Apex.Ida Connectors – Bridging Real-Time Systems to the World

In our previous posts, we introduced the Basics of Apex.Ida and Apex.Ida IDL Importers. Now, we turn our attention to a critical capability for modern distributed applications: connectivity. 

Whether you're building an autonomous system, integrating into a legacy automotive stack, or connecting to the cloud, Apex.Ida Connectors ensure that your applications can communicate beyond process and platform boundaries—with flexibility, safety, and performance. 

Apex.Ida Connectors

A Unified Framework for Diverse Protocols 

Apex.Ida supports a wide range of network protocols used across automotive, robotics, and IoT systems. From CAN bus to DDS-RTPS, SOME/IP, and MQTT, Apex.Ida enables seamless integration with both legacy infrastructure and forward-looking cloud architectures. 

At the center of this capability is the Connector Framework—a modular, extensible architecture that decouples protocol handling from application logic. Each Connector is composed of two parts: 

• A plugin that handles message serialization and deserialization 

• A gateway process that bridges Apex.Ida’s internal shared memory transport with the external wired or wireless network 

Gateways run in separate processes, safely isolating protocol stacks from safety-critical logic and supporting mixed-criticality deployments. This architecture allows developers to cleanly integrate third-party protocol stacks while preserving system integrity. 

DDS-RTPS: Real-Time Interoperability 

The DDS-RTPS Connector enables Apex.Ida-based applications to participate in DDS-based ecosystems—widely used in robotics, defense, and industrial systems. 

Built on the Real-Time Publish-Subscribe (RTPS) protocol, this connector supports: 

• Dynamic discovery of endpoints 

• QoS negotiation for policies like reliability, durability, and history 

• CDR-based message serialization 

The RTPS gateway handles communication with external DDS participants while maintaining compatibility with Apex.Ida’s internal publish-subscribe model—making it easy to build applications that span Ethernet networks. 

SOME/IP: Designed for AUTOSAR 

The SOME/IP Connector brings Apex.Ida into the world of AUTOSAR-compliant Ethernet communication. It maps SOME/IP events and methods to Apex.Ida’s internal communication primitives enable seamless interaction between service-oriented automotive stacks and real-time system components. 

Highlights include: 

• Support for Franca IDL and AUTOSAR ARXML interface definitions 

• YAML-based configuration of service mappings 

• End-to-end protection in line with AUTOSAR specifications 

• Dynamic service discovery and deployment flexibility 

The SOME/IP Connector manages all protocol complexity in an isolated gateway process, allowing developers to extend Apex.Ida applications into AUTOSAR environments without modifying application code. 

CAN: Legacy Made Modern 

Despite its age, CAN remains a foundational technology in embedded and automotive systems. The CAN Connector in Apex.Ida ensures continued compatibility while offering modern features. 

It supports: 

• Classical CAN and CAN-FD 

• Standard and extended identifiers 

• Configuration via DBC or AUTOSAR ARXML 

• Signal multiplexing 

The CAN gateway is built on Linux SocketCAN by default, with options for platform-specific drivers or shared memory-based transport of Protocol Data Units (PDUs). Whether you need to process deserialized signals or raw frames, the CAN Connector provides a flexible interface to legacy vehicle networks. 

MQTT: Bridging to the Cloud 

For applications that extend into cloud environments, the MQTT Connector enables lightweight, secure communication over the internet. 

It offers: 

• TLS encryption for secure transport 

• Protobuf-based message support 

• Compatibility with brokers like AWS IoT Core 

• Seamless mapping between Apex.Ida topics and MQTT topics 

This connector is ideal for transmitting telemetry, diagnostics, and command messages from real-time systems to cloud platforms—enabling use cases like remote monitoring or fleet analytics. 

 Future-Proof, Field-Ready 

Apex.Ida’s Connector framework is extensible by design. New protocol support can be added through clean, well-defined interfaces, and existing interface models—like OMG IDL, AUTOSAR ARXML, and Franca IDL—can be reused via an intermediate-type model. This not only accelerates integration but also reduces the risk and cost of maintaining protocol-specific variants across projects. 

With Connectors, you can integrate with: 

• Existing DDS or ROS 2 environments 

• AUTOSAR-based E/E architectures 

• Legacy CAN networks 

• Secure IoT platforms 

—all without rewriting application logic or compromising system integrity. 

Want to Connect the Dots? 

Apex.Ida Connectors make it easy to bridge real-time systems with the networks and protocols they need to operate in the real world—whether inside the vehicle, across the factory floor, or into the cloud. 

Ready to Learn More? 

If you're building systems that span embedded devices, cloud services, or anything in between, Apex.Ida Connectors can help you integrate faster and safer. Contact our team to schedule a live walkthrough or see how Apex.Ida can fit your architecture.