Wind River, Curtiss-Wright Expand Partnership

Board manufacturer Curtiss-Wright Controls Embedded Computing will standardize the use of Wind River Systems’ general purpose Linux and Real-Time Core for Linux platforms on its Intel x86-based board products. The May 15 announcement signaled an expansion of the existing relationship of Curtiss-Wright, Charlotte, N.C., and device software provider Wind River, Alameda, Calif. Curtiss-Wright already offers Wind River’s “VxWorks” platform as the standard real-time operating system (RTOS) for its rugged commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) board product line. As a result of the expanded partnership, Curtiss-Wright said, embedded system integrators will be able to more easily and rapidly deploy Wind River Linux and VxWorks solutions for rugged deployed military systems, mitigating risk and speeding time to market. Applications for the Linux platform are seen in rugged, high-capacity storage aboard reconnaissance aircraft; radar consoles in widebody aircraft; and vehicle management systems that keep track of cargo via electronic tags, Mike Hornby, Curtiss-Wright director of marketing, told Avionics magazine. Curtiss-Wright Controls Embedded Computing, one of three divisions of Curtiss-Wright Controls, manufacturers VME, VPX, and CompactPCI board products for the aerospace and defense markets. The company is Wind River's first board vendor strategic partner in these industries to standardize on VxWorks, Wind River Linux, and Real-Time Core, a real-time “executive” technology. Wind River Systems in February acquired the intellectual property for real-time Linux technology from FSM Labs.