File System Considerations in a Multi-Core RTOS Environment
Multi-core processing is rapidly becoming a necessity in embedded computing with the convergence of two conflicting trends: demand for high density storage and a requirement for smaller footprints. To address this demand for increased storage and smaller real estate, manufacturers are turning to MLC NAND. Consumers refuse to pay the performance penalty that often accompanies the error correction required for MLCs multi-bit architecture. Embedded SBCs are able to offset this performance hit. Another advantage of this configuration is that an extra CPU is supplied without duplicating peripheral hardware. These cores often share main memory, Flash memory, busses/interconnects, bridges and endpoint devices. Using Flash to store file systems has become increasingly popular with embedded software to log large amounts of data or store complete sets of maps. For software, the question becomes; How can you divide ownership and control access to devices and avoid the undesired effects of dual simultaneous access?