BARCO and Virtual Prototypes Join Forces to Test and Qualify Qualified Code Generator (QCG) for Civil Applications
FARNBOROUGH, 24 July, 2000 -- BARCO Display Systems' Avionics Division and Virtual Prototypes Inc., a leading supplier of software development tools for interactive, real-time graphics systems, today announced a partnership to launch a DO-178B certification program for Virtual Prototypes' code generators, CCG Lite and QCG. In an effort to their continuing commitment to be market leaders in the development of avionics displays, BARCO will become a major test site, using the QCG software for its family of Avionics Multi-Function Displays, which visualize the pilot's primary flight information.
Display software must be certified in accordance with a standard named "DO-178B" before it can be used in civilian aircraft. Increasingly, military programs are also mandating DO-178B certification. QCG will facilitate DO-178B certification of BARCO's avionics displays built with Virtual Prototypes' suite of graphical development tools, VAPS.Therefore, BARCO Display Systems and Virtual Prototypes Inc. are forming a partnership to deliver a fully certifiable automatic code generator to achieve Level A of the DO-178B standard. The RTCA DO-178B standard "Software Considerations in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certification" establishes guidelines and requirements for the validation of entire avionics systems and insures code and operational safety.
The certification process of a complex avionics system for both commercial and military applications involves an extensive series of tests and reviews that require a large up-front investment and a significant period of time. CCG Lite and QCG will generate certifiable software executables that will accelerate the software development process as well as provide the means for a critical reduction in the resources involved in development, testing and quality assurance.
BARCO uses Virtual Prototypes' products during the prototyping and design phases of its avionics projects. For BARCO, this strategy has resulted in valuable reductions in cost and time-to-market of such products, while the stringent avionics software quality requirements are still being met. "We're very excited to have BARCO on board as one of our launch customers and our partner for the certification program," said Philippe Collard, President and CEO of Virtual Prototypes. "
As a result of this partnership and our joint endeavor to provide the only solution for the generation of qualified avionics code, we expect to see BARCO gain a major competitive advantage in the avionics industry." Virtual Prototypes' VAPS is a powerful suite of tools for specifying, testing, simulating and deploying visual, real-time, interactive 2D graphical user interfaces. VAPS automates all phases of the development and deployment of real-time, data-driven and event-driven graphical HMI (Human-Machine Interface) applications. The VAPS tool suite allows users to intuitively draw objects, specify data-driven animation, connect to application data and specify event/response behaviour. VAPS generates ANSI C source code that may be compiled and downloaded to the embedded real-time target system. QCG provides a COTS (Commercial-Off-The-Shelf) code generation solution to embed VAPS applications into any system requiring DO178B certification. The QCG toolset significantly reduces the cost, hire and risk associated with the certification and graphics display application. QCG takes VAPS-built HMIs (Human-Machine Interfaces) from the prototyping stage to product delivery.
About Virtual Prototypes Inc.:
Founded in 1985, Virtual Prototypes Inc. is a leading supplier of software tools for the development of real-time, interactive graphical applications and real-time simulations. Headquartered in Montreal, Virtual Prototypes has offices and distributors throughout Canada, the United States, Europe, and Asia. Virtual Prototypes' customers include more than 350 leaders in the aerospace, automotive and other high-technology industries in more than 25 countries. Virtual Prototypes can be reached at (514) 341-3874, or at its web site www.VirtualPrototypes.CA.
For further information, you may contact:
Jackie Gugliotti
Virtual Prototypes Inc.
(514) 341-3874
jackie@VirtualPrototypes.CA Michael Beno
Ruder Finn/Chicago
(312) 329-3970 benom@ruderfinn.com
About BarcoView:
BarcoView with operation facilities in Kortrijk (Belgium), Toulouse (France), Atlanta, Georgia and Portland, Oregon (USA) designs and manufactures high-resolution display systems, displays, graphics controllers and display subsystems for highly demanding niche markets such as C4I, avionics, vessel and air traffic control, vehicle electronics, and medical imaging applications.
Alongside Barco Projection Systems and BarcoVision, BarcoView is one of the three strategic activities of the BARCO Group, which are all active in Image Processing. Barco Projection is in various markets of large screen visualization, whereas BarcoVision develops systems for visual inspection and quality control. In 2000, the entire BARCO group delivered a turnover of euro 751 million. BARCO has a network of subsidiaries, distributors and agents in 97 countries throughout the world. BARCO has been quoted on the Brussels Stock Exchange since 1986, and is now quoted on Brussels/Euronext. BARCO is a BEL 20 and a Next 150 company and is member of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes.
