Success-Plan ServicesRTI releases extensive product and services line to UCS component market; Establishes key momentum for DO-178C certifiable middleware
SUNNYVALE, Calif.—Oct. 8, 2013—Real-Time Innovations (RTI), the real-time distributed infrastructure software company, today released extensive support for the Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) Control Segment (UCS) vision.
UCS is a "Better Buying Power" initiative, run by the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) acquisition directorate. UCS seeks to build an interoperable open architecture for building UAS ground stations and UAS vehicles. The standards-based architecture allows many components to work together. UCS features an "application marketplace" that will offer these reusable components to system integrators, thus vastly reducing cost while speeding the adoption of advanced functionality. The UCS community includes hundreds of U.S. industry suppliers, customers and users.
RTI's new offering for UCS provides comprehensive architectural and transport support, including:
- Free use of RTI Connext™ Data Distribution Service (DDS) middleware for all UCS-compliant systems under RTI's innovative Open Community Source license
- Full inclusion of all relevant RTI middleware and tools in the UCS application marketplace
- Development of a DO-178C level A certifiable middleware product, intended to enable UAS systems to operate safely in the U.S. National Air Space (NAS)
- Targeted services for UCS, including design consulting, data model training and use and implementation guidance for building UCS systems with DDS middleware
- Architectural consulting on combining UCS-compatible ground stations with the related Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE) standard for avionics software
The UCS program leads a coalition of government entities, prime contractors and RTI internal resources funding the safety evaluation of a constrained-resource DDS middleware. Certification evidence for the product, RTI Connext Cert, will be provided without license fees to UCS program members. With its certification partner Verocel, RTI is generating certification evidence for DO-178C level A, the most stringent safety level.
At the 2013 Interoperable Open Architecture conference, RTI demonstrated an integrated system, including ground station software by DreamHammer and ANSYS, Inc. subsidiary, Esterel Technologies' FACE-compliant avionics display both running on a Wind River embedded platform, driven by an open-source flight simulator. This complex system combining key UAS components was integrated in only 40 hours of effort, demonstrating the power of the UCS architecture.
Supporting Quotes
"The UCS program is at the vanguard of many open architecture programs. The UCS architecture, data model and application marketplace uniquely combine all the elements required to realize the vision of reusable component-based system integration. RTI is dedicated to open standards and open architecture. We are excited to provide these key standards-based infrastructure components for UCS."
-Stan Schneider, Chief Executive Officer at RTI
"RTI Connext forms the key communications platform for DreamHammer's advanced ground station platform software. With RTI middleware and the UCS design, our platform is immediately available as a UCS conformant Presentation Layer for integration into the next generation of ground stations. DreamHammer's Ballista is both a full Ground Control Segment as well as a fully functional UCS Presentation Layer. It is now available through the UCS Application Marketplace. Ballista can be delivered with a UCS Module that provides out-of-the-box UCS Services ready for integration."
-Denis Clements, Chief Operating Officer at DreamHammer
"The quick integration of our FACE-compliant avionics system with advanced ground station and flight hardware was a real eye opener. UCS and FACE together provide an entirely new approach to UAS system development. Esterel's SCADE Suite and Display DO-178B/C Qualified model-based tools enable UAS developers to quickly and efficiently prototype, develop and certify ground control stations."
-Tony Karam, Vice President, Americas Operations at Esterel Technologies
"RTI's middleware is the first to be offered with a DO-178C level A certification package. As such, it will be ready to be integrated as a key component of flight critical systems. Verocel is excited to work with RTI on this key innovation."
-George Romanski, Chief Executive Officer at Verocel
"We at General Atomics see the importance of standard architecture and its enabling advanced middleware. The DO-178 version of the RTI Connext DDS middleware is a key part of our Airworthy MQ-9 UAS development program."
-Jeff Hettick, Senior Engineering Director at General Atomics
"The UCS architecture presents a new pattern for acquisition. That architecture needs reusable, standard infrastructure. Wind River's real-time operating systems, including DO-178 certifiable versions, combine well with RTI's middleware to enable distributed designs."
-Chip Downing, Director of Aerospace and Defense at Wind River
"RTI DDS has helped make the Program of Record (PoR) Bi-Directional Remote Video Transceiver (BDRVT®) technology interoperable across the Army and Navy. Using RTI DDS allowed our technology to transition from the lab to flight in a matter of months as opposed to years. Kutta's unique DO-178C UAS services and products will integrate well with RTI's certified middleware."
-Doug Limbaugh, Chief Executive Officer at Kutta Technologies Inc.
About RTI
RTI is the real-time distributed infrastructure software company. Our messaging forms the core nervous system for the most demanding real-time applications in the Internet of Things. With RTI Connext™, devices seamlessly share information and work together as one integrated system.
RTI applications span air, sea, land and space defense; medical imaging, emergency response and hospital integration; power control and energy management; avionics, unmanned systems and air-traffic control; financial and asset trading; and automotive testing and safety.
RTI is committed to open standards, open community source and open architecture. RTI provides the leading implementation of the Object Management Group (OMG) Data Distribution Service (DDS) standard.
RTI is the world's largest embedded middleware provider. RTI is privately held and headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.