The embedded Internet technology based on a real-time kernel for non-PC devices

Compared with the traditional monolithic kernel, the microkernel provides a different approach to constructing an operating system, which leads to different implementation of those modules running under such an environment. A real-time kernel, WebitX, with microkernel architecture is presented from the viewpoint of developing Internet applications in non-PC devices. Based on WebitX, the architecture of the network communication module is outlined. In this module, a thin embedded TCP/IP protocol suite using a modular solution is implemented. Therefore a TCP/IP-based Web server can be embedded in non-PC devices to connect them to the Internet and control them remotely using a standard Web browser over Internet. The experimental performance results of WebitX and the TCP/IP protocol suite show that network application demands for most embedded devices can be met and the high performance of embedded Internet communication can be achieved in low-cost microcontrollers.