PikeOS

Real-time operating system

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Operating system

PikeOS

Architecture of SYSGO's PikeOS

Developer| SYSGO GmbH
OS family| L4
Working state| Current
Source model| Closed source
Latest release| 5.1 / January 2021; 4 years ago (2021-01)
Marketing target| Embedded systems
Available in| English
Supported platforms| ARM, PowerPC, RISC-V, x86, x86-64, SPARC
Kernel type| Microkernel, real-time
License| Proprietary
Official website| www.sysgo.com/pikeos

PikeOS is a commercial hard real-time operating system (RTOS) which has a separation kernel-based hypervisor that supports multiple logical partition types for various operating systems (OS) and applications, each referred to as a GuestOS. PikeOS is engineered to support the creation of certifiable smart devices for the Internet of Things (IoT). In instances where memory management units (MMU) are not present but memory protection units (MPU) are available on controller-based systems,[1] PikeOS for MPU is designed for critical real-time applications and provides up-to-standard safety and security.[2]

## Overview

[edit]

PikeOS was introduced in 2005 and combines a real-time operating system (RTOS) with a virtualization platform and Eclipse-based integrated development environment (IDE) for embedded system (embedded systems). It is a commercial clone of the L4 microkernel family.[3] PikeOS has been developed for safety and security-critical applications with certification needs in the fields of aerospace, defense, automotive,[4] transport, industrial automation, medical, network infrastructures, and consumer electronics. The PikeOS separation kernel (v5.1.3) is certified against Common Criteria at EAL5+.

One of the key features of PikeOS is its ability to execute applications with different safety and security levels concurrently on the same computing platform. This is done by strict spatial and temporal segregation of these applications via software partitions. A software partition can be seen as a container with pre-allocated privileges that can have access to memory, central processing unit (CPU) time, input/output (I/O), and a predefined list of OS services. With PikeOS, the term application refers to an executable linked against the PikeOS application programming interface (API) library and running as a process inside a partition. The nature of the PikeOS application programming interface (API) allows applications to range from simple control loops up to full paravirtualized guest operating systems like Linux or hardware virtualized[5] guests.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Sectank, Redaktion (26 October 2021). "Sysgo entwickelt RTOS für sicherheitskritische Controller-basierte Systeme". SECTANK (in German). Retrieved 6 May 2025.
2. ^ "Betriebssystem für Safety und Security". Elektroniknet (in German). Retrieved 6 May 2025.
3. ^ Kaiser; Wagner (2007). Evolution of the PikeOS microkernel. MIKES 2007 (Report). NICTA. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.68.5593. ISSN 1833-9646. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
4. ^ Gerstl, Sebastian (5 September 2017). "PikeOS nun auch als KI-basierte automobile Softwareplattform im Einsatz". Embedded Software Engineering (in German). Retrieved 6 May 2025.
5. ^ online, heise (18 July 2014). "Embedded-Betriebssystem PikeOS mit Hardware-Virtualisierung". iX Magazin (in German). Retrieved 6 May 2025.

## External links

[edit]

* SYSGO Website
* PikeOS Official Product Site

* v
* t
* e

Virtualization software

Comparison of platform virtualization software

Hardware
(hypervisors)|

| Native|

* Adeos
* CP/CMS
* Hyper-V
* KVM
* oVirt
* KubeVirt
* LDoms / Oracle VM Server for SPARC
* Logical partition (LPAR)
* LynxSecure
* PikeOS
* Proxmox VE
* QNX
* SIMMON
* VMware ESXi
* VMware vSphere
* vCloud
* VMware Infrastructure
* Xen
* XenServer
* XCP-ng
* XtratuM
* z/VM

|

Hosted|

| Specialized|

* Basilisk II
* Bochs
* Cooperative Linux
* DOSBox
* DOSEMU
* PCem
* 86Box
* PikeOS
* SheepShaver
* SIMH
* Windows on Windows
* Virtual DOS machine
* Win4Lin

|

Independent|

* bhyve
* Microsoft Virtual Server
* Parallels Workstation (Extreme)
* Parallels Desktop for Mac
* Parallels Server for Mac
* PearPC
* QEMU
* UTM
* VirtualBox
* Virtual Iron
* Virtual PC
* VMware Fusion
* VMware Server
* VMware Workstation (Player)

Tools|

* Ganeti
* System Center Virtual Machine Manager
* Virt-manager

Operating
system|

| OS containers|

* FreeBSD jail
* iCore Virtual Accounts
* Linux-VServer
* Linux Containers
* OpenVZ
* Solaris Containers
* Virtuozzo
* Workload Partitions

|

Application containers|

* Docker
* Podman
* lmctfy
* rkt

Virtual kernel architectures|

* Rump kernel
* User-mode Linux
* vkernel

Related kernel features|

* BrandZ
* cgroups
* chroot
* namespaces
* eBPF
* seccomp

Orchestration|

* Amazon ECS
* Kubernetes
* OpenShift

Desktop|

* Citrix Virtual Apps
* Citrix Virtual Desktops
* Remote Desktop Services
* VMware Horizon

Application|

* Ceedo
* Citrix Virtual Apps
* Dalvik
* InstallFree
* Microsoft App-V
* Remote Desktop Services
* Symantec Workspace Virtualization
* Turbo
* VMware ThinApp
* ZeroVM

Network|

* Distributed Overlay Virtual Ethernet (DOVE)
* Ethernet VPN (EVPN)
* NVGRE
* Open vSwitch
* Virtual security switch
* Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN)
* Generic Network Virtualization Encapsulation (GENEVE)

