Uttam Basu www.linkedin.

com/in/uttam-basu/

Frequently
Asked RTOS
Interview
Questions and
Answers
Linkedin

Owner UttamBasu

Author Uttam Basu

Linkedin www.linkedin.com/in/uttam-basu/

Type - Short

1|Page Uttam Basu

Uttam Basu www.linkedin.com/in/uttam-basu/

1. What is an RTOS?
An RTOS (Real-Time Operating System) is designed to process data and respond within a
strict time constraint, making it predictable and reliable for embedded applications.
2. Explain hard and soft real-time systems.
Hard real-time systems must meet deadlines strictly. Soft real-time systems allow occasional
deadline misses.
3. What is task scheduling?
It is the mechanism by which an RTOS decides which task to run next, based on priorities or
other criteria.
4. What is preemptive scheduling?
In preemptive scheduling, a higher-priority task can interrupt a lower-priority task to ensure
timely execution.
5. What is cooperative scheduling?
Tasks voluntarily yield control, so the system depends on tasks behaving correctly.
6. What is a context switch?
The process of saving the state of one task and loading the state of another.
7. What is a semaphore?
A signaling mechanism used for synchronization between tasks.
8. Types of semaphores?
Binary semaphore and counting semaphore.
9. What is a mutex?
A mutual exclusion object that allows only one task to access a resource at a time.
10. Difference between semaphore and mutex?
Mutex has ownership and is used for mutual exclusion; semaphore is for signaling and
synchronization.
11. What is priority inversion?
A lower-priority task holding a resource blocks a higher-priority task.
12. How to prevent priority inversion?
Using priority inheritance protocols.
13. What is deadlock?
A situation where two or more tasks wait indefinitely for each other's resources.
14. What is starvation?
A task waits indefinitely due to being continuously preempted by higher-priority tasks.
15. What is a task or thread?
A basic unit of execution in an RTOS.
16. What are task states in RTOS?
Ready, Running, Blocked, Suspended.
17. What is inter-task communication (ITC)?
Mechanisms like message queues, semaphores, mailboxes used for data exchange.
18. What is a mailbox?
A method to send messages between tasks.

2|Page Uttam Basu

Uttam Basu www.linkedin.com/in/uttam-basu/

19. What is a message queue?

A FIFO structure for sending messages between tasks.
20. What is latency?
The delay between an event and the system's response to that event.
21. How to reduce latency in RTOS?
Optimize ISR, use fast scheduling, and reduce blocking operations.
22. What is a watchdog timer?
A timer that resets the system if software becomes unresponsive.
23. What is jitter?
Variability in response or execution timing.
24. What is a tick timer?
A timer that generates interrupts at regular intervals for task scheduling.
25. What is an ISR (Interrupt Service Routine)?
A function that executes in response to a hardware interrupt.
26. Can an ISR block or sleep?
No. It must be quick and should not block or delay.
27. What is stack overflow in RTOS?
When a task uses more stack than allocated, leading to unpredictable behavior.
28. What is a critical section?
A code block that must not be interrupted, often protected by semaphores or mutexes.
29. What is reentrant code?
A function that can be safely called by multiple tasks or ISRs simultaneously.
30. What is the RTOS kernel?
The core of the RTOS managing task scheduling, timing, and synchronization.
31. What is kernel preemption?
The kernel allows high-priority tasks to interrupt lower-priority tasks.
32. What is round-robin scheduling?
Tasks are scheduled in a rotating fashion for a fixed time slice.
33. What is time slicing?
Dividing CPU time equally among tasks of the same priority.
34. What is a real-time clock (RTC)?
A hardware timer that tracks actual calendar time.
35. What is IPC (Inter-Process Communication)?
Mechanisms for tasks to share data and messages, e.g., queues, pipes, mailboxes.
36. What is the difference between static and dynamic memory allocation in RTOS?
Static memory is allocated at compile time; dynamic memory is allocated at runtime.
37. Why avoid dynamic memory allocation in RTOS?
It can lead to fragmentation and unpredictable timing.
38. What is memory fragmentation?
When memory is broken into small unusable blocks due to dynamic allocation.
39. What is a scheduler?
Part of the RTOS that decides which task to run next.
40. What is priority-based scheduling?
Tasks are scheduled based on their priority value.
3|Page Uttam Basu
Uttam Basu www.linkedin.com/in/uttam-basu/

