AdaCore

AdaCore is a provider of trusted development solutions and tools for mission- and safety-critical UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) software.

The company’s software developer toolkits enable the creation of secure and reliable systems that are failure-proof and highly resilient to cyberattack. Compatible with over a hundred off-the-shelf and custom OSes and platforms, they also support DO-178B/C standards up to DAL-A.

All-in-one development toolkit for safe & secure UAV software

AdaCore’s comprehensive software development toolkit provides compilation, verification, and compliance tools for Ada, C/C++, and Rust, supporting the widest range of target platforms in the industry from small embedded systems through to full server environments.

Development

All tools are DevOps-ready, utilizing industrial-grade versions of the GCC and LLVM compilers, and can be easily integrated into off-the-shelf or custom pipelines. Language runtimes can be customized according to resource footprint and certification cost constraints.

Verification

Static analysis tools are provided for C/C++ and all versions of Ada, offering a range of crucial functionality such as bug identification and cybersecurity weakness detection. Dynamic analysis capabilities for Ada, C/C+ and Rust include unit testing, structural code coverage up to MC/DC, and code fuzzing.

Compliance

AdaCore tools support the FACE (Future Airborne Capability Environment) standard and meet requirements for DO-178 certification. Software Bills of Materials (SBOMs) for all AdaCore products are supplied in the industry-standard SPDX format, enabling seamless integration into vulnerability management and reporting systems.

UAV Avionics

Avionics platforms for UAVs are complex systems that must handle a wide range of mission-critical and software-driven functions, including autopilots, flight control, engine and motor control, navigation, and more. The code at the heart of these systems is highly susceptible to third-party cyberattacks, and requires robust safety-critical development methods in order to be fully protected.

AdaCore’s tools enable UAV developers to test, debug, upgrade and rewrite critical parts of their software in order to fully iron out any weaknesses or vulnerabilities. They also provide the certified libraries and qualified tools required to achieve DO-178C compliance, simplifying workflows and reducing development costs.

These advanced software tools are ideal for failure-proofing a range of UAV subsystems, including:

• Flight Control & Navigation – ensuring that these systems meet the highest levels of assurance and deliver stable, precise, and responsive behavior in both remotely piloted and autonomous modes
• Subsystem Management – software for propulsion control, power distribution, and other critical subsystems must operate reliably across a variety of environmental conditions and remain maintainable over long deployment lifecycles
• Communication & Surveillance – communication systems, surveillance, ADS-B and avionics data networks must all meet strict real-time operating and cybersecurity requirements, while being able to handle the massive data throughput of modern UAV and ISR applications
• Safety & Mission Systems – complex software for safety-critical applications such as health monitoring, built-in test systems, flight data recorders and mission-specific avionics must all operate flawlessly over the lifetime of the UAV platform, and must be certified and maintainable

More information: UAV avionics developer toolkits

Defense-Grade Unmanned Systems

Software for military and defense-specific UAV platforms provides a wide range of functionality that is subject to particularly challenging operating conditions, including contested environments, rapidly-changing missions, and the most sophisticated cyber warfare attacks.

AdaCore helps developers create safe, secure and reliable mission-critical software for the most challenging of defense requirements, incorporating AI technologies and state-of-the-art sensors and payloads while supporting platforms and military programs that may be in service for decades.

More information: Software Toolkits for military-grade unmanned systems

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