Trait kernel::platform::scheduler_timer::SchedulerTimer

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pub trait SchedulerTimer {
    // Required methods
    fn start(&self, us: u32);
    fn reset(&self);
    fn arm(&self);
    fn disarm(&self);
    fn get_remaining_us(&self) -> Option<u32>;
}

Expand description

Interface for the system scheduler timer.

A system scheduler timer provides a countdown timer to enforce process scheduling time quanta. Implementations should have consistent timing while the CPU is active, but need not operate during sleep. Note, many scheduler implementations also charge time spent running the kernel on behalf of the process against the process time quantum.

The primary requirement an implementation of this interface must satisfy is it must be capable of generating an interrupt when the timer expires. This interrupt will interrupt the executing process, returning control to the kernel, and allowing the scheduler to make decisions about what to run next.

On most chips, this interface will be implemented by a core peripheral (e.g. the ARM core SysTick peripheral). However, some chips lack this optional peripheral, in which case it might be implemented by another timer or alarm peripheral, or require virtualization on top of a shared hardware timer.

The SchedulerTimer interface is carefully designed to be rather general to support the various implementations required on different hardware platforms. The general operation is the kernel will start a timer, which starts the time quantum assigned to a process. While the process is running, the kernel will arm the timer, telling the implementation it must ensure that an interrupt will occur when the time quantum is exhausted. When the process has stopped running, the kernel will disarm the timer, indicating to the implementation that an interrupt is no longer required. To check if the process has exhausted its time quantum the kernel will explicitly ask the implementation. The kernel itself does not expect to get an interrupt to handle when the time quantum is exhausted. This is because the time quantum may end while the kernel itself is running, and the kernel does not need to effectively preempt itself.

The arm() and disarm() functions in this interface serve as an optional optimization opportunity. This pair allows an implementation to only enable the interrupt when it is strictly necessary, i.e. while the process is actually executing. However, a correct implementation can have interrupts enabled anytime the scheduler timer has been started. What the implementation must ensure is that the interrupt is enabled when arm() is called.

Implementations must take care when using interrupts. Since the SchedulerTimer is used in the core kernel loop and scheduler, top half interrupt handlers may not have executed before SchedulerTimer functions are called. In particular, implementations on top of virtualized timers may receive the interrupt fired upcall “late” (i.e. after the kernel calls has_expired()). Implementations should ensure that they can reliably check for timeslice expirations.

Required Methods§

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fn start(&self, us: u32)

Start a timer for a process timeslice. The us argument is the length of the timeslice in microseconds.

This must set a timer for an interval as close as possible to the given interval in microseconds. Interrupts do not need to be enabled. However, if the implementation cannot separate time keeping from interrupt generation, the implementation of start() should enable interrupts and leave them enabled anytime the timer is active.

Callers can assume at least a 24-bit wide clock. Specific timing is dependent on the driving clock. For ARM boards with a dedicated SysTick peripheral, increments of 10ms are most accurate thanks to additional hardware support for this value. ARM SysTick supports intervals up to 400ms.

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fn reset(&self)

Reset the SchedulerTimer.

This must reset the timer, and can safely disable it and put it in a low power state. Calling any function other than start() immediately after reset() is invalid.

Implementations should disable the timer and put it in a lower power state. However, not all implementations will be able to guarantee this (for example depending on the underlying hardware or if the timer is implemented on top of a virtualized timer).

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fn arm(&self)

Arm the SchedulerTimer timer and ensure an interrupt will be generated.

The timer must already be started by calling start(). This function guarantees that an interrupt will be generated when the already started timer expires. This interrupt will preempt the running userspace process.

If the interrupt is already enabled when arm() is called, this function should be a no-op implementation.

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fn disarm(&self)

Disarm the SchedulerTimer timer indicating an interrupt is no longer required.

This does not stop the timer, but indicates to the SchedulerTimer that an interrupt is no longer required (i.e. the process is no longer executing). By not requiring an interrupt this may allow certain implementations to be more efficient by removing the overhead of handling the interrupt.

If the implementation cannot disable the interrupt without stopping the time keeping mechanism, this function should be a no-op implementation.

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fn get_remaining_us(&self) -> Option<u32>

Return the number of microseconds remaining in the process’s timeslice if the timeslice is still active.

If the timeslice is still active, this returns Some() with the number of microseconds remaining in the timeslice. If the timeslice has expired, this returns None.

This function may not be called after it has returned None (signifying the timeslice has expired) for a given timeslice until start() is called again (to start a new timeslice). If get_remaining_us() is called again after returning None without an intervening call to start(), the return value is unspecified and implementations may return whatever they like.