41. What is thread-safe code?

Code that behaves correctly when accessed by multiple tasks/threads concurrently.
42. What is the role of the bootloader?
It initializes hardware and loads the main application or OS.
43. What is stack memory used for in tasks?
For storing the task's local variables and function call context.
44. What is the purpose of idle task?
To run when no other task is ready to execute.
45. What is a delay function in RTOS?
It suspends a task for a specific period.
46. What is tickless mode in RTOS?
An energy-saving mode where periodic timer interrupts are reduced or disabled.
47. What is a signal in RTOS?
A method for one task to notify another task or ISR.
48. Difference between embedded OS and RTOS?
RTOS is a subtype of embedded OS with strict timing guarantees.
49. What are hooks in RTOS?
User-defined functions that execute at specific kernel events.
50. Benefits of using RTOS in embedded systems?
Deterministic timing, multitasking, modularity, and better control over hardware.
51. How does an RTOS handle interrupt latency?
By keeping ISR short and delegating work to tasks using deferred interrupt handling.
52. What is deferred interrupt handling?
Offloading interrupt processing to a lower-priority task to avoid long ISRs.
53. What is a non-maskable interrupt (NMI)?
A high-priority interrupt that cannot be disabled, used for critical events.
54. Explain real-time scheduling policies.
Common policies include Rate Monotonic Scheduling (RMS) and Earliest Deadline First
(EDF).
55. What is Rate Monotonic Scheduling?
A fixed-priority scheduling where shorter period tasks get higher priority.
56. What is Earliest Deadline First (EDF)?
A dynamic scheduling method where tasks with the nearest deadline are prioritized.
57. What is stack pointer and how is it used in context switching?
It tracks the top of the stack and is saved/restored during task switches.
58. What happens during task creation in an RTOS?
A new stack is allocated, task control block initialized, and added to the ready list.
59. What is a task control block (TCB)?
A data structure storing information about a task (state, priority, stack, etc.).
60. What is task deletion?
Removing a task from the system and reclaiming its resources.
61. What is event flag or event group?
A group of flags used to synchronize tasks based on multiple events.

4|Page Uttam Basu

Uttam Basu www.linkedin.com/in/uttam-basu/

62. What is a software timer in RTOS?

A timer maintained in software that invokes a callback when it expires.
63. What is the difference between software and hardware timers?
Hardware timers are based on physical counters, software timers are managed in code.
64. What is priority ceiling protocol?
Prevents priority inversion by temporarily raising the priority of a resource-owning task.
65. What is memory protection in RTOS?
Ensures tasks can only access allocated memory, preventing corruption.
66. What is the difference between process and thread in RTOS?
Threads share memory; processes are isolated.
67. What is load balancing in RTOS?
Distributing workload evenly across processors in SMP systems.
68. Explain RTOS porting.
Adapting the RTOS to work with a new processor or hardware architecture.
69. What is reentrancy vs thread-safety?
Reentrancy ensures safe recursion; thread-safety ensures concurrent access is safe.
70. What is dual-mode operation in RTOS?
Operating in privileged (kernel) and user modes for security.
71. What is the use of yield() function in RTOS?
Allows a task to voluntarily relinquish the CPU.
72. What is a kernel object?
Structures used for synchronization and communication (semaphores, queues, etc.).
73. What are real-time constraints?
Conditions like deadline, response time, and determinism.
74. How to test real-time constraints?
Using profiling, simulation, and timing analysis tools.
75. What is task aging?
Increasing task priority over time to prevent starvation.
76. What is priority inheritance?
Temporarily boosting a low-priority task’s priority to avoid inversion.
77. What is task blocking?
A task is put to sleep while waiting for an event or resource.
78. What is RTOS footprint?
Total memory (code + data) required to run the RTOS.
79. What is preemption threshold?
A task can prevent preemption by others below a threshold priority.
80. What is thread join and detach?
Join waits for thread to finish; detach runs independently.
81. What is memory leak and how to detect it?
Memory not freed after use; tools like valgrind can help detect it.
82. Can an RTOS run on bare-metal systems?
Yes. Most RTOSes are designed to run directly on hardware.
83. What is the maximum number of tasks an RTOS can support?
Depends on memory and RTOS design, often hundreds or more.
5|Page Uttam Basu
Uttam Basu www.linkedin.com/in/uttam-basu/

