Real-time computing: Difference between revisions

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{{More footnotes needed|date=April 2014}}

'''Real-time computing''' ('''RTC''') is the [[computer science]] term for [[Computer hardware|hardware]] and [[computer software|software]] systems subject to a "real-time constraint", for example from [[Event (synchronization primitive)|event]] to [[Event (computing)|system response]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=FreeRTOS - Open Source RTOS Kernel for small embedded systems - What is FreeRTOS FAQ?|url=https://www.freertos.org/FAQWhat.html#WhyUseRTOS|access-date=2021-03-08|website=FreeRTOS|language=en-US}}</ref> Real-time programs must guarantee response within specified time constraints, often referred to as "deadlines".<ref name="Ben-Ari-pg164">[[Mordechai Ben-Ari|Ben-Ari, Mordechai]]; "Principles of Concurrent and Distributed Programming", ch. 16, Prentice Hall, 1990, {{ISBN|0-13-711821-X}}, page 164</ref>

Real-time responses are often understood to be in the order of milliseconds, and sometimes microseconds. A system not specified as operating in real time cannot usually ''guarantee'' a response within any timeframe, although ''typical'' or ''expected'' response times may be given. Real-time processing ''fails'' if not completed within a specified deadline relative to an event; deadlines must always be met, regardless of [[Load (computing)|system load]].