Final answer:
A circular buffer is a data structure used in the producer-consumer model where a producer writes data and a consumer reads it, and is designed to operate efficiently in scenarios where the processes have different data processing rates.
Step-by-step explanation:
Inspired by the concept of co-routines, a circular buffer, also known as a ring buffer, is a data structure that allows two processes to communicate on the producer-consumer model. In this structure, the producer writes data to the buffer while the consumer reads data from it, with both processes operating independently. The circular nature of the buffer ensures that once the end is reached, data writing continues from the beginning, overwriting old data only if it has been already read by the consumer.
This system is particularly useful in applications where the producer and consumer have different rates of data processing or when buffer size is limited and needs to be managed efficiently. It prevents the pitfalls of direct process-to-process communication, which often relies on timing mechanisms that can introduce complexity and potential errors. It is a fixed-size buffer that is used to transfer data between two processes or threads in a synchronized and efficient manner. When the buffer is full, the producer will block until space becomes available, and when the buffer is empty, the consumer will block until data is available. This enables the two processes to communicate and synchronize their execution.