Title :
Impact of the x86 System Management Mode in Real-Time Systems
Author :
Starke, Renan A. ; de Oliveira, Romulo S.
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Autom. & Syst., Fed. Univ. of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil
Abstract :
There is a tendency toward the use of personal computers (PC) in real-time systems. These computers have high processing capacity and reduced costs when compared to software and hardware development for dedicated platforms. However, real-time systems require latency predictability and the processors of the x86 architecture have a special protection and correction mode known as System Management Mode (SMM). This mode is not traceable by the operating system and it can cause unpredictability in the system. This article describes the SMM, presents tools and methods for its detection and an analysis of its impact on real-time systems.
Keywords :
computer architecture; instruction sets; multiprocessing systems; operating systems (computers); hardware development; high processing capacity; latency predictability; operating system; personal computers; real-time systems; reduced costs; software development; x86 architecture; x86 system management mode; Detectors; Hardware; Kernel; Linux; Program processors; Real time systems; System Management Mode (SMM); personal computers; real-time systems;
Conference_Titel :
Computing System Engineering (SBESC), 2011 Brazilian Symposium on
Conference_Location :
Florianopolis
Print_ISBN :
978-1-4673-0427-6
DOI :
10.1109/SBESC.2011.41
