# How to use Free RTOS **URL:** \ **Category:** Kernel\ **Created:** [July 20, 2017, 3:41pm UTC](https://forums.freertos.org/t/how-to-use-free-rtos/6691 "2017-07-20T15:41:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![system](https://d2v6vdsk2p900z.cloudfront.net/original/1X/7fc8fdb729c645aab5b20282bbe34e57cb407be6.jpeg) [@system](https://forums.freertos.org/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2017, 3:41pm UTC](https://forums.freertos.org/t/how-to-use-free-rtos/6691/1 "2017-07-20T15:41:15Z")
**[vead](https://sourceforge.net/u/vead/)** wrote on [Thursday, July 20, 2017](https://sourceforge.net/p/freertos/discussion/382005/thread/402f7442/#0d1e): Hello everyone I am looking help on Free RTOS. I have been reading some materials and have been reading book but still I am having problem to understand basic of RTOS. so I have decided to start with small project. I know RTOS is mainly design for Time based reuirenment. just for practice why not start with LED. I know how to blink LED with C program. Now I want to blink LED under Free RTOS. I understand I don’t need rtos to blink LED but it is just for practice so that I can understand at least which header and source file of Free RTOS I can use to Blink LED. once I blink LED under control of RTOS. after that I will do come complex projcet. so please help me ---
**Author:** ![system](https://d2v6vdsk2p900z.cloudfront.net/original/1X/7fc8fdb729c645aab5b20282bbe34e57cb407be6.jpeg) [@system](https://forums.freertos.org/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2017, 7:24pm UTC](https://forums.freertos.org/t/how-to-use-free-rtos/6691/2 "2017-07-20T19:24:49Z")
**[dibosco](https://sourceforge.net/u/dibosco/)** wrote on [Thursday, July 20, 2017](https://sourceforge.net/p/freertos/discussion/382005/thread/402f7442/#0d1e/a805): The best way I think to do this is to look through the projects that are available to download, find one that uses your IDE then buy a dev board to go with that project. Once you have that, compile and run the demo project and write a very simple thread that toggles an LED. If you’ve done any sort of reading, you’ll have found plenty of tutorials on creating a thread, using task delays etc. In essence, the way I look at it is that a thread is like a run-to-complete infinite loop style piece of software you’re used to writing for micros. You can write a number of threads that can run [seemingly] concurrently and communicate with each other. Once you have your LED flashing you can do things like write a thread that gathers serial information then pass it via a queue to another thread that processes that information. You’ll then soon get the hang of how it all works and do some real world stuff. On 20/07/17 16:41, vead wrote: > Hello everyone > I am looking help on Free RTOS. I have been reading some materials and > have been reading book but still I am having problem to understand basic > of RTOS. so I have decided to start with small project. I know RTOS is > mainly design for Time based reuirenment. just for practice why not > start with LED. I know how to blink LED with C program. Now I want to > blink LED under Free RTOS. I understand I don’t need rtos to blink LED > but it is just for practice so that I can understand at least which > header and source file of Free RTOS I can use to Blink LED. once I blink > LED under control of RTOS. after that I will do come complex projcet. so > please help me > > * * * > > How to use Free RTOS > [https://sourceforge.net/p/freertos/discussion/382005/thread/402f7442/?limit=25#0d1e](https://sourceforge.net/p/freertos/discussion/382005/thread/402f7442/?limit=25#0d1e) > > * * * > > Sent from [sourceforge.net](http://sourceforge.net) because you indicated interest in > [SourceForge.net: Log In to SourceForge.net](https://sourceforge.net/p/freertos/discussion/382005/) > > To unsubscribe from further messages, please visit > [SourceForge.net: Log In to SourceForge.net](https://sourceforge.net/auth/subscriptions/) ---
**Author:** ![rtel](https://d3iykfbgfh8zhg.