ELinOS
Encyclopedia
ELinOS is a commercial development environment for embedded Linux
. It consists of a Linux distribution
for the target embedded system
and development tools
for a development host computer. The development host computer usually is a standard desktop computer
running Linux
or Windows
. The Linux system and the application software for the target device are both created on the development host.
ELinOS focuses on industrial applications. For that purpose optional extensions for the Linux kernel
are provided. For example real-time
patches from OSADL
and Xenomai
can be used to improve timing behavior. The kernel will always be specifically compiled for the embedded system. Userspace
applications are provided as precompiled binaries in order to save time for compilation. Most of the ELinOS software packages are open source
and licensed under the GPL
. Few optional packages contain commercial software like Adobe Flash Lite and require fees if used.
ELinOS provides embedded Linux
as a standalone operating system
or it can be integrated into the PikeOS
virtualization
platform if safety and security demands cannot be meet by Linux alone. The latter might be the case if a certification
according to a strict industry standard is required.
Eclipse
is the technical basis for most of the functionality provided by the integrated development environment
(IDE) on the development host.
ELinOS was first published in 1999.
2. Select the features wanted on the target system
3. Compile the Linux kernel
4. Generate the target's file system
image
5. Deploy the file system image
to the target system.
6. Test and analyze the software on the target system using the tracing
tool
7. Debug
the application software on the target system using the debugger
(BSP) for various boards:
Symmetric multiprocessing
is supported if a multi-core processor is used.
Embedded Linux
Embedded Linux is the use of Linux in embedded computer systems such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants, media players, set-top boxes, and other consumer electronics devices, networking equipment, machine control, industrial automation, navigation equipment and medical instruments...
. It consists of a Linux distribution
Linux distribution
A Linux distribution is a member of the family of Unix-like operating systems built on top of the Linux kernel. Such distributions are operating systems including a large collection of software applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, media players, and database applications...
for the target embedded system
Embedded system
An embedded system is a computer system designed for specific control functions within a larger system. often with real-time computing constraints. It is embedded as part of a complete device often including hardware and mechanical parts. By contrast, a general-purpose computer, such as a personal...
and development tools
Programming tool
A programming tool or software development tool is a program or application that software developers use to create, debug, maintain, or otherwise support other programs and applications...
for a development host computer. The development host computer usually is a standard desktop computer
Desktop computer
A desktop computer is a personal computer in a form intended for regular use at a single location, as opposed to a mobile laptop or portable computer. Early desktop computers are designed to lay flat on the desk, while modern towers stand upright...
running Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
or Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
. The Linux system and the application software for the target device are both created on the development host.
ELinOS focuses on industrial applications. For that purpose optional extensions for the Linux kernel
Linux kernel
The Linux kernel is an operating system kernel used by the Linux family of Unix-like operating systems. It is one of the most prominent examples of free and open source software....
are provided. For example real-time
Real-time computing
In computer science, real-time computing , or reactive computing, is the study of hardware and software systems that are subject to a "real-time constraint"— e.g. operational deadlines from event to system response. Real-time programs must guarantee response within strict time constraints...
patches from OSADL
OSADL
The Open Source Automation Development Lab eG was founded on December 8, 2005 and assigned the cooperative register number 440085 at the Stuttgart, Germany, District Court in August 2006...
and Xenomai
Xenomai
Xenomai is a real-time development framework cooperating with the Linux kernel, to provide a pervasive, interface-agnostic, hard real-time support to user space applications, seamlessly integrated into the Linux environment....
can be used to improve timing behavior. The kernel will always be specifically compiled for the embedded system. Userspace
User space
A conventional computer operating system usually segregates virtual memory into kernel space and user space. Kernel space is strictly reserved for running the kernel, kernel extensions, and most device drivers...
applications are provided as precompiled binaries in order to save time for compilation. Most of the ELinOS software packages are open source
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
and licensed under the GPL
GNU General Public License
The GNU General Public License is the most widely used free software license, originally written by Richard Stallman for the GNU Project....
. Few optional packages contain commercial software like Adobe Flash Lite and require fees if used.
ELinOS provides embedded Linux
Embedded Linux
Embedded Linux is the use of Linux in embedded computer systems such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants, media players, set-top boxes, and other consumer electronics devices, networking equipment, machine control, industrial automation, navigation equipment and medical instruments...
as a standalone operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
or it can be integrated into the PikeOS
PikeOS
PikeOS is a microkernel-based real-time operating system made by SYSGO AG. It is targeted at safety and security critical embedded systems. It provides a partitioned environment for multiple operating systems with different design goals, safety requirements, or security requirements to coexist in a...
virtualization
LPAR
A logical partition, commonly called an LPAR, is a subset of computer's hardware resources, virtualized as a separate computer. In effect, a physical machine can be partitioned into multiple logical partitions, each hosting a separate operating system....
platform if safety and security demands cannot be meet by Linux alone. The latter might be the case if a certification
Product certification
Product certification or product qualification is the process of verifying that a certain product has passed performance tests and quality assurance tests or qualification requirements stipulated in contracts, regulations, or specifications...
according to a strict industry standard is required.
Eclipse
Eclipse (software)
Eclipse is a multi-language software development environment comprising an integrated development environment and an extensible plug-in system...
is the technical basis for most of the functionality provided by the integrated development environment
Integrated development environment
An integrated development environment is a software application that provides comprehensive facilities to computer programmers for software development...
