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| Linux helps RTOS vendor win major defense contract |
Apr. 11, 2005
 LynuxWorks expects to double revenue and increase staffing 30 percent within a year, thanks to an enormous US defense project. The company says its LynxOS-178 operating system was chosen for the Future Combat Systems (FCS) Integrated Computer System (ICS), largely due to Linux binary compatibility.
(Click for larger view of the MULE (Multifunctional Utility/Logistics and Equipment) Vehicle, one of 18 weapons platforms in the FCS program)
The US Army describes FCS as "a joint (across all the military services) networked (connected via advanced communications) system of systems (one large system made up of 18 individual systems, the network, and most importantly, the Soldier)."
FCS aims to improve situational awareness through cutting-edge computing and networking technology
(Click to enlarge)
LynuxWorks CEO Inder Singh says that essentially every RTOS vendor bid on the project, and that Linux binary compatibility helped LynuxWorks come out on top. "The project decided on an open approach from the beginning. SOSCOE (system-of-systems common operating environment) has to run on ICS, and it was written on Linux."
LynuxWorks's added a Linux ABI to LynxOS 4.0 in March of 2002, saying the feature would enable Linux applications to run unmodified on the proprietary RTOS (real-time operating system). Singh says the company is currently working to implement the feature on LynxOS-178, a version of LynxOS launched in March of 2003, and said to be certifiable to the US FAA's (Federal Aeronautics Administration's) DO-178B level A standard. "LynxOS-178 is LynxOS 4.0, with time and space partitioning," explains Singh. "And, it has gone through the certification process."
According to Singh, the selection process for the project lasted more than a year, during which the performance of Linux applications on LynxOS 4.0 proved to be an order of magnitude faster than on a UML (user-mode Linux) partition. Hower, LynuxWorks is also working on a UML solution, based on its LynxSecure partitioning kernel, expected to ship in July. This suggests UML partioning could also play a role in the massive FCS project.
According to Singh, 18 major defense contractors are involved in FCS, which could ultimately cost $145 to $200 billion, including vehicles, sensors, weapons systems, and more. The ICS part of FCS involves seven distinct hardware platforms, Singh says, including PowerPC, Apogee 5, and multi-core processors, as well as advanced networking technologies, such as software-defined radio.
This cave-searching bot is one of numerous planned FCS systems
Singh says LynuxWorks's contract stretches through 2014, but that the terms of the contract do not allow financial disclosure. LynuxWorks's contract is through General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, which was contracted by Boeing, which in turn was contracted by the US Army. Once operational, the FCS program is expected to roll out across other US military branches.
Sing said, "There are 18 different weapons platforms, plus soldiers. So, you can look at it as 18 new programs, under one label. It's win one but get 18."
LynuxWorks's LynxOS 4.0 development kit is currently priced at $18,000 per developer seat. The FCS project will also use LynuxWorks's Eclipse-based Luminosity IDE, and its Spyker and TotalView tools, Singh said.
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