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A COTS offering embedded in a strong industrial ecosystem

The ECRIN Systems COTS (Commercial Off-The-Shelf) offering relies on a broad network of manufacturing partners and technology specialists, each recognized for their expertise in their respective domains.

This approach enables our customers to benefit from qualified, proven technology building blocks, sourced from the best of the industry, while maintaining full control over technical and industrial risks.

A complementary network of technology partners

ECRIN Systems leverages a solid and structured ecosystem including:

 

Hardware and interconnects

  • Manufacturers of processors, FPGA, GPU.
  • Communication boards and buses:
    • PCI Express
    • Ethernet
    • Avionics
    • Field buses
  • Specialists in VPX, cPCI Serial, VNX+, ComExpress, COM HPC.
  • Key contributors to VITA and PICMG standards (motherboards, SBCs).

 

Software and systems

  • Experts in open-source and real-time software.
  • Providers of embedded operating systems (Linux, RTOS).

 

Rugged and long-life components

  • Suppliers of ruggedized components with long-term availability.

Value creation for customer systems

Thanks to this partner ecosystem, ECRIN Systems is able to:

  • Select mature and sustainable technologies,
  • Ensure interoperability between boards and subsystems,
  • Leverage and mutualize qualification and validation efforts,
  • Deliver solutions aligned with industrial technology roadmaps.

Customer systems therefore benefit from controlled innovation, without unnecessary exposure to technological risk.

Long-term support and availability: a core strength of COTS

Long-term support driven by the COTS industry

One of the key advantages of COTS solutions is that they rely on a structured and mature industry, rather than on a single supplier:

  • Open standards (VITA, PICMG)
  • Multi-sourcing capabilities
  • Products maintained over long life cycles
  • Continuity of skills, tools and ecosystems

Support and maintenance are thus ensured over time, independently of a single product or vendor.

 

ECRIN Systems’ role in long-term sustainability

As a system integrator, ECRIN Systems works closely with its partners to guarantee system sustainability throughout the life cycle:

  • Component availability management,
  • Obsolescence anticipation and mitigation,
  • Customer support across the entire product life cycle,
  • Maintenance in Operational Condition (MOC),
  • Coordination with manufacturing partners.

Customers benefit from a single point of contact, while leveraging the strength of a global industrial ecosystem.

 

Modified COTS (MCOTS)

Controlled adaptation, preserved long-term support

Modified COTS (MCOTS) solutions are based on the same industrial building blocks as standard COTS:

  • VPX, cPCI Serial, VNX+ boards
  • PICMG-compliant motherboards

They enable targeted adaptations while preserving the fundamental benefits of COTS.

 

Key benefits of Modified COTS

  • Targeted hardware and software adaptations.
  • Consideration of specific constraints:
    • Environmental,
    • Functional,
    • Interface-related.
  • Controlled additional qualification.

MCOTS provides a pragmatic approach to address requirements that cannot be fully met by standard COTS alone.

 

Certification and regulatory compliance

Within MCOTS projects, ECRIN Systems can address the following certification requirements:

Cybersecurity driven by the COTS industry

The COTS ecosystem now integrates cybersecurity as a baseline requirement:

  • Processors and SoCs with built-in hardware security features:
    • Secure Boot,
    • Root of Trust,
    • Hardware encryption.
  • FPGA devices with secure bitstream protection
  • Network components supporting secure protocols
  • Hardened embedded operating systems (Linux, RTOS)

 

Enhanced cybersecurity in the MCOTS approach

In an MCOTS context, cybersecurity is addressed from the modification phase onward, fully aligned with functional and regulatory system requirements.

CRITERIA ECRIN SYSTEMS COTS MODIFIED COTS
Technology base Industrial standards Adapted industrial standards
Formats VPX, cPCI Serial, VNX+, PICMG VPX, cPCI Serial, VNX+, PICMG
Customization level Low High
Cybersecurity Industry-integrated Reinforced
Certifications CE (partial) CE, DO-160, DO-254, DO-178*
Time-to-Market Very short Short and controlled
Long-term support Industrie COTS + ECRIN Systems Preserved
Project risk Low Controlled and justified

*Depending on project scope.

Conclusion

ECRIN Systems’ COTS offering is embedded in a robust industrial ecosystem of recognized manufacturers and technology specialists. It enables customers to leverage qualified technology building blocks while ensuring long-term support and availability, backed both by ECRIN Systems and the broader COTS industry.

The Modified COTS approach extends this model by providing the required level of adaptation, without compromising standardization, sustainability or life-cycle support.

👉 If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us via our contact form. All our teams are at your disposal to respond as quickly as possible.