Op-Eds

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

Michael Miller Isola Group

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

The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society - Blog

July 20, 2015

Lisa Daigle - Assistant Managing Editor, Military Embedded Systems

Unmanned

Looking toward 7th and 8th generation warfare - Blog

July 07, 2015

Ray Alderman VITA Standards Organization

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

Jay Thomas LDRA Technology

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

Ryan Kenny Altera

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

John M. McHale III - Editorial Director, Military Embedded Systems

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

John M. McHale III - Editorial Director, Military Embedded Systems

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.

Comms

The fascinating world of containers - and why the military should care - Blog

May 14, 2015

James Kirkland Red Hat

OPEN SOURCE WAY BLOG: Quarterly posts about using open source technologies as a part of your embedded systems solutions to speed up your development efforts, reduce project costs, and create collaborative environments for innovation.

Radar/EW

Sixth generation warfare: manipulating space and time - Blog

May 12, 2015

Ray Alderman VITA Standards Organization

WARFARE EVOLUTION BLOG: In this installment we discuss 6th generation warfare (6GW), which leverages sophisticated technology to manipulate space and time. As Arthur C. Clarke said, "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

From The Editor

Navy veteran Mariana Iriarte joins Mil-Embedded editorial staff - Blog

April 07, 2015

John M. McHale III - Editorial Director, Military Embedded Systems

FOUNTAIN HILLS, Ariz. Mariana Iriarte, retired Navy 2nd class Petty Officer, joined the Military Embedded Systems editorial team as Associate Editor last month. Iriarte, who is bilingual in Spanish and English, holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a Creative Writing Specialization from Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas.

Comms

Powering devices using Ethernet - Blog

April 03, 2015

Ronen Isaac MilSource

ETHERNET EVERYWHERE BLOG: Power over Ethernet, or POE, is a technology that enables a single cable to provide both data connection and electrical power to networked pieces of equipment such as sensors, IP video cameras, and even wireless mesh nodes. POE works across standard network cabling (i.e. CAT5) to supply power directly from the data ports to which networked devices are connected.

Radar/EW

Inspiring electronic warfare careers in Canada - Blog

March 09, 2015

Tuhin Das D-TA Systems, Inc.

A shift is happening within the Canadian electronic warfare (EW) community, as young EW professionals are transitioning into leadership roles at a much younger age than their predecessors. These leadership positions also happen to be affiliated with industry-government-academic collaborations in the EW/defense sector. Coinciding with this evolution in the community is the growth of the only Canadian chapter of the Association of Old Crows (AOC) – the Maple Leaf Chapter, headquartered in the National Capital Region of Ottawa, Ontario. Currently the Maple Leaf has a membership base of 150 and has stated growing again thanks to a revitalization that began last fall.

Unmanned

Optical data links could be in your (very near) future - Blog

March 03, 2015

Ray Alderman VITA Standards Organization

Unmanned

Defense electronics get boost from in-house manufacturing - Blog

March 03, 2015

Tom Roberts Curtiss-Wright

While we are all aware that defense programs require rugged electronics that can deal with the harshest environments, and demand the highest levels of quality and reliability, an issue that might not be at top of mind is the effect that using contract manufacturers can have when customers require quick responses to critical program issues and urgent orders.