eclipse/iceoryx ↗

About eclipse/iceoryx

Eclipse iceoryx is a high-performance inter-process communication (IPC) middleware written in C++ that enables zero-copy data transfer between processes using shared memory. Originally developed for the automotive industry to handle large data transfers in driver assistance and autonomous driving systems, it has found applications across robotics, game development, and other domains requiring efficient data exchange. The middleware ensures constant latency regardless of payload size by allowing data to move from publishers to subscribers without copying, making it ideal for systems with strict performance requirements.

The project supports multiple operating systems including Linux, macOS, QNX, FreeBSD, and Windows 10, with varying levels of feature completeness across platforms. It provides both low-level C and untyped C++ APIs as foundational "plumbing" interfaces, though the typical use case involves iceoryx serving as the transport layer beneath higher-level frameworks that provide more user-friendly APIs. ROS 2 is a prominent example of such integration through the rmw_iceoryx adapter, and other major frameworks like Eclipse eCAL, Cyclone DDS, and AUTOSAR Adaptive Platform implementations have adopted iceoryx for their communication needs.

The project maintains quality standards aligned with ROS 2 guidelines and provides comprehensive documentation, examples, and Docker support for easy evaluation. A companion Rust-based next-generation implementation called iceoryx2 is also available for projects preferring Rust, while various language bindings and extensions such as iceoryx-rs for Rust and iceoryx-automotive-soa for AUTOSAR frameworks expand its ecosystem. Commercial support and custom development services are available through partner organizations.