Comparison between VxWorks 6, LynxOS 4.0 and INTEGRITY 5?

[SwGuy]

Hi,

Has anybody done a comparison between VxWorks 6, LynxOS 4.0 and
INTEGRITY 5?
I am well versed with VxWorks and enjoy the new Eclipse IDE (VxWorks
6). However, my goal is to find a COTS RTOS that is cost effective and
certifiable to RTCA/DO178B level D. All the latter mentioned RTOSes
support space partitioning, which is a prerequisite for running
multiple criticality levels on the same processor. This application is
for the aerospace industry.

SwGuy

[vij]

Hi SwGuy,
There is a product from Windriver its called ARINC653.I think that is
DO178B level D certified and that will suit your requirement.ARINC653
supports Space partioning.

Regards
Vij

[SwGuy]

Hi Vij,
Thanks for the information. I did look at VxWorks CERT (AE version)
utilizing the ARINC653 scheduler. However, using a level-A certified
kernel is very costly for level-D certification. It is possible to
certify a product using a COTS RTOS (like VxWOrks6 for example) to
level D. Any higher level (e.g. level-C) would justify using a 178
kernel (VxWorks CERT) instead of a COTS kernel.

Regards
SwGuy

[vij]

Hi SwGuy,
I really have a very vague idea about these certifications and their
respective costs.As far as i know Windriver has a product called
"Platform for Safety Critical Applications" which says it is DO178B
certified and uses ARINC653 spatial partion scheduler. Can u just tell
me or tell the group what is this all about.

Regards
Vij

[SwGuy]

RTCA DO-178B software certification is governed by the FAA. They
distinguish five criticality levels (A....E) of which A is highest. It
is categorized with relation to "loss of life". Obviously level-A
is the most difficult to obtain.

The certification issues are very complex. A company requires a DER
(Designed Engineering Representative) to submit software for
certification with the FAA. See www.highrely.com for more information.

My problem is slightly more complex since level D&E don't really
require a certified kernel. Windriver has the CERT version, also
referred to as "Platform for Safety Critical Applications". The
ARINC653 scheduler is based upon a round-robin time slicer to provide
determinism to processor resource allocation. Thus, different
patricians (typically at different criticality levels) will get x
amount of time to run (this is irrespective of a priority based
pre-emption scheduler within partitions). Most COTS RTOSes do not
support the ARINC scheduler since its more complex and a drain on
resources.

Check highrely....