Nucleus RTOS

Mentor Graphics

Company type	Public
Industry	EDA, Embedded Software
Founded	1981
Headquarters	Wilsonville, Oregon
Products	Nucleus RTOS, EDGE Development Suite
Website	Nucleus RTOS

Nucleus RTOS is a real-time operating system (RTOS) and full-featured toolset created by the Embedded Systems Division of Mentor Graphics for various CPU platforms. Nucleus RTOS is part of a complete embedded solution with a full complement of embedded middleware available.

Development is typically done on a "host" machine running Windows or Linux. Target applications can be compiled to run on various "target" CPU architectures and tested using the actual target boards, simulators or via the "host" using EDGE SimTest.

The Nucleus RTOS is designed for embedded applications including consumer electronics, set-top boxes, cellular phones, and other portable and handheld devices. For limited memory systems Nucleus RTOS can be scaled to a footprint as small as 13 KB for both code and data.

The small footprint is the main reason for using Nucleus. Since the multitasking is quite primitive, and the debugging tools are not the best, it can be a difficult environment to work with.

Components

Kernel

Real time kernel, C++ and POSIX interfaces, dynamic download, interprocessor communications

Open Source= No (however, the source code is available to customers, making it easier to debug than a closed operating system such as WindowsCE)

Royalty= Royalty FREE

Connectivity

USB 2.0 Host, Function and On-The-Go (OTG) stacks, class drivers, multimedia transfer (MTP and PictBridge), PCI and PCI-X, CAN and CANopen

Networking

Over 60 network drivers and protocols including TCP/IP stack, IPv6 and 802.11 wireless

File System

FAT, ISO 9660 CD-ROM, virtual file system API

Graphics

Low-level rendering, full windowing system

Security

Encryption, hash and signature algorithms, key exchange protocols

Products using Nucleus RTOS

Mentor Graphics has provided software to over 1,000 companies worldwide. The devices featured are a small sample of consumer and industrial companies developing applications with Nucleus products.

• Nucleus RTOS used by Honeywell for Critical Terrain Awareness Technology in the Aviation Industry.
• IVL Technologies' On-Key Karaoke Handheld Player Sings along with the Nucleus PLUS Kernel.
• Logitech uses Nucleus RTOS in its Pocket Video™ Portable Digital Video Cameras.
• Nucleus RTOS Selected By SK Telecom To Introduce the World's First Commercialization of CDMA Technology To Korea.
• Nucleus used in NEC America's Award-Winning 535M High Definition Mobile Handset
• ASC's RBOX Multi-Service Aggregator Family uses Nucleus PLUS.
• Texas Instruments makes use of Nucleus on some of its embedded devices
• Telephonics using Nucleus in SDI System for USAF C-130 Avionics Modernization Program and Aviation Communication System for 767 Tanker Program.
• Garmin International to develop the CNX80 navigational global positioning system (GPS) for general aviation.
• A large number of Motorola, Samsung, LG, Siemens/Benq and NEC mobile phones.
• Intellon Home Plug AV
• Crestron Electronics on their control system processors. [1]

Competitive operating systems

Similar real-time operating systems are available from other vendors:

• VxWorks
• TRON
• embOS
• Integrity
• QNX
• LynxOS
• OSE
• ThreadX
• Windows CE
• ECos
• uClinux
• LEOs by Empower Technologies Corp.

External links

• Nucleus RTOS
• How to Select an RTOS