Abstract
The work explores the use of asymmetric multiprocessing (ASMP) on embedded microcontrollers, with a particular focus on its applications and challenges. Initially, thetheoretical foundations of ASMP were examined to provide an understanding of the
topic and its relevance to modern embedded systems. It was explained how ASMP
enables the use of multiple cores for parallel processing.
In the practical part of the work, a step-by-step guide was created for setting up a
multicore project on STM32-series microcontrollers. This guide serves as a foundation
to help developers get started with multiprocessing on such platforms.
The architecture of conventional ASMP systems was briefly explained using the examples of ThreadX and OpenAMP. Building on this, a new architecture for a patch in the
real-time operating system FreeRTOS was designed. The goal of this patch was to enhance the ability to flexibly and efficiently distribute tasks across different cores. After
the design phase, the architecture was implemented and thoroughly tested.
However, the implementation of the system presented several challenges and problems
that became apparent during both development and testing. The added functionalities
in the FreeRTOS scheduler caused it to become approximately three times slower in
the worst case. Additionally, there are limitations in the implementation of applications
because the processing cores may potentially support different features. The integration
of existing system monitoring software could not be carried out as planned. Instead, a
proprietary solution was developed to test the system.
The tests showed that dynamically shifting tasks between cores did not achieve the
desired success, as the expected performance benefits were not realized. However, by
manually shifting tasks, a specific use case was identified that demonstrated the system’s
advantages.
Furthermore, it became clear that the developed system, due to its simple implementation capabilities, is excellently suited for developing similar multiprocessing systems. It
provides a user-friendly foundation for further research and applications in this field.
| Date of Award | 2025 |
|---|---|
| Original language | English (American) |
| Supervisor | Josef Langer (Supervisor) |