Abaco, RTI and Wind River Partner to Deliver First COTS DO-254 and DO-178C Solution for Airborne Systems

Integration of the Certification Solutions of Industry Leaders Creates a Reliable and Accelerated Path to Safety Certification for the World’s Most Demanding Avionics Systems


DAYTON, Ohio and SUNNYVALE, Calif., Sept. 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Abaco, Real-Time Innovations (RTI) and Wind River® today announced the integration of the first hardware, operating system, and communications framework with commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) RTCA DO-254 and RTCA DO-178C DAL A safety certification evidence package. This package will deliver accelerated certification and airworthiness for next generation airborne control and mission systems. This first-of-its-kind multi-supplier solution stack based upon open standards, vastly reduces integration and certification risk while accelerating time-to-market and deployment of critical systems.  

This solution is the first time both hardware and software have been integrated from multiple suppliers with all components enabling the highest level of avionics safety certification. This integration is based upon the hardware and software modular open systems architecture (MOSA) and open industry standards, including Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE), POSIX, ARINC 653, VPX and more. Using these open standards enables the rapid insertion of new capabilities at both the hardware and software level, enabling this solution stack to support both legacy and new avionics designs.
             
This integrated solution is beneficial for all commercial and military avionics platforms that need to quickly create next generation solutions, with a defined emphasis on safety-certified FACE systems. The solution stack consists of the following products:

  • Abaco FORCE2C: The FORCE2C is a ready-for-certification avionics platform, comprising SBC314C (NXP QorIQ T2081 PowerPC), RAR15XC (MIL-STD-1553, ARINC 429), and XMCS01 (serial comms) and is engineered in accordance with RTCA DO-254 (EUROCAE ED-80) as required by FAA Advisory Circular AC 20-152 and EASA Certification Memorandum CM-SWCEH-001 and RTCA DO-178C (EUROCAE ED-12C) as required by FAA Advisory Circular AC 20-115D and EASA Certification Memorandum CM-SWCEH-002.
  • RTI Connext® DDS: RTI Connext DDS is a software connectivity framework that shares information in real-time, enabling applications work together as an integrated system. Based on the Object Management Group Data Distribution Service (OMG DDS) standard, RTI Connext DDS is designed to meet the demanding requirements of critical airborne systems requiring low latency, high reliability, scalability, security and COTS DO-178C DAL A certification evidence. RTI Connext TSS is the first certified conformant FACE Transport Services Segment (TSS), and enables rapid interoperability of FACE and SOSA system components and networked platforms.
  • Wind River VxWorks® 653: VxWorks 653 offers a safe, secure, and reliable real-time operating system (RTOS) delivering an open virtualization platform with robust time and space partitioning on the latest multi-core processor platforms. With technology proven by more than 360 customers in over 600 safety programs, and 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. It was the first to achieve conformance to the FACE Technical Standard OSS Safety Base Profile, and serves as the technology foundation for Wind River Helix Virtualization Platform.

“We know that certification is a real challenge for many of our customers because of the time and expense involved,” said Simon Collins, Senior Product Manager at Abaco Systems. “That’s why we invested in providing the artifacts necessary to support the certifiability of the FORCE2C mission computer. On their own, they can make an important contribution to enabling our customers to achieve certification faster and at lower cost – but in combination with the evidence packages now available from RTI and Wind River, we can offer a very compelling solution.”

“Wind River and its partners are very pleased to help customers achieve cost synergies through ecosystem-integrated solutions, open architectures, and reuse with the industry’s first COTS DO-254 and DO-178C package for airborne systems,” said Ray Petty, Vice President of Aerospace and Defense at Wind River. “COTS certification artifacts can accelerate the time required to accomplish certification while reducing risk, and extending this through certification-ready integrated solutions, brings significant value to our customers and their customers.”

“RTI is thrilled to be working with Abaco and Wind River to deliver the first COTS DO-254 and DO-178C solution for airborne systems,” said Chip Downing, Senior Market Development Director, Aerospace and Defense at RTI and Chair of the FACE Business Working Group Outreach Subcommittee. “We’re excited to continue to demonstrate our growing partner ecosystem based on COTS solutions and COTS certification evidence. This deepens our partner relationships and drives affordable safety-critical technology solutions within the military and commercial aerospace sector.”

About Abaco Systems
With more than 30 years’ experience, Abaco Systems is a global leader in open architecture computing and electronic systems for aerospace, defense and industrial applications. We create innovative, modular solutions based on open standards that are characterized by outstanding price/performance, ultimate rugged reliability and minimal SWaP. Our goal is to be a significant contributor to our customers’ success, partnering with them to reduce cost, time-to-deployment and risk and supporting them over the long term. With an active presence in hundreds of national asset platforms on land, sea and in the air, Abaco Systems is trusted where it matters most. www.abaco.com.

About Wind River
Wind River is a global leader in delivering software for the intelligent edge. The company’s technology has been powering the safest, most secure devices in the world since 1981, and is found in more than 2 billion products. Wind River offers a comprehensive portfolio supported by world-class global professional services and support and a broad partner ecosystem. Wind River software and expertise are accelerating digital transformation of critical infrastructure systems that demand the highest levels of safety, security, performance, and reliability. To learn more, visit Wind River at www.windriver.com.
  
About RTI
Real-Time Innovations (RTI) is the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) connectivity company. The RTI Connext® databus is a software framework that shares information in real time, making applications work together as one, integrated system. It connects across field, fog and cloud. Its reliability, security, performance and scalability are proven in the most demanding industrial systems. Deployed systems include medical devices and imaging; wind, hydro and solar power; autonomous planes, trains and cars; traffic control; Oil and Gas; robotics, ships and defense.
RTI is the largest vendor of products based on the Object Management Group (OMG) Data Distribution Service™ (DDS) standard. 

RTI is privately held and headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif.

Download a free 30-day trial of the latest, fully-functional Connext DDS software today: https://www.rti.com/downloads.

Media Contacts:
Madeline Kalicka
Karbo Communications for RTI
madeline@karbocom.com

Cameron Emery
Director of Corporate Communications at RTI
cameron@rti.com

Jessica Miller
Wind River Communications
jessica.miller@windriver.com 

Ian McMurray
Abaco Systems
ian.mcmurray@abaco.com