A broad range of embedded computing form factor options matches diverse airframe size and mission requirements for today?s UAVs and UASs.

The verdict's in, folks: Ethernet is the winner. So it's no wonder that more defense systems than ever use Ethernet as the high-speed conduit on- and off-board. Kontron's Gigabit Ethernet Switch VX3910 performs enterprise-class switching functionality on 28 ports.

In an arena dominated by industry heavyweights Curtiss-Wright Controls Embedded Computing and GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms, Kontron is still coming out slugging, according to Thomas Sparrvik, vice chairman of Kontron AG and CEO of Kontron America and Asia-Pacific. But how? Our recent Q&A reveals the key strategies: worldwide R&D; an affinity for VPX, SWaP, and the Atom; and an 800-strong engineering staff. Edited excerpts follow.

Even against military embedded mainstays CompactPCI and VME and the up-and-coming VPX, MicroTCA is proving itself a powerful design option in harsh environments with: high bandwidth in a small form factor and proven ruggedness, multicore support, and high availability. Additionally, standards development is fueling MicroTCA's rapid movement as a military design choice from command centers to shelters to the battlefield.