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RTOS versus RT application

We must distinguish between the application and the OS:
  • an RTOS is a tool that must provide absolute real-time behavior, or else it cannot be used to build real-time applications. An RTOS by itself is not enough to build a real-time system, but it allows the use of deterministic functions to produce an appropriate response time.
  • an RT application is built on top of an RTOS but may or may not show real-time behavior.
There are good cases for using an RTOS, even though the application does not require real-timeliness. Examples can be found in embedded systems where configurability of the OS may be a reason to choose an RTOS.
With INtime, a reason for choosing it in a non-RT application could be the improved reliability of the system.