84. What is a tickless idle mode?

A low-power mode where periodic system ticks are disabled.
85. What is CPU utilization in RTOS?
Measure of CPU time used vs idle time.
86. What is power management in RTOS?
Managing CPU states (sleep, deep sleep) to reduce power consumption.
87. What is RTOS trace tool?
Software used to monitor and analyze RTOS behavior during runtime.
88. What is a real-time guarantee?
Assurance that deadlines will be met under all defined conditions.
89. What is a critical path in real-time tasks?
The longest sequence of dependent tasks determining overall response time.
90. What is slack time?
Time between task completion and its deadline.
91. How does an RTOS manage heap memory?
With allocators like first-fit, best-fit, or fixed-size blocks.
92. What is a BSP (Board Support Package)?
Set of drivers and configurations allowing RTOS to interface with hardware.
93. What is inter-core communication in SMP RTOS?
Methods like shared memory or mailboxes for task coordination across cores.
94. What is the role of scheduler lock?
Temporarily disables context switching for critical sections.
95. What is ISR nesting?
Allowing one interrupt to be interrupted by another of higher priority.
96. What are system services in RTOS?
Core functions like task creation, timing, IPC, and synchronization.
97. What is the difference between ISR and DSR (Deferred Service Routine)?
ISR handles immediate needs; DSR does deferred, longer processing.
98. What is kernel panic?
Fatal error in the RTOS kernel requiring a system reset.
99. What is cooperative multitasking's main drawback?
A task can monopolize CPU if it doesn't yield.
100. What metrics are used to evaluate an RTOS?
Latency, jitter, context switch time, determinism, footprint, power efficiency.
101. What is an embedded RTOS?
An RTOS optimized for embedded systems with limited resources and strict real-time
constraints.
102. Why is determinism important in RTOS?
It ensures tasks always complete within predictable timing limits.
103. What is bounded latency?
The maximum delay between a stimulus and the RTOS response, which must be known and
predictable.
104. What is thread starvation?
When lower-priority threads never get scheduled due to constant preemption by higher ones.
6|Page Uttam Basu
Uttam Basu www.linkedin.com/in/uttam-basu/

105. Explain the difference between scheduling latency and interrupt latency.
Scheduling latency is the time to switch tasks; interrupt latency is the time from interrupt to
ISR execution.
106. What is the minimum stack size per thread?
It depends on the function calls and local variables used; estimated during design/testing.
107. What is a tick interrupt?
A timer interrupt that triggers the RTOS scheduler at fixed intervals.
108. What is a dormant task?
A task that has been created but is not ready, running, or waiting — essentially idle or
terminated.
109. What is a lightweight RTOS?
An RTOS designed for minimal footprint and low-power devices, such as FreeRTOS.
110. What is a non-preemptible section?
A code section where preemption is disabled to protect shared resources.
111. What is a cyclic executive system?
A non-RTOS method where tasks are called in a fixed sequence, often in time slots.
112. What is cooperative scheduling’s biggest risk?
A task may hog CPU time, causing missed deadlines.
113. How do you profile an RTOS application?
Using trace tools to analyze task execution, timing, CPU usage, and events.
114. What is an alarm in RTOS?
A timed action or callback invoked after a specific delay.
115. What is job scheduling in real-time systems?
Assigning processor time to jobs (task instances) based on deadlines and priorities.
116. What is a reentrant ISR?
An ISR that can be interrupted and safely re-entered without data corruption.
117. What is the heap used for in RTOS?
Dynamic memory allocation at runtime (if used).
118. What’s the difference between an idle thread and an idle loop?
An idle thread is managed by the RTOS; an idle loop is manually implemented.
119. Can tasks call ISRs?
No. ISRs are triggered by hardware and managed by the CPU interrupt controller.
120. What is shared memory communication?
Tasks use common memory regions to exchange data, with synchronization mechanisms.
121. What is worst-case execution time (WCET)?
The maximum time a task may take to execute under worst-case conditions.
122. Why avoid delays in ISRs?
Delays block lower-priority interrupts and increase system response times.
123. What is tick granularity?
The smallest unit of time the scheduler can measure or act upon.
124. What is a round-robin with priority scheduling?
Equal-priority tasks share time slices, but higher-priority tasks preempt them.
125. What is an exception handler?
A function invoked when a software exception (e.g., divide by zero) occurs.
7|Page Uttam Basu
Uttam Basu www.linkedin.com/in/uttam-basu/

