Comparing Performance of Periodic and Event Driven Automation for Robotics
(2025)Department of Automatic Control
- Abstract
- Today, most software systems are event-driven, meaning that code execution is triggered by events handled dynamically. A typical example is a graphical user interface, where a button click initiates a specific action. In contrast, classic automation systems rely on programmable logic controllers, which execute code periodically at fixed intervals. The purpose of this study is to compare periodic and event driven programming for industrial robotics, which are hard real-time systems. The thesis focusing on their ability to meet key performance indicators, including efficiency, safety, readability & extensibility, concurrent & parallel execution and portability. The thesis evaluates these paradigms through theoretical analysis and practical... (More)
- Today, most software systems are event-driven, meaning that code execution is triggered by events handled dynamically. A typical example is a graphical user interface, where a button click initiates a specific action. In contrast, classic automation systems rely on programmable logic controllers, which execute code periodically at fixed intervals. The purpose of this study is to compare periodic and event driven programming for industrial robotics, which are hard real-time systems. The thesis focusing on their ability to meet key performance indicators, including efficiency, safety, readability & extensibility, concurrent & parallel execution and portability. The thesis evaluates these paradigms through theoretical analysis and practical application development, assessing their strengths and limitations. The findings reveal that periodic driven systems is a more established approach, which offer more library support and programming tools. Periodic driven programming excel in developing simpler linear applications but may struggle with scalability in complex applications. Conversely, event-driven systems offer superior flexibility, modularity, and adaptability, making them ideal for dynamic and complex application. The more dynamic nature of event driven systems however, introduces challenges in meeting safety and timing requirements of hard real-time systems. The real-time event based language and runtime, Juliet & Romeo, explored in this thesis uses interesting approaches to do so. This includes a real-time garbage collection algorithm. By highlighting the trade-offs between these paradigms, this thesis provides valuable insights for developers and engineers seeking to optimize robotic applications. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9183803
- author
- Nyberg, August
- supervisor
- organization
- year
- 2025
- type
- H3 - Professional qualifications (4 Years - )
- subject
- report number
- TFRT-6264
- other publication id
- 0280-5316
- language
- English
- id
- 9183803
- date added to LUP
- 2025-02-04 14:58:54
- date last changed
- 2025-02-04 14:58:54
@misc{9183803,
abstract = {{Today, most software systems are event-driven, meaning that code execution is triggered by events handled dynamically. A typical example is a graphical user interface, where a button click initiates a specific action. In contrast, classic automation systems rely on programmable logic controllers, which execute code periodically at fixed intervals. The purpose of this study is to compare periodic and event driven programming for industrial robotics, which are hard real-time systems. The thesis focusing on their ability to meet key performance indicators, including efficiency, safety, readability & extensibility, concurrent & parallel execution and portability. The thesis evaluates these paradigms through theoretical analysis and practical application development, assessing their strengths and limitations. The findings reveal that periodic driven systems is a more established approach, which offer more library support and programming tools. Periodic driven programming excel in developing simpler linear applications but may struggle with scalability in complex applications. Conversely, event-driven systems offer superior flexibility, modularity, and adaptability, making them ideal for dynamic and complex application. The more dynamic nature of event driven systems however, introduces challenges in meeting safety and timing requirements of hard real-time systems. The real-time event based language and runtime, Juliet & Romeo, explored in this thesis uses interesting approaches to do so. This includes a real-time garbage collection algorithm. By highlighting the trade-offs between these paradigms, this thesis provides valuable insights for developers and engineers seeking to optimize robotic applications.}},
author = {{Nyberg, August}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Comparing Performance of Periodic and Event Driven Automation for Robotics}},
year = {{2025}},
}