System and method for maximizing data processing throughput via application load adaptive scheduling and context switching

An application load adaptive digital data processing system, comprising:

• a time shared central processing unit (CPU) for processing data and instructions from input data arrays of the system and storing results in output data arrays of the system;
• and
• a scheduler for periodically, once in a set of CPU cycles referred to as an allocation period, producing a schedule that assigns a set of CPU cycles on an upcoming allocation period among a set of software applications sharing the time shared CPU,
• wherein the producing of the schedule by the scheduler is done at least in part based on ready-to-execute indicators by at least some among the set of software applications expressing how many CPU cycles on the time shared CPU a given software application is ready to use on the upcoming allocation period,
• wherein at least one of the ready-to-execute indicators comprises a number indicating a quantity of CPU cycles that its associated software application is currently ready to consume,
• wherein the at least one of the ready-to-execute indicators comprises a software variable mapped to a device register within a memory space of the time shared CPU, with said device register being accessible by the scheduler,
• wherein the time shared CPU processes data and instructions of at least some of the set of software applications on the upcoming allocation period with the CPU cycles assigned among the applications according to the schedule produced for that allocation period by the scheduler, and
• wherein said CPU cycle is one of:
• individual CPU clock cycle, or individual CPU instruction cycle.