(IDE) on the development host.
ELinOS was first published in 1999.
Typical workflow
1. Select the hardware of the target embedded systemEmbedded system
An embedded system is a computer system designed for specific control functions within a larger system. often with real-time computing constraints. It is embedded as part of a complete device often including hardware and mechanical parts. By contrast, a general-purpose computer, such as a personal...
- Choose one of the provided board support packagesBoard support packageIn embedded systems, a board support package is implementation specific support code for a given board that conforms to a given operating system...
(BSP) or configure the hardware on your own
2. Select the features wanted on the target system
- Examples are real-timeReal-time computingIn computer science, real-time computing , or reactive computing, is the study of hardware and software systems that are subject to a "real-time constraint"— e.g. operational deadlines from event to system response. Real-time programs must guarantee response within strict time constraints...
support, remote debuggingDebuggingDebugging is a methodical process of finding and reducing the number of bugs, or defects, in a computer program or a piece of electronic hardware, thus making it behave as expected. Debugging tends to be harder when various subsystems are tightly coupled, as changes in one may cause bugs to emerge...
support, networkingComputer networkA computer network, often simply referred to as a network, is a collection of hardware components and computers interconnected by communication channels that allow sharing of resources and information....
functionality and a choice of networking servers
3. Compile the Linux kernel
Linux kernel
The Linux kernel is an operating system kernel used by the Linux family of Unix-like operating systems. It is one of the most prominent examples of free and open source software....
- Based on the previous steps an individual kernel configuration will be proposed. It can be modified manually.
4. Generate the target's file system
File system
A file system is a means to organize data expected to be retained after a program terminates by providing procedures to store, retrieve and update data, as well as manage the available space on the device which contain it. A file system organizes data in an efficient manner and is tuned to the...
image
- Based on the previous steps contents for an individual file system will be proposed. Files can be added or removed. Dependencies will be checked and can be resolved automatically.
5. Deploy the file system image
Disk image
A disk image is a single file or storage device containing the complete contents and structure representing a data storage medium or device, such as a hard drive, tape drive, floppy disk, CD/DVD/BD, or USB flash drive, although an image of an optical disc may be referred to as an optical disc image...
to the target system.
- The result of the previous step is a single binary fileBinary fileA binary file is a computer file which may contain any type of data, encoded in binary form for computer storage and processing purposes; for example, computer document files containing formatted text...
which the target device can bootBootingIn computing, booting is a process that begins when a user turns on a computer system and prepares the computer to perform its normal operations. On modern computers, this typically involves loading and starting an operating system. The boot sequence is the initial set of operations that the...
6. Test and analyze the software on the target system using the tracing
Tracing (software)
In software engineering, tracing is a specialized use of logging to record information about a program's execution. This information is typically used by programmers for debugging purposes, and additionally, depending on the type and detail of information contained in a trace log, by experienced...
tool
- Monitor the system's behavior and optimize the application or the system configuration
7. Debug
Debugging
Debugging is a methodical process of finding and reducing the number of bugs, or defects, in a computer program or a piece of electronic hardware, thus making it behave as expected. Debugging tends to be harder when various subsystems are tightly coupled, as changes in one may cause bugs to emerge...
the application software on the target system using the debugger
Debugger
A debugger or debugging tool is a computer program that is used to test and debug other programs . The code to be examined might alternatively be running on an instruction set simulator , a technique that allows great power in its ability to halt when specific conditions are encountered but which...
- Faults can be debugged using the IDEIntegrated development environmentAn integrated development environment is a software application that provides comprehensive facilities to computer programmers for software development...
on the development host
Supported hardware
The following processor architectures are supported, with a large set of board support packagesBoard support package
In embedded systems, a board support package is implementation specific support code for a given board that conforms to a given operating system...
(BSP) for various boards:
- PowerPCPowerPCPowerPC is a RISC architecture created by the 1991 Apple–IBM–Motorola alliance, known as AIM...
- ARMARM architectureARM is a 32-bit reduced instruction set computer instruction set architecture developed by ARM Holdings. It was named the Advanced RISC Machine, and before that, the Acorn RISC Machine. The ARM architecture is the most widely used 32-bit ISA in numbers produced...
- x86
- x86-64X86-64x86-64 is an extension of the x86 instruction set. It supports vastly larger virtual and physical address spaces than are possible on x86, thereby allowing programmers to conveniently work with much larger data sets. x86-64 also provides 64-bit general purpose registers and numerous other...
- MIPS64MIPS architectureMIPS is a reduced instruction set computer instruction set architecture developed by MIPS Technologies . The early MIPS architectures were 32-bit, and later versions were 64-bit...
- SPARCSPARCSPARC is a RISC instruction set architecture developed by Sun Microsystems and introduced in mid-1987....
- SuperHSuperHSuperH is a 32-bit reduced instruction set computer instruction set architecture developed by Hitachi. It is implemented by microcontrollers and microprocessors for embedded systems....
SH4
Symmetric multiprocessing
Symmetric multiprocessing
In computing, symmetric multiprocessing involves a multiprocessor computer hardware architecture where two or more identical processors are connected to a single shared main memory and are controlled by a single OS instance. Most common multiprocessor systems today use an SMP architecture...
is supported if a multi-core processor is used.