Leader in intelligent traffic systems chooses the QNX Neutrino OS for its ACTROS family of traffic light controllers.
QNX Software Systems Limited, a subsidiary of BlackBerry Limited, today announced that SWARCO TRAFFIC SYSTEMS GmbH has chosen the QNX® Neutrino® Realtime OS for its ACTROS family of traffic light controllers.
ACTROS controllers bring an intelligent approach to managing urban traffic. They are designed to enhance safety, optimize the use of existing road infrastructure, and improve traffic flow to minimize carbon emissions. The product family includes ACTROS.compact, an energy-efficient device for smaller intersections and pedestrian crossings, and ACTROS.alpha, a scalable solution that can handle complex, multi-lane intersections with massive volumes of traffic.
When SWARCO was choosing an OS for ACTROS, reliability and safety were key — the controllers must operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, without downtime. The microkernel architecture of the QNX Neutrino OS, which offers inherent protection for safety-critical software components, enabled SWARCO’s engineers to achieve the fault resilience and high availability that ACTROS requires. Moreover, it will help ACTROS achieve certification to IEC 61508 functional safety standard.
Realtime performance was also a must. To ensure safe operation, SWARCO needed an OS that enables the time-critical applications in ACTROS to meet hard deadlines. The comprehensive realtime technologies in QNX Neutrino, together with the performance optimization tools of the QNX Momentics® Tool Suite, helped SWARCO’s engineers achieve the fast response times needed to meet their rigorous system-performance target.
“For safety’s sake, our systems must offer reliable, timely, uninterrupted service. The QNX Neutrino OS, with its robust architecture and proven history in safety-critical systems, offered an ideal platform to achieve these goals,” said Manfred Rosskopf, Director of R&D, and Joachim Lock, Project Manager, SWARCO TRAFFIC SYSTEMS. “Just as important, QNX offers more than proven technology. We have worked with other OS vendors, and QNX stands out from the crowd with their commitment to customer success. They support us like a true partner, and we look forward to working with them on future projects.”
“For decades, QNX technology, chosen for its unmatched reliability, has been powering traffic control systems and other transportation applications for the automotive, marine, and railway industries,” said John Wall, Senior Vice President and Head of QNX Software Systems. “Optimizing traffic flow in busy urban areas is vitally important to driver safety, the economy, and the environment. We are honored that SWARCO has chosen QNX to address this critical challenge.”
To learn more about QNX technology and how it makes a difference in everyday life, visit the QNX Software Systems website.
ACTROS Demonstration at Embedded World 2016
This week, at Embedded World, QNX Software Systems will demonstrate a SWARCO FUTURA traffic light being controlled by a QNX-powered ACTROS.compact traffic controller. Visit Hall 4, Booth 534.
