Chapter 7:

Semaphore Management

1
 Semaphores
• A 16-bit unsigned integer used to hold the
semaphore count (0 to 65535)
– Counting semaphore

• Create a semaphore by calling OSSemCreate( )

– Specify the initial value of a semaphore

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 Semaphore Management
• OSSemCreate()
Creating a semaphore
• OSSemDel()
Deleting a semaphore
• OSSemPend
Waiting on a semaphore
• OSSemPost
Signaling a semaphore
• OSSemAccept()
Getting a Semaphore without waiting

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Relationships between tasks,ISR, and a
semaphore

OSSemPend()
OSSemAccept() Task
Task OSSemPost() OSSemQuery()
N
OR

ISR OSSemPost() OSSemAccept()

OSSemAccept() ISR
N

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OSSemCreate()

All kernel objects need to be created from task-level

code or before multitasking starting

Obtain a free ECB

Clear OSEventGrp and OSEventTbl[]

5
 OSSemDel()
• pevent is a pointer to the ECB associated with
the desired semaphore.
• opt determines delete options as follows:
– OS_DEL_NO_PEND
Delete semaphore ONLY if no task pending
– OS_DEL_ALWAYS
Deletes the semaphore even if tasks are waiting. In this
case, all the tasks pending will be readied.

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 OSSemDel()
Event Control Block
opt =?

EventGrp 1 1 DEL_ALWAYS DEL_NO_PEND

N
EventGrp = 0 EventGrp = 0
Y
1
EventTbl N Y
1 1
EventTaskRdy
EventTaskRdy Free(Sem)
N

EventGrp ==00
EventGrp
reterun err

Y 7
 OSSemDel()
OS_EVENT *OSSemDel (OS_EVENT *pevent, INT8U opt, INT8U *err) {
OS_ENTER_CRITICAL();
if (pevent->OSEventGrp != 0x00) { See if any tasks waiting on semaphore
tasks_waiting = TRUE;
} else tasks_waiting = FALSE; Delete semaphore only if no task waiting
switch (opt) {
case OS_DEL_NO_PEND: Return Event
if (tasks_waiting == FALSE) { Control Block to
pevent->OSEventType = OS_EVENT_TYPE_UNUSED; free list
pevent->OSEventPtr = OSEventFreeList;
OSEventFreeList = pevent;
OS_EXIT_CRITICAL();
*err = OS_NO_ERR;
return ((OS_EVENT *)0);
} else {
OS_EXIT_CRITICAL();
*err = OS_ERR_TASK_WAITING;
return (pevent); 8
}
 OSSemDel()
case OS_DEL_ALWAYS: Always delete the semaphore
while (pevent->OSEventGrp != 0x00) { Ready ALL
OS_EventTaskRdy(pevent, (void *)0, OS_STAT_SEM); tasks waiting
} for semaphore
pevent->OSEventType = OS_EVENT_TYPE_UNUSED;
pevent->OSEventPtr = OSEventFreeList;
OSEventFreeList = pevent;
OS_EXIT_CRITICAL();
if (tasks_waiting == TRUE) {
OS_Sched();
}
*err = OS_NO_ERR;
return ((OS_EVENT *)0);

default:
OS_EXIT_CRITICAL();
*err = OS_ERR_INVALID_OPT;
return (pevent);
}
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}
 OSSemDel()
• This call can potentially disable interrupts for a
long time.
– The interrupt disable time is directly proportional
to the number of tasks waiting on the semaphore.
• Because all tasks pending on the semaphore
will be readied, you must be careful in
applications where the semaphore is used for
mutual exclusion.

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 OSSemPend()
Example 1: OSEventCnt=1
task1() {
/*…*/
OSSemPend();
/*…*/
}

User mode

OSSemPend() { Kernel mode

?(OSEventCnt>0)
return;

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 OSSemPend()
Example 2: OSEventCnt=0
task1() {
/*…*/ task2() {
OSSemPend(); /*…*/
/*…*/ OSSemPost();
} /*…*/
}

CTX_SW User mode

OSSemPend() {
OSSemPost() { Kernel mode
?(OSEventCnt>0) EventTaskRdy()
wait(pevent); OS_Sched()
sched(); return;
?(status == Rdy)
return; }
}

Task Running Task Running

OS_STAT_RDY
OS_STAT_SEM OS_STAT_RDY 12
 OSSemPend()
Example 3: OSEventCnt=0
task1() {
/*…*/
OSSemPend(TO=3); task2() {
/*…*/ /*…*/
} OSSemPost();
/*…*/
}

User mode

OSSemPend() {
?(OSEventCnt>0) OSSemPost() { Kernel mode
TCBDly=3; EventTaskRdy()
wait(pevent); OS_Sched()
sched() return;
?(status != Rdy)
OS_EventTO() }
return;
}

Task Running
OS_STAT_SEM
0
1
2
3
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OSSemPend()

The semaphore is available.

decrement semaphore only if

positive

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OSSemPend()
The semaphore is not
available.

Timeout

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OSSemPost()

See if any task waiting for

semaphore

Ready the highest priority task

waiting on the event

Increment the
semaphore
count 16
OSSemAccept()

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OSSemQuery()

.
.
.

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