Articles 21 - 40
Radar/EW
DSP library portability speeds application development - Story
June 17, 2009
Though DSP libraries abound for AltiVec-based applications, new architectures require new potential hosts for DSP applications. Thus, new libraries providing advanced portability are integral to the equation.
Avionics
Rugged displays do more than meets the eye - Story
May 16, 2009
Today's rugged display monitors must be able to do more than just produce pretty pictures; they must also meet harsh environment and EMC requirements, and potentially integrate with an entire embedded computing subsystem or touch screen.
Radar/EW
VMEbus supports 64-bit Core 2 Duo processors - Story
March 20, 2009
Contrary to many industry pundits' gloomy predictions, VMEbus continues to survive and flourish. The simple reason is that it still offers real value, whether this is measured in cost, time, performance, or its unique blend of functionality for many new applications. In addition, it provides the most cost-effective upgrade path for the very large base of existing VME implementations, in both industrial and military systems. VME has managed to maintain backward compatibility through its extraordinarily long lifetime, preventing its market from becoming fragmented by customers exploring other options. Embedded applications are now realizing the performance and ease-of-use benefits of Intel's Core 2 Duo processors which, when combined with the extensive and flexible I/O capability possible within the VME profile, extends VME's potential to a much broader application base.
Radar/EW
VMEbus supports 64-bit Core 2 Duo processors - Story
March 20, 2009
Contrary to many industry pundits' gloomy predictions, VMEbus continues to survive and flourish. The simple reason is that it still offers real value, whether this is measured in cost, time, performance, or its unique blend of functionality for many new applications. In addition, it provides the most cost-effective upgrade path for the very large base of existing VME implementations, in both industrial and military systems. VME has managed to maintain backward compatibility through its extraordinarily long lifetime, preventing its market from becoming fragmented by customers exploring other options. Embedded applications are now realizing the performance and ease-of-use benefits of Intel's Core 2 Duo processors which, when combined with the extensive and flexible I/O capability possible within the VME profile, extends VME's potential to a much broader application base.
Radar/EW
Network attached data acquisition leads to configuration freedom - Story
February 10, 2009
Multichannel, low-frequency signal processing architectures used in test and measurement, vibration analysis, and acoustic processing (sonar) are undergoing revolutionary changes and diverging from equivalent high-frequency military applications such as imaging, signals intelligence, digital radio, or radar.
Unmanned
Image fusion enhances light armored vehicle capability - Story
November 11, 2008
There is a wide variety of video imaging sensors, each offering optimal viewing or detection characteristics depending on the type of object being observed and the meteorological, lighting, or background conditions. To maximize the probability of detection, images from more than one sensor can be compared in real time to maintain image context and highlight objects of interest. Images can be displayed from each sensor side-by-side for an operator to discriminate directly.
Radar/EW
Freescale Semiconductor's 8640D rekindles SBC power - Story
September 19, 2008
Continued customer demand for more functionality and performance in the same or smaller space envelope, consuming less power, drives every new generation of SBC and DSP engine to stretch the limits of power dissipation in the highly competitive 6U VMEbus, VXS, and VPX rugged embedded computing market. Advanced semiconductor processing and packaging technology now offer COTS vendors the possibility to pack in more functionality and compute performance than can be adequately cooled.
Avionics
Avionics bus interface revolution - Story
July 08, 2008
Avionics buses are traditionally slow to evolve, partly because requirements change so slowly and partly because of the costs of development, certification, and sustainment. It is with the development of new airplanes that the demand for new bus architectures evolves. This can be seen in the adoption of Fibre Channel for JSF and ARINC 664, also known as AFDX for new Boeing and Airbus airplane types.
Comms
COTS life-cycle management matures in changing market - Story
June 24, 2008
Rigorous component-level obsolescence management is becoming a priority in light of maintenance infrastructure reductions, operational maintenance changes, and shifting equipment life expectations.
Avionics
Built-in-Test plays a key role in system integrity - Story
May 09, 2008
Often perceived as just a tick in the box during the selection process, Built-in-Test (BIT) is an invaluable component of modular, embedded systems that are used for critical applications such as avionics mission systems, sensors, and weapons.
Radar/EW
Multicomputer software development systems come of age - Story
April 02, 2008
It was not so long ago that the typical DSP development package was a set of optimized libraries, plus a port to the industry standard Vector Signal Image Processing Library (VSIPL) and a driver for an RTOS. While these are still essential elements for algorithm development, the platforms that host DSP applications have become much more complex.
Comms
Off-the-shelf software enables embedded training - Story
January 13, 2008
Training has always been a top priority for the armed forces, and much of their time is spent honing their preparedness to deal with conflicts and operate the complex and sophisticated weapons platforms at their disposal. Training takes many forms ?including classroom, procedural, simulated, and embedded through to the live exercise. Each type is designed to prepare for every eventuality from the instinctive reaction to the intuitive reasoning required to deal with a real-life scenario. This need is reflected in the design of many weapons platforms where systems are now being architected so that their human interfaces (screens, keyboards, and pointing devices) are accessible both to live sensors and weapons and to the synthetically generated scenarios of embedded training.
Comms
Inside Ethernet switch source code - Story
July 20, 2007
The U.S. Navy has been using Ethernet for many years in combat systems, but many other types of platforms are also turning to Ethernet for its ease and economy of implementation, its wealth of hardware support, and its performance.
Unmanned
Filling the gaps in COTS subsystem integration - Story
April 02, 2007
As the digital battlefield takes shape, it is becoming ever more difficult to define the boundaries and requirements for embedded computing systems.
Unmanned
MicroTCA looks set to make military impact - Story
February 24, 2007
MicroTCA looks set to become the first serious contender to bridge the gap between the telecommunication and military markets, and could provide the breakthrough for standards-based, embedded computing into the military communications infrastructure that will become the backbone of the digital battlefield and the GIG.
Comms
Embedded computing systems take IPv6 switches to heart - Story
December 01, 2006
Military operations have seen a massive emphasis shift from the physical domain of the soldier, tank, or combat aircraft to the informational and intelligence domains. This drive toward tactical awareness domination will be the key to the efficiency and speed of military operations in the future networked digital battlefield
Radar/EW
FPGAs gearing up to dominate DSP applications - Story
October 30, 2005
AltiVec PowerPCs have enjoyed dominance in high-end military signal processing applications such as Software-Defined Radio (SDR) and video/image compression. But FPGAs, with their inherent parallelism and reprogrammability, are fast becoming prevalent ...
Radar/EW
Packaged, small form factor computing - Story
October 30, 2005
With the growth in Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) adoption over the past 10 years, more and more rugged, mission-critical, high-reliability applications have migrated to off-the-shelf solutions typified primarily by VME. While VME may be the market le...
Avionics
Evolution and Adoption of Commercial Technologies for Avionics I/O - Story
July 22, 2005
Most military aircraft have two major avionics systems which today are only tenuously linked to each other ? the flight control system and the mission system. The flight control system includes everything that is required to fly the aircraft: coc...
Radar/EW
The Evolving COTS Vendor Stays One Step Ahead - Story
May 26, 2005
It?s tough being an open-standards COTS vendor today. It is not good enough to build products (rugged or benign) using the best civilian technologies; vendors also need additional capabilities that include systems-level expertise. Increasingly, t...
Articles 21 - 40
