Author | strongerHuangWeChat Official Account | Embedded ColumnRecently, I have been asked similar questions:
- Do I have to learn RTOS when studying microcontrollers?
- Is there still a future for bare metal development?
- For microcontroller projects, should I choose bare metal development or RTOS development?
- Are there still companies using bare metal for projects?
- ……
Many beginners have such doubts, primarily due to a lack of practical experience with bare metal and RTOS development.Ultimately, it comes down to insufficient understanding of RTOS and a lack of project development experience. If you have practiced both methods, participating in more development practices will naturally resolve these doubts.From the perspective of someone who has been through it, here are a few points:
Are there still companies using bare metal for projects?
The answer: Yes, and there are many.
In the market, electronic products range from cars and home appliances to children’s toys and wristbands, and almost all of them feature microcontrollers.
Among these, the proportion of electronic products developed using bare metal is actually quite significant. For instance, many children’s toys on the market are developed using bare metal.
Although many companies require RTOS development experience or a certain understanding of RTOS when hiring (for example, for microcontroller development positions), they are actually using bare metal to develop their products.
Many beginners mistakenly believe that since job postings often require RTOS experience, there are few companies using bare metal for product development.
Therefore, the question of whether there is still a future for bare metal development is somewhat valid. From an industry-wide perspective, bare metal development is also a technical skill. Compared to jobs in construction or factories, it offers much better working conditions and salary.
Do I have to learn RTOS when studying microcontrollers?
The answer: Yes, you must learn it, and if time permits, you should study it in depth.
Why must you learn it? The reason is that the competition is now very intense.
Although it was mentioned earlier that there is still a future for bare metal development, that applies to positions with relatively lower technical difficulty (like factory workers), and who wouldn’t want a better future (in terms of salary)?
Twenty years ago (2005), if you could light up an LED with a microcontroller, you wouldn’t be considered an elite, but you would definitely be regarded as capable by many.
Ten years ago (2015), if you could do bare metal projects with a microcontroller (like UART, I2C, and sensor communication), finding a microcontroller development job was not difficult.
Now (2025), even if you have completed many projects using bare metal, it is still challenging to find a satisfactory job.
Why must you learn RTOS? Because the resources of microcontrollers have become much richer compared to before, and running RTOS does not have many limitations.
Moreover, RTOS is currently the trend for microcontroller projects. Even if your current project does not require RTOS, can you guarantee that your next project or when you work for another company, you won’t need RTOS?
Of course, this does not mean that all projects require RTOS; it depends on the specific scenario. In some cases, bare metal is sufficient. Below is a comparison table:
| Scenario | Bare Metal Suitability | RTOS Suitability |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Control (LED Blinking) | ✅ Best | ⚠️ Overkill |
| Multi-Sensor Data Fusion | ❌ State machine is complex and hard to maintain | ✅ Task isolation is clear |
| Ethernet + GUI Interaction | ❌ Almost infeasible | ✅ Relies on protocol stack and task scheduling |
| Low Power Battery Devices | ✅ Direct control of power consumption | ✅ Tickless mode optimization |
What are the advantages of running RTOS on microcontrollers compared to bare metal?
Currently, the performance (speed) of microcontrollers is much higher than before, and the resources of Flash, RAM, and peripherals are also much richer.Compared to bare metal, running RTOS has many inherent advantages.
1. Multi-tasking
Those who have worked on projects with RTOS should understand that multi-tasking can bring many benefits to your project. For example, you don’t have to worry about CPU resource consumption for key debounce delays or real-time response for serial communication.
RTOS itself is a “software framework” that, to some extent, “manages” your project.
2. Real-time Performance
RTOS (Real-Time Operating System) is, as the name suggests, highly real-time and has significant advantages in scenarios that require real-time performance (like motor control).
3. Team Development
Compared to bare metal, RTOS has multi-tasking characteristics, making it more suitable for team development. For example, one person can be responsible for the development of a “module,” and modules can communicate with each other using message queues, thus not affecting each other.
4. Middleware Components
With the continuous development of RTOS, major RTOS are constantly adapting middleware. For example, the domestic RT-Tread has many middleware components. The accompanying middleware components have already been adapted by manufacturers, making it more convenient for us to develop projects.
5. Code Reusability
If you design a module in RTOS, it can be easily ported to other RTOS projects.
From both personal and company perspectives, we hope that the code we write can be maximally utilized.
Moreover, modules that have been validated in one project can be ported to another project, reducing the need for further validation.
6. More Advantages
Currently, RTOS is more suitable for microcontroller development, and more specific advantages can be discussed in the comments section.
END
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