Communication handling in integrated modular avionics
First Claim
1. A method for non-corrupt inter-partition application communication between a plurality of partitioned applications operating with the same CPU in an Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA) system, said method comprising the steps of:
- executing a system executive module with highest priority and full control of the CPU;
partitioning a plurality of applications to create partitioned applications which each use protected memory space and which operate in a lower priority mode to access the CPU at timed intervals;
allocating outgoing messages generated from each of the plurality of partitioned applications into circular outgoing message queues in shared memory locations allocated for each of the plurality of partitioned applications by the system executive wherein each of the plurality of partitioned application stores the outgoing messages it generates within its allocated shared memory locations;
registering a circular outgoing message queue in a central channel registry table maintained by the system executive application wherein the central channel registry table states an outgoing message address space location in the shared memory locations and lists which of the plurality of partitioned applications are authorized to read each outgoing message;
verifying in a library routine within each of the plurality of partitioned applications that the outgoing messages are properly addressed to the plurality of partitioned applications, and are complete messages, and are not corrupted or addressed to partitioned applications which no longer exist; and
enabling direct reading of the outgoing messages stored within the circular outgoing message queues in the shared memory locations wherein only authorized partitioned applications of the plurality of partitioned applications are permitted to read in read only access from the shared memory.
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Abstract
Techniques for inter-application communication and handling of I/O devices in an Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA) system enable the integration of multiple applications while maintaining strong spatial and temporal partitioning between application software modules or partitioned applications. The integration of application modules is simplified by abstracting the desired application interactions in a manner similar to device access. Such abstraction facilitates the integration of previously developed applications as well as new applications. The invention requires the least support from the operating system and minimizes the dependency of the integrated environment on application characteristics.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for non-corrupt inter-partition application communication between a plurality of partitioned applications operating with the same CPU in an Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA) system, said method comprising the steps of:
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executing a system executive module with highest priority and full control of the CPU;
partitioning a plurality of applications to create partitioned applications which each use protected memory space and which operate in a lower priority mode to access the CPU at timed intervals;
allocating outgoing messages generated from each of the plurality of partitioned applications into circular outgoing message queues in shared memory locations allocated for each of the plurality of partitioned applications by the system executive wherein each of the plurality of partitioned application stores the outgoing messages it generates within its allocated shared memory locations;
registering a circular outgoing message queue in a central channel registry table maintained by the system executive application wherein the central channel registry table states an outgoing message address space location in the shared memory locations and lists which of the plurality of partitioned applications are authorized to read each outgoing message;
verifying in a library routine within each of the plurality of partitioned applications that the outgoing messages are properly addressed to the plurality of partitioned applications, and are complete messages, and are not corrupted or addressed to partitioned applications which no longer exist; and
enabling direct reading of the outgoing messages stored within the circular outgoing message queues in the shared memory locations wherein only authorized partitioned applications of the plurality of partitioned applications are permitted to read in read only access from the shared memory. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19)
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13. An aircraft avionics system comprising:
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a system executive module which controls a CPU board connected to a data bus;
plurality of partitioned avionic applications partitioned by the system executive to run in a protected memory space allocated for the CPU board according to a time schedule and to create outgoing messages; and
a plurality of circular message queues located in a partitioned shared memory space allocated to the CPU board wherein the circular message queues are only writeable to by an associated one of a plurality of partitioned compliant avionic applications, wherein the circular message queues are directly readable by an associated receiver partitioned avionic application.
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17. A method for an aircraft avionics system having a system executive application which controls a CPU board connected to a data bus and which partitions a plurality of partitioned avionic applications, said method comprising the steps of:
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executing the plurality of partitioned avionic applications in a protected memory space according to a time schedule to create outgoing messages;
queuing the outgoing messages into a plurality of circular message queues located in a partitioned shared memory space wherein the circular message queues are only writeable to by a sender application from the plurality of partitioned compliant avionic applications; and
reading the outgoing messages in the circular message queues wherein the circular message queues are directly readable by an associated receiver partitioned avionic application.
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Specification