.. include:: vars.rst

.. _section-gsg_before:

Before You Get Started
======================

What is |CONNEXT_DRIVE_HEADING|?
--------------------------------

.. figure:: static/connext-drive.png
   :width: 80%
   :align: center

|RTI_CONNEXT_TM| |DRIVE| is RTI’s automotive grade communication framework, enabling the 
automotive ecosystem to comply with the portability, evolvability, flexibility, and 
integrability requirements of the industry. Built on the proven Data Distribution 
Service™ (DDS) standard, |CONNEXT_DRIVE| provides an abstraction layer that eases 
development by hiding hardware and OS-specific details. It provides tools and software 
services to help build automotive software components for all stages of the development 
cycle, from research to production.

|CONNEXT_DRIVE| provides the safety and security needed to build for the future while 
being the only framework supporting AUTOSAR and ROS2. In this bundle, you will 
experience how |CONNEXT_DRIVE| enables automakers to quickly and easily meet the most 
complicated demands of the automotive market to power next-generation vehicles, such as:

* Bridging legacy platforms and new technologies to create a Next-Generation E/E 
  Architecture;
* Integrating complex data sources for sensor fusion and high performance computing 
  applications in autonomous systems;
* Orchestrating safety functionality over ethernet;
* Connecting to off-vehicle systems for real-time, including remote operations and 
  telemetry.

|CONNEXT_DRIVE| includes these components:

* **SDKs** that provide you with APIs to help you send and receive data using 
  communication patterns based on the Data Distribution Service™ (DDS) standard. 
* **Tools** that help you visualize your data and debug your distributed system.
* **Infrastructure Services** that can perform dedicated functions in your system, such 
  as routing, recording, and replaying data.

Bundle Overview
---------------

To support both non-safety and safety-critical use cases, the |CONNEXT_DRIVE| bundle 
contains the following:

* |CONNEXT| *Professional*: RTI’s full-featured, industrial-grade libraries designed to meet 
  the demanding connectivity requirements of autonomous systems. |CONNEXT| *Professional*
  enables rapid development, deployment, and upgrades of widely-distributed teleoperation 
  applications.
* |CONNEXT_MICRO|: RTI’s libraries optimized for environments with size, weight, and 
  power constraints.

  * See :ref:`section-safety_certified_libraries` below to learn how |CONNEXT_MICRO| 
    supports programs with safety requirements.

.. _section-safety_certified_libraries:

Safety-certified libraries
..........................

For programs with safety requirements, RTI offers libraries that have been 
safety-certified to ISO 26262 ASIL D – the most stringent automotive functional safety 
level. These libraries and safety evidence are available for purchase as an add-on product, 
|CONNEXT_CERT|, RTI's safety-certified framework. 

.. figure:: static/micro-cert-api.png
   :width: 30%
   :align: center

|CONNEXT_CERT| is built from the same code base as |CONNEXT_MICRO|, but only uses
a subset of the features and APIs available in |CONNEXT_MICRO|. Look for the ``<<cert>>`` 
tag in the `Connext Micro API Reference <https://community.rti.com/static/documentation/connext-micro/2.4.14/doc/api_c/html/index.html>`_ 
to view the features available in |CONNEXT_CERT|. Engineers can begin 
experimentation and development work with the standard |CONNEXT_MICRO| product, which 
is included in the |CONNEXT_DRIVE| host bundle under
``<$NDDSHOME/rti_connext_dds-6.1.1/rti_connext_dds_micro-2.4.14>``.

.. note:: 
  
  In the “license-managed” |CONNEXT_DRIVE| bundles (ones with ``lm`` in their name, such as 
  ``rti_connext_drive-2.0.0-lm-x64Win64VS2017.exe``), |CONNEXT_MICRO| has been built with 
  only the features available in |CONNEXT_CERT| and included as a binary library and header 
  files to give an accurate representation of the functionality and performance available 
  within |CONNEXT_CERT|.

For additional questions or guidance around RTI’s safety libraries, please contact your 
sales representative.