Embedded Robot Control System With The Real-Time Performance Based On Xenomai/Linux

With the development of SoC technology, the Embedded System and Real-Time Operating System have been widely used in various areas of our social life. In the field of robot control, the real-time response, information processing, complex gestures computation in the robotic system are more and more complex. As the continuing improvement of the technology in semiconductor chip design and production, many kinds of embedded processors with advanced architectures have emerged, which provides the basis of the hardware for the systems with higher speed. Meanwhile, various types of real-time operating systems and real-time reconstruction techniques used in the traditional operating system continue to develop, which are suitable for the real-time control system applications in the field of robot control.In this paper, the Xenomai technique was used to reconstruct the Linux Operating System with the real-time performance. The Xenomai/Linux real-time operating system was built on the different hardware platforms independently and separately, the test of real-time performance was undertook and the real-time drive was developed, which are the preparation of applications in the robot control system.Firstly, aiming to establish a real-time robot control system with a good opening, industrial real-time performance and strong compatibility, the advantages and disadvantages of the Linux 2.6 kernel were analyzed in this paper and the feasibility of double-kernel methods in reconstructing the real-time Linux was established. Among the double-kernel methods, the Xenomai technology is with distinctive features and can provide balanced performance. It also supports various kinds of platforms. The Xenomai/Linux double-kernel real-time system overcomes the disadvantages of traditional real-time operating system, such as the high sealing, poor compatibility and high price, showing good prospects in the field of robot control.Secondly, the process of building the Xenomai/Linux double-kernel real-time system on the x86 platform was recorded. Through the process of patch installing, kernel configuration and compilation, the configuration requirements of the parameter settings were researched, the solution to the conflicts was obtained and the experience about how to transplant the double-kernel real-time system was collected.Thirdly, the Xenomai/Linux double-kernel real-time system was transplanted to the OMAP3530 embedded platform. The Linux kernel is special on the embedded platform, compared to that on the x86 platform. However, the transplantation processes are similar. The new system was set to boot from the SD card for the design of easy updating. Meanwhile, the principle and building process of the double-system partitions on the SD card were studied.Finally, the real-time performance of the Xenomai/Linux double-kernel real-time system, both on the x86 platform and the OMAP3530 embedded platform, were tested. The drive of the Real-Time Uart was developed at last. The test data shows that the Xenomai/Linux real-time operating systems either on the x86 platform or on the OMAP3530 embedded platform can provide the real-time response of microsecond level, and the performances are entirely capable of meeting the real-time control requirements of the robot.