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RTSUPPORT MODULE API SPECIFICATION ================================== The RTSupport module provides facilities supporting real-time code, at a priority just below that of the interrupt dispatch system, and above that of any SWIs being handled by the foreground application. Multiple priority levels are supported, so routines with tighter timing constraints can pre-empt other real-time routines. Code can be designed either using a callback model (where the system makes a function call to your entry point) or using a thread model (where the rest of the system gets CPU time while your thread sleeps). Code typically executes in system (SYS) mode and has its own SYS and SVC stacks, and it may call SWIs (but only re-entrant SWIs) without preventing higher-priority routines from executing. There is no automatic time-slicing of routines; it is assumed that the application takes responsibility for ensuring that the system is not overloaded (although there is a relief valve to cope with overloaded systems, which ensures that the foreground process gets a little CPU time at least a few times per second). Possible future enhancements: * Per-routine option of maintaining a floating point context for the routine (traps would need to be disabled while real-time routines execute) * Per-routine data storage (for example to support C++ exception handling) * Reusing spare stack frames in the IRQ stack when nearing overflow (useful for timeslicing schemes) * The facility to recache the priority lookup file after module initialisation RT_Register (SWI &575C0) Register a routine with the RTSupport module On entry R0 = flags (reserved, should be zero) R1 = pointer to default entry point for routine R2 = handle to pass in R0 to routine R3 = handle to pass in R12 to routine R4 = default pointer to pollword for routine R5 = initial value of R10 for routine R6 = initial value of R13_sys for routine R7 = initial priority for routine: integer between 1-255, or a pointer to a string On exit R0 = RTSupport module's handle for this routine All other registers are preserved Interrupts Interrupts are disabled Fast interrupts are enabled Processor Mode Processor is in SVC mode Re-entrancy SWI is re-entrant Use This SWI adds a new routine to the list of routines to potentially be executed each time the interrupt dispatcher is unthreaded (but before transient and non-transient callbacks are executed, if the dispatcher is returning to USR mode). Each routine remains registered until removed by a call to RT_Deregister, but it may sleep for a time by use of a pollword. It is recommended that if it is known that a routine will sleep for an extended time, that a Deregister/Register pair should be used instead, to reduce cache thrashing during interrupt handling (when the RTSupport module has to check all possible pollwords). Each time the RTSupport module gains control of the CPU, it scans its list of routines in decreasing priority order for routines that are unblocked (ie where the pollword is non-zero). If a real-time routine was interrupted, then routines of a higher priority are executed, followed by the interrupted routine, and then equal and lower priority routines are examined. (However, note that if and only if routines have their priorities changed dynamically, it is possible that while a routine is executing, a second routine at the same priority level may be in a pre-empted state.) If the RTSupport module encounters two unblocked routines at the same priority level, then the calling order is undefined. The routines are called as follows: On entry: R0 = contents of R2 when registered R10 = first time, this is contents of R5 when registered; subsequently, it is preserved from the previous call R11 = 0 (to support C code) R12 = contents of R3 when registered R13_sys = first time, this is contents of R6 when registered; subsequently, it is preserved from the previous call R13_svc = first time, this is the top of an 8K stack based at a megabyte boundary (the same logical address is used for all real-time routine SVC stacks, but it differs from the SVC stack address used by the foreground process); subsequently, it is preserved from the previous call R14_sys = return address (only needed if using the callback model) SYS mode First time, IRQs and FIQs enabled; subsequently IRQ disable state is preserved Other registers undefined Static relocation offsets at base of SVC stack are undefined On exit: R0 = flags: bit 0 set => rescan all higher priority routines (for example, if this routine unblocked a semaphore that a higher priority routine may be sleeping on) otherwise rescan all equal priority routines, including this routine, before descending bit 1 set => R1 contains new pollword pointer (otherwise the pollword given at registration is used) bit 2 set => R2 contains a monotonic time after which control should be returned even if the pollword is not set bit 3 set => R14_sys contains the address to enter next time (otherwise the address used at registration is re-entered) other bits are reserved and will currently be zero R1 = pollword pointer (if R0 bit 1 is set) R2 = timeout monotonic time (if R0 bit 2 is set) R10 = value to use at next entry R13_sys = value to use at next entry R13_svc = value to use at next entry R14_sys = next entry point (if R0 bit 3 is set) SYS mode, IRQs enabled or disabled, FIQs enabled SVC stack may be non-empty Processor flags, R1-R9 (except where used to return parameters), R11, R12 and R14_svc may be corrupted So for example the routine may be implemented as * Assembler, with the static data referenced using R12 as is conventional in RISC OS. * C code interfaced directly, as long as R10 and R13_sys are set up to describe a standard stack chunk with the reserved words at its base set up to enable static data relocation, for example by copying them from the base of the