Embedded Systems - Shape The World

FreeRTOS – Task Yielding

Keywords: Embedded systems, ARM, FreeRTOS, STM32F4, Tasks, Tasks Yielding

Code Link: Tutorial Source Code Github – Keil

As we know from introductory tutorial that scheduler divides time line into small time slots based on tick timer. In each time slot only one task is selected and allowed to run. When the tick timer ticks again, another ready task is selected to run while the current task is sent to ready state.

Whats the problem with this approach?

As each task is allowed fixed time slot based on Tick timer ticking frequency, what if a task requires more time to complete than the alloted time slot? Similarly if a task completes its functionality before its time slot finishes than what should it do? For example a task dedicated to take some sensors data on regular bases – Figure-1. Lets say data acquisition requires 10% of time slot than what the task suppose to do in remaining 90% time?

In FreeRTOS a task runs indefinitely. It can’t return whether it finishes earlier or past the time slot. But FreeRTOS has a way around for tasks that completed their functionality earlier. The solution is called Task Yielding. In FreeRTOS a task can handover processor cycles (meant for it) any time it wants by calling FreeRTOS Task Yielding API. Using Task Yielding API a task can inform Scheduler to hand over processor cycles to another ready task as it has completed its functionality and can’t wait for tick timer based context switching!

Figure-1: Dummy Task that is required to run after specific Time

The FreeRTOS Task Yielding API is given bellow.

  • void taskYIELD( void )

void taskYIELD(void):

taskYIELD() is used to request a context switch to another task. Yielding occurs when a task volunteers to leave the Running state without being preempted and before its time slice has been fully used.

taskYIELD() must only be called from an executing task and therefore must not be called while the scheduler is in the Initialization state (before the scheduler is started).

When a task calls taskYIELD(), the scheduler will select another Ready state task of equal priority to enter the Running state in its place. If there are no other Ready state tasks of equal priority, then the task that called taskYIELD() will be transitioned into the Running state.

Parameter NameDescription
voidvoid
Return Valuevoid

In all our previous tutorials we put some delay in each task to ensure task consumes enough time to exceed time slot and same functionality is not executed multiple times with the same time slot. But real time Embedded Systems are quite different. They have deadlines to meet. They can’t wast time just to consume complete time slot. In real time systems, if a task completes, it must allow other tasks in queue to take consume processor cycles. The purpose of task yielding is simply to allow other tasks to execute once it completes its own functionality.

Tutorial Scenario:

In this tutorial we will create two FreeRTOS tasks. Each task when runs, it simply prints a message. After printing message it has nothing else to do, so instead of waiting for the context switch, it simply Yield to scheduler by calling FreeRTOS Scheduler API i.e. taskYIELD().

Following are the tutorial steps.

Steps:

1. The first step is to create two FreeRTOS Tasks i.e. “T1” and “T2” are created.

Note: If you don’t know how to create freeRTOS Tasks, refer to the following Tutorial.

const int task_1_Param = 1;
const int task_2_Param = 2;

xTaskCreate (vTask, "T1", 150, (void *)&task_1_Param, 1, NULL);

xTaskCreate (vTask, "T2", 150, (void *)&task_2_Param, 1, NULL);

2. Next Step is to create a task function which will be called by FreeRTOS Tasks when scheduled.

void vTask(void * pvParams) {

  volatile unsigned int i = 0;
  const int * tParam = (const int *)pvParams;
 
  for (;;) {
    
    /*
      Do what every Task is meant to do
    */
    printf("Task-%d Running.\n", *tParam);
    
    /*
      Now that task has completed its function,
      so let's yield so that other tasks are 
      waiting to be scheduled are allowed to 
      run.
    */
    printf("Task-%d Complete - Yielding Task.\n\n\n", *tParam);
    taskYIELD();
    
  }
}

As can be seen from above task function implementation, the task prints the a message to debug console and once it prints the message it has noting more to do. So in order to handover processor to other task it simply calls the task Yield API taskYIELD(). Calling the taskYIELD() immediately calls initiate context switch and allow other task to run before the tick timer based context switch occurs.

3. The last step is to start the scheduler to allow created tasks to run.

/*
    Start the Scheduler
*/
vTaskStartScheduler();

Note: We have routed printf messages to ST-Link debugger via ARM-ITM. There is a dedicated tutorial on how to redirect printf messages to debugger. Link to the tutorial is given bellow.

For complete source code refer to Github link given at the start of this tutorial.

Click the full screen button for more clear view.

References:

[1] – FreeRTOS Official Website

Filed Under: FreeRTOS
Tags: , , , , ,

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Embedded systems are where the software meets the physical world. As we put tiny computers into all sorts of systems (door locks, airplanes, pacemakers), how we implement the software is truly, terrifyingly important. Writing software for these things is more difficult than computer software because the systems have so few resources. Designing an efficient software on top of such limited resources is indeed a challanging task.
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