How to build low-cost, royalty-free embedded solutions with eCos Covers eCos architecture, installation, configuration, coding, debugging, bootstrapping, porting, and more Incorporates additional open source software components to extend the features and functionality of eCos, meeting the requirements of a wide range of embedded systems Includes open source tools for a complete embedded software development environment with eCos as the core Contains extensive code examples and complete application case study Foreword by Michael Tiemann, CTO, Red Hat Software and Co-founder of Cygnus Solutions " Anthony's book is easily the most complete treatment of eCos system development. I believe it is destined to become part of every eCos developer's library. " -Michael Tiemann, CTO, Red Hat Software and Co-founder of Cygnus SolutionsBuild low-cost, royalty-free embedded solutions with eCos-step by step.The Embedded Configurable Operating System (eCos) gives professionals a low-cost, royalty-free embedded software development solution that works in highly constrained hardware environments, while scaling smoothly to larger products. In this start-to-finish guide to eCos solution building, Anthony Massa covers eCos architecture, installation, configuration, coding, deployment, and the entire eCos open source development system. Additional open source tools are included to configure a complete embedded software development environment. Massa's code examples and application case study illuminate techniques for building virtually any embedded system, from the simplest device to complex Internet-enabled wireless systems. Coverage includes: Understanding eCos architecture: kernel, hardware abstraction layer, and other components Preparing your eCos embedded development environment Incorporating additional open source tools for a complete embedded software development environment Working with exceptions, interrupts, and virtual vectors Managing threads and synchronization Utilizing the eCos networking stack, I/O system, and file system Covering additional eCos functionality, including third-party open source contributions Using RedBoot, the standardized embedded debug and bootstrap solution Porting eCos to new hardware platforms CD-ROM INCLUDEDThe accompanying CD-ROM contains the complete eCos development environment, along with all the code presented in this book.

Preface Whether you're working on an existing project or moving on to a new development, eventually you're going to have to decide on what Real-Time Operating System (RTOS) to use. Numerous questions arise, including how much does it cost to get started, are there royalties associated with using the RTOS, what is the quality of the tools, is source code available, what features are available for the RTOS, and so on. In most situations, the lowest-cost solution in both upfront costs and royalties is the best solution, as long as it works. Eliminating royalties is very important for high-volume products, where every nickel counts. There are also concerns of previous investments made, both in developer knowledge and financially, for the current solution. Anxiety can occur when considering moving existing code to a new software platform, which can be intimidating depending on the size of the project. Porting a new RTOS to your hardware platform can create more trepidation. Decisions about whether to develop your own RTOS or use an off-the-shelf solution surface in some cases as well; especially when specific functionality is needed for a specialized hardware platform. In some cases, rolling your own RTOS might be the only solution. However, you can put your development way ahead by leveraging software that is already implemented, tested on numerous platforms and in various situations, and, most importantly, proven because it is successfully running on other shipping products. This eliminates the need for implementing functionality that is readily available. This book focuses on one solution to these concerns: the Embedded Configurable Operating System (eCos). The open-source and royalty-free nature of eCos allows it to be downloaded, set up, and used, and here's the key: at no cost. When finished with this book, you will have a complete embedded software development environment--all the tools necessary to tackle any project. Since eCos is open source, you, the developer, are in complete control over your embedded software destiny. Even the tools described in the eCos development system are open source, thereby allowing you to become completely self sufficient--although the eCos development community is out there available to lend help when needed. Book Layout and Overview Let's take a look at the layout of the book and get an overview of what is covered and where it is located. This enables you to focus on the specific aspects of eCos that you need to understand. The layout of the book is intended to build on information covered in earlier chapters. We start with understanding the key components within eCos, then move to additional functionality offered in the system, and finally, get down to using eCos and the development environment. For developers new to the eCos world, or embedded software altogether, it is helpful to understand the components that make up the eCos system by starting at the beginning. This gives the baseline understanding of the different features provided by eCos. You can then implement these software components in an actual system. More experienced developers looking for an evaluation of eCos can skip to the later chapters and begin experimenting right away. The format of the development platform installation and examples allow a quick setup of the tools and immediate results. This lets you answer the question, "will eCos work for me?" Current eCos users can fill in any holes that might be present in their eCos knowledge, by looking at some of the eCos concepts from a different point of view. Chapter 1, An Introduction to the eCos World, begins with a brief introduction to eCos, which includes a background about the eCos open-source project and the company behind its start. A description of the eCos terminology is detailed as well. This terminology is used throughout the book and in the eCos developmen