TTTech
TTTech Computertechnik AG is an Austrian company in the field of time-triggered computer systems. TTTech’s technologies and products, based on TTP, TTEthernet and FlexRay, are designed to improve the reliability of networked computer systems in the transportation and automation industries.[1] Networks and controls for the automotive industry are offered by TTTech’s subsidiary, TTTech Automotive.
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| Type | Public limited company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive, Aerospace, Off-Highway, Automation & Industrial |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Headquarters | Vienna, Austria |
| Key people | Dr. Stefan Poledna, CEO, Georg Kopetz, CFO |
| Products | Software and hardware for embedded systems |
| Employees | 200 (2009) |
| Website | TTTech.com |
Contents |
[edit] History
TTTech emerged as a company from the Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien) and EU-funded research projects in 1998. Its core technology, TTP, has been developed over more than 25 years by the TU Wien and TTTech in cooperation with industrial partners and leading research institutions.
TTP was first commercially deployed for railway signaling systems by Thales Rail Signalling Solutions in 2002. Furthermore, Nord-Micro decided to apply TTP for the Airbus A380 cabin pressure control system.
In 2003 austriamicrosystems delivered the third-generation TTP communication controller, the AS8202NF. Another important milestone was the signing of the IP license agreement by Hitachi and TTChip. That agreement secured the delivery of TTP silicon for automotive applications.[citation needed]
In 2004 DECOS, a project within the EU’s Framework Programme 6, started to develop a set of generic components within the frame work of the TTTech technology.
Honeywell F124 jet engine with TTP makes its first flight in Aermacchi M-346 trainer in 2005. In this year both Red Team robot vehicles, each equipped with TTTech products, completed the DARPA Grand Challenge under the Top 3.
In 2006 Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation selected TTTech to support development of electric and environmental control systems on Boeing 787 Dreamliner. TTTech Computertechnik AG was ranked among Europe’s 500 for five consecutive years and the strategic financial investor firstVentury invested 20 million Euros in TTTech, AUDI AG acquired a minority participation of less than 25% in TTTech.
Since 2007 TTTech provides TTP support for Altera Corporation's Cyclone II and Cyclone III FPGAs. The company received the AS9100 quality management certification for the development of safety-critical applications in the aerospace industry. ATHENA Wien Beteiligungen (Wiener Wachstumsfonds) made an investment of about 4 million Euro to acquire a participation in TTTech. Hamilton Sundstrand chose TTTech to support the development of a TTP-based data communication platform for the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner. TTTech Automotive started a project with the AUDI AG subsidiary AEV, where the PEGASUS concept car with FlexRay-based electronics architecture was developed.
In 2008 TTTech releases TTEthernet, a new scalable real-time Ethernet platform for control systems; one of the first projects is NASA’s Orion spacecraft. TTTech has contributed proven solutions for the successful completion of the Power On sequence for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The electronic control unit TTC 200 is certified for applications up to SIL 3.
In 2009 the Boeing 787 Dreamliner takes first flight with TTTech solutions. TTTech Automotive provides FlexRay-based tools and services for topology consulting and architecture optimization for Audi A8. NASA and TTTech sign "Space Act Agreement" to partner in design of highly dependable integrated embedded systems.
2010 Vector and TTTech Automotive partner in development of software for electronic control units - Audi chooses AUTOSAR Software from Vector and TTTech Automotive. EADS and TTTech sign licensing contract for AFDX. Parker Aerospace selects TTTech’s advanced communication solution TTP for fly-by-wire actuation platforms.
[edit] Offerings
Standard software and hardware products are complemented by product and project support to develop and implement distributed embedded systems. TTTech especially enables by-wire and integrated vehicle control systems.
The TTTech subsidiary TTControl offers electronic control systems and visualization solutions for off-highway vehicles, such as agricultural and construction machinery, fork lifts, cranes, and snow groomers.
[edit] Technologies
TTP is a technology for digital integration of safety-relevant systems in more electric aircraft. TTEthernet is a flexible and open, real-time Ethernet technology platform. TTTech’s subsidiary TTTech Automotive provides networks and controls for the automotive industry.
[edit] TTEthernet versus TT-Ethernet
The academic TT-Ethernet project was a joint research project between the Vienna University of Technology and TTTech Computertechnik AG. Within the academic TT-Ethernet project the solution proposed has been a preemptive switch. This TT-Ethernet switch identifies the reception of a time-triggered message based on an identifier within the message and preempts all event-triggered messages under transmission to free the outgoing ports for the time-triggered message. [1] [2]
The academic TT-Ethernet research has been continued within a joint industrial development between TTTech and Honeywell. TTEthernet is the industrial further development of the academic TTEthernet Research. Here, the objectives have been extended towards scalable fault-tolerance and a finer classification of event-triggered messages into rate-constrained and best-effort traffic classes. [3]
[edit] Business Locations
TTTech Computertechnik AG is headquartered in Vienna, Austria. Besides, there are branch offices and sales representations in Germany, Italy, Japan, China, Korea, Romania and the United States.
