WINTEC Selects Vortex OpenSplice for Open Architecture Modeling of Weapon Systems
WINTEC has selected Vortex OpenSplice software platform for its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project involving the development of a software architecture for universal plug-and-play of weapons.
Existing air-to-ground weapon architectures are generally based on point designs that are unique to individual weapons and / or contractors. These weapons cannot be readily modified or upgraded, or easily reconfigured to different capability levels for cost-effective performance of varying missions.
WINTEC is developing a modular open architecture that offers significant promise for alleviating or minimizing such limitations. The new architecture will support the implementation of weapons from various combinations of common functional modules through standard interfaces and associated plug-and-play features for self-discovery and initialization. The technology will facilitate more flexible and cost-effective development and implementation of weapons. It also has significant potential for use in commercial applications such as unmanned vehicle integration and special test equipment.
PrismTech’s Vortex OpenSplice enables components – such as sensors, seekers and propulsion systems – within a developing class of weapon architectures to be able to accommodate emerging technologies and allow seamless communication of updated plug-ins.
To initiate the first phase of this project, WINTEC turned to the open source DDS Community Edition, a version of Vortex OpenSplice high-performance messaging technology designed for small companies and those projects that may not yet require a full complement of services and support. As the project progressed, however, so did WINTEC’s need for Vortex OpenSplice’s advanced capabilities and services.
"Thanks to the DDS Community version, we had become very familiar with Vortex OpenSplice and its robust quality of service levels," said Greg Fountain, President, WINTEC. "We were specifically looking for a DDS based solution with a shared memory capability - and Vortex OpenSplice was our choice."