OCE Technology, an Irish space technology company, today announced that it has successfully demonstrated OCEOS, a new real-time operating system for microcontrollers on spacecraft, at the European Space Agency (ESA).
The OCEOS software occupies a tiny amount of memory and includes the operational checks and recovery procedures required for mission critical subsystems on satellites and other spacecraft.
ARM computer architecture
The software, which is compliant with ESA’s safety category B regulations for spacecraft, is currently available for ESA SPARC processors with conversion to the more popular ARM computer architecture already in progress.
OCEOS is also considered suitable for automobile and medical applications such as engine management, emissions monitoring, therapeutic devices and dialysis machines.
Barry Kavanagh, CEO, OCE Technology, said: “We are very excited to have developed and successfully demonstrated only the second safety category B operating system approved for the European Space Agency.
Prevention of software deadlocks
"OCEOS has some unique features such as prevention of software deadlocks and precision timing for control outputs. OCE is currently selling to the aerospace market but OCEOS will create new opportunities for the company in other high-growth and global markets such as automotive and medical.”
OCE Technology, headquartered at NovaUCD, the Centre for New Ventures and Entrepreneurs at University College Dublin, develops software for technical applications and supplies radiation-hardened chip-level components targeted primarily at the space and high-reliability sectors.
OCE is already operating in Europe, Korea, China, Russia and Singapore through a network of distributors. OCE, an Enterprise Ireland supported company, also supplies a range of satellite subsystems including solar cells, batteries and attitude control units. These subsystems are already well proven on the Chinese space programme.
(Main image: Pictured at NovaUCD is Barry Kavanagh, CEO, OCE Technology. Photo: Nick Bradshaw, Fotonic)