SYSGO and Kontron Deliver Validated PikeOS Support for the VX3060 VPX Card

SYSGO and Kontron have extended their long-standing partnership with the release of a validated Board Support Package (BSP) that brings PikeOS to the Kontron VX3060, a rugged VPX plug-in card built on 11th Generation Intel Core processors. The announcement, made September 8, targets developers building safety- and security-critical systems for defence, transportation and industrial automation.

For engineers, the practical value lies in reduced integration risk. Rather than porting and validating an operating system from scratch on new hardware, teams can deploy PikeOS directly on the VX3060 or on Kontron systems such as the HARAKAN-F2 that embed the card, using a BSP that already covers Ethernet, UART, thermal and voltage monitoring sensors, and mass storage interfaces. Security-focused features — Trusted Platform Module integration and Secure Boot — are available on request, addressing cyber resilience requirements that are increasingly mandatory in defence and critical infrastructure procurement.

Why Mixed-Criticality Matters

PikeOS operates as a separation-kernel hypervisor and, optionally, as a combined hypervisor and real-time operating system. That flexibility lets developers consolidate applications with different criticality levels — a hard real-time control loop alongside a Linux-based HMI, for example — onto a single VPX card while maintaining strict isolation between workloads. For system architects, this translates directly into reduced size, weight, power consumption and lifecycle cost, all persistent constraints in ruggedized platforms deployed on vehicles, vessels or forward-operating equipment.

"By extending PikeOS support to the VX3060, we provide developers with a validated hardware and software platform that reduces integration effort and enables faster deployment of secure and mixed-criticality applications," said Sébastien Vitre, Product Manager at Kontron.

A European Technology Stack

Both companies frame the collaboration around technological sovereignty — a theme with growing procurement weight across European defence and infrastructure programs. Carsten Beck of SYSGO's Partner Management noted the pairing delivers "rugged hardware, advanced virtualization, real-time capabilities, and security features" from a wholly European supply chain, an increasingly relevant differentiator as export-control and supply-chain assurance requirements tighten across NATO and EU procurement frameworks.

For Nordic engineering teams working in defence, maritime and critical infrastructure — sectors where certification traceability and long-term platform support are non-negotiable — a pre-validated European hardware/software stack removes a significant qualification burden. It shortens the path from platform selection to system bring-up, particularly relevant for programs operating under tightening security and sovereignty requirements in the region.

The BSP is available immediately, covering core interfaces for system bring-up with additional security capabilities available on request.