Overview

Triakis Corporation is a veteran-owned small business specializing in the creation of virtual system simulators for embedded systems & software development.  Located in Redmond, Washington, Triakis has been creating simulators and providing avionics systems and software verification & validation services for companies in the Seattle area since 1995. 

The product of over a decade of developmental evolution, IcoSim^©, Triakis’ innovative simulator software application, incorporates a host of powerful features designed to resolve many of the issues that hobble the cost-effective and timely development of high quality embedded systems & SW.  Below are some of the salient capabilities designed into IcoSim:

• Rapid system prototyping using Executable Specifications (ES’) in a Virtual System Integration Laboratory (VSIL) environment – Verified ES’ provide unambiguous communication of requirements to implementation teams.

• Unmodified executable software tested in VSIL using same test suite created to verify the system ES from which software was developed. This leads to early detection of software errors due to misimplementation and misinterpretation of requirements specifications.

• Object code testing assures application is tested dynamically with operating system.

  • Excellent means of verifying auto-generated and reused software

  •  Independent of operating system or programming language used

• Enhanced, realistic failure mode response testing with failure modes created as intrinsic characteristic of simulated parts that are dynamically invoked under test control – Thorough, economical extension to Failure Modes & Effects Analysis (FMEA).

• Supports 3D OpenGL graphics for dynamic system visualization.

• Connects with standard software development environments for seamless code/compile/test/debug cycle.

• Highly part oriented (extensive parts library available) – Verified parts may be indefinitely reused on subsequent projects or modified to create derivatives.

We know of no other company with the ability to create completely virtual simulations of embedded systems incorporating mixed-mode parts (e.g. analog/digital electrical/electronic, mechanical, hydraulic, magnetic, 3D graphics, etc.) with a sufficiently wide range of fidelity & detail to run unmodified executable software on simulated target hardware.

Application

Triakis has applied and refined its virtual environment-centric software validation and integration test methodologies, and repeatedly demonstrated the capability of reducing the cost of avionics systems and SW development while upholding the highest quality standards.  Without exception, every avionics project on which Triakis has used IcoSim^© for software verification has passed OEM acceptance testing with no functional faults detected.  The capability of running and testing unmodified executable object code within a VSIL has a proven to be an extremely effective means of software verification that works regardless of how the code was generated or what operating system is used.  IcoSim has been used for software testing to the requirements of DO178B criticality levels A, B, C, and D. 

IcoSim can be effectively used for the development of all embedded computer systems and software.  While it has been extensively used for aerospace applications, it may be used with great benefit in commercial and defense industries engaged in the development of vehicle systems, medical equipment, communications equipment, transportation systems, et al.  IcoSim^© is also well suited to simulating environments for testing autonomous and adaptive systems such as unmanned aerial and submersible vehicles.

Projects

Triakis has implemented numerous system-level simulations comprising interconnected ES parts, and numerous CPU-level simulations that run unmodified executable software, referred to as detailed executables (DEs).  Below is a list of some of the simulated systems that Triakis has implemented.  Screen shots from various IcoSim^© simulations can be viewed through the "Projects" page of this web site. 

                        Partial List of IcoSim^Ó Simulators Created for Avionics Development Projects:

·         Crane Aerospace Weight & Balance System for C-130 {in Development}

·         A380 Proximity Sensing System

·         Raytheon Hawker Horizon Landing Gear Control & Indication System

·         Embraer ERJ-170 Proximity Switch System

·         Boeing 747-400 Proximity Switch Electronics Unit (PSEU)

·         Boeing 717 (MD-95) P5 DSP (sub-unit of PSEU)

·         Boeing 757 P5 DSP (sub-unit of PSEU)

·         R&D Simulator for Anti-Skid and Linear Position Sensing System

·         Bombardier CL-604 PSEU

·         Northrop B-2 Proximity Switch Logic Unit (PSLU)

·         Boeing 757 PSEU (Framework)

·         Boeing 747X DC Standby Power Module {System-level only}

·         Lockheed C-5 Slat Proximity Control Box {System-level only}

·         ARINC 717 Digital Flight Data Acquisition System (DFDAU) for the Boeing 737

·         ARINC 615 Airborne Data Loader (ADL) protocol

Detailed descriptions of the above virtual system and component simulators are available upon request.

Research

Service

Triakis’ primary business is applying its virtual system simulation expertise to the creation of custom simulators for embedded systems developers interested in maximizing software quality while minimizing project costs and schedules.

Triakis continuously improves its IcoSim^© software application as needs dictate and resources permit.  Triakis is planning to adopt an open-source licensing arrangement for free distribution of IcoSim in  the future.  Creating an open-source project for IcoSim will expand the pool of resources working to develop and test new features.  All IcoSim users will benefit from free source code, and the freedom to customize it as desired.

Software

The NASA Independent Verification & Validation (IV&V) facility awarded Triakis a research grant for FY03 under the Office of Safety & Mission Assurance Software Assurance Research Program (http://www.ivv.nasa.gov/research/index.php).

Triakis tests embedded software by running it in a VSIL designed to model the actual environment within which the executable code will ultimately interact. Through this research, Triakis has shown that the same tests developed to verify the executable specifications (ES’) in the VSIL can be used to verify the software developed to implement the specifications. This effectively eliminates the void between specification and implementation where most software faults are traditionally introduced.

In 2003 the NASA IV&V facility awarded Triakis a 3-year research grant for a collaborative effort with the NASA Johnson Space Center. Beginning in 2004 we will investigate the efficacy of enhanced failure mode testing in a virtual environment simulation compared with that of standard failure modes & effects analysis (FMEA).

In 2004 the NASA IV&V facility awarded Triakis a 1-year research grant to conduct a case study to assess the value that software testing adds to their IV&V analysis activities.