Is IMA compatible with multicore processors?

In principle, there is nothing preventing IMA (Integrated Modular Avionics, DO-297) systems from including multicore processors. However, IMA requires robust time partitioning to be in place, and this is only possible when all interference channels are mitigated.

However, the system integrator should take care to ensure that even when some applications are causing worst-case interference, other applications are still able to meet all their timing and functional requirements.

This is a significant challenge, as all interference channels must be accounted for all applications.

There are some concessions that may need to be made, in terms of requirements for resource usage and/or CPU utilization on new partitions to be accepted. IMA requires the ability to integrate new partitions without the need for the re-acceptance of other partitions, which is incompatible with A(M)C objective MCP_Software_1, which requires that the WCET is calculated in the intended final configuration. A white paper on this topic is on a shortlist be added to future versions of MACH¹⁷⁸ Foundations.