Rolls-Royce has been developing high integrity digital processing solutions for its safety critical aerospace engine controllers since the 1980s. By the turn of the century, the electronics industry experienced an inflection point. This resulted in a shift to a consumer driven market and a much-reduced focus on the harsh environment electronics and the extended life cycles required by the aerospace industry. As a result, Rolls-Royce took the decision to design its own microprocessor, and for the last 25 years, has been successfully developing harsh environment safety critical processing solutions for all its aerospace engines.

Alongside the ever-increasing performance expectations, the past few years have seen cyber-security become a major driver in new processor developments. This presents new and interesting development challenges that will need to be addressed.

This talk will provide insight into the Rolls-Royce processor strategy and explore the challenges associated with the continued development of future high integrity processing solutions.