126. What is latency budgeting?

Planning the time taken for each task or interrupt to meet system deadlines.
127. What is DMA and how does it help RTOS performance?
Direct Memory Access transfers data independently of the CPU, reducing load.
128. What is a system tick count?
A continuously increasing counter representing elapsed ticks since startup.
129. What is a memory pool in RTOS?
A preallocated memory block divided into fixed-size chunks for fast allocation.
130. What is deterministic behavior?
The guarantee that the system will always respond within expected time limits.
131. What is an I/O bound task?
A task that mostly waits for input/output operations to complete.
132. What is the difference between asynchronous and synchronous events?
Asynchronous events occur independently; synchronous events occur in a defined sequence.
133. What is the difference between delay and sleep in RTOS?
Delay pauses a task for a specific time; sleep may imply suspension until event occurrence.
134. What is static task allocation?
Defining task parameters and memory at compile time rather than runtime.
135. Why use real-time trace logging?
To debug, analyze, and optimize RTOS timing and behavior during development.
136. What are OS services in RTOS?
Built-in features like task creation, delay, IPC, and memory management.
137. What is a global lock?
A lock that affects multiple components or the entire system, often for debugging.
138. What is a race condition?
An error caused when two tasks access shared data concurrently without proper
synchronization.
139. What is the difference between polling and interrupt-based systems?
Polling repeatedly checks for events; interrupts react instantly when events occur.
140. What is a priority queue?
A data structure used by the scheduler to sort tasks by priority.
141. How do you choose the tick frequency?
It balances timing accuracy with CPU overhead — common values range from 1ms to 10ms.
142. What is execution context in RTOS?
It includes registers, stack, and CPU state of a task or ISR.
143. What is a spinlock and when is it used?
A lock where a task repeatedly checks a variable until it's available — useful in multiprocessor
systems.
144. What are system invariants?
Conditions that must always hold true for the RTOS to work correctly.
145. What are some examples of RTOS?
FreeRTOS, VxWorks, Micrium, Zephyr, ThreadX, QNX, etc.
146. What is a real-time deadline miss?
When a task fails to finish before its deadline.
8|Page Uttam Basu
Uttam Basu www.linkedin.com/in/uttam-basu/

147. What is safe state recovery?

Returning the system to a known safe state after a fault or crash.
148. What is a critical fault handler?
A routine invoked on unrecoverable errors, often performing a reset or log.
149. What are application hooks in RTOS?
User-defined callbacks triggered by RTOS events like task create/delete.
150. What is a hybrid RTOS kernel?
A kernel combining real-time and general-purpose features for flexibility.
151. What is a safety-critical RTOS?
An RTOS used in systems where failure can cause loss of life or severe damage (e.g.,
automotive, medical).
152. What are examples of safety-certified RTOSes?
QNX, VxWorks Cert Edition, Integrity RTOS, and SafeRTOS.
153. What is ARINC 653?
An RTOS specification for avionics systems defining time and space partitioning.
154. What is time partitioning?
Allocating CPU time in fixed slots to ensure deterministic behavior across partitions.
155. What is space partitioning?
Each task or process is isolated in its memory space for fault containment.
156. What is memory protection unit (MPU)?
A hardware feature that enforces access restrictions to memory regions.
157. How does an RTOS support mixed-criticality systems?
By isolating tasks using time and space partitioning and enforcing strict scheduling policies.
158. What is a hypervisor in RTOS context?
A layer that allows multiple OS instances or RTOSes to run on the same hardware.
159. What is a guest OS?
An OS that runs under the control of a hypervisor.
160. Difference between RTOS and hypervisor?
An RTOS manages real-time tasks; a hypervisor manages multiple OS environments.
161. What is an A/B system upgrade in embedded RTOS?
Running two firmware images (A and B) for seamless updates and rollback.
162. What is boot time optimization in RTOS?
Minimizing the startup time to meet real-time constraints or improve UX.
163. What is OS-aware debugging?
A debugger that understands RTOS tasks, semaphores, queues, and can show RTOS states.
164. What is deterministic scheduling?
Scheduling with predictable, analyzable behavior ensuring deadlines are met.
165. What is a time-triggered system?
A system where tasks run at predetermined times instead of reacting to events.
166. What is jitter control in RTOS?
Minimizing variations in task start times for consistent behavior.
167. What is multicore RTOS scheduling?
RTOS assigns and balances tasks across multiple CPU cores.