SVC stack prior to the RT_Register call: _kernel_stack_chunk *chunk = calloc(1, CHUNK_SIZE); chunk->sc_mark = 0xF60690FF; chunk->sc_size = CHUNK_SIZE; memcpy(chunk + 1, _kernel_current_stack_chunk() + 1, 28); _kernel_swi_regs r = { /* ... */ .r[5] = ((int) chunk) + 560, .r[6] = ((int) chunk) + CHUNK_SIZE, /* ... */ }; _kernel_swi(RT_Register, &r, &r); Here is an example callback-model routine written in C that repeatedly sleeps for a second at a time (assuming the default pollword is never set): typedef struct { unsigned int flags; unsigned int *pollword; unsigned int timeout; } routine_result_t; __value_in_regs routine_result_t MyRoutine(void *r0) { unsigned int time; _swix(OS_ReadMonotonicTime, _OUT(0), &time); return (routine_result_t) { 1<<2> 1 << 2, NULL, time + 100 }; } * C code interfaced via a veneer: if you want to be able to call _kernel_raise_error() and functions which rely upon it like exit(), abort() and assert(), which assume the outermost stack frame was called as a function returning a _kernel_oserror *, or for use as a threading library where actions need to be taken when the thread exits (eg unblocking joining threads) you will need an assembler veneer to the C code, to patch the r14_sys the C code sees on entry with a pointer to a suitable cleanup function. The priority passed in R7 can be an integer from 1 (lowest priority) to 255 (highest priority). Priority 0 is reserved for the exclusive use of the foreground process. However, it is preferred that a string pointer be used instead: the string is used to look up a priority in the file RTSupport:Priorities. This enables easy tuning of priority levels for a given system, without the need for each real-time component to be individually configurable. For example, the file might be as follows: Critical:224 AudioFill:192 VideoPaint:160 Normal:128 AudioDecode:96 VideoDecode:64 Coroutine:32 Related SWIs RT_Deregister RT_Deregister (SWI &575C1) Remove a routine previously registered with the RTSupport module On entry R0 = flags (reserved, should be zero) R1 = routine handle returned from RT_Register On exit All registers are preserved Interrupts Interrupts are disabled Fast interrupts are enabled Processor Mode Processor is in SVC mode Re-entrancy SWI is re-entrant Use This SWI can be used to remove a routine from the list held by the RTSupport module. If the routine in question is currently executing then this call does not return. Related SWIs RT_Register RT_Yield (SWI &575C2) Sleep the current thread and force a test of all pollwords On entry R1 = pointer to pollword On exit All registers are preserved Interrupts Interrupts are disabled Fast interrupts are enabled Processor Mode Processor is in SVC mode Re-entrancy SWI is re-entrant Use This SWI has two uses: firstly it enables code in real-time context to sleep, and secondly it enables the foreground process to force a test of all pollwords (for example if the foreground sets the pollword of a thread, this may be used to wake the thread rather than having to wait for the next interrupt). The pollword is usually insignificant for the foreground process, because by definition control returns to it when no pollwords are set; however, it may be useful if the foreground is currently set to a priority above that of a real-time routine. It is an error to make this call from interrupt context. While in real-time context, OS_UpCall 6 is interpreted as a call to this SWI. (UpCall 7 is also intercepted if an attempt is made to remove a pollword being used by the real-time system.) Related SWIs RT_TimedYield RT_TimedYield (SWI &575C3) Perform a time-limited sleep of the current thread and force a test of all pollwords On entry R1 = pointer to pollword R2 = monotonic time at which to return control even if pollword is unset On exit All registers are preserved Interrupts Interrupts are disabled Fast interrupts are enabled Processor Mode Processor is in SVC mode Re-entrancy SWI is re-entrant Use This SWI is similar to RT_Yield except that the sleep does not extend indefinitely. Related SWIs RT_Yield RT_ChangePriority (SWI &575C4) Change the priority of an existing real-time routine On entry R0 = flags (reserved, should be zero) R1 = routine handle returned from RT_Register, or 0 to change the priority of the foreground process R2 = new priority (as for RT_Register) On exit R0 = previous priority level (as a number from 0-255) All other registers are preserved Interrupts Interrupts are disabled Fast interrupts are enabled Processor Mode Processor is in SVC mode Re-entrancy SWI is re-entrant Use This SWI allows the priority setting of a routine to be changed on the fly, for example if process has become more time-critical, or if it is blocking a routine of a higher priority. It may cause a thread switch if a different thread is promoted above the priority of the current thread, or if the current thread is demoted below other unblocked threads. The priority level of the foreground process may be changed, but this is only intended for short-term use and not when the foreground is in USR mode (otherwise system callbacks will also be promoted above some real-time threads, which is undesirable behaviour). Related SWIs RT_Register RT_ReadInfo (SWI &575C5) Read status information On entry R0 = reason code On exit R0 = value All other registers are preserved V flag is set if the reason code was not recognised Interrupts Interrupt state is unchanged Fast interrupts are enabled Processor Mode Processor is in SVC mode Re-entrancy SWI is re-entrant Use This SWI enables you to read current state variables. Reason codes currently defined are: reason meaning 0 RTSupport handle for current routine, or 0 if in foreground, or -1 if in interrupt context 1 Priority setting (integer value) of current routine, or -1 if in interrupt context 2 Base address of SVC stack for real-time routines Related SWIs RT_Register BJGA, 2004-11-01