Safety-critical display programs have always carried one assumption: advanced graphics require dedicated GPU hardware. DiSTI has spent decades working inside aerospace, automotive, defense, medical, and space environments and that assumption has been a ceiling for too long. As a leading provider of HMI development tool solutions and 3D virtual maintenance training systems, we’ve watched the same hardware constraint slow programs down across aerospace, defense, medical, automotive, and space-related programs. This strategic partnership with Microchip Technology, along with the GL Studio SC Software Renderer, directly addresses that long-standing constraint.
The Challenges Safety-Critical Display Programs Keep Running Into
Safety-critical display programs across aerospace, defense, medical, and automotive have long operated under the same constraint — advanced graphics require dedicated GPU hardware. That single dependency has shaped platform decisions, driven up costs, and complicated certification programs that are already demanding. These are the constraints GL Studio SC was built to address as an HMI development tool designed for safety-critical graphics without GPU dependence.
- GPU dependency drives processor selection away from computational needs and toward graphics requirements — increasing BOM costs and limiting platform flexibility across every refresh cycle
- Radiation-tolerant platforms beyond Low Earth Orbit and in high-radiation defense environments were never designed to carry GPU capability — leaving graphics teams with limited options and visual compromises
- Software defined vehicle architectures are moving toward centralized, software-configurable compute, but most graphics stacks still assume dedicated rendering hardware underneath
- DO-178C certification gets harder with every additional hardware component in the chain — more dependencies mean longer timelines, more re-verification exposure, and higher compliance costs over the program lifecycle
- HMI development tools tied to specific hardware ecosystems create a gap between prototyping and embedded deployment — one that costs time, rework, and integration friction
- Virtual maintenance training and space-related graphical applications need reliable 2D and 3D rendering on constrained hardware platforms.
These constraints show up consistently across the programs we work with. GL Studio SC was built to remove them.
The Partnership: Bringing GL Studio SC Software Renderer to Microchip’s Mi-V Ecosystem
Joining Microchip Technology’s Mi-V ecosystem was a deliberate technical decision. By porting GL Studio SC to the PolarFire® SoC FPGA, we extended safety-critical graphics capability into hardware environments where GPU support has never been an option. The result is a demonstrated RISC-V based path to advanced graphics for programs that couldn’t access it before.
What the Mi-V ecosystem brings to safety-critical programs
Microchip’s Mi-V partner network is built around open RISC-V based tools, IP, and partner solutions designed specifically for specialized, safety-critical applications. For programs working on radiation-tolerant platforms, power-constrained systems, or beyond-LEO deployments, this ecosystem provides a development foundation that conventional GPU-dependent stacks simply don’t support. GL Studio SC now sits inside that foundation.
What the PolarFire® SoC FPGA port means in practice
Validating GL Studio SC on the Microchip MPFS250 Video Kit — on a 100kRAD capable SoC — means programs operating in high-radiation environments now have a working, tested path to advanced 2D and 3D graphics without dedicated GPU hardware. This moves hardware-independent rendering from concept to demonstrated capability.
How Honeywell Aerospace shaped the development
This technology demonstration wasn’t built in a vacuum. DiSTI worked in collaboration with Honeywell Aerospace during development — which means the renderer was tested against real aerospace-grade requirements from the start. For programs evaluating this solution, that collaboration is relevant context for what the renderer was built to handle.
What this means for RISC-V based safety-critical programs
Together, DiSTI and Microchip are making it possible for safety-critical programs to bring graphics-rich applications to market on scalable, secure, power-efficient RISC-V platforms — without the hardware overhead that has historically driven up cost and complexity. The partnership is designed to give programs more options, not add more dependencies.
The Value We Deliver Across Your Entire Program
GL Studio SC delivers value at every stage — from architecture through deployment.
System Architects — Processor Decisions Driven by Compute, Not Graphics
- Select processors based on computational needs, not graphics requirements
- Reduce BOM costs by eliminating dedicated GPU hardware
- Retain flexibility for platform upgrades without re-evaluating your graphics stack
Dev Teams — No More Gap Between Prototyping and Deployment
- Accelerated development using GL Studio’s visual design environment
- Seamless workflow from prototype to embedded target
- Simplified integration with fewer hardware dependencies to manage
Certification Programs — Fewer Dependencies, Cleaner DO-178C Path
- Fewer hardware components in the certification chain
- Reduced re-certification exposure when hardware changes
- Proven safety-critical runtime with extensive operational history behind it
End Users — Consistent, Reliable Displays Across Every Platform
- Intuitive displays that enhance situational awareness
- Consistent experience across platforms, regardless of underlying hardware
- Improved reliability through reduced hardware complexity
Every stakeholder in the program gets something concrete. That’s what a system-level solution looks like.
The Industries Where This Changes the Most
GL Studio SC addresses a hardware constraint that shows up across multiple industries — each with its own version of the same problem. From radiation-tolerant aerospace platforms to software-defined vehicle architectures, the need for GPU-free, certifiable graphics runs deeper than any single sector.
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Aerospace and Beyond-LEO Space Programs
Radiation-tolerant platforms beyond Low Earth Orbit need graphics capability without GPU dependency. GL Studio SC running on a 100kRAD capable SoC addresses exactly that.
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Defense Systems on Radiation-Tolerant Platforms
Defense programs operating in high-radiation environments face the same hardware constraints. GL Studio SC gives these programs a path to advanced graphics on processor-based platforms suited for demanding environments.
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Software Defined Vehicle and Automotive Safety Applications
As vehicle architectures shift toward software-defined, centralized compute, graphics stacks need to follow. GL Studio SC runs without dedicated GPU hardware — which is where software defined vehicle platforms are heading.
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Medical and Virtual Maintenance Training Deployments
Medical devices and virtual maintenance training systems often need reliable, accurate displays on hardware selected for safety, reliability, or deployment constraints — not graphics acceleration.
Conclusion
GL Studio SC isn’t new technology entering a new market. It’s built on decades of deployment in certified aerospace and defense systems, validated on the Microchip MPFS250 Video Kit, and backed by full DO-178C documentation and integration support. For programs involving aerospace displays, radiation-tolerant platforms, advanced HMI, and Virtual Reality Space visualization requirements, the operational history exists. The technical proof exists. And DiSTI’s team is available to support your program from integration through certification.
The GL Studio SC Software Renderer is available now for qualified safety-critical programs. If your program is facing GPU dependency constraints, platform limitations, or certification complexity from hardware-heavy graphics stacks — this is exactly the challenge GL Studio SC was built to address. Contact DiSTI’s team at sales@disti.com to discuss your program requirements, integration path, and certification support.
