Lynx adds support for IPv6 to LynxOS-178 software
Support for IPv6, described by Lynx Software Technologies as the next generation internet architecture, has been added to its LynxOS-178 platform for safety critical applications such as military and aerospace systems.
The additional support will enable devices running on LynxOS-178 to benefit from advanced addressing and other enhancements such as improved security via support for IP security. It will also mean simplified packet processing.
The US Department of Defence has mandated that at least 20 per cent of internet-connected devices on its networks be IPv6-only by the end of 2023. This will increase to at least 80 per cent by the end of 2025. As a result, Tier 1 avionics companies are building their next generation devices and vehicles with support for the new protocol but existing devices and vehicles are built around IPv4, which has been in use since the 1980s.
In updating LynxOS-178, Lynx has prioritised the areas most relevant to the avionics industry and has attained compliance with the DO-178C DAL A safety certification.
These address Internet Protocol, Version 6 (IPv6) Specification, ICMPv6 for the IPV6, used by routers and other network devices to send operational messages and IP Version 6 addressing architecture, which defines IPv6 addressing architecture. The revision also includes transmission of IPv6 packets over Ethernet networks, which provides a format for packet transmission and basic socket interface extensions for IPv6, which defines the application program interface (API) for TCP / IP transmission.
“IPv6 represents a sea change in how modern airplanes and other avionics systems are designed,” said Ian Ferguson, vice president of marketing for Lynx Software Technologies. “With its support for IPv6, LynxOS-178 will enable the industry to develop systems using a modern architecture, knowing that they will remain current for generations to come.”
Lynx Software Technologies develops open architecture software solutions for mission-critical embedded systems in aerospace, defence, industrial and critical infrastructure markets. The company’s real-time operating system (RTOS), hypervisor and related software support safe, cybersecure, high performance, and high-reliability computing for applications requiring the strictest standards for certification and compliance.
