Aitech Leverages NASA cFS Linux for Space SBC
April 30, 2019 | AitechEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Aitech and Embedded Flight Systems Inc. (EFSI) have partnered to integrate NASA's core Flight System (cFS) into Aitech’s modular SP0-S space SBC.
NASA’s cFS is a platform- and project-independent, reusable software framework and set of reusable software applications composed of three key aspects—a dynamic run-time environment, layered software and a component-based design—that combine to make the cFS suitable for reuse on any number of NASA flight projects and embedded software systems, at a significant cost savings.
“Guaranteeing real-time processor performance, low process-dispatch latencies, coupled with minimal process run-time jitter and complete partition independence, are challenging in a real-time operating environment,” says George Romaniuk, director of space product management at Aitech. “By using Aitech’s optimized SP0-S drivers, combined with EFSI’s Linux distribution, we can overcome these computing obstacles.”
The flight software framework takes advantage of a rich heritage of successful Goddard Space Flight Center flight software efforts and addresses the challenges of rapidly increasing software development costs and schedules due to the constant changes and advancements in flight hardware.
“cFS incorporates lessons learned and mission operation experience from years of NASA missions. As a reusable layered open-source flight software application, it’s being used by NASA, and many spacecraft vendors, for several upcoming missions. Mission classes that will use cFS range from manned flights to small CubeSat missions,” says Charlie Rogers, vice president of EFSI.
Romaniuk adds that the integration of cFS into Aitech’s high TRL space processor clearly embodies NASA’s mandate to ‘Test what you fly, fly what you test.’
Using the proven low power and high performance offered by the NXP MPC8548E PowerQuicc processor, along with the advanced Linux environment of Xenomai real-time Linux, Aitech’s SP0-S space processor has been demonstrated to NASA running Linux 4.14 with Xenomai 3.0.6 to provide hard real-time, hard deadline guarantees.
The demo was created by EFSI for NASA Johnson Space Flight Center, where NASA’s cFS was compiled to run on Xenomai 3’s hard real-time Cobalt POSIX implementation. Using Xenomai’s temporal partitioning scheduler, multiple instances of cFS were run and communicated across the partition boundary with SBM (software bus networking), a JSC (Johnson Space Center) product that expands the cFS software bus to other cFS runtime instances. Using this environment, multiple cFS instances run completely independent of each other.
The temporal partitioning and cFS combination is used to safeguard a critical application and a noncritical application, such as GN&C application or an instrument application. Additionally, it could be used in a voting scheme to increase overall radiation tolerance of a spacecraft system.
Suggested Items
ASMPT to Exhibit Smart Manufacturing at IPC APEX EXPO 2024
03/27/2024 | ASMPTWith its innovative, data-driven Intelligent Factory concept and a comprehensive hardware and software portfolio around SMT production, market and innovation leader ASMPT will be a major presence at the IPC APEX EXPO 2024, the industry’s main event in California.
Intel Announces New Program for AI PC Software Developers and Hardware Vendors
03/27/2024 | Intel CorporationIntel Corporation announced the creation of two new artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives as part of the AI PC Acceleration Program: the AI PC Developer Program and the addition of independent hardware vendors to the program.
EV Tech OEM Indigo Technologies Closes Strategic Investment From Foxconn To Accelerate Its Smart EVs Solutions
03/25/2024 | PRNewswireIndigo Technologies, a robotics focused Smart EV OEM with breakthrough road sensing SmartWheels™ invented by team out of MIT, today announced it has received a strategic investment from Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn).
Being the Best Design Engineer
03/21/2024 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineDuring DesignCon 2024, I met with Bill Hargin, founder and CEO (Chief Everything Officer) of the stackup design software company Z-zero. In this interview, Bill discusses his stackup curriculum, what it takes to become a great design engineer, and why the best designers keep reading and challenging themselves constantly so they can stay on top of their game.
YAMAHA to Showcase Intelligent Factory Solutions at IPC APEX 2024
03/18/2024 | Yamaha RoboticsYamaha Motor Corporation’s Robotics Division will highlight an exciting array of new machines and technologies from April 9 – 11, 2024 at the IPC APEX 2024 trade show in the Anaheim Convention Center, Booth #2820.