Software safety is related to many factors but I think the impression that an operating system is unreliable conjures up the perception it is unsafe as well. I’ve spent time in other posts dispelling myths surrounding VxWorks reliability. Rather than repeat myself I’ll point to my previous post on reliability – the points made there, apply here too. The proof point for the safety of VxWorks lies in the success of our customers.
VxWorks supports three of the most important and stringent safety standards in the world. Firstly for the commercial and military avionics market we have VxWorks ARINC 653 and VxWorks DO-178B. Both of these products are certifiable for commercial aviation, which is has the strictest safety standards for software and hardware. Interestingly, the technology in these products can be used for safety critical devices whether they need officially certification. Example would be industrial control and medical devices. In addition, we have the VxWorks IEC61508 platform for industrial and medical systems – the key certification for safety in these markets. In products where safety is a concern, VxWorks is usually a first choice.
Bill Graham is the product marketing manager for VxWorks platforms at Wind River. He has over 20 years of experience in the software industry, including embedded and real-time systems development, UML modeling, and object-oriented design. Prior to joining Wind River, Bill held marketing and product management positions at QNX, IBM Rational, and Klocwork. Prior to his career in marketing, Bill was a software engineer at ObjecTime, Cross Keys and Lockheed Martin. Bill holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada.
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