Abstract: A method and system for permitting a software-based executive to execute concurrently with a hardware-based executive. The software-based executive allocates hardware executive tasks, hardware executive interrupts, software executive tasks, and software executive interrupts to defined execution spaces available on a microprocessor having a hardware-based executive. Applications control hardware-based executive tasks and interrupts through a hardware executive application programming interface (API), and software-based executive tasks through a software executive API. Applications share the hardware executive API functions for interrupt installation and management. The invention allocates all hardware executive interrupts to a high priority interrupt execution space, and all hardware executive tasks to a high priority queue. All software executive interrupts are allocated to low priority interrupts, and all software executive tasks are allocated to a low priority queue.

Abstract: A first device provides a repetitive count of time. A second device indicates in each successive count of time by the first device during the processing apparatus operation whether the processing apparatus has processed data for at least a first particular percentage of time in each such successive time count. A third device indicates in each successive count of time by the first device during the processing apparatus operation whether the processing apparatus has processed data for at least a second particular percentage of time in each such successive time count where the second particular time percentage is less than the first particular time percentage. A power supply provides power to the processing apparatus during the time that the apparatus is processing data.