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.freertos.org/rtel/32/31_2.png) [@rtel](https://forums.freertos.org/u/rtel)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2017, 8:54pm UTC](https://forums.freertos.org/t/how-to-use-free-rtos/6691/3 "2017-07-20T20:54:14Z")
**[rtel](https://sourceforge.net/u/rtel/)** wrote on [Thursday, July 20, 2017](https://sourceforge.net/p/freertos/discussion/382005/thread/402f7442/#0d1e/cf16): If you have been reading the official book (free pdf download), or the API documentation for the functions that show you exactly what you are asking ([http://www.freertos.org/a00127.html](http://www.freertos.org/a00127.html)), then its hard to add anything additional. You can look at examples though. Here is a really old file that just flashes LEDs at different rates. It is included in most of the examples in the FreeRTOS download, if you have looked at those too: [https://sourceforge.net/p/freertos/code/HEAD/tree/trunk/FreeRTOS/Demo/Common/Minimal/flash.c](https://sourceforge.net/p/freertos/code/HEAD/tree/trunk/FreeRTOS/Demo/Common/Minimal/flash.c) Or using software timers [https://sourceforge.net/p/freertos/code/HEAD/tree/trunk/FreeRTOS/Demo/Common/Minimal/flash\_timer.c](https://sourceforge.net/p/freertos/code/HEAD/tree/trunk/FreeRTOS/Demo/Common/Minimal/flash_timer.c) ---
**Author:** ![system](https://d2v6vdsk2p900z.cloudfront.net/original/1X/7fc8fdb729c645aab5b20282bbe34e57cb407be6.jpeg) [@system](https://forums.freertos.org/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 3:48am UTC](https://forums.freertos.org/t/how-to-use-free-rtos/6691/4 "2017-07-21T03:48:34Z")
**[vead](https://sourceforge.net/u/vead/)** wrote on [Friday, July 21, 2017](https://sourceforge.net/p/freertos/discussion/382005/thread/402f7442/#9bec): Thanks for your reply I have downloaded some projects and books. I have gone through given links but my confusen is on selection of header files and sources suppose I want to flesh three LEDs at different rate. first LED flashes every 200ms, the second every 400ms, the third every 600ms. how many header files and source files I need in program. can you tell me the name of header files and source files. ---
**Author:** ![rtel](https://d3iykfbgfh8zhg.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.freertos.org/rtel/32/31_2.png) [@rtel](https://forums.freertos.org/u/rtel)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 4:53am UTC](https://forums.freertos.org/t/how-to-use-free-rtos/6691/5 "2017-07-21T04:53:43Z")
**[rtel](https://sourceforge.net/u/rtel/)** wrote on [Friday, July 21, 2017](https://sourceforge.net/p/freertos/discussion/382005/thread/402f7442/#9bec/1fc2): Open an existing project to see, or better still read the online documentation or book chapter that tells you how to create a new project, including which files to build and which include paths to add. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://d2v6vdsk2p900z.cloudfront.net/original/1X/7fc8fdb729c645aab5b20282bbe34e57cb407be6.jpeg) [@system](https://forums.freertos.org/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 1:50pm UTC](https://forums.freertos.org/t/how-to-use-free-rtos/6691/6 "2017-07-21T13:50:54Z")
**[vead](https://sourceforge.net/u/vead/)** wrote on [Friday, July 21, 2017](https://sourceforge.net/p/freertos/discussion/382005/thread/402f7442/#221e): as said I have been reading book and looking some project examples but I don’t understand the idea which files I need to add and built in program. may be my poor understanding. I am not asking for complete program. I am stuck at starting for selection of free RTOS files. I don’t know why you didn’t give the answer of my question for LEDs. if possible can you give me the name of files which I have to add and build in program so that I can go for further learning ---
**Author:** ![system](https://d2v6vdsk2p900z.cloudfront.net/original/1X/7fc8fdb729c645aab5b20282bbe34e57cb407be6.jpeg) [@system](https://forums.freertos.org/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 2:28pm UTC](https://forums.freertos.org/t/how-to-use-free-rtos/6691/7 "2017-07-21T14:28:41Z")
**[dibosco](https://sourceforge.net/u/dibosco/)** wrote on [Friday, July 