In article ,
Bob Noel wrote:
It had to be when they went from simply a situational awareness display
to a PFD. No way is any certified PFD going to be running any form
of windows - you simply can't meet DO-178B Level B or Level A objectives
with windows.

It's not proof, but look at avidyne's job openings. The sw jobs want
RTOS and DO-178B experience/knowledge. Zip about windows.

You're right, it's not proof. The standards you reference are
standards, not operating systems.

I'm not an operating system expert, but I don't see why the Windows
kernel couldn't be modified as required to meet whatever standards were
necessary. Companies who have these type of requirements likely have
extensive access to the source code and/or have access to the
appropriate resources at Microsoft. So I don't think it's as impossible
as you contend.


It has been a poorly
kept secret over the years that the Avidyne systems run a stripped-down
version of Windows.

Hardly a secret. What is proprietary is how they got that first box with
windows certified (Level C) in the first place.

I guess that's why I said "poorly kept secret." I don't remember
Avidyne or Apollo advertising that their system used Windows, even
though it was fairly obvious that was the case.




JKG