The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is changing the way it does business. Recognizing the need for speed and agility to rapidly onboard ever-evolving commercial technologies to benefit the warfighter, it has promoted a modular open systems approach (MOSA) and, in significant respects, reframed its business model.

The demand for high-performance electronic components for the space, defense, and nuclear markets in 5G/6G communication, real-time imaging, and nuclear instrumentation is hindered by the limited availability of radiation-hardened (rad-hard) components.

The space race is accelerating the need to quickly deploy new technologies and systems, prompting a move toward optical photonics communication systems that leverage commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components.

Today’s high-performance chips demand increasingly precise voltage tolerances on shrinking voltage rails and shockingly rapid, high-current load changes. In the satellite and space arenas, designers must also contend with the effects of TID [total ionizing dose] and SEE [single-event effects] on the output voltage accuracy of their supplies. Before choosing a power solution, designers playing in these spaces must create a regulation accuracy budget.

In an era where technological advancements are driving innovations across various sectors, radiation-hardened (rad-hard) technology is forging new paths, especially in the realms of space, military, nuclear industries, and even burgeoning fields like 5G/6G communications. But what exactly is rad-hard technology, and why is it increasingly vital?

In the high-tech world of military applications, where precision, endurance, and reliability are paramount, electronic components need to function in some of the most challenging environments. One of the often-overlooked challenges these components face is radiation. From satellites orbiting Earth to deep space probes, and even in certain terrestrial applications, radiation can wreak havoc on electronic devices.

Predictive maintenance radar sensing is a key aspect of Industry 4.0, the fourth industrial revolution characterized by the integration of advanced technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), big data analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI). Predictive maintenance radar sensing, in combination with these other technologies, enables companies to move from a reactive to a proactive maintenance strategy, improving reliability and reducing downtime.

The space tech industry is a collective effort to defy gravity both literally and figuratively—taming physics and driving innovation into soaring new realms. Companies and governments around the globe are racing to make their mark in space. New technologies are emerging rapidly and new use cases are being discovered daily. Established players and start-ups alike are disrupting the space industry as never before.

Military program leaders in charge of transportable AI missions can avoid painful and costly AI performance compromises when leveraging open standards such as VPX/Open VPX and SOSA. Standard-compliant sensors and sensor interfaces can be partitioned as part of the AI system design.

Millimeter wave scanners are superior to traditional metal detectors because they can identify and locate both metallic and nonmetallic threats. This article describes how mmWave imaging hardware works and will present a chipset that uses edge processing to manage massive data loads to enable the development of walkthrough security scanning systems.