Target Timing Analysis Reaches New Frontiers

Jan. 27, 2010 - PRLog -- Rapita Systems Ltd and Twin Oaks Computing, Inc. today announced their intent to cooperate with the aim of using Twin Oaks’ CoreDX DDS Middleware for the collection of timing data for RapiTime. The result will allow RapiTime users to collect their timing data via a DDS network, allowing accurate measurement of execution time and coverage even after system integration has taken place.

RapiTime provides a complete on-target profiling solution that can record code coverage, provide detailed measurements of execution time, and calculate predicted worst-case execution time (WCET) of real-time embedded applications. CoreDX DDS Middleware is a small footprint, real time publish subscribe middleware meeting the Object Management Group (OMG) Data Distribution Service (DDS) standard. It provides an easy to use application program interface (API) that manages complex network communications easily while reducing development time significantly. It is highly configurable to meet communication performance and reliability requirements.

“Collecting coverage and execution time data directly from an embedded target is a huge benefit for our customers” commented Dr Guillem Bernat, CEO of Rapita Systems. “Our customers benefit from detailed, accurate information because it is taken from the target code running on the target hardware.”  He added, "After system integration takes place, physical constraints (like sealed boxes) make it difficult to collect the trace data directly from the target. We are really excited by the prospect of using CoreDX DDS to continue to collect timing data after this point, over a lightweight, standardized interface.”

Bernat continued “Looking further ahead, it is interesting to recognize that CoreDX DDS Middleware from Twin Oaks Computing and RapiTime from Rapita systems jointly provide a complete coverage of the timing domain for distributed, time-critical applications. For data communications between nodes, CoreDX offers guaranteed delivery times. For the execution of code on individual nodes, RapiTime can measure the worst-case execution time. Taken together, it is possible to build up an end-to-end picture of the timing across the system.”

“The distribution of timing data in large scale time-critical systems is a perfect application of CoreDX DDS with its small footprint, dynamic communications, and low overhead,” says Clark Tucker, CEO of Twin Oaks Computing.  “The coupling of CoreDX DDS with RapiTime will offer significant flexibility in the collection and distribution of timing metrics, specifically in the challenging phase of System Integration.  We are excited about this application of CoreDX DDS to solve complex communication requirements in deeply embedded systems.”

About Rapita Systems

Rapita Systems Ltd, http://www.rapitasystems.com, develops software tools to reduce the cost of measuring and optimize the timing performance large, real-time software systems, such as avionics applications. RapiTime is the only product on the market that can tell users exactly where to focus optimization effort to minimize worst-case execution time. Using RapiTime, customers have been able to reduce the worst-case execution time of large scale, legacy applications by up to 50% with only a few days effort.

About Twin Oaks Computing

Twin Oaks Computing, Inc., http://www.twinoakscomputing.com, is a company dedicated to developing and delivering quality software solutions. We leverage our technical experience and abilities to provide innovative and useful services in the domain of intelligence systems.  Our staff has over 30 years of experience developing and supporting DoD systems. Through this experience, we understand the importance of the systems that collect, manage, and distribute information for the warfighter.  Our CoreDX DDS middleware solution differentiates itself in several key ways:

1)      Small footprint (measured in KB not MB) - eg. DDS Ping application is 250KB compared to competition's 4.5MB!

2)      Low Line of Code Count - important for certifying in safety critical applications

3)      Fast - high throughput, low latency - designed, developed and optimized for speed

4)      Support for multi-core architectures

5)      User-friendly licensing options

6)      More flexible training and support options

7)      Free trials, IR&D and University licenses

Learn more at http://www.twinoakscomputing.com/coredx.