Undergraduate teaching of real-time scheduling algorithms by developed software tool

Theoretical foundations of scheduling in the course Real-Time Systems of the undergraduate studies program are extended by the usage of the developed visual software tool. The tool enables teaching of simulated fixed-priority scheduling algorithms. The user simply sets the simulation and algorithm properties and loads the prepared input task sets from the database. Results are obtained within the program or from external applications. The paper deals with the problem of scheduling the mixture of periodic and aperiodic tasks in a uniprocessor system. Results are displayed in the form of a flow report, table report, and diagrams of dependencies of evaluation parameters on the change of periodic and aperiodic workload. The flow report explains the algorithm behavior and the table form and dependency diagrams enable a more precise scheduling analysis and mutual comparison, respectively. Some of the evaluation parameters are the following: aperiodic response time, number of tasks with missed deadlines, utilization of resource and server tasks, resource-breakdown utilization. The software tool improves teaching of the course and the final success of students regarding relevant exam exercises.