9|Page Uttam Basu

Uttam Basu www.linkedin.com/in/uttam-basu/

168. What is asymmetric multiprocessing (AMP)?

Each core runs its own OS or RTOS instance independently.
169. What is symmetric multiprocessing (SMP)?
Multiple cores share the same OS and memory, coordinated by the RTOS.
170. How does RTOS support SMP?
Via core affinity, load balancing, and locking mechanisms.
171. What is interrupt storming?
Excessive interrupt frequency causing CPU to be overloaded.
172. How to mitigate interrupt storming?
Using interrupt throttling, masking, and deferred handling.
173. What is a trace buffer?
A memory area used to store execution logs and events for analysis.
174. What is kernel instrumentation?
Modifying the RTOS kernel to provide runtime diagnostics and logging.
175. What is task instrumentation?
Adding hooks to tasks to track their behavior and performance.
176. What is a heartbeat task?
A task that runs periodically to signal system health.
177. What is time drift in real-time systems?
Gradual deviation of system clock from real-world time.
178. How is time synchronization achieved in distributed RTOS systems?
Using protocols like NTP, IEEE 1588 PTP, or GPS-based sync.
179. What is CAN-based task triggering?
Using CAN messages to activate tasks in automotive systems.
180. What is rate monotonic analysis (RMA)?
A method for verifying schedulability in fixed-priority RTOS systems.
181. What is schedulability test?
Analyzing if all tasks can complete within deadlines given system constraints.
182. What is slack stealing?
Using unused time (slack) from low-priority tasks to help other tasks.
183. What is sporadic task?
A task that occurs irregularly but within a known minimum inter-arrival time.
184. What is an aperiodic task?
A task with no regular pattern and unpredictable arrival times.
185. What are the common IPC mechanisms in RTOS?
Semaphores, message queues, mailboxes, shared memory, events.
186. What is stack watermarking?
Technique to determine peak stack usage by filling stack with known values.
187. What is lock-free programming in RTOS?
Concurrency control without mutexes or semaphores, using atomic operations.
188. What is priority boosting?
Temporarily increasing a task's priority to prevent starvation.
189. What is power-aware scheduling?
Scheduling that considers task energy requirements and optimizes CPU usage.
10 | P a g e Uttam Basu
Uttam Basu www.linkedin.com/in/uttam-basu/

190. What is tick suppression in RTOS?

Disabling unnecessary system ticks when idle to save power.
191. What are system hooks?
User-defined functions called during events like context switches or task deletions.
192. What is CPU hogging?
When a task uses too much CPU time, potentially blocking others.
193. What is a trusted execution environment (TEE)?
A secure RTOS partition that runs sensitive code isolated from the main OS.
194. What is ISO 26262 in RTOS context?
A standard for functional safety in automotive systems, often requiring RTOS certification.
195. What is DO-178C for RTOS?
A safety-critical software standard for aviation, often requiring certifiable RTOSes.
196. What is task determinism vs system determinism?
Task determinism refers to individual task timing; system determinism is the whole system's
predictability.
197. What is fail-safe vs fail-operational RTOS design?
Fail-safe: safe shutdown on error; fail-operational: continue functioning safely even after
failures.
198. What is context-aware scheduling?
Scheduler adapts behavior based on task history, usage, or external signals.
199. What is temporal isolation?
Guaranteeing one task’s timing behavior is unaffected by others.
200. What are the advantages of a modular RTOS kernel?
Customizability, smaller footprint, and easier certification.
201. What is power-aware RTOS design?
Designing the RTOS to actively manage and reduce power consumption based on system
activity.
202. How does an RTOS support energy harvesting systems?
By allowing ultra-low power modes, long sleep cycles, and asynchronous wake-up support.
203. What is an event-driven RTOS?
An RTOS where execution is primarily triggered by external/internal events, not just time.
204. What is the difference between soft timers and hard timers?
Soft timers use RTOS tick count; hard timers are based on hardware peripherals.
205. What is asynchronous wakeup in RTOS?
Waking up the system from sleep mode based on external interrupts or events.
206. What is RTOS instrumentation?
Adding probes or hooks for capturing internal kernel events for debugging and profiling.
207. What are trace probes?
Mechanisms to collect execution and timing data during runtime for offline analysis.
208. What is the benefit of using static analysis in RTOS-based systems?
Helps detect errors like race conditions, deadlocks, and stack overflows at compile-time.
209. What is code coverage testing?
Verifies which parts of the code were executed during testing to ensure complete validation.

