LynuxWorks SELECTED AS EMBEDDED OPERATING SYSTEM VENDOR FOR FCS
12 Apr 05. LynuxWorks™ Inc. announced it was chosen as the embedded operating system vendor by General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems for the U.S. Army’s Future Combat Systems (FCS) programme’s Integrated Computer System (ICS). Under terms of the contract, LynuxWorks’ Linux®-compatible LynxOS-178® safety critical real-time operating system (RTOS) will be used to meet the performance and reliability needs of the FCS, a family of advanced, networked air- and ground-based military systems for use by the Army’s Future Force.
As the command, control, communications, computing, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) infrastructure used across all FCS platforms, General Dynamics’ ICS will provide computer processing, networking, information assurance, and data storage resources necessary to support the network-centric operations of FCS.
A Linux compatible, open standards operating system is required to meet the Army’s needs for real-time information and safety-criticality. LynuxWorks enables developers to easily move FCS applications between those that have been developed for standard Linux environments and those targeted for embedded RTOS platforms with no costly or lengthy porting process. In addition, FCS’s developers can utilise LynuxWorks’ Luminosity, a Linux, Windows® and Solaris™-based integrated development environment (IDE) powered by the open source Eclipse IDE platform, giving developers complete control over creating, editing, compiling, managing and debugging C/C++, Ada and Java embedded and real-time applications.
LynuxWorks offers customers a complete family of Linux ABI- (application binary interface) compatible embedded operating systems — from its BlueCat® Linux to its flagship LynxOS® and LynxOS-178 RTOSes. This unique approach enables customers to protect their investment and avoid the high cost-barriers and time-to-market penalties that changing embedded operating systems normally incurs. In addition, LynuxWorks offers the technological flexibility needed in demanding network-centric warfare programmes such as FCS by offering a range of real-time performance, safety criticality, and open source options with a common set of open standards APIs, development tools and world-class consulting services.
“Open standards are critical to the architectural approach of the ICS,” said Bob Morris, vice president of sales and marketing, LynuxWorks. “With Linux binary compatibility and POSIX conformance, LynuxWorks’ LynxOS-178 will help facilitate the affordable, rapid deployment of advanced technology to increase interoperability across the FCS programme.”
A Unified Platform
The FCS programme is moving toward Linux conformant development to create one common, unified Army platform for various applications and services. With the use of POSIX conformant and Linux compatible software, the Army has enhanced flexibility, as well as assurance that future technology insertions and enhancements occur seamlessly.
“This contract not only represents a significant milestone for our company but also for the open standard embedded software movement,” said Dr. Inder Singh, CEO and chairman of LynuxWorks. “Linux is rapidly becoming the leading de-facto open standard embedded platform in both military and commercial systems requiring a high degree of interoperability and software reuse. Our unique product strategy provides common Linux compatible and POSIX conformant software interfaces across our entire technology portfolio as well as a single common Eclipse-based development environment, all of which provide a powerful solution for network-centric warfare programmes across military services. I am confident that LynuxWorks will continue to meet the unique needs for next-generation defence systems.”
LynuxWorks is a world leader in the embedded software market, providing operating systems, software development products and