See also|

* BlueStacks

See also: List of emulators, List of computer system emulators

* v
* t
* e

Real-time operating systems (RTOS)

Operating
systems|

| POSIX support|

| Unix-like|

* DNIX
* Junos OS
* LynxOS
* Multi-Environment Real-Time^ (MERT – Unix-RT)
* OS2000
* QNX^
* Real-Time Linux°
* RTLinux°
* UNOS

|

LiteOS|

* LiteOS°

Partial|

* ChorusOS^
* Integrity^
* Nucleus RTOS^
* NuttX^°
* Operating System Embedded^ (OSE)
* PX5 RTOS^
* RIOT^°
* RTEMS°

TRON support|

* ITRON project
* T-Kernel
* Micro T-Kernel
* T-Engine Forum (organization)
* T-License

Partial|

* eCos°
* RTEMS°

Capability-based|

* EROS^°
* seL4^°

Java virtual machine|

* Chorus/Jazz^ (JavaOS \+ ChorusOS^)

DOS|

* Multiuser DOS
* Concurrent DOS
* FlexOS
* REAL/32

L4 kernel|

* L4Linux^°
* PikeOS^
* REX OS^
* Wombat^°

Psion|

* EKA2^° kernel → Symbian OS^°

Microsoft|

* ThreadX^
* Windows Embedded Compact

IBM|

* 4680 OS
* 4690 OS
* Transaction Processing Facility (TPF)

Texas Instruments|

* DSOS
* TI-RTOS Kernel^°

DEC PDP-11 & VAX|

* RSX-11
* RT-11
* VAXELN

Low resource|

* ChibiOS/RT^°
* Contiki°
* ERIKA Enterprise°
* FunkOS°
* Mynewt°
* Nano-RK°
* OpenComRTOS^
* PX5 RTOS^
* RT-Thread° Nano
* RIOT°
* RTEMS°
* ThreadX^
* Zephyr^°

* BeRTOS^°
* DioneOS
* embOS
* FreeRTOS^°
* µC/OS^°
* µ-velOSity^
* MQX^
* OS-9 (Microware)
* Phantom OS^°
* pSOS
* RMX
* RT-Thread° Standard
* ScreenOS
* Sintran III
* THEOS
* Thoth^ → Harmony^
* VRTX^
* VxWorks
* UniProton

Frameworks, kits|

* Robot Operating System° 2
* RTAI°
* TI-RTOS^°
* Xenomai°

Developers|

* Gordon Bell
* David Cheriton
* Dave Cutler
* Dan Dodge
* Adam Dunkels
* Ken Sakamura

* Italics = discontinued
* ^ = Microkernel
* ° = Open-source software
Comparison Category

* v
* t
* e

Microkernels-nanokernels

Kernels|

| L4 family|

* Eumel → L3 → L4°
* OKL4°

|

Macintosh hosted|

* Mac OS nanokernel
* NuKernel

Psion|

* EKA1 → EKA2^°

Amiga-type|

* Exec
* ExecSG
* Quark
* WarpOS

* ADEOS°
* EROS^°
* K42°
* Little Kernel
* Mach°
* GNU Mach°
* MicroEmpix
* µ-velOSity^
* nucleus
* Off++ → Plan B
* Opus
* PowerUP
* RTLinux°
* TI-RTOS kernel^°
* Vanguard

Operating
systems|

| POSIX support|

| Unix-like|

* ARX
* GNU Hurd°
* Lites
* MeikOS
* Minix°

* Minix-vmd°
* Minix 3°

* MkLinux°
* Multi-Environment Real-Time^ (MERT – Unix-RT)
* OS2000
* QNX^
* Redox°
* Spring
* Tinix
* UNICOS
* VSTa

|

Partial|

* ChorusOS^
* Integrity^
* Nucleus RTOS^
* NuttX^°
* OSE^
* RIOT^°

Capability-based|

* GNOSIS → KeyKOS → EROS → CapROS
* Hydra
* seL4^°
* Midori
* NLTSS
* HarmonyOS NEXT (OpenHarmony, Oniro OS) → HarmonyOS

L4 kernel|

* L4Linux^°
* PikeOS^
* REX OS^
* Wombat^°

Java virtual machine|

* JavaOS (Chorus/Jazz^ integrates ChorusOS^)
* JX°

Macintosh hosted|

| Unix-like|

* MachTen
* MacMach

|

* Copland
* Classic Mac OS (PowerPC kernel)

Psion|

* EPOC → Symbian OS^°

Amiga-type|

* AmigaOS
* AROS°
* AspireOS°
* Broadway°
* Icaros Desktop°
* MorphOS

Microsoft|

* Singularity
* ThreadX^°
* Verve

AIM alliance|

* Pink → Taligent OS → Workplace OS

* Amoeba°
* BeRTOS^°
* ChibiOS/RT^°
* FreeRTOS^°
* HelenOS°
* µC/OS^°
* MQX^
* OpenComRTOS^
* Phantom OS^°
* RC 4000
* SharpOS°
* SPIN°
* Thoth^ → Harmony^ → V
* VRTX^

Frameworks, kits|

* Cosmos°
* Genode°
* TI-RTOS^°

Developers|

* Gordon Bell
* Thomas Bushnell
* David Cheriton
* Dan Dodge
* Per Brinch Hansen
* Gernot Heiser
* Jochen Liedtke
* James G. Mitchell
* Ike Nassi
* Richard Rashid
* Andrew S. Tanenbaum
* Avie Tevanian
* William Wulf

* Italics = discontinued
* ^ = Real-time
* ° = Open-source software
Category: Microkernel-based operating systems Category: Microkernels

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