wolfIP is a deterministic TCP/IP stack designed for embedded and safety-critical systems where memory usage, timing, and behavior must be defined before runtime. By eliminating dynamic allocation and fixing system resources up front, it enables predictable operation that supports verification and certification efforts.
Edmonds, Washington – April 7, 2026 – wolfSSL Inc. today announced wolfIP, a lightweight TCP/IP stack designed for embedded and safety-critical systems where memory usage, timing, and system behavior must be defined and bounded before deployment.
Traditional TCP/IP stacks rely on dynamic memory allocation, background processing, and variable resource usage, making behavior difficult to bound. These characteristics complicate verification and certification efforts. wolfIP removes that variability by fixing memory usage and system resources before runtime.
wolfIP allocates memory for socket tables and RX/TX packet buffers at build time. Runtime behavior remains fixed, allowing engineers to define memory usage and system limits up front.
“If you can’t bound memory and timing, you can’t fully understand system behavior,” said Todd Ouska, wolfSSL Inc. CTO. “wolfIP gives engineers a fixed model they can analyze, test, and verify.”
Determinism by Design
wolfIP uses a fixed execution model:
- No dynamic memory allocation (no malloc/free)
- Fixed number of sockets and preallocated packet buffers
- No hidden threads or background tasks
- All networking resources defined before runtime
This approach keeps system behavior consistent and measurable, supporting worst-case timing and memory analysis.
Architecture Focused on Embedded Endpoints
wolfIP is designed as an embedded endpoint stack. It focuses on functionality required by connected devices, such as TCP and UDP communication, IP services like DHCP and DNS, and HTTPS endpoints, without introducing routing features or additional layers that increase system complexity.
This narrower scope keeps behavior predictable and easier to analyze in safety-critical environments.
Smaller Codebase, Reduced Audit Scope
wolfIP uses a simplified design and a constrained feature set, resulting in a TCP/IP core that is approximately four times smaller than lwIP (~4,200 vs ~17,000 lines of code).
This reduced codebase limits the amount of functionality that must be reviewed, tested, and validated, helping narrow the scope of analysis during development and certification.
Designed for Certification-Oriented Development
wolfIP aligns with the needs of safety-critical systems, including DO-178C. Its fixed memory model simplifies memory analysis, while bounded resource usage supports timing analysis.
The minimal architecture allows engineers to generate clearer verification artifacts and conduct repeatable testing with fewer unknowns.
Integrated Secure Communication
wolfIP pairs directly with wolfSSL to provide secure communication without introducing additional runtime variability. TLS 1.3 integrates through a clean I/O callback interface, maintaining consistent behavior across networking and cryptographic layers.
Portable Across Development and Deployment Environments
wolfIP is designed for deployment across bare-metal systems, RTOS environments, and POSIX platforms including Linux, FreeBSD, and macOS as a userspace TCP/IP replacement. This flexibility supports reproducible testing and consistent behavior across development and target systems.
Learn more
To learn more or request evaluation access, visit www.wolfssl.com/products/wolfip or contact facts@wolfssl.com or call us at +1 425 245 8247.
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