Freescale collaborates with Avionics manufacturers

The Multicore for Avionics(MCFA) working group was established to help commercial avionics companies fully leverage the performance, power and size advantages of Freescale's commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) embedded multicore processors, such as the eight-core QorIQ P4080 device. The MCFA working group includes representatives from BAE Systems, BARCO, Boeing, EADS, ELBIT, GE Aviation, Hamilton Sunstrand, Honeywell, Rockwell Collins, Thales and Freescale Semiconductor. "Highly advanced multicore processors based on Power Architecture technology are ideally suited to meet the demanding requirements of commercial avionics applications," said Glenn Beck, avionics marketing manager for Freescale's Networking Processor Division. This week the DO-254 Users Group heard an MCFA proposal for addressing the unique advantages and challenges sophisticated multicore technology presents for avionics certification processes. The proposal is the result of an assessment by the MCFA working group and includes recommendations for a common, consistent certification methodology.

"Future avionics systems will benefit from the integration provided by multicore SoCs as the industry strives to provide safer, lighter and feature-rich commercial aircraft," said Greg Arundale of Rockwell Collins. "The work that has come from the MCFA working group provides a crucial step toward allowing us to take advantage of next-generation processors provided by the electronics component industry."

"The members of the MCFA working group have come together to deal with this challenge," said Dr. Fred Fisher of the Aerospace Vehicle Systems Institute (AVSI). "Their proposal provides the direction needed for the certification of systems with complex SoC microprocessors." MCFA working group participation and membership is open to all companies interested in certifying commercial aviation systems or subsystems. Please contact your local Freescale sales office for more information.