Real-Time Performance Analysis in Linux-Based Robotic Systems

Mobile or humanoid robots collect environmental data and reflect back as robotic behaviors via various sensors and actuators. It is crucial this occurs within a specified time. Although real-time flavored Linux has been used to control robot arms and legs for quite a while, it has not been reported much whether the current real-time features in Linux could still meet this requirement for a much more complicated system a humanoid with about 60 servo motors and sensors with multiple algorithms such as recognition, decision, and navigation running simultaneously. In this paper, in order to meet such requirement, adopting EtherCAT technology is introduced and its Linux implementation is illustrated. In addition, results of real-time experiments and timing analysis on a multi-core processor are presented showing Linux is a viable solution to be successfully deployed in various robotic systems.

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