Comparative evaluation of embedded platforms for real-time acquisition in plasma control and data acquisition systems

In magnetic confinement fusion facilities, the reliable operation of COntrol and Data Acquisition Systems (CODAS) requires embedded solutions capable of ensuring deterministic performance within hard real-time constraints. This manuscript aims to introduce and compare different embedded implementations, considered as potential candidates for integration into control and diagnostic systems of magnetic confinement fusion plants. Comparisons are based on quantifying the computational and temporal footprint that each hardware/software configuration introduces in a representative real-time acquisition and transmission loop. The three hardware targets are considered, namely the STMicroelectronics microntroller board STM32H723ZG, in Baremetal and Free Real Time Operating System (FreeRTOS) environments, and PicoZed board running Linux. A standard implementation on Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) will serve as a time performance reference. Performance is evaluated using key metrics for fast CODAS applications: sampling jitter, cycle time, round-trip time. The results expose trade-offs between determinism, modularity, and resource efficiency, guiding embedded system selection for fusion-grade CODAS subsystems.