Early embedded operating systems The concept of a real-time multitasking kernel emerged in the late 1970s. During the 1980s, as embedded systems applications grew in complexity, operating systems with real-time multitasking kernels struggled to meet the evolving demands of embedded development. This led to the evolution of the real-time multitasking kernel into a comprehensive operating system (
RTOS), encompassing networking, file management, development, and
debugging capabilities. Today, RTOS constitutes a global industry. In 1981, Ready System developed VRTX32, the world’s first commercial embedded real-time kernel. In 1993, following a merger, Ready System and Silicon Valley’s Microtec Research developed two new RTOS kernels, VRTX32 and VRTXsa, building upon
VRTXmc. Concurrently, the VRTX integrated development environment, Spectra, was introduced. In 1996,
Microsoft released its embedded operating system,
WinCE, which supported various processor architectures including
x86,
ARM,
SH4, and
MIPS. WinCE has since become obsolete, with mainstream support having ended in 2018.
OS-9 and
VxWorks are also notable embedded operating systems.
Modern embedded operating systems In the current landscape of the
internet of things (IoT), embedded devices are ubiquitous, with cars alone utilizing hundreds of sensors. IoT systems, in contrast to traditional embedded systems, necessitate lower power consumption, enhanced safety and reliability, and the capability for
ad hoc networking . The communication layer must facilitate the conversion between diverse protocols, while the application layer should enable
cloud computing capabilities over the
Internet. ==Contemporary embedded operating systems==