For organizations and engineers in the defense, aerospace, and other mission-critical sectors, upgrading from commercial-grade to JANP [Joint Army-Navy Plastic]-qualified components is a strategic decision that enhances reliability, traceability, and regulatory compliance. A thorough understanding of the distinctions between these component types, as well as the critical factors involved in the transition, is essential to ensuring long-term system performance and safety.

Military technology development is at an inflection point, where the surging deployment of uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) technology collides with the total denial of the GPS signal commonly used for position, navigation, and timing (PNT) in such platforms. These trends necessitate a transformation in the underlying PNT network architecture in military platforms. Harmonized Order of Registered and Distributed Elements (HORDE) PNT (a software tool for distributed computing) rejects the commonly deployed hierarchical PNT network architecture, opting for a decentralized approach under which PNT assets can be dispersed across a network, yet leveraged by any platform. Unlike current architectures, HORDE PNT is fundamentally designed for operation in contested environments, enabling challenging missions like coordinating a decentralized UAV swarm for coherent sensing.

CHANDLER, Ariz. Microchip Technology announced the release of its radiation-tolerant (RT) ATA6571RT CAN FD transceiver, which the company says is a high-reliability communications solution designed for use in space applications, such as satellites and spacecraft that require robust and efficient data transmission.

CHANDLER, Ariz. Microchip Technology announced a portfolio of GNSS Disciplined Oscillator (GNSSDO) modules that integrate the company’s embedded atomic clock and oscillator technologies, including the chip-scale atomic clock (CSAC), miniature atomic clock (MAC), and oven-controlled quartz crystal oscillators (OCXOs).

CHANDLER, Ariz. Semiconductor company Microchip Technology introduced its new part, the SA15-28 off-the-shelf radiation-hardened (rad-hard) DC-DC 15W power converter with a companion SF100-28 EMI filter. both of which are designed to meet MIL-STD-461 specifications.

CHANDLER, Arizona. Microchip Technology released its BR235 and BR235D series of hermetically sealed electromechanical power relays, qualified to MIL-PRF-83536 standards and intended for high-reliability defense and aerospace applications, the company announced in a statement.

Time-sensitive networking (TSN) can be used in military systems to detect and contain the propagation of faults and to enhance the availability and integrity of time in an Ethernet network. When combined with hardening strategies, TSN enables Ethernet to be used for mission-critical applications in harsh environments.