of examination in order to provide a permanently disabled student with a form of examination equivalent to that of a student without a disability.

Modules
Code: 0117. Name: Written Examination in Real-Time Systems.
Credits: 4.5. Grading scale: TH - (U, 3, 4, 5). Assessment: Written examination. To qualify for the exam, the laboratory work must be completed. The final grade of the course is based on the result of the written exam.
Code: 0217. Name: Laboratory Work.
Credits: 3.0. Grading scale: UG - (U, G). Assessment: For a passing grade the laboratory work must be completed. A laboratory exercise is completed, when both parts (design and implementation) have been reviewed and accepted by the course teacher. The module includes: The laboratory exercises (labs) comprises a theoretical part (program design) and a practical part (implementation of the designed program).

Admission

Admission requirements:

• EDAA10 Computer Programming in Java and completed compulsory course items or a passing grade on the written exam in EDAA30.

Reading list

• Material that is supplied electronically by the department.
• Bertolotti, Ivan Cibrario: Real-time embedded systems [Elektronisk resurs] open-source operating systems perspective. Boca Raton : CRC Press, 2012, ISBN: 9781315217598.

Contact

Course coordinator: Univ. lektor Roger Henriksson, roger.henriksson@cs.lth.se
Examinator: Roger Henriksson, roger.henriksson@cs.lth.se
Course homepage: https://cs.lth.se/edaf85

Further information

This course is given at Campus Helsingborg. Compulsory labs and respective preparing exercises must be conducted / reported on the time and place specified in the beginning of the course. Anyone who fails without good reason can not expect to report more than one lab / exercise on a subsequent occasion. Those who despite reasonable preparation and attendance were unable to finish an exercise / lab, will be allowed to submit their solutions for approval at the next scheduled occasion. For the last compulsory lab / exercise in these cases an extra occasion will be scheduled. Those who are ill or have other valid reasons to be away from compulsory education shall promptly contact the course coordinator and communicate this and to agree on reporting the lab / exercise at a later date. Those who are away from a large number of occasions, however, even in these cases will be referred to the next course occasion. The course is given in Swedish, but the course material is provided in English. The written exam is given in Swedish. Students have a right to answer the exam questions in Swedish or in English.