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The line between "OS" and "not OS" is not binary. It's a blur. For that matter, there's not a clear line between "microcontroller" and "SoC", either. Does yo
by AnimalMuppet 2y ago
The line between "OS" and "not OS" is not binary. It's a blur. For that matter, there's not a clear line between "microcontroller" and "SoC", either.
Does your microcontroller have an external flash? Does it have a file system on that flash? Does that make it need an OS to support the file system?
Does it have enough memory to support allocation to different processes? Does that make it need an OS? And so on.
- bongodongobob 2y agoRight, that's my question. You can use flash and display and whatnot without an OS. When are you using a microcontroller that you'd need the overhead of an OS where an SoC wouldn't be appropriate?
- AnimalMuppet 2y agoAgain, these are not binary. I may decide I need a more feature-full (more "OS-like") task switcher for what I'm trying to do, without going to a full OS (by some definition). I may decide that I need some aspects of SoC in my microcontroller. (Youi can get pretty much any set of features with any core; it's more the number of desktop-like features that makes it a SoC.) To your specific question: I'm not sure it goes that direction, because a full OS depends on the presence of certain features on the chip. I can think of some examples of it going the other way, though - of an SoC where you don't need or want a full OS.