Articles 1 - 15
Radar/EW
High-voltage power distribution enhances platform modernization - Story
January 04, 2010
The new generation of ground-based vehicles has moved away from the traditional 28 VDC power generation and distribution systems to high-voltage systems of typically 610 VDC, achieving great savings in space, weight, cost, and efficiency. Although easier to implement on new vehicle designs, high-voltage technology and many of its component parts can also be introduced into existing vehicles to great effect ? without the whole scale and potentially disruptive replacement of every 28 VDC powered electromechanical or electronic subsystem. Modernization programs aim to improve the warfighter?s operational effectiveness and survivability.
Comms
Preparing for lead-free electronics - Story
October 27, 2009
The rapid adoption of lead-free solder is the most significant change brought to the defense market as a result of RoHS and WEEE influences. However, many military and aerospace equipment integrators, vendors, and end users are wary of using lead-free materials because of concerns about long-term reliability, temperature, and harsh military environmental use.
Unmanned
Transporting and recording high volumes of sensor data - Story
September 23, 2009
With today's high-volume transmission of data generated by ground- and air-based surveillance radar and various types of sonar, many modern military embedded applications are migrating to 10 GbE.
Radar/EW
COTS vendors speed FPGA development cycle - Story
August 14, 2009
FPGAs' complexity and inherent flexibility necessitate prequalified tools, IP components, and a coherent development framework to keep tight project control. Consequently, COTS vendors are rising to the challenge of developers' maturing expectations by continuously improving toolsets and product integration.
Cyber
COTS steps up to embedded computing security - Story
June 17, 2009
Though migrating to IPv6 gives higher security levels, reverse engineering is also a threat should technology fall into the wrong hands. However, precautions can prevent the enemy from unraveling national secrets hidden within firmware, software, or hardware.
Radar/EW
New mezzanine standard supports multi-GHz signal acquisition - Story
May 16, 2009
Vendors producing off-the-shelf FPGA wares face the issue of offering the greatest flexibility with the fewest design iterations. Accordingly, VITA 57 (FPGA Mezzanine Card or FMC) is bridging FPGA I/O capability and the external world.
Unmanned
JPEG2000 cuts delays in digital video distribution - Story
March 20, 2009
Digital video distribution is a major growth area - and not just on traditional surveillance platforms such as naval combat systems, maritime patrol aircraft, or armored scout vehicles. Digital distribution removes the straitjacket of wired analog distribution, with discrete cables per video source, enabling video to be distributed over multiple carriers over long distances and at high quality and high resolutions.
Comms
More power to ground vehicle systems - Story
February 10, 2009
As the roles and missions of ground vehicles become more complex, the demands placed on their electrical power generation and distribution systems have increased dramatically. Even light, high-mobility vehicles, such as the ubiquitous High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), are being mounted with sensor, weapon, and communications systems requiring much greater generating capacity than they were originally designed to provide.
Comms
Enhanced network security protects warfighters' platforms - Story
November 11, 2008
The rollout of planned Network Enabled Capability (NEC) by a number of nations' armed forces highlights the need for renewed emphasis on security. Networks are being implemented that encompass all levels of information and intelligence exchange from strategic planning, logistics, battle groups, and sensor and weapons platforms down to the tactical deployment of individuals.
Avionics
Optical fiber connectivity for rugged, embedded systems - Story
September 25, 2008
Optical fiber is the transmission medium of choice for many military and aerospace applications because of its immunity to EMI, its lack of detectable electromagnetic emissions, its lower weight than copper cabling, and its ability to transmit high-speed signals over greater distances than equivalent copper connections.
Radar/EW
New FPGAs slot into heterogeneous DSP systems - Story
July 08, 2008
There is no doubt that FPGAs with their large arrays of multipliers have transformed the repetitive, parallel processing of sensor data at the front end of DSP systems such as radar, signals intelligence, and Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR). Although earlier FPGAs offered the computational performance required, integrating the FPGA with the next level of processing while achieving optimal performance and dataflows required specialized skills as well as intimate application knowledge.
Radar/EW
Integrated embedded systems need well-defined management strategy - Story
June 24, 2008
Platform and shelf management strategies using standards such as Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) are well established in the enterprise and telecommunications sectors. Until recently, the diversity of military applications for embedded computing plus a number of developing military requirements for power management and security - has mitigated against the direct adoption of these types of system management concepts.
Comms
Rugged 10 GbE closes technology gap for military - Story
May 09, 2008
While 10 GbE technology is still in its infancy via the XAUI standard, for example, it has not gained wide traction in the critical embedded market. However, the 10GBASE-KX4 serialized four-lane 10 GbE backplane standard is emerging to solve the challenge.
Radar/EW
Graphics Processing Unit accelerates scan conversion - Story
April 02, 2008
Many examples abound as to why the adoption of COTS technologies has been such a success story for the military. The maximum benefit is obtainable where massive commercial technology investment can be leveraged directly to solve a similar technology problem in another domain.
Unmanned
Brushing up on motor control - Story
January 13, 2008
The recent advances in high-power electric motion control and the introduction of hybrid electric drive to fighting vehicles arguably deserves a high placing in the top 10 list of technologies for the war fighter for speed of reaction, reduction of workload, reliability, and remarkable power density.
Articles 1 - 15
