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RT-Thread was born in 2006, it is an open source, neutral, and community-based real-time operating system (RTOS).
RT-Thread is mainly written in C language, easy to understand and easy to port(can be quickly port to a wide range of mainstream MCUs and module chips). It applies object-oriented programming methods to real-time system design, making the code elegant, structured, modular, and very tailorable.
RT-Thread has Standard version and Nano version. For resource-constrained microcontroller (MCU) systems, the Nano version that requires only 3KB Flash and 1.2KB RAM memory resources can be tailored with easy-to-use tools. For resource-rich IoT devices, RT-Thread can use the on-line software package management tool, together with system configuration tools, to achieve intuitive and rapid modular cutting, seamlessly import rich software packages; thus, achieving complex functions like Android's graphical interface and touch sliding effects, smart voice interaction effects, and so on.
RT-Thread has not only a real-time kernel, but also rich components. Its architecture is as follows:
It includes:
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Kernel layer: RT-Thread kernel, the core part of RT-Thread, includes the implementation of objects in the kernel system, such as multi-threading and its scheduling, semaphore, mailbox, message queue, memory management, timer, etc.; libcpu/BSP (Chip Migration Related Files/Board Support Package) is closely related to hardware and consists of peripheral drivers and CPU porting.
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Components and Service Layer: Components are based on upper-level software on top of the RT-Thread kernel, such as virtual file systems, FinSH command-line interfaces, network frameworks, device frameworks, and more. Its modular design allows for high internal cohesion inside the components and low coupling between components.
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RT-Thread software package: A general-purpose software component running on the RT-Thread IoT operating system platform for different application areas, consisting of description information, source code or library files. RT-Thread provides an open package platform with officially available or developer-supplied packages that provide developers with a choice of reusable packages that are an important part of the RT-Thread ecosystem. The package ecosystem is critical to the choice of an operating system because these packages are highly reusable and modular, making it easy for application developers to build the system they want in the shortest amount of time. RT-Thread supports 450+ software packages.
- Designed for resource-constrained devices, the minimum kernel requires only 1.2KB of RAM and 3 KB of Flash.
- A variety of standard interfaces, such as POSIX, CMSIS, C++ application environment.
- Has rich components and a prosperous and fast growing package ecosystem.
- Elegant code style, easy to use, read and master.
- High Scalability. RT-Thread has high-quality scalable software architecture, loose coupling, modularity, is easy to tailor and expand.
- Supports high-performance applications.
- Supports all mainstream compiling tools such as GCC, Keil and IAR.
- Supports a wide range of architectures and chips.
RT-Thread source code catalog is shown as follow:
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| BSP | Board Support Package based on the porting of various development boards |
| components | Components, such as finsh shell, file system, protocol stack etc. |
| documentation | Related documents, like coding style, doxygen etc. |
| examples | Related sample code |
| include | Head files of RT-Thread kernel |
| libcpu | CPU porting code such as ARM/MIPS/RISC-V etc. |
| src | The source files for the RT-Thread kernel. |
| tools | The script files for the RT-Thread command build tool. |