Mannarino Systems & Software Inc has launched the M-RTOS real-time operating system for aerospace and defence applications at FIA Connect.

The company, based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada has designed the software with aerospace certification in mind. M-RTOS is a modular, flexible and affordable operating system for a wide range of aerospace applications from Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) electronic hardware to federated LRU (LineReplaceable Unit) aircraft systems to IMA (Integrated Modular Avionics) platforms.

RTOS systems serve as the interface between the hardware/microprocessor and the application software that controls associated aircraft functionality within aerospace electronics. The M-RTOS operating system was developed to minimise memory and timing usage. It guarantees robust spatial and temporal partitioning and can run on microprocessors incorporating memory protection. The system was designed to outperform the competition on all key benchmarks. Its “clean-sheet” design eliminated the need to support legacy interfaces, code or configuration files.

System specifically supports requirements of modern aircraft

Mannarino developed the new M-RTOS system to provide a solution for what they felt was the lack of an operating system which could specifically support the unique requirements of modern aircraft. These can feature hundreds of individual computers and systems with their own requirements. M-RTOS is fully compliant with the industry standard for operating systems, ARINC-653. It is RTCA/DO-178C certifiable to any Design Assurance Level (DAL).

The first customer for the M-RTOS system is MicroPilot Inc. of Stony Mountain, Manitoba, Canada. MicroPilot will employ M-RTOS for its range of certified autopilot systems, which are primarily designed for remotely-piloted aircraft systems (RPAS).

Features can be tailored for software and budget constraints

Nicolas Ulysse, Chief Software Engineer at Mannarino said:“M-RTOS was crafted by aerospace engineers for aerospace application developers. Integrated with M-RTOS, the Mannarino Workbench is an innovative development environment that simplifies teamwork and collaboration and maximises efficiency.”

M-RTOS is also based on an affordable pricing structure. The pricing is based on
microprocessor rather than end-use product, which allows customers to optimise technology choices
across their product portfolio. Features and DAL can be tailored for individual software and
technical requirements and budget constraints. Flexible commercial terms, simplified licensing and
a subscription-based approach facilitate the purchase.

Cost savings can be up to 70 per cent

Company President John Mannarino, said: “Memory and timing improvements of more than 50 per cent relative to market leaders enable users to build larger and more powerful applications. In addition, M-RTOS offers significant savings in the cost of ownership – at least 50 to 70 per cent depending on the required DAL.”

Montreal-based Mannarino has two decades of internationally recognided expertise in aerospace
engineering including the development, verification and validation of safety-critical systems,
certifiable software and electronic hardware. It is also an accredited Canadian DAO (Design
Approval Organization). With the introduction of M-RTOS, the company is the only COTS RTOS
supplier with certification delegation.

Article brought to you by Mannarino Systems & Software

For further details on Mannarino visit www.mss.ca.