21, 2017](https://sourceforge.net/p/freertos/discussion/382005/thread/402f7442/#221e/580d): You don’t need _anything_ else if you download the source code and use one of the demo projects, This is why we’re saying get a demo project. The download instructions are here. > **[FreeRTOS - Free RTOS Source Code Downloads, the official FreeRTOS zip file...](https://www.freertos.org/a00104.html)** > > How to download the FreeRTOS real time kernel, to get the Free RTOS source code zip file. FreeRTOS is a portable, open source, mini Real Time kernel. A free RTOS for small embedded systems Choose one for your IDE and compile it. It will just work. No extra files needed. This is the beauty of starting with a demo project. On 21/07/17 14:50, vead wrote: > as said I have been reading book and looking some project examples but > I don’t understand the idea which files I need to add and built in > program. may be my poor understanding. I am not asking for complete > program. I am stuck at starting for selection of free RTOS files. I > don’t know why you didn’t give the answer of my question for LEDs. if > possible can you give me the name of files which I have to add and > build in program so that I can go for further learning > > * * * > > How to use Free RTOS > [https://sourceforge.net/p/freertos/discussion/382005/thread/402f7442/?limit=25#221e](https://sourceforge.net/p/freertos/discussion/382005/thread/402f7442/?limit=25#221e) > > * * * > > Sent from [sourceforge.net](http://sourceforge.net) because you indicated interest in > [SourceForge.net: Log In to SourceForge.net](https://sourceforge.net/p/freertos/discussion/382005/) > > To unsubscribe from further messages, please visit > [SourceForge.net: Log In to SourceForge.net](https://sourceforge.net/auth/subscriptions/) ---
**Author:** ![system](https://d2v6vdsk2p900z.cloudfront.net/original/1X/7fc8fdb729c645aab5b20282bbe34e57cb407be6.jpeg) [@system](https://forums.freertos.org/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 4:48pm UTC](https://forums.freertos.org/t/how-to-use-free-rtos/6691/8 "2017-07-21T16:48:34Z")
**[vead](https://sourceforge.net/u/vead/)** wrote on [Friday, July 21, 2017](https://sourceforge.net/p/freertos/discussion/382005/thread/402f7442/#221e/580d/7bc7): I don’t know how to explain. ok I am using cortex M3 and keil compiler and I have downloaded some project. now If I don’t want use demo projcet I want to mak my own project (flesh Three LEDs at different rate ) than How to do it ---
**Author:** ![rtel](https://d3iykfbgfh8zhg.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.freertos.org/rtel/32/31_2.png) [@rtel](https://forums.freertos.org/u/rtel)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2017, 7:28pm UTC](https://forums.freertos.org/t/how-to-use-free-rtos/6691/9 "2017-07-21T19:28:03Z")
**[rtel](https://sourceforge.net/u/rtel/)** wrote on [Friday, July 21, 2017](https://sourceforge.net/p/freertos/discussion/382005/thread/402f7442/#221e/4271): > as said I have been reading book and looking some project examples > but I don’t understand the idea which files I need to add and built > in program. …and I referenced this page, which tells you, as does the book: > **[Creating a new RTOS project](https://www.freertos.org/Creating-a-new-FreeRTOS-project.html)** > > Create and use an RTOS project > I don’t know why you didn’t give the answer of my question for > LEDs. …and I referenced this page, which is an LED flashing example, and told you which file in the FreeRTOS download contains more examples: > **[This page describes the RTOS vTaskDelay() FreeRTOS API function which is part...](https://www.freertos.org/a00127.html)** > > FreeRTOS is an open source, small footprint RTOS for microcontrollers. This page describes the vTaskDelay() FreeRTOS API function which is part of the RTOS task control API. > if possible can you give me the name of files which I have to > add and build in program so that I can go for further learning I don’t think I could do more than reference the pages that provide answers to your questions, other than cut and paste content from those pages into the forum.