µRT: A lightweight real-time middleware with integrated validation of timing constraints

Abstract

Middlewares are standard tools for modern software development in many areas, especially in robotics. Although such have become common for high-level applications, there is little support for real-time systems and low-level control. Therefore, µRT provides a lightweight solution for resource-constrained embedded systems, such as microcontrollers. It features publish-subscribe communication and remote procedure calls (RPCs) and can validate timing constraints at runtime. In contrast to other middlewares, µRT does not rely on specific transports for communication but can be used with any technology. Empirical results prove the small memory footprint, consistent temporal behavior, and predominantly linear scaling. The usability of µRT was found to be competitive with state-of-the-art solutions by means of a study.

Keywords: distributed computing; embedded; microcontroller; middleware; prevention through design; publish–subscribe; real-time computing; remote procedure call.