Military Embedded Systems
Op-Eds
From The Editor
DSEI London highlights - Blog
September 29, 2015
Anyone thinking the global defense market is slowing down would’ve been surprised if they attended the Defense and Security International (DSEI) show this month in London. Thousands of attendees saw everything from uniforms to tanks to radar signal processing board displayed at the stands. Highlights for me were an anti-drone system from three British companies, a cyber defense solution for submarine control systems (yes you can hack a submarine), a synthetic vision type of system for ground vehicles, and of course a plethora of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) devices for electronic warfare, radar, and unmanned systems applications.
Radar/EW
DSEI, VPX, COTS boards, and a bit of DSP history - Blog
September 28, 2015
Nearly two decades after I last manned a stand at the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) show in London, I strolled the halls again this month. There I found floating point digital signal processing (DSP) has overtaken fixed point as the preferred method for military signal processing applications and that VPX is remarkably popular despite its expensive price tag. I also re-established that DSEI is still a one-stop show of military suppliers selling everything from radar processing boards to electric socks for frigid deployments.
Radar/EW
Sensor networks and warfare - Blog
September 25, 2015
EVOLUTION OF WARFARE BLOG. In this segment, we will take a look at the sensor networks used by our intelligence community and military and their importance to maintaining secrecy in warfare. As Sun Tzu stated in "The Art of War," "secret operations are essential in war; upon them the army relies to make its every move."
Radar/EW
GE embedded computing business bought by Veritas Capital - Blog
September 23, 2015
Rumors were flying last week, but the official announcement that GE was selling its embedded computing business – which falls under GE Energy Management’s Intelligent Platforms subdivision – to venture capital firm Veritas Capital in New York City didn't hit the wires till yesterday.
Radar/EW
Standards -- VPX, CompactPCI, etc. -- are a thing of the past - Blog
September 08, 2015
There are lots of standards out there, such as VPX. But what actually makes a standard standard? I'll use VPX as my example. According to my definition of a standard, I should be able to remove a CPU board from the box and replace it with another CPU board, regardless of the manufacturer, and have it come up and running with fairly minimal effort.
From The Editor
Radar/EW
Next generation warfare: unexpected happenings - Blog
August 20, 2015
EVOLUTION OF WARFARE BLOG: Now that we have looked at the evolution of warfare through the ages in the previous seven articles, and speculated on what the future may hold, there are several significant incidents that beg examination and explanation. While the U.S. unquestionably has the most sophisticated weapons and intelligence systems on the planet, are our enemies catching up or even getting ahead of us? And do we already have next-generation intelligence systems operating secretly?
Cyber
Embedded systems, meet the Internet of Things - Blog
August 20, 2015
OPEN SOURCE WAY BLOG: In many ways, embedded systems are the progenitor of the Internet of Things (IoT) – and now IoT is changing key aspects of how we design and build military embedded systems. In fact, the new model for embedded systems within IoT might best be described as design, build, maintain, update, extend, and evolve.
Comms
Ensure authenticity by eliminating counterfeit parts - Blog
August 12, 2015
Counterfeit electronics are becoming increasingly common in the marketplace. These counterfeits can lead to problems with product safety and reliability, a risk for end users of the products that incorporate them. It’s possible, however, to minimize the problem by being aware of it and taking proper steps to identify parts and mitigate the issue.
From The Editor
Unmanned
Looking toward 7th and 8th generation warfare - Blog
July 07, 2015
WARFARE EVOLUTION BLOG: “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting,” wrote Sun Tzu in his book "The Art of War."If you can convince your enemy that his military efforts will all be in vain, then you can win without fighting, which is where 7th and 8th generation warfare (7GW and 8GW) will lead us.
Avionics
Going modular? Meet data and control coupling - Blog
June 10, 2015
CODE QUALITY BLOG: Since the dawn of the discipline of software engineering, one of the persistent mantras has been modularization. This structured design and functional decomposition approach breaks software down into clearly defined functional units, or modules, with unambiguous interfaces. The proven value of this approach is high quality software. When you go modular, however, software testing must examine the way that the modules come together and interact. This kind of testing is dubbed “data and control coupling.”
Radar/EW
Security value of processor-driven configuration for FPGA-SoCs - Blog
June 01, 2015
With the massive increase in content and IP options made available in the modern field programmable gate array (FPGA) system-on-chip (SoC) device, the last true frontier in flexibility is the configuration process itself. Expect to see next-generation FPGA SoCs that make this flexibility in security, configuration times, and single-event upset (SEU) responses a reality.
Radar/EW
Intel to buy FPGA maker Altera for more than $16 billion - Blog
June 01, 2015
According to a report I heard on CNBC this morning, computer chip giant Intel in Santa Clara, Calif., is looking to buy FPGA-designer Altera in San Jose, Calif., for about 16.7 billion or $54 a share. Altera Stratix FPGAs play key links military signal processing chains for applications such as radar, sonar, and electronics warfare to name a few.
Unmanned
Last Unmanned Systems show roundup - Blog
May 14, 2015
ATLANTA. The AUVSI Unmanned Systems show that was held in Atlanta last week used to be about the drones or unmanned platforms themselves then it morphed into being about the sensor payloads they carry and the capability these systems bring warfighters. It's still all about the payloads, but it's not just about the warfighter anymore. The event and the industry are moving from a military centric one to one that serves law enforcement, agriculture, weather monitoring, media coverage, and even Hollywood.
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Rugged mission displays for surveillance applications
March 30, 2010
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Software warranties -- A new era?
September 23, 2009
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Solving the processor challenges for safety-critical software
October 12, 2011
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Remote test equipment solves problems in avionics bus systems
June 24, 2008
Unmanned
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COM Express enables application-specific data acquisition systems
October 12, 2011
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Enhanced Full-Motion Video advances military UAS surveillance - Multistream image processing and routing in real time
October 06, 2010
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COTS vendors, while concerned about extensive DoD budget cuts, see opportunities for retrofits, unmanned systems
October 12, 2011
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Deploying ruggedized platforms for unmanned vehicles
June 20, 2011
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VPX standards keep pace with faster fabrics
October 12, 2011
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Expanding options in VPX connectivity
October 12, 2011
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Designing rugged, multifunctional HPA controllers to prevent system damage
September 02, 2011
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''I'm excited about the processor road maps.'' - Q&A with Matt Tracewell, Executive Vice President of Tracewell Systems
April 11, 2011
Comms
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DNA protects electrical components against counterfeiting
June 16, 2011
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OtterBox arms the military with rugged technology
February 18, 2009
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Navy's NMCI network speeds warfighter's chance to get inside the adversary's OODA loop: An exclusive interview with HP's Bill Toti,
April 29, 2011
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Obsolescence management: Another perspective
February 10, 2009