VxWorks

VxWorks

Company / developer	Wind River Systems
OS family	Real-time operating systems
Working state	Current
Initial release	1985 (1985)
Latest stable release	6.9 / February 2011 (2011-02)
Marketing target	Embedded systems
Available programming languages(s)	Ada, C, C++, Java
Supported platforms	x86, x86-64, MIPS, PowerPC, SH-4, ARM
Kernel type	Microkernel
License	EULA
Official website	www.windriver.com/products/vxworks

VxWorks is a real-time operating system developed as proprietary software by Wind River Systems of Alameda, California, USA. First released in 1987, VxWorks is designed for use in embedded systems.

History

VxWorks started as a set of enhancements to a simple real-time operating system called VRTX sold by Ready Systems (later becoming a Mentor Graphics product in 1995). At the time, VRTX lacked features such as a file system or an integrated development environment. Wind River created VxWorks to turn the VRTX kernel into a full embedded operating system and development environment. The VxWorks name is believed to be a pun on VRTX ("VRTX Works").

Initially, Wind River had an agreement to sell VRTX with VxWorks. However, in 1987, anticipating the termination of its reseller contract, Wind River developed its own kernel (written by an intern) to replace VRTX within VxWorks.

Intel acquired Wind River Systems on July 17, 2009.

Design

VxWorks is designed for use in embedded systems.

The key features of the current OS are:

• Multitasking kernel with preemptive and round-robin scheduling and fast interrupt response
• Native 64-bit operating system (only one 64-bit architecture supported: X86-64). Data model: LP64.
• User-mode applications ("Real-Time Processes", or RTP) isolated from other user-mode applications as well as the kernel via memory protection mechanisms.
• SMP and AMP support
• Fast, flexible inter-process communication including TIPC
• Error handling framework
• Binary, counting, and mutual exclusion semaphores with priority inheritance
• Local and distributed message queues
• POSIX PSE52 certified conformance in user-mode execution environment
• File systems: High Reliability File System (HRFS), FAT-based file system (DOSFS), Network File System (NFS)
• IPv6 networking stack

Ports

VxWorks has been ported to a number of platforms and now runs on practically any modern CPU that is used in the embedded market. This includes the x86 family, MIPS, PowerPC, Freescale ColdFire, Intel i960, SPARC, SH-4 and the closely related family of ARM, StrongARM and xScale CPUs.

Development

As is common in embedded system development, Cross-compiling is used with VxWorks. Development is done on a "host" system where an Integrated Development Environment, including the editor, compiler toolchain and test emulator can be used. Software is then compiled to run on the "target" system. This allows to work with powerful development tools while targeting more limited hardware.

Tornado is an Integrated development environment (IDE) for software cross-development targeting VxWorks 5.x.

Tornado consists of the following elements:

• VxWorks 5.x target operating system
• Application-building tools (cross-compiler and associated programs)
• An integrated development environment (IDE) that facilitates managing and building projects, establishing host-target communication, and running, debugging, and monitoring VxWorks applications
• VxWorks simulator (VxSim)

Workbench replaced Tornado IDE for VxWorks 6.x. The Wind River Workbench is now built on Eclipse technology. Workbench is also the IDE for the Wind River Linux and On-Chip Debugging product lines.

Workbench for VxWorks consists of the following elements:

• Eclipse framework and Eclipse CDT project
• Project and Build System
• Wind River Compiler and Wind River GNU Compiler
• Debugger
• Wind River Host Shell and Kernel Shell for VxWorks
• VxWorks Kernel Configurator
• Target file system configuration tools
• Run-time analysis tools
• VxWorks simulator (VxSim)

Notable uses

The Thuraya SO-2510 runs VxWorks

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter uses VxWorks

The Clementine (spacecraft) used VxWorks

Notable products which use VxWorks as the onboard operating system include:

Transport systems

• The Airbus A400M Airlifter (in development)
• The Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Boeing 747-8 airliners (in development)
• The BMW iDrive system
• The Apache Longbow attack helicopter
• Siemens VDO automotive navigation systems
• Bombardier trains.

Spacecraft

Several spacecraft have used VxWorks as the onboard OS:

• The Deep Space Program Science Experiment (DSPSE) also known as Clementine (spacecraft)
• The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
• The Phoenix Mars Lander
• The Deep Impact space probe
• The James Webb Space Telescope (in development)
• The Sojourner Mars Pathfinder rover
• The Spirit and Opportunity Mars Exploration Rovers
• Stardust
• The Mars Science Laboratory (also known as the Curiosity rover)
• The SpaceX Dragon

Clementine launched in 1994 running VxWorks 5.1 on a MIPS-based CPU responsible for the Star Tracker and image processing algorithms. The use of a commercial RTOS onboard a spacecraft was considered experimental at the time.

Robots and programmable controllers

• The Honda Robot ASIMO
• Stäubli Industrial Robots
• ABB industrial robots
• KUKA industrial robots
• National Instruments CompactRIO 901x, 902x 907x controllers
• Emerson Ovation distributed control system controllers.
• AMX Controls System Devices
• The Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System (EPICS)

Networking and communication components

• The Apple Airport Extreme
• Ericsson Smart Edge and Smart Metro routers
• Avaya ERS 8600
• Radware OnDemand Switches
• Linksys WRT54G wireless routers (versions 5.0 and later)
• Mitel Networks' Mitel Communications Director (MCD), 3300 ICP Media Gateways and SX-200 and SX-200 ICP.
• Thuraya SO-2510 Satellite phone and ThurayaModule
• SonicWall firewalls
• Radvision 3G Communications equipment
• HughesNet/Direcway satellite internet modems
• Hirschmann EAGLE20 Industrial Firewall

Printers, copiers and image processing

• Xerox Phaser and other Adobe PostScript-based computer printers
• Toshiba eBridge based range of photcopiers
• DIGIC II and some early DIGIC III image-processors by Canon
• The ReplayTV home Digital video recorder.

Other devices

• The ALR-67(V)3 Radar Warning Receiver used in the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
• Siemens AG MRI measurement control units
• External RAID controllers designed by LSI Corporation and used in IBM System Storage's DS3000 and DS4000 (formerly FAStT) plus some storage systems from Silicon Graphics, Sun Microsystems/StorageTek, Teradata, Dell, Sepaton, BlueArc and several other companies worldwide
• The Drobo data storage peripheral
• NAOMI / NAOMI 2 GD-ROM/NetDimm arcade systems^{[citation needed]}

Security

In August 2010, hacker HD Moore uncovered a vulnerability in VxWorks that affected numerous vendors. CERT published advisories for VU#362332 and VU#840249 on August 2, 2010, both flaws in the VxWorks operating system. HD Moore has since published an exploit module for Metasploit, which enables security professionals to verify the security of their systems.

External links

• Official website