[edit] Applications
Aerospace
TTTech products and solutions for TTP are selected for commercial and military aircraft such as Boeing 787, Airbus A380, Aermacchi M-346 and Lockheed Martin F-16. Parker Aerospace has selected TTTech’s communication Solution TTP for new fly-by-wire actuation platforms to be applied in Bombardier CSeries and Embraer Legacy 450/500 aircraft programs. [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]
Space
TTTech's TTEthernet will be applied by Honeywell for production programs in the aerospace and automation industry including NASA’s Orion spacecraft.[citation needed]
Automotive
TTTech's products are used in several automotive prototypes and in commercial production programs. [9] [10]
A close technical cooperation with Audi exists since 2001. A major result of this cooperation is the introduction of FlexRay in the next generation of the Audi A8 to optimize its data communication. [11]
Off-Highway
TTControl has developed electronic control systems for off-highway vehicles. Electronic control units are used in various industry projects such as in Leitner Group's snow groomer Leitwolf [12] and in Red Team's autonomous vehicles[13]
[edit] Memberships
TTTech or its subsidiaries are active members of various industry organizations and consortia.
[edit] Controversy
In 2004, Joseph Mangan, a former employee of TTTech, created controversy surrounding TTTech's products on the Airbus A380 by asserting that there was danger that microprocessors in the plane could result in sudden decompression. According to EADS, all parties have ensured through the most varied control channels that there is no safety deficit with regards to the scenario as described by Mangan.[14] TTTech documents were reviewed and approved by EASA and FAA. The review process proved Mangan's allegations to be wrong and was successfully finished in late 2006 when the Airbus A380 including the internal communication system and the microprocessors of the cabin pressure control system by TTTech was certified by EASA and FAA.[15]
[edit] References
- ^ "Time-Triggered Ethernet and IEEE 1588 Clock Synchronization". TU Wien. http://www.vmars.tuwien.ac.at/php/pserver/extern/docdetail.php?DID=2335&viewmode=paper&back=search&squery=search_string=TT-Ethernet+docsubmit=submit__search. Retrieved 2010-12-05.
- ^ "The Time-Triggered Ethernet (TTE) Design". TU Wien. http://www.vmars.tuwien.ac.at/php/pserver/extern/docdetail.php?DID=1632&viewmode=paper. Retrieved 2010-12-05.
- ^ "TTEthernet Whitepaper". TTTech Computertechnik AG. http://www.tttech.com/fileadmin/content/white/TTEthernet/TTEthernet_Article.pdf. Retrieved 2010-12-05.
- ^ "Hamilton Sundstrand Selects TTTech". Embedded Computing. http://www.embedded-computing.com/news/db/?2891. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
- ^ "Airbus to use time-triggered protocol on A380". EETimes Asia. 22 July 2002. http://www.eetasia.com/ART_8800255733_480600_NT_05469a78.HTM. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
- ^ "On Semi agrees to make TTP controller". EETimes. 26 March 2008. http://www.eetimes.com/news/design/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=206905879. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
- ^ "Time-triggered protocol gains aerospace mileage". EETimes. 12 September 2002. http://www.eetimes.com/story/OEG20020912S0061. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
- ^ "Parker Aerospace has selected TTP". www.militaryaerospace.com. http://www.militaryaerospace.com/index/display/avi-article-display/8976868439/articles/avionics-intelligence/news/2010/7/parker-aerospace_selects.htm. Retrieved 2010-11-09.
- ^ "SIRIUS, Creative Product Development". Lulea University. http://www.cad.ltu.se/education/course.asp?ID=MTM077. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
- ^ "Drive-by-wire shows potential in future car design". Evolution 16 November 2001. http://evolution.skf.com/zino.aspx?articleID=371. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
- ^ "TTTech and Audi Form Technical Partnership". The Auto Channel. 2001. http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2001/02/26/015431.html. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
- ^ "CAN in the Leitwolf snow groomer". CAN in Automation. http://www.can-cia.org/index.php?id=372. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
- ^ "Carnegie Mellon's Sandstorm Robot". Carnegie Mellon Today 10 May 2005. http://www.cmu.edu/cmnews/extra/050505_h1ghlander.html. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
- ^ "Statement Regarding Claims". EADS. 5 October 2005. Archived from the original on 6 May 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070506010112/http://www.eads.com/1024/en/pressdb/archiv/2005/2005/en_20051006_stellungnahme.html. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
- ^ "Airbus A380 Gets Type Certification". Airwise News. 12 December 2006. http://news.airwise.com/story/view/1165958573.html. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
