The INTEGRITY-178B kernel's design guarantees bounded computation times by eliminating features such as dynamic memory allocation. An MMU is used to provide full-system memory protection for all components, including user applications, device drivers, and inter-partition communications. Clocks and timers are protected with access permissions and implemented entirely in software. INTEGRITY-178B uses memory protection and error-handling to provide a secure system with built-in fault isolation and tolerance. At the lowest level, the kernel is protected from malicious access through its object-oriented design and access verification.
Competing operating systems include LynuxWorks' LynxOS-178
and Wind River Systems' Platform For Safety Critical ARINC 653