Operating system selected for DO-178B Level A Certification

The DO-178B Level A-compliant operating system capabilities required by Green Hills Software’s flight-critical avionics and mission equipment customers using an ARMv8 based architecture (e.g. Ultrascale+’s quadcore Cortex-A53s) includes full 64-bit operational support for all applications, the ability to execute SMP and/or AMP applications on all four cores simultaneously, support for the latest ARINC-653 multicore partitioning requirements as defined in Part 1 Supplement 4 of the standard (including SMP operation as defined in Section 2.2.1 of Supplement 4), a safety-critical IP network stack that supports multiple IP clients at differing safety levels, and the ability to host applications that align with the Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACETM) Technical Standard.

“We continue to recognise our aerospace customers’ requirement for significant reductions in Size, Weight and Power (SWaP) using the latest 64-bit multicore technology such as that found in the Ultrascale+. However, in order to meet these SWaP objectives across the variety of multicore parts available today, an operating system must provide advanced functionality that allows users to maximise core efficiency and throughput while simultaneously meeting the software assurance requirements of RTCA/DO-178B Level A,” said Dan O'Dowd, founder and chief executive officer of Green Hills Software.

“Here at Green Hills Software, our experienced team of development engineers and certification experts continue to advance our safety- and security-critical RTOS technology resulting in the industry’s most advanced and proven multicore operating system. Our INTEGRITY-178 tuMP operating system uniquely provides the ability to integrate a multicore processor into a flight-critical system while achieving optimal use of all cores in a deterministic manner and also complying with the certification community’s CAST-32A position paper for multicore processors.”

Green Hills Software has a long history as an innovative leader in enabling critical embedded system designers to fully utilise advanced microprocessor features such as those found on today’s multicore SoCs.

Beginning with Green Hills Software’s pioneering efforts of robust partitioning for single-core processors, its list of accomplishments continues today with certified operating systems for today’s highly capable ARMv8 multicore SoCs.

The Green Hills INTEGRITY-178 tuMP RTOS has been shipping to aerospace and defense customers since 2010 and builds upon a proven fifteen-year service history and certification pedigree of its INTEGRITY-178 single-core predecessor by incorporating multicore operating system capabilities, including support for both AMP and SMP operation.

The INTEGRITY-178 tuMP multicore operating system is available for ARM, Intel, and NXP PowerPC/QorIQ architectures, supporting both 32-bit and full 64-bit operation. INTEGRITY-178 tuMP for Intel architectures also offers support for Linux, Windows and Android GuestOS virtualisation. INTEGRITY-178 tuMP offers complete support for the ARINC-653 Part 1 Supplement 4 standard (including section 2.2.1 – SMP operation), as well as the Part 2 optional features such as Sampling Port Data Structures, Sampling Port Extensions, Memory Blocks, Multiple Module Schedules and File System. INTEGRITY-178 tuMP offers advanced options such as a DO-178B Level A-compliant network stack and file systems, both based on a Client/Server architecture that features the ability of the Level A Server to communicate simultaneously with multiple Clients operating at different safety levels (DAL A – E), located on the same or different cores.

INTEGRITY-178 aligns with the FACE 2.1 Safety Base and Security profiles, with support for the current FACE 3.0 Safety Base and Security draft profiles already in place. INTEGRITY-178 tuMP is the worldwide high-assurance RTOS leader when it comes to delivering the most efficient and optimal core utilisation for todays advanced 32-bit and 64-bit multicore architectures – translation: the leader in enabling SWaP reduction results.