Wind River VxWorks 653

An integrated modular avionics (IMA) platform enabling workload consolidation of safety-critical and less critical applications

Overview

VxWorks 653 is a safe, secure, and reliable real-time operating system (RTOS) that delivers an open virtualization platform with robust time and space partitioning on the latest PowerPC multi-core processor platforms. With technology proven by more than 360 customers over 600 safety programs in more than 100 civilian and military aircraft, VxWorks 653 is driving the transition to software-defined systems in aerospace and defense, bringing innovative technology that solves real business problems.

With advancing technology, the defense industry is increasingly adopting a combination of robust hardware platforms and standards-based, open virtualization systems. These systems support unmodified guest OS environments, allowing developers to leverage the platforms’ versatility to unlock value across diverse use cases. One example is the consolidation specification for IMA systems: ARINC specification 653. Use of this internationally accepted specification enables multiple avionics vendors and hosted-function suppliers to safely deploy integrated applications on a shared multicore hardware platform, while maintaining complete system conformance with rigorous avionics safety standards such as RTCA DO-178C, EUROCAE ED-12C, RTCA DO-254, EUROCAE ED-80, RTCA DO-297, and EUROCAE ED-124.

VxWorks® 653 Multi-core Edition is a safe, secure, and reliable real-time operating system (RTOS). It delivers an ARINC 653–conformant system by providing robust time and space partitioning on the latest hardware platforms to make sure fault containment and the ability to upgrade applications with minimal test and integration demands.

FEATURES

  • VxWorks 653 Multi-core Edition lowers upgrade costs by providing high portability across product lines and airborne platforms
  • Simultaneous support for ARINC 653 APEX API, VxWorks, POSIX®, FACE™, Software Communications Architecture (SCA), and APIs
  • Support for applications written in Ada, C, and C++
  • Unmodified guest OS support for legacy applications mixed with modern, standards-based applications and operating systems
  • Employs a modular open architecture with robust partitioning to modify certified system applications and retest only changed components
  • Designed around RTCA DO-297, enabling independent development, testing, and delivery
  • Enables the virtualization of unmodified guest operating systems increasing safety, and compute capacity
  • Built on the VxWorks and VxWorks 653 rich pedigree of single and multi-core development