11 | P a g e Uttam Basu
Uttam Basu www.linkedin.com/in/uttam-basu/

210. What is a system health monitor in RTOS?

A task or component that tracks CPU load, memory usage, and responsiveness of other tasks.
211. What is a watchdog feeding interval?
The time window within which the system must reset the watchdog to avoid system reset.
212. What is tick alignment?
Synchronizing the system tick to specific time boundaries to reduce jitter.
213. What is dynamic priority adjustment?
Modifying task priorities at runtime based on system behavior or resource usage.
214. What is cooperative round-robin scheduling?
Equal-priority tasks share CPU time but must yield control voluntarily.
215. What is frequency scaling in RTOS?
Dynamically adjusting CPU frequency to reduce power consumption.
216. What is an adaptive scheduler?
A scheduler that changes behavior based on runtime conditions like task load or energy.
217. What is an overrun in real-time systems?
When a task exceeds its allocated execution time, potentially disrupting the schedule.
218. What is an underrun?
When a task finishes too early, possibly leading to wasted CPU cycles.
219. What is non-blocking communication?
Task continues execution without waiting for the communication to complete.
220. What is the purpose of DMA in RTOS systems?
Offloads memory/data transfer work from the CPU, reducing latency and freeing cycles.
221. What is a reentrant mutex?
A mutex that allows the same task to lock it multiple times safely.
222. What is error propagation in RTOS?
When a task error leads to cascading failures in other parts of the system.
223. What is isolation kernel architecture?
A kernel design that separates critical and non-critical functions for reliability.
224. What is static scheduling in RTOS?
Task execution order is predefined and does not change during runtime.
225. What is real-time garbage collection?
A memory management technique used without breaking real-time guarantees.
226. What is slack reclamation?
Utilizing unused time between task completions to execute other tasks or maintenance routines.
227. What is a sporadic server in RTOS?
A scheduling strategy to manage aperiodic tasks within real-time constraints.
228. What is cache coherency in SMP RTOS?
Ensuring that all cores see the same view of memory when using CPU caches.
229. What is temporal decoupling?
Design where producer and consumer tasks don’t need to run at the same rate or time.
230. What is a wake lock?
A mechanism to keep the CPU awake during critical operations.
231. What is dynamic load balancing in RTOS?
Moving tasks between cores at runtime to evenly distribute workload.
12 | P a g e Uttam Basu
Uttam Basu www.linkedin.com/in/uttam-basu/

232. What is fault containment in RTOS?

Isolating faults so that they do not affect the rest of the system.
233. What is a kernel panic handler?
Handles unrecoverable errors by logging and resetting or halting the system.
234. What is temporal redundancy in RTOS?
Re-executing tasks periodically to increase reliability in fault-tolerant systems.
235. What is spatial redundancy in RTOS?
Running duplicate tasks on different cores or systems for fault detection.
236. What is a fail-safe timer?
A backup timer to ensure operations complete in a bounded time even during failures.
237. What is software fault tolerance in RTOS?
Techniques like watchdogs, retries, and exception handlers to recover from software bugs.
238. What is a context overflow?
When the data saved during a context switch exceeds allocated storage space.
239. What is queue starvation?
Lower-priority tasks never getting access to a shared queue due to constant higher-priority
usage.
240. What is real-time virtualization?
Running virtual machines with real-time characteristics using RTOS/hypervisor techniques.
241. What is bootloader-RTOS handoff?
Transition process where the bootloader initializes and passes control to the RTOS.
242. What is system tick drift and how is it corrected?
Timekeeping error in the tick counter, corrected via periodic synchronization.
243. What is a supervisor call (SVC)?
A software interrupt used to request kernel-level services from user-mode tasks.
244. What is the difference between spinlocks and mutexes?
Spinlocks are busy-waiting; mutexes block the task and release the CPU.
245. What is task instrumentation overhead?
The CPU and memory cost of collecting runtime diagnostics.
246. What is an assertion in RTOS?
A runtime check that halts execution if a condition is violated, useful during debugging.
247. What is a finite state machine (FSM) in RTOS applications?
A model where task behavior is represented by discrete states and transitions.
248. What is hot-patching in embedded RTOS?
Updating code without rebooting or halting the system.
249. What is zero-copy communication?
Sharing data buffers directly between producers and consumers to avoid copying.
250. What is a condition variable in RTOS?
A synchronization primitive that blocks a task until a condition is true, often used with
mutexes.

13 | P a g e Uttam Basu