VxWorks
| Company / developer | Wind River Systems |
|---|---|
| OS family | Real-time operating systems |
| Working state | Current |
| Initial release | 1985 (age 25–26) |
| Latest stable release | 6.8 / Jan 2010 |
| Marketing target | Embedded systems |
| Available programming languages(s) | Ada, C, C++, Java |
| Supported platforms | x86, MIPS, PowerPC, SH-4, ARM |
| Kernel type | Monolithic |
| License | EULA |
| Official website | www.windriver.com |
VxWorks is a real-time operating system made and sold by Wind River Systems of Alameda, California, USA. Intel acquired Wind River Systems on July 17, 2009.[1]
VxWorks is designed for use in embedded systems. Unlike "self-hosting" systems such as Unix, VxWorks development is done on a "host" machine running Linux, Unix, or Microsoft Windows, cross-compiling target software to run on various "target" CPU architectures.
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[edit] History
VxWorks started as a set of enhancements to a simple real-time operating system called VRTX[2] sold by Ready Systems (later becoming a Mentor Graphics product in 1995).[3][4] 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").[5]
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.[6]
In August 2010, hacker HD Moore uncovered[7] a vulnerability in VxWorks that affected numerous vendors.[8] CERT published advisories for VU#362332[9] and VU#840249[10] 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.[11]
[edit] OS overview
VxWorks[12] is a proprietary, real-time operating system developed by Wind River Systems of Alameda, California, USA in 1987.
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.
The key features of the current OS are:
- Multitasking kernel with preemptive and round-robin scheduling and fast interrupt response
- 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[13]
- File systems: High Reliability File System (HRFS), FAT-based file system (DOSFS), Network File System (NFS)
- IPv6 networking stack
- VxSim simulator
[edit] Tornado (Development Environment for VxWorks 5.x releases)
Tornado is an Integrated development environment (IDE) for software cross-development targeting VxWorks 5.x.[14]
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
- VxSim simulator
[edit] Workbench (Development Environment for VxWorks 6.x releases)
Workbench replaced Tornado IDE for VxWorks 6.x.[15] The Wind River Workbench is now built on Eclipse technology.[16] Workbench is also the IDE for the Wind River Linux[17] and On-Chip Debugging[18] product lines.
Workbench for VxWorks consists of the following elements:
- Eclipse framework and Eclipse (CDT[19]) project
- Project and Build System
- Wind River Compiler and Wind River GNU Compiler
- Debugger
- Wind River Host Shell and Kernel Shell[20] for VxWorks
- VxWorks Kernel Configurator
- Target file system configuration tools
- Run-time analysis tools
- VxSim simulator
[edit] Notable products using VxWorks
- Avaya ERS 8600
- Radware OnDemand Switches
- The Honda Robot ASIMO
- Stäubli Industrial Robots[21]
- ABB industrial robots[22]
- KUKA industrial robots
- The Airbus A400M Airlifter (in development)
- The Boeing 787 and Boeing 747-8 airliners (in development)
- The BMW iDrive system
- 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.
- Xerox Phaser and other Adobe PostScript-based computer printers
- The Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System (EPICS)
- DIGIC II and some early DIGIC III image-processors by Canon
- Thuraya SO-2510 Satellite phone and ThurayaModule
- The Apache Longbow attack helicopter
- The ALR-67(V)3 Radar Warning Receiver used in the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
- Siemens VDO automotive navigation systems
- 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
- National Instruments CompactRIO 901x, 902x 907x controllers
- SonicWall firewalls
- Emerson Ovation distributed control system controllers.
- The ReplayTV home Digital video recorder.
- AMX Controls System Devices
- Radvision 3G Communications equipment
- HughesNet/Direcway satellite internet modems
- NAOMI / NAOMI 2 arcade systems[citation needed]
[edit] Spacecraft using VxWorks
- The Deep Space Program Science Experiment (DSPSE) also known as Clementine (spacecraft)[23]
- The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter[24]
- The Phoenix Mars Lander[25]
- The Deep Impact space probe
- The James Webb Space Telescope (in development)
- The Sojourner Mars Pathfinder rover[26]
- The Spirit and Opportunity Mars Exploration Rovers[26][27]
- Stardust
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.
[edit] References
- ^ "Intel Successfully Completes Wind River Acquisition". 2009-07-17. http://www.intel.com/pressroom/archive/releases/20090717corp.htm. Retrieved 2009-07-22.[dead link]
- ^ "Embedded Systems Glossary: V". www.netrino.com. Netrino, LLC. http://www.netrino.com/Embedded-Systems/Glossary-V. Retrieved 20 September 2010.
- ^ Ready/Microtec merger expected Business Exchange November 15, 1993
- ^ http://www.secinfo.com/dr6nd.9u.htm#5hg, SEC Info January 19, 1996
- ^ MontaVista boasts banner year, claims embedded Linux leadership February 9, 2004
- ^ Lord of the Toasters, Wired (magazine) interview with Jerry Fiddler, September 1, 1994
- ^ Shiny Old VxWorks Vulnerabilities
- ^ eWeek: VxWorks Vulnerabilities Impact Numerous Vendors
- ^ http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/362332
- ^ http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/840249
- ^ [1]
- ^ Wind River VxWorks Page
- ^ IEEE POSIX Certification Register
- ^ Wind River VxWorks 5.x Page
- ^ Wind River VxWorks 6.x Page
- ^ Workbench Product Note
- ^ Wind River Linux Main Page
- ^ Wind River OCD Main Page
- ^ CDT
- ^ Reference Card
- ^ [2]
- ^ ABB Robotics and vxworks
- ^ [3]
- ^ Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
- ^ The Software Behind the Mars Phoenix Lander
- ^ a b "Wind River Powers Mars Exploration Rovers--Continues Legacy as Technology Provider for NASA's Space Exploration". Wind River Systems. 2003-06-06. http://www.windriver.com/news/press/pr.html?ID=314. Retrieved 2009-08-28.
- ^ Mike Deliman's Windriver Employee Blog
[edit] External links
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