The Multi-Core Challenge: A Practical Approach to CAST-32A & AMC 20-193 Compliance
November 21, 2022
Whitepaper
Multicore processors (MCPs) have become ubiquitous. However, they present significant challenges for the developers of certifiable, safety-critical applications. Unless interference patterns on MCP shared resources are bound and controlled, the certification of safety-critical software is impossible. But without the effective management of CPU utilization, much of an MCP’s increased computing power is wasted.
The operating system selection and use of its capabilities to address the CAST-32A / AMC 20 193 objectives can have a large impact not only on the system performance but can also greatly influence the degree of engineering effort it takes to certify a safety-critical system.
For a system to be compliant, evidence of its compliance is also required. The use of multicore processors and the demands of CAST-32A introduce more objectives and requirements to the already demanding DO-178C environment. Automating traceability to evidence of compliance with the standards’ objectives and the project’s requirements addresses a considerable project management pain point.
Providing evidence of compliance with both DO-178C and the additional demands of CAST-32A / AMC 20-193 is another headache. An integrated set of tools capable of combining the most appropriate static and dynamic techniques for verification and validation activities - particularly including the verification of Worst-Case Execution Times (WCET) – is essential.
A combination of SYSGO’s PikeOS DO-178C certified hypervisor technology and the comprehensive LDRA tool suite provides an ideal platform for the effective exploitation of the capabilities of MCPs in certifiable, safety-critical applications.
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