What is the difference between binary semaphore and mutex?
What is the difference between binary semaphore and mutex?
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13-Jul-2023
Updated on 14-Jul-2023
Aryan Kumar
14-Jul-2023A binary semaphore and a mutex are both synchronization primitives that are used to protect shared resources in multithreaded programs. However, there are some key differences between the two.
A binary semaphore is a synchronization primitive that can only have two values: 0 or 1. When the semaphore is 0, it means that the resource is locked and cannot be accessed by any other threads. When the semaphore is 1, it means that the resource is unlocked and can be accessed by any thread.
A mutex is a synchronization primitive that can have two states: locked and unlocked. When the mutex is locked, it means that the resource is being accessed by a thread and cannot be accessed by any other threads. When the mutex is unlocked, it means that the resource is not being accessed by any threads and can be accessed by any thread.
The main difference between a binary semaphore and a mutex is that a binary semaphore can only be used to protect a resource that can be in one of two states: locked or unlocked. A mutex can be used to protect a resource that can be in any number of states.
For example, a binary semaphore could be used to protect a shared counter that can only be incremented or decremented. A mutex could be used to protect a shared data structure that can be in any number of states.
Another difference between a binary semaphore and a mutex is that a binary semaphore is typically implemented using hardware, while a mutex is typically implemented using software. This means that binary semaphores are typically faster than mutexes, but they are also less flexible.
In general, binary semaphores are a good choice for protecting resources that can be in one of two states. Mutexes are a good choice for protecting resources that can be in any number of states.