RTEMS C User's Guide
A periodic task is one which must be executed at a regular interval. The interval between successive iterations of the task is referred to as its period. Periodic tasks can be characterized by the length of their period and execution time. The period and execution time of a task can be used to determine the processor utilization for that task. Processor utilization is the percentage of processor time used and can be calculated on a per-task or system-wide basis. Typically, the task's worst-case execution time will be less than its period. For example, a periodic task's requirements may state that it should execute for 10 milliseconds every 100 milliseconds. Although the execution time may be the average, worst, or best case, the worst-case execution time is more appropriate for use when analyzing system behavior under transient overload conditions.
In contrast, an aperiodic task executes at irregular intervals and has only a soft deadline. In other words, the deadlines for aperiodic tasks are not rigid, but adequate response times are desirable. For example, an aperiodic task may process user input from a terminal.
Finally, a sporadic task is an aperiodic task with a hard deadline and minimum interarrival time. The minimum interarrival time is the minimum period of time which exists between successive iterations of the task. For example, a sporadic task could be used to process the pressing of a fire button on a joystick. The mechanical action of the fire button ensures a minimum time period between successive activations, but the missile must be launched by a hard deadline.
RTEMS C User's Guide
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