Java embedded real-time systems: an overview of existing solutions

Java is a programming language with features not found in traditional languages, such as platform independence and dynamic loading. Because of this, the use of Java is extending and it is beginning to be used in many new environments. In particular, the advantages that Java provides make it a good candidate for distributed, real-time and embedded systems. However, Java presents some problems regarding its use in embedded and real-time environments. In this paper, we examine the state of the art in the development of embedded real-time systems using Java. We analyse the limits that the Java language and its execution environment present in developing real-time and embedded systems, and we present current research in this area that is aimed at solving these limits.