The wait-free and lock-free circular queue is a useful technique for time and memory sensitive systems. The wait-free nature of the queue gives a fixed number of steps for each operation. The lock-free nature of the queue enables two thread communication from a single source thread (the Producer) to a single destination thread (the Consumer) without using any locks.

The power of wait-free and lock-free together makes this type of circular queue attractive in a range of areas, from interrupt and signal handlers to real-time systems or other time sensitive software.