Difference between message queues and mailboxes

operating-system message-queue rtos
Ginu Jacob picture Ginu Jacob · Oct 27, 2015 · Viewed 8.2k times · Source

In operating system what is the difference between message queues and mailboxes.

Answer

kkrambo picture kkrambo · Oct 27, 2015

I suspect there is no universally accepted definition for what makes a message queue versus a mailbox. Each RTOS may use different terminology and implementation details so you'd have to look at each RTOS individually.

Generally speaking some of the common differences include:

  • Is the size of the messages sent through the queue/mailbox fixed or can the message size vary?
  • Does the queue/mailbox hold a reference to the message or a copy of the message?
  • Can the queue/mailbox hold one message, multiple messages, or unlimited messages?

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