Navigating the skies has always been about precision, safety, and enhancing the interaction between pilots and their advanced cockpit technologies. Embedded World 2024 showcased a cutting-edge innovation in avionics—a multi-touch cockpit, resulting from the strategic collaboration between SYSGO, Ansys, and CoreAVI. This partnership has delivered not just a product, but a comprehensive solution set to revolutionize the way pilots command and control their aircraft.

Addressing the Multi-Touch Challenge in Avionics

Modern avionics systems are marvels of technology, with the cockpit interface being pivotal in pilot and aircraft interaction. The traditional avionics display systems, with their limited flexibility and interactivity, no longer suffice due to the complex, multi-layered demands of today's aviation industry.

Integrating multi-touch capabilities, similar to what we're accustomed to with smartphones and tablets, into the cockpit, while adhering to the uncompromising standards of safety and reliability in avionics, has presented a significant hurdle. Developers have grappled with incorporating high-quality graphics, ensuring real-time responsiveness, and aligning with existing avionic frameworks—until now.

The strategic Technology Alliance

SYSGO, Ansys, and CoreAVI have combined their expertise to develop a solution that is both powerful and innovative. Ansys brings to the table its advanced modeling and simulation capabilities, making it possible to adhere to stringent industry standards like DO-178C. CoreAVI meets the need for high-performance graphics with its specialized GPU drivers and processing units, and SYSGO ties it all together with PikeOS, their real-time operating system and safety-critical software.

The result of their collaboration was presented in a compelling demo at Embedded World 2024, featuring:

• CoreAVI's VkCore® SC safety-critical Vulkan graphics and compute driver, and the VkCoreGL® SC2 OpenGL® SC™ 2 application libraries.
• SYSGO's PikeOS, a real-time operating system with a separation kernel-based hypervisor that enables the development of systems requiring high levels of safety and security.
• Ansys SCADE, a model-based development environment that significantly reduces development effort while enhancing safety and reliability.

A new Horizon for Avionics Systems

The implications of this partnership and product integration are vast. We are looking at a future where avionics systems don't just comply with safety norms but set new benchmarks for them. Enhancing pilot-user interaction and situational awareness is merely the tip of the iceberg. This technology marks a significant step toward improved aviation, promising enhanced safety and security for both aircraft and passengers.

The integration achieved by SYSGO, CoreAVI, and Ansys serves a dual purpose. It's not only a technological leap but also a strategic one. The pre-integrated solution minimizes risk for system integrators and propels a faster time to deployment, proving to be a win-win for product developers, budget-wise and time-wise.

Looking ahead

As the intersection of technology and safety becomes increasingly critical, the strategic alliance formed by SYSGO, Ansys, and CoreAVI is pivotal in pushing the boundaries of avionics. The development of the multi-touch cockpit, integrated with advanced components like the NXP i.MX8 Quad Max, exemplifies the potential of collaborative innovation in achieving higher standards of safety and operational efficiency. This initiative does not only pave the way for new advancements in aviation technology but also demonstrate a clear path toward enhancing flight safety and system reliability, emphasizing the importance of integrating cutting-edge technology to meet the evolving demands of the aviation industry.