Networking Architecture in PikeOS

Because PikeOS is based on a microkernel, developers have flexibility in how networking is structured. While it is technically possible to place the Ethernet driver, TCP/IP stack, and application all within a single user partition, this architecture is discouraged due to the following limitations:

• No multi-client access: Only one partition can access the Ethernet port at a time, making it unsuitable for shared or modular system designs
• Low portability: Changing Ethernet hardware would require changes to the user-space application that contains the driver
• No observability: The Ethernet port cannot be used for tracing or debugging during development if fully encapsulated

Optional: Ethernet Driver in Kernel Space

For use cases that require minimal latency or tight real-time constraints, the Ethernet driver can also be placed inside the kernel partition instead of user space. However, this reduces modularity and flexibility.

The recommended Solution

Here we show a PikeOS system that is implementing the recommended networking model using four partitions. The architecture enables secure, scalable sharing of a single Ethernet interface across multiple components and operating systems.

Key Benefit: Shared Ethernet Access across Partitions

This architecture enables multiple network stacks to coexist on a single physical Ethernet port. Each partition can have its own IP address, while development tools continue to operate independently. The modular approach improves flexibility, debuggability, and scalability across mixed-criticality systems.

➡️ Service Partition: Virt Ethernet Driver

• Hosts the low-level Ethernet driver, responsible for direct hardware access
• Provides virtual Ethernet channels to other partitions via PikeOS file providers or queuing ports
• Also connects to development tool agents (e.g., for debugging, tracing, and monitoring) via dedicated virtual interfaces
• For more details, see Multiplexing Application Input/Output

➡️ Linux Partition

• Contains both the Linux kernel and network applications.
• The kernel includes a full TCP/IP stack, which accesses the virtualized Ethernet interface via the PikeOS file system abstraction.
• Applications interact with the stack using the standard BSD socket API.

➡️ lwIP-based Partitions

• The other two partitions integrate the lightweight lwIP TCP/IP stack directly
• Applications are statically linked with lwIP and use either its native API or optionally a BSD socket layer
• lwIP’s minimal footprint is ideal for real-time or resource-constrained tasks but may have feature limitations
• For further technical details, see lwIP on Wikipedia