Military Embedded Systems

The advent of unmanned systems reflects a huge aspect of warfare – that of protecting the warfighter – through the development of platforms that can be operated by humans from a distance, keeping them out of harm’s way. Some of these platforms are actually on the way to becoming fully autonomous. Hurdles in the way of both manufacturers and end users include interoperability and cost-efficiency. Although these hurdles are challenging, organizations including The Open Group and corresponding consortia have made noticeable strides to standardize in an effort to universalize otherwise complex unmanned systems.

SOSA CONSORTIUM. A group of key contributors to the emerging SOSA Technical Standard teamed up to put together a platform that demonstrates the value of the alignment and interoperability goals driving the SOSA Consortium mission.

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona. One of the keys to the success of the Sensor Open Systems Architecture (SOSA) is that it was developed by aligning with current open standards and open systems architectures, including FACE, HOST, REDHAWK, OpenVPX, and similar specifications. The SOSA Consortium also works closely with such standards organizations as VITA, FACE, PICMG, IEEE, SAE International, Wireless Innovation Forum, and others. This webcast, titled "How SOSA Aligns with Current Open Standards," held Tuesday, May 11, covers how the SOSA Technical Standard has adapted to and aligned with open architecture standards and how it has impacted the design of SOSA-conformant hardware and software.

CHATSWORTH, Calif. Aitech, provider of rugged board and system level solutions for military, aerospace, and space applications, announced it has joined The Open Group Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE) Consortium. 

Pixus Technologies, a provider of embedded computing and enclosure solutions, has announced a new 3-slot 6U OpenVPX development backplane and chassis platform.

ONTARIO, Canada. Pixus Technologies, a provider of embedded computing and enclosure solutions, announced a new 10-slot 3U OpenVPX enclosure system geared for Sensor Open Standard Architecture (SOSA) requirements.

Reduced size, weight, and power (SWaP) requirements are pervasive throughout defense electronics platforms. Electronic footprints continue to shrink so much that traditional small form factors like 3U VPX or 3U CompactPCI are considered too big. So, it's not surprising that the VITA Standards Organization (VSO) is looking at new form factors, such as Short VPX. In this podcast, Jay Grandin, Vice President of Product Development at Annapolis Micro Systems discusses demand for small form factors, how Short VPX can meet that demand and how it fits into the Open VPX ecosystem. Grandin also explores what military applications would be best suited for the new standard and how it could potentially work within the Sensor Open Systems Architecture (SOSA) Technical Standard, of which version 1.0 is expected to be completed this year.

UPPER SADDLE RIVER, N.J., FACE/SOSA Virtual Technical Interchange Meeting. Pentek, Inc., announced a development platform, the Model 8256, that is aligned to the SOSA Technical Standard. 

BERWYN, Pennsylvania and HUNTSVILLE, Alabama. Officials from Ametek announced that the company has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Abaco Systems, Inc., a provider of mission-critical embedded computing systems for electronic warfare, radar, avionics, communications, and other military applications from Veritas Capital in an all-cash transaction valued at $1.35 billion.

Annapolis, MD (March 15, 2021) – A new VITA 46.11-aligned WILD VPX Chassis Manager (WABGM0) has been introduced by Annapolis Micro Systems, a leading FPGA board and systems supplier. It enables critical chassis control, maintenance, and security functions, was developed in alignment with the SOSA Technical Standard, and offers commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) availability.