1. Introduction

1.1. What is FACE TSS?

FACE™ (Future Airborne Capability Environment) is an open software technical standard designed by the Open Group FACE Consortium to improve affordability, accelerate development time, and increase compatibility across different computing environments. This standard establishes a common operating environment, enabling software components to be reused across avionics systems that use the FACE Reference Architecture.

Within the FACE architecture, the TSS (Transport Services Segment) defines how data moves within a system to optimize component portability and streamline system development.

For detailed information, the FACE Technical Standard, Edition 3.2, is available for download from the FACE Open Group Library.

1.2. What is RTI Connext TSS?

RTI® Connext® TSS, part of the RTI Connext product suite, is a customizable TSS solution based upon the open Data Distribution Service (DDS™) standard. Conformant with FACE 3.2, Connext TSS 4.1.0-EAR provides the APIs and capabilities that FACE portable components use to share data. This data can be exchanged across multiple networks, safety levels, and components from different suppliers.

Connext TSS 4.1.0-EAR also provides a TPM (Transport Protocol Module) interface, allowing the use of different transports within the TSS. This feature enables development of custom TPMs and integration of third-party TPMs with Connext TSS and the RTI Connext Micro TPM adapter.

This manual includes detailed information about installing, configuring, and using Connext TSS.

Note

Connext TSS 4.1.0 is an EAR (Early Access Release) and does not support Connext Professional. It is intended for customer development evaluation. This release is not intended for production; a production-ready version of 4.1.0 will be available in the future.

See the Connext Releases page on the RTI website for more information on RTI’s software release model.

1.3. What is RTI Connext Micro?

RTI Connext Micro provides a small-footprint, modular messaging solution for resource-limited devices that have limited memory and CPU power, and may not even be running an operating system. It provides the communications services that developers need to distribute time-critical data. Additionally, Connext Micro is designed to become a certifiable component in high-assurance systems.

Connext TSS 4.1.0 is compatible with Connext Micro versions 2.4.13.1, 2.4.13.4, and 2.4.13.5, which meet the exacting standards required by avionics systems.

This manual may suggest reading sections of the Connext Micro documentation. These documents are in your Connext Micro installation directory. Since installation directories vary per user, links are not provided to these documents on your local machine.

1.4. About this Document

This manual is written for developers and engineers with a background in software development.

1.4.1. Paths Mentioned in Documentation

This documentation refers to:

  • <RTITSSHOME> refers to the installation directory for Connext TSS.

    You may also see $RTITSSHOME on Linux or %RTITSSHOME% on Windows, which refer to an environment variable set to the installation path.

  • <RTIMEHOME> refers to the installation directory for Connext Micro.

    You may also see $RTIMEHOME on Linux or %RTIMEHOME% on Windows, which refer to an environment variable set to the installation path.

  • <path to examples> refers to the examples folder in the installation directory for Connext TSS.

Whenever you see <RTITSSHOME> or <RTIMEHOME> used in a path, replace it with your installation path.

1.5. Support Resources

1.5.1. Community Forum

RTI has created a Connext TSS Special Interest Group (SIG) on our community site for advice, suggestions, or support. Note that anything you post to this forum is open to the public; please take precaution about any information you share.

1.5.2. RTI Connext Micro Documentation

Documentation for Connext Micro is available in the doc folder of your Connext Micro installation directory.

Documentation for other RTI products is available at the RTI community site.

1.5.3. Training and Professional Services

If you’re new to DDS, the following resources can help you learn about this middleware standard:

  • Connext Developer Guide. A series of short, independent, hands-on training modules introduce you to basic DDS concepts.

  • Connext AI Chatbot. Get real-time assistance and comprehensive information about Connext features and functionality. Get more information about the chatbot here.

You can also contact the RTI Professional Services team team or your local RTI representative to learn from our experts.

1.5.4. Technical Support

Phone: (408) 990-7444
Email: support@rti.com
Website: https://support.rti.com/