Correct Implementation of Circular Buffers: Fixing Years of Programming Errors

This article reveals common mistakes programmers make when implementing circular buffers, focusing on how to build efficient concurrent non-blocking single-reader single-writer circular buffers using atomic operations and memory barriers. The discussion includes optimization solutions for non-power-of-two sizes (using conditional checks instead of integer modulo operations), as well as lock-free implementation techniques like the LMAX Disrupter pattern. These techniques have significant value in systems programming, chip design, embedded systems, and other fields, significantly improving performance and reliability, while also covering practical applications such as FPGA asynchronous FIFO design and PortAudio.