Navys Ship to Shore Connector (SSC) program to use Sensor Interface Unit from North Atlantic Industries
NewsFebruary 04, 2015
BOHEMIA, N.Y. Engineers at L-3 Maritime Systems are using the rugged Sensor Interface Unit (SIU35) from North Atlantic Industries (NAI) for the the U.S. Navy’s Ship to Shore Connector (SSC) program's data acquisition unit system. The SSC is the follow on to the Navy’sLanding Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) vehicle, which is nearing the end of its run.
The SIU35 enables modularity and adds distributed interfaces over Ethernet for custom solutions using commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) devices. As part of the Data Acquisition Unit (DAU) system, the SIU35 helps populate each board with function-specific modules. Via NAI's COSA architecture as many as 15 different functions may be selected from an assortment of low-power, high-density modules.
“By employing NAI’s scalable COSA architecture, L-3 Maritime Systems was able to choose a platform prior to completion of a detailed design,” says Tim Lorenzen, senior engineering manager at L-3 Maritime Systems. “As the craft’s systems interface designs changed, we were able to accommodate that functionality simply by changing I/O modules on the NAI multifunction I/O boards. This allowed us to move forward with development and hardware decisions earlier, keeping the program on schedule.”
Functions include programmable discrete analog I/O (A/D, D/A & RTD), LVDT measurement, communications (RS-232/422/485 & ARINC-429), RVDT simulation and LVDT/RVDT AC excitation.
The design, which meets space, weight, power, and cost, increases packaging density, saves enclosure slots, and cuts down on power consumption. The NAI solution also integrates automatic background built-in-test (BIT) testing that continually checks each channel's health .
Textron is the prime contractor for the detail, design, and construction of the SCS. For more on the transition from LCAC to SSC, visit http://www.textronsystems.com/video/lcac-ssc-video.
For more information on NAI, visit www.naii.com.
For more pn L-3 Maritime Systems, visit www.L-3com.com/MaritimeSystems.
