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 and sonar systems are hugely complex animals. They don?t just rely on garden-variety single board computers; they need sensor processor front ends, intermediate signal converters, legacy military interfaces, graphics processors, and other functions. Rob Hoyecki cautions that because of the complexities involved, it?s advisable to stick with a single systems integrator to pull all these bits together.

Radar and sonar systems are hugely complex animals. They don?t just rely on garden-variety single board computers; they need sensor processor front ends, intermediate signal converters, legacy military interfaces, graphics processors, and other functions. Rob Hoyecki cautions that because of the complexities involved, it?s advisable to stick with a single systems integrator to pull all these bits together.

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.

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.

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.

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.