Communication-aware scheduling on an IMA architecture: invited paper

Integrated modular Avionics (IMA or ARINC 651), as it is currently implemented in large aircrafts, uses a limited number of complex processors interconnected through a communication network (AFDX or ARINC 664). The allocation of avionics applications is done according a communicating partitions model (APEX or ARINC 653) needed for guaranteeing robust partitioning when sharing processors (TDMA like schedule) and communication network (APEX channel). On smaller aircrafts (such as helicopters) the objective (due to room and weight constraints) is to use les complex processors and consequently to increase their number. Implementing such a distributed IMA architecture leads to a global (more complex) integration problem, which is twofold. Allocation and scheduling of partitions on each shared processor as well as end-to-end communication delays among distributed partitions must be compatible in order to guarantee timing requirements of distributed avionics applications. This paper points out the complexity of composing the two aspects of this integration problem on different possible target architectures.