Aonix has released version 1.0 of a virtual machine said to overcome Java's traditional weaknesses for “deeply embedded” systems. PERC Pico can be used with or without an embedded operating system such as Linux, and offers execution times “similar to C/C++ programs,” with determinism in the low microsecond range, the company claims.

Aonix is targeting PERC Pico at performance-critical applications, such as avionics, satellites, deep space probes, radio communications, telecom, weapons systems, and flight surface controls. It can be used in designs requiring safety certification to the highest levels; for example, the European Space Agency (ESA) is using PERC Pico to prototype onboard software building blocks, according to the company.

According to Aonix, PERC Pico was designed as a profile of the RTSJ (real-time standard for Java, aka JSR-1). In addition to its microsecond-level determinism, the VM offers direct access to low-level hardware devices, and can be configured for memory footprints as low as 256 Kbytes, the company says.

Dave Wood, VP of marketing, stated, “The embedded systems community is more than ready to adopt Java technology, but traditional Java solutions only scratch the surface of customer requirements. Aonix has been in the hard real-time and safety critical business for over two decades, so we understand the issues and have addressed them.”

Availability

PERC Pico 1.0 will ship this month for Linux/x86, and is “readily portable to all major processor architectures,” Aonix says. PERC Pico development tools are available with flat, project-based pricing starting at $25,000 for an unlimited number of developers.

PERC Pico has been available in “pre-commercial form” since January of 2006, Aonix says.

 
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