linecode / iceoryx

Eclipse iceoryx™ - true zero-copy inter-process-communication

iceoryx - true zero-copy inter-process-communication

Introduction

Great that you've made it to this little Eclipse project! Let's get you started by providing a quick background tour, introducing the project scope and all you need for installation and a first running example.

So first off: What is iceoryx?

iceoryx is an inter-process-communication (IPC) middleware for various operating systems (currently we support Linux, MacOS and QNX). It has its origins in the automotive industry, where large amounts of data have to be transferred between different processes when it comes to driver assistance or automated driving systems. However, the efficient communication mechanisms can also be applied to a wider range of use cases, e.g. in the field of robotics or game development.

iceoryx uses a true zero-copy, shared memory approach that allows to transfer data from publishers to subscribers without a single copy. This ensures data transmissions with constant latency, regardless of the size of the payload. For more information have a look at the 1000 words iceoryx introduction

You're right, middleware is a cluttered term and can somehow be all or nothing, so let's talk about the goals and non-goals of iceoryx.

It's all about the API?!

Don't get too frightened of the API when strolling through the codebase. Think of the untyped C++ and the C API as a "plumbing" one ("plumbing" as defined in Git, which means low-level). We're not using the "plumbing" APIs ourselves, but instead the typed C++ API. The normal use case is that iceoryx is integrated as high-performance IPC transport layer in a bigger framework with additional API layers. An example for such a "porcelain" API would be ROS 2. Others are listed in the next section.

You can find the full API documentation on 🌐 https://iceoryx.io.

Where is Eclipse iceoryx used?

Framework	Description
ROS 2	Eclipse iceoryx can be used inside the Robot Operating System with rmw_iceoryx
eCAL	Open-source framework from Continental AG supporting pub/sub and various message protocols
RTA-VRTE	Adaptive AUTOSAR platform software framework for vehicle computer from ETAS GmbH
Cyclone DDS	Performant and robust open-source DDS implementation maintained by ADLINK Technology Inc.
Apex.OS	Safe and certified software framework for autonomous mobility systems from Apex.AI

Build and install

You can find the build and installation guidelines here.

Examples

After you've built all the necessary things, you can continue playing around with the examples.

Build and run in a Docker environment

If you want to avoid installing anything on your host machine but you have Docker installed, it is possible to use it to build and run iceoryx applications.

Please see the dedicated README.md for information on how to do this.

Documentation

• Getting Started
• Installation Guide
• Concepts
• Iceoryx Hoofs Hacker Guide

Targeted quality levels & platforms

Quality level are 5 to 1+, where 1+ is highest level.

CMake project/target	QNX	Linux, Windows, MacOS	Comment
iceoryx_hoofs	1+	2
iceoryx_posh	1+, 2	2	Will be split into separate targets
iceoryx_binding_c	2	2
iceoryx_examples	5	5	All example code in this folder
iceoryx_dds	4	4
iceoryx_introspection	5	5
iceoryx_meta	5	5

Is something missing or you've got ideas for other nifty examples? Jump right away to the next section!

Contribute

Please refer to the CONTRIBUTING.md for a quick read-up about what to consider if you want to contribute.

Planned features

Get to know the upcoming features and the project scope in PLANNED_FEATURES.md.

Innovations enabled by iceoryx

Name	Description	Technologies
Larry.Robotics	An iceoryx demonstrator for tinker, thinker and toddler	Demonstrator
iceoryx-rs	Experimental Rust wrapper for iceoryx	Rust
IceRay	An iceoryx introspection client written in Rust	Rust

Governance & maintainers

Please have a look at the GOVERNANCE.md.