Product category:
Embedded Software and Operating Systems
News Release from: LynuxWorks | Subject: RTOS for Galileo
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 09 April 2007
RTOS selected for Galileo GPS project
An RTOS which supports both Pentium and PowerPC processor architectures has been selected for use in the earth-based stations which send and receive data to the Galileo GPS satellite.
LynuxWorks, a specialist in embedded software, has been selected to provide the real-time operating system (RTOS) for the European Space Agency's Galileo project, a civilian-controlled global navigation system As part of the core element of the Galileo system, LynxOS-178, the first and only commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) RTOS to receive Reusable Software Component (RSC) acceptance for reusability from the FAA for DO-178B certification, will provide enhanced capabilities for communications across various devices and operating systems both on the ground and in space
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 18 Apr 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
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The European Galileo global navigation satellite system is designed to provide an unprecedented degree of accuracy (determining location down to the metre) and not only will have guaranteed availability, but also will be compatible with the world's other two positioning systems, GPS and Russia's Glonass.
Galileo will be used for location-based services, as well as in situations where safety is critical, such as running trains and landing airplanes, and in search and rescue operations.
LynxOS-178 will be used in the critical Galileo Mission Segments (GMS), which lies at the heart of the system.
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The GMS is a network of Earth-based stations that monitor signals from the satellites and transmit navigation data to the satellites.
LynxOS-178 offers openness in development platforms for safety-critical systems, offering support for both Pentium and PowerPC processors, both of which will be used in the overall Galileo project.
LynxOS-178 showcases LynuxWorks' long-standing commitment to broad support of open and industry standards, including POSIX compliance, ARINC 653 conformance and full support for C++ applications.
"For years, LynuxWorks has been at the forefront of the embedded aerospace market and the selection of LynxOS-178 for the Galileo satellite navigation system is further proof that we are the experts in this area", says Gurjot Singh, CEO, LynuxWorks.
"The Galileo satellite system is a landmark development for the global aerospace industry, just as LynxOS-178 was a landmark development in the embedded industry when it was first announced".
"LynuxWorks' ability to remain at the leading edge of embedded technology makes it the clear choice for projects like Galileo".
LynxOS-178 is designed specifically to fulfil the stringent needs of multithread and multiprocess applications in safety-critical real-time systems.
The military and aerospace industry mandates rigorous testing and certification for safety-critical computing.
In the United States and Europe these are expressed in the RTCA/ DO-178B, RTCA/DO-278 and Eurocae ED-12B guidance documents for the production of software for airborne and ground systems.
LynxOS-178 fully satisfies all the objectives of the highest levels of these guidance documents, providing a low-risk path to software certification for developers of software for safety-critical airborne and ground systems.
The availability of LynxOS-178 allows developers to make use of software and artefacts that have been certified previously.
In the end, LynxOS-178 provides value to developers by enabling the rapid delivery of safety-critical applications.
"With its certain certifiability and its support of both PowerPC and Pentium architectures, LynxOS-178 has been chosen as a result of a strict selection process", says Bertrand Revol, Sub Project Manager, Alcatel Alenia Space, which is overseeing the Galileo project.
"LynxOS-178 will provide us with the ability to guarantee availability of the satellite system under any circumstance".
LynuxWorks software has been deployed and is running in a wide array of mission-critical aerospace systems including the US Department of Defence's Network Centric Operations initiative, NASA's Satellite Laser Ranging SLR, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Aviris Airborne visible/infra-red imaging spectrometer, radar control systems for the US Air Force and many more.
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