EASA certifies avionics unit with Altera processor

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has certified a safety-critical avionics system that includes a DO-254/ED-80-certifiable version of Altera's Nios II embedded processor.

Thales Avionics implemented a safety-critical version of the Nios II embedded processor in an Altera Hardcopy ASIC for use in its range of integrated electronic standby instruments, rather than developing a custom ASIC solution.

Leveraging Altera's DO-254/ED-80-certifiable processor allowed Thales to significantly reduce overall system development time when developing its range of integrated electronic standby instruments.

Altera's Hardcopy ASICs offer customers a low-risk, low-power migration path to take their FPGA prototype designs to volume production.

The use of Hardcopy ASICs provides Thales with improved single-event upset (SEU) immunity, while also giving Thales pin-to-pin, functional and timing compatibility with the FPGA prototype design.

The RTCA DO-254/Eurocae ED-80 compliance package of the Nios II embedded processor provides avionics equipment manufacturers with a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) microprocessor that can be quickly and easily implemented in safety-critical avionics applications.

Leveraging the Nios II embedded processor in these systems helps manufacturers comply with safety standards while lowering development time and costs, and eliminating the threat of processor obsolescence.

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