iceoryx - true zero-copy inter-process-communication

This is the original implementation written in C++. For the Rust-based next-gen implementation, please have a look at iceoryx2.

1. Introduction
   1. Supported Platforms
   2. Where is Eclipse iceoryx used
2. Build and install
3. Examples
4. Build and run in a Docker environment
5. Documentation
6. Quality levels and platforms
7. Contribute
8. Planned features
9. Bindings and innovations enabled by iceoryx
10. Frequently Asked Questions
11. Commercial Support
12. Governance and maintainers

Introduction

Great that you've made it to this neat 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, QNX, FreeBSD and Windows 10). 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. To get a better impression what this means for iceoryx, please have a look at our goals and non-goals.

Don't get too frightened of the API when strolling through the examples. 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.

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

Supported Platforms

Modification or addition of new platforms is described in the custom iceoryx platforms article.

Operating System	Compiler	supports access rights for shared memory	command line parsing
Linux	gcc/clang	yes	yes
QNX	gcc	yes	yes
MacOS	clang	no, not planned for implementation	yes
Windows 10	msvc	no, not planned for implementation	will be implemented
FreeBSD (Unix)	clang	no, not planned for implementation	yes

In general unix platforms should work with iceoryx but we only test FreeBSD on our CI.

Where is Eclipse iceoryx used

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

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
• iceoryx Hoofs Hacker Guide

Quality levels and platforms

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

Please see the Quality Declaration for details of the quality measures according to ROS 2 guidelines.

CMake project/target	Current Level	Target Level QNX	Target Level Linux, Windows, macOS
iceoryx_hoofs	2	1+	1
iceoryx_posh	2	1+, 2	1
iceoryx_binding_c	2	2	2
iceoryx_examples	5	4	4
iceoryx_introspection	5	4	4
iceoryx_meta	5	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.

Bindings and innovations enabled by iceoryx

Name	Description	Technologies
iceoryx-rs	Rust binding for iceoryx	Rust
iceoryx-automotive-soa	Binding for automotive frameworks like AUTOSAR Adaptive ara::com	C++
iceoryx-gateway-dds	Gateway for Cyclone DDS	DDS
iceray	An iceoryx introspection client written in Rust	Rust
Larry.Robotics	An iceoryx demonstrator for tinker, thinker and toddler	Demonstrator

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ.md

Commercial Support

info@ekxide.io

commercial extensions and tooling custom feature development training and consulting integration support engineering services around the iceoryx ecosystem

Governance and maintainers

Please have a look at the GOVERNANCE.md.