Real-time applications are where information is received and immediately responded to without any time delay. Real-time programming is an area of embedded programming that requires a highly disciplined approach to ensure optimum results.

We have many real-time applications in our portfolio, demonstrating that at Absolute Software we can provide real solutions to real-time problems.

Real time programming presents a number of issues. Real-time programming is a balance between fast code and maintainable code. At Absolute Software we use our decades of experience to find the optimum solution that provides fast and maintainable real-time code.

Real-time applications can be catergorised as fast/slow and hard/soft. Hard meaning tight tolerances on timings (eg engine management); soft meaning loose tolerances on timings (eg user-interfaces). With these two criteria, real-time programming can be split into four categories: hard-fast, soft-fast, hard-slow and soft-slow. Understanding which category your application falls into, allows you to make the correct decisions about the hardware and software structure required.

Hard-fast systems can be easily achieved with powerful 32-bit processors. Where the challenge comes in real time programming is when a hard-fast system is implemented on a small 8-bit processor with limited resource (such as a Microchip PIC processor).

At Absolute Software we are trained in tools such as the Artisan UML tool. This can be essential for large real-time systems. UML ensures that the specification is a accurate translation of the system requirements, that the real-time programming will be sufficient and that the system is validated and verified correctly.