The high order language JOVIAL was developed for the U.S. Air Force by the System Development Corporation (SDC) in the late 1950s. The name originally recommended was OVIAL, for Our Own Version of the International Algebraic Language. Jules Schwartz, a computer scientist then employed at SDC, wrote,
"In the late 1950s, society wasn't quite as free thinking as it is today. The name OVIAL seemed to have a connotation relative to the birth process that did not seem acceptable to some people."
At a January 1959 meeting, the subject of an acceptable name was discussed. Someone suggested the name JOVIAL as the easiest transition from OVIAL. The question of the meaning of the "J" arose. Since Jules Schwartz was standing in the front of the room conducting the meeting, someone suggested the language be called, "Jules' Own Version of the International Algebraic Language." The meeting ended without finalizing the name, but when a contract for SDC to develop the language and a compiler was published, the arbitrarily chosen name was used, and it has stuck. [1]
Program Management Directive 9070, Oct. 26, 1983, directed activities necessary to develop and maintain embedded computer software standardization efforts within the Air Force. The objective is to provide systems with improved performance, high reliability, and lower lifecycle cost. To achieve the objectives of standardization, computer software support tools had to be developed for Air Force standards:
These support tools became the Integrated Tool Set (ITS). The roots of the ITS can be traced back to a JOVIAL compiler developed by the Air Force in the late 1970s. This was later joined by software tools for MIL-STD-1750A computers. These early tools were replaced when the Embedded Computer Standardization Program Office (ECSPO), ASD-AFALC/AXTS, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, contracted for development of the ITS.
The JOVIAL/MIL-STD-1750A ITS is a set of production quality software support tools that were developed under contract to the ECSPO. Management responsibility was transferred in 1987 to the Aerospace Guidance and Metrology Center (AGMC), Newark Air Force Base, Ohio. AGMC began to distribute the ITS in November 1987, after the support contract lapsed and award of the new contract was delayed. Transfer of program management responsibility to AGMC was completed in May 1988. Now, due to the base closure of AGMC, the program management responsibility has been transferred back to Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. The U.S. Air Force JOVIAL ITS Program Office is located at Aeronautical Systems Center/LDAJ.
The ITS has evolved over the years. At one time, it was hosted on three different computer mainframe systems. Then, because the overwhelming majority of users preferred Digital Equipment Corporation VAX computers, the ITS was supported only on VAX. Now, because of new interests, the personal computer (PC)-based UNIX and MS-DOS product lines have been produced, and preliminary development has begun on a reduced instruction-set computer (RISC) environment compiler.
Each ITS contains a JOVIAL compiler (which can produce code executable on a VAX, PC, or MIL-STD-1750A computer), MIL-STD-1750A assembler, linker, and simulator/debugger. The ITS is required for development and maintenance of application programs embedded in aircraft on-board avionics, tactical and strategic missiles, munitions, and space systems. Maintaining these software support tools is an extremely complex task. Optimization of compilers requires a great deal of knowledge concerning computer instruction set architecture, plus keeping track of the cumulative effects of source language statements. Maintenance of the other tools requires similar knowledge and skills.
The most recent version of the VAX ITS, Version 9.000, has been provided to over 50 Department of Defense (DoD) organizations and DoD contractors since its release. Moreover, the latest versions of the PC-based UNIX and MS-DOS tool sets have been provided to over 25 DoD organizations and DoD contractors. The prior versions of the VAX have been requested by more than 600 individuals and organizations in support of over 150 different systems. Some of the more notable weapon systems using JOVIAL are shown in Figure 1.
| Advanced Cruise Missile. AEGIS (Advanced Electronic Guidance and Instrumentation System). B-1B Lancer. B-2 Spirit. B-52 Stratofortress. C-17 Globemaster III. C-130 Hercules. E-3 Sentry AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System). E-4B Airborne Command Post. F-15 Eagle. F-16 Fighting Falcon. F/A-18 Hornet. F-22. F-117 Nighthawk. LANTIRN (Low Altitude Navigational Targeting Infrared for Night). MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System). SOF (Special Operations Forces). U-2R. UH-60 Blackhawk. |
| Figure 1: Selected Weapon Systems Using JOVIAL. |
Failure to continue this effort will adversely impact current and future standardization efforts. The Air Force has invested approximately $16 million in development and maintenance of the ITS over more than 15 years. If the standard baseline configuration is not maintained, it will adversely affect DoD weapon system support activities, i.e., legacy software reuse efforts, and Air Force development efforts that rely on the availability of support software for the JOVIAL HOL.
Historically, a number of Air Force program offices have provided the ITS to software developing and supporting contractors as government-furnished property. Under such contracts, failure to update and correct software deficiencies could result in government default and allow the contractor to renegotiate weapon system costs and schedules under sole source conditions. For a specific weapon system, this could result in a significant cost increase to the Department of Defense. Overall software support costs would increase because separate funding would be required to maintain unique versions of ITS for each weapon system. Proliferation of the ITS would also increase, thus further reducing the commonality of weapon system support software.
The mission of the U.S. Air Force JOVIAL ITS Program Office is to provide current and future customers with superior service and support and distribution of the best JOVIAL compilers and MIL-STD-1750A tool sets available. In compliance with the Air Force policy of software reuse, this office provides a cost-effective way to maintain and modernize existing quality software products. The JOVIAL ITS Program Office is working with several system program offices to provide JOVIAL products for standard use within the Air Force, i.e., J3 and J3B2. As part of this service, organizations can receive assistance with reusing, rehosting, retargeting, and development issues at no cost.
Now available, at no cost to U.S. government agencies and contractors, are JOVIAL compilers hosted on the Intel 80386 and higher computers running under both UNIX and MS-DOS and targeted to MIL-STD-1750A. Also available is the PC UNIX-based compiler targeted to the Intel 80386 under UNIX. The MIL-STD-1750A targeted compilers include a MIL-STD-1750A macro assembler, a linker, and an interpretive computer simulator.
In an effort to maintain JOVIAL development environments current with today's technology and provide a cost-effective way to modernize operational aircraft, we are pursuing the development of hosting the JOVIAL compiler to a RISC architecture. We have not forgotten our VAX JOVIAL community; support is still available for the ITS hosted on the VAX architecture.
If your organization has any JOVIAL language requirements, no matter the dialect, please phone us or visit our Web page.
John M. Miller, Program Manager
Charles F. Saffle Jr., Lead Engineer
USAF JOVIAL ITS Program Office
ASC/LDAJ, Area B, Building 28, Room 300
2145 Monahan Way
Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433-7017
Voice: 513-255-6146 DSN 785-6146
Ext. 3631 (Miller) or 3633 (Saffle)
Fax: 513-476-7274
Internet:
millerjm@sm4.ascsm.wpafb.af.mil
safflecf@sm4.ascsm.wpafb.af.mil
Web:
http://www.wpafb.af.mil/jovial/ (May 1, 1996)
Note
1. JOVIAL Language Control Facility Newsletter, Vol. 4, No. 3, June 1982.