The Civil Infrastructure Platform (CIP) Project hosted by the Linux Foundation announced the release of the Super Long Term Support (SLTS) Kernel. The new kernel expands architectural support for the 64-bit Arm Cortex, which enables developers to use it in a variety of use cases, including building automation, machine learning and artificial intelligence.
CIP aims to speed implementation of Linux-based civil infrastructure systems through industrial grade software and a universal operating system, build upon existing open source foundations and expertise, establish de facto standards by providing a base layer reference implementation, and contribute to and influence upstream projects regarding industrial needs.
Cross-Industry Collaboration and Development
Real-time Linux is a critical component for industrial grade systems. In addition to real-time management and data, industrial systems require safety, security and reliability, which is why CIP plans to collaborate with the new Enabling Linux in Safety Applications (ELISA) project at the Linux Foundation. ELISA is an open source project to create a shared set of tools and processes to help companies build and certify Linux-based safety-critical applications and systems whose failure could result in loss of human life, significant property damage or environmental damage. Building off the work being done by SIL2LinuxMP project and the Real-Time Linux project, ELISA is designed to help make it easier for companies to build safety-critical systems, such as robotic devices, medical devices, smart factories, transportation systems and autonomous driving, that use Linux.
CIP has also launched two new working groups to help manage specific aspects of the development process.
The Security Working Group will work with various security standards that help to address cyber security issues. Led by Renesas Electronics, the focus of the workgroup is for suppliers to certify using IEC 62443-4-x standards, which is an important security specification for industrial products. They will keep the CIP platform up to date by certifying against various available standards and minimizeing the development time and cost for suppliers by creating a well-defined process for certification.
The Software Update Working Group will provide a software update tool that integrates and strengthens the industrial-grade open source base layer. Led by the Toshiba Corporation, the working group will focus on the software architecture, integrating chosen software into the Linux image build tools used by CIP Core and implementing the software update reference boards.