Certification of avionics solutions can be a challenging process. This is especially true as yesterday’s single core processor solutions are being replaced with more complex multicore solutions. As the industry searches for more effective ways to respond to the certification challenge, here at TI we have responded by joining the Multicore for Avionics (MCFA) forum. The MCFA is a diverse group with a focus on helping members solve avionics challenges and are currently gearing up for our second working session later this year. The MCFA working group includes representatives from major avionics manufacturers such as Airbus Defense & Space, GE Aviation, BAE systems, Honeywell Aerospace, SAAB, Sagem, UTC Aerospace Systems, and several others.
We expect that working with this forum will help us understand the complex needs of our customers and show us how to better respond to the needs and requirements of this market both with our current generation and our next generation devices.
TI has a long history of supplying commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products for military and aerospace applications. TI’s scalable portfolio of processors is based on the KeyStone™-architecture, and includes several ARM®-based processors along with C66x DSP technology. TI’s K2E, K2H, and K2L processors provide high end solutions combining high-performance ARM Cortex®-A15 cores with C66x DSP cores for acceleration of specific applications. TI’s Sitara™ processors provide ARM based solutions for less processor intensive applications.
These processors are uniquely suited to avionics applications due to their integration of high-performance ARM Cortex-A15 cores providing high-performance communications, as well as their security options and high reliability, with 100K Power on Hours and low FIT rate meaning that the processors is well suited for 24/7 operation over 10 years without faults. Other solutions within TI’s portfolio of KeyStone-based devices add fixed- and floating-point C66x DSP cores to deliver communications and computing with power efficiency. The use of multicore processors in avionic applications allows customers to improve performance while reducing the size, weight, and power of their electronic systems.
Have you started using DSPs in your military and aerospace applications?
For more information:
- Explore TI’s C6000 DSP family
- Read our avionics guide
- Visit our Dream DSP page to stay up to date on TI DSPs