Test & Measurement

    Ampyx Power taps VectorCAST to help develop next-gen energy tech

    09/14/2016

    - Vector Software, the leading provider of innovative software solutions for embedded software quality, announced today that Ampyx Power, a developer of Airborne Wind Energy technology, has selected the VectorCAST test automation platform to support DO-178C Level A software testing requirements.

    Ampyx Power is developing a new wind energy technology that is due to disrupt the electricity market. In the future Ampyx Power can provide abundant renewable energy at cost levels below any other method of electricity generation. Ampyx Power’s airborne wind energy system converts wind at high altitudes (up to 450m) into electricity. Ampyx Power uses a tethered aircraft (PowerPlane) to unwind a winch during flight and thereby propel a generator on the ground.

    Paul Williams, lead control engineer in Australia said, “At Ampyx Power we strive for two essential ingredients: safety and innovation. Developing new technology that is also compliant to the aviation certification regulations requires careful balancing of new ideas and proven solutions. Virtually all enabling new technology features software as a critical element, and certification of our end product necessitates compliance to DO-178C and its supplements. Vector CAST provides us with a proven solution for meeting the structural coverage analysis objectives of DO-178C and is able to integrate seamlessly into our automated test environment. VectorCAST software provides a cost-efficient automated approach for ensuring that the software we develop is both robust and reliable, allowing Ampyx Power to focus more of our time on innovation.”

    "VectorCAST provides organizations like Ampyx Power with a comprehensive automated software testing solution that supports the capture and reporting of structural code coverage data prescribed by DO-178C and ED-12C up to and including Level A,” commented William McCaffrey, chief operating officer of Vector Software. “We are delighted to have the opportunity to contribute to a system that will create clean and renewable energy.”

    Vector Software

    Ampyx Power

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