12 Aug 2003
BAE Systems, a leader in ARINC-653-compliant technology for real-time operating systems, and Dy 4 Systems, a major provider of COTS VME and CompactPCI (cPCI) products for harsh environments, have joined forces to market systems for safety-critical use.
The two companies have agreed to collaborate to provide the CsLEOS real-time operating system from BAE Systems for applications using Dy 4 PowerPC single-board computers (SBC). The combination provides a powerful solution for customers whose products must meet rigid safety standards.
Dy 4s embedded computing products are already deployed extensively in military avionics applications. Our relationship with BAE Systems will help extend the reach of COTS products into safety-critical applications, said Duncan Young, manager of safety-critical products for Dy 4. We are pleased to be teamed with BAE Systems, a company with a long history in aircraft and other safety-critical systems.
With more than 50 years of aircraft flight control experience behind it, the CsLEOS operating system is an ideal commercial, off-the-shelf solution to many safety-critical systems requirements, said Milan Dedek, product manager for the CsLEOS RTOS for BAE Systems Aerospace Controls. &Combining with Dy 4 Systems will broaden accessibility of both companies, expertise to the marketplace.
The CsLEOS operating system is the only commercial, off-the-shelf RTOS offered by a safety-critical systems company. Its brick-wall partitioning, designed from the start to implement ARINC-653 brick-wall partitioning and to be certifiable to the highest FAA DO-178B safety level, allows multiple applications to run on the same system without interfering with each other -- ensuring that safety-critical functions are protected from other processes running on the same hardware. This structure also makes is possible to add, revise, and test system functions without recertifying the entire application, significantly reducing project life-cycle costs.
A DO-178B, Level A-certifiable version of the CsLEOS RTOS, complete with documentation artifacts to support system certification, is available now. (D0-178B, developed by RTCA Inc., a nonprofit company in Washington, D.C., is the international standard for certifying software used in safety-critical airborne systems.)
The CsLEOS RTOS is supported on a range of Dy 4 VME and 3U CompactPCI boards including the Dy 4 SVME/DMV-181 PowerPC 7410 SBC. Featuring 500MHz operation, dual Ethernet capability, six serial ports, 1Gbyte of SDRAM with error correction for high integrity, and two USB ports, the SVME/DMV-181 is ideal for use in embedded computing applications found in avionics, tactical ground vehicles, and rugged naval systems. As with all of Dy 4s embedding computing products, the SVME/DMV-181 SBC is designed for use in extended-temperature, high-shock and
vibration environments that are typical of many defence and aerospace platforms.
About BAE SYSTEMS
BAE Systems is an international company engaged in the development, delivery, and support of advanced defence and aerospace systems in the air, on land, at sea, and in space. The company designs, manufactures, and supports military aircraft, surface ships, submarines, radar, avionics, communications, electronics, and guided weapon systems. It is a pioneer in technology with a heritage stretching back hundreds of years and is at the forefront of innovation, working to develop the next generation of intelligent defence systems.
BAE Systems has major operations across five continents and customers in some 130 countries. The company has 100,000 people and generates annual sales of approximately $18 billion through its wholly owned and joint-venture operations.
BAE Systems North America is a high-technology U.S. company employing more than 25, 000 people who live and work in some 30 states, the District of Columbia, and the United Kingdom. The company is dedicated to solving its customers, needs with highly innovative and leading-edge solutions across the defense electronics, systems, information technology, and services arenas.
BAE Systems Aerospace Controls is a unit of the company,s U.S.-based Platform Solutions Sector, part of BAE Systems North America. The Platform Solutions Sector is a leading global supplier of integrated electronic control products, subsystems, and man-machine interface systems for air, space, sea, and ground vehicles. The business develops and produces electronic vehicle management systems, electronic engine controls, cockpit and helmet displays, and inertial systems for a variety of platforms including fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, missiles, ground vehicles, ships, and space launch vehicles. It also produces HybriDrive propulsion systems for intra-city transit buses and other medium and large vehicles. Based in Johnson City, New York, it employs approximately 6,400 people at 12 facilities in the United States and the United Kingdom.
About Dy 4 Systems:
Dy 4 Systems designs leading-edge commercial-off-the-shelf embedded solutions. Based on open systems architectures, Dy 4s boards, software, and systems are deployed in mission-critical, high-reliability applications. Coupled with best-in-class products, Dy 4 also provides complete lifecycle management, program management and tailored customer support services. Dy 4 is a division of Force Computers, a Solectron company.
