Embedded visual computing framework targets safety-critical market

Quantum3D Inc. and Sysgo have teamed to develop FidelityVCF, claimed to be the industry's first commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) tightly integrated, advanced realtime embedded visual computing development and deployment software for the safety-critical market.

The FidelityVCF effort combines Sysgo's PikeOS RTOS with Quantum3D's IData human machine interface (HMI) embedded visual computing software toolkits to provide a comprehensive solution for a broad spectrum of safety-critical commercial, military, industrial and FAA DO-178B Level-A- and ARINC-653-based avionics, vehicle electronics, medical and other advanced realtime embedded visual computing initiatives.

Linux support
By working closely to integrate their products into the FidelityVCF, Sysgo and Quantum3D can provide system integrators with a tightly coupled COTS solution that meets realtime visual computing requirements that demand advanced RTOS operating environments and regulatory certification. The companies are also collaborating to ensure their respective products provide a tightly coupled solution for Linux applications by integrating IData with ElinOS, Sysgo's industrial-grade Linux. Because Quantum3D is also an Embedded Visual Computing (EVC) system and subsystem hardware supplier, the companies can provide a turnkey application deployment solution that is suitable for hosting PikeOS- or ElinOS-based visual computing applications that employ IData HMIs.

"There are several choices in RTOS products for safety-critical and MLS visual computing applications, but none have the technical advantages of PikeOS from our perspective," said Ross Smith, Quantum3D president. "By working with Sysgo to tightly integrate our IData visual computing framework with PikeOS, we're able to provide our customers with a DO-178B Level-A certifiable and ARINC-653 certifiable processing and display solution that delivers the best performance and features in the market, with the least risk and shortest time to market."

"Certification schedule and costs for embedded visual computing applications can be significantly reduced by using Quantum3D's Dynamic Bytecode technology, which is part of IData and which eliminates the need to recreate and recertify HMI application source code from scratch each time. PikeOS is targeting exactly the same issue—but at the OS level as opposed to the HMI level," said Detlev Schaadt, Sysgo CTO. "So tight integration of these two products is a natural fit. FidelityVCF provides a highly integrated development for deploying secure and safety-critical visual computing applications. FidelityVCF represents the next-generation HMI framework and it opens up new horizons for HMI architects."

Availability, pricing
The FidelityVCF Visual Computing Framework will be sold by both companies, with Quantum3D providing sales and support for the product set in the Americas and with Sysgo providing sales and support for the product set in Europe. Initial versions of FidelityVCF, combined with a Quantum3D target reference platform, will be available in Q2 2007. Pricing for binary development environments starts at $50,000.

The FidelityVCF integrated Visual Computing Framework, along with select Sysgo and Quantum3D embedded development and deployment products and solutions, will be on display at Embedded Systems Conference Silicon Valley on April 2-5, 2007.