| Military & Aerospace Electronics Magazine, April 2008 Articles |
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April 2008
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Laser weapons, on target
The U.S. military and its partners from industry are meeting major milestones in various programs as they move closer to making laser weaponry a standard part of the U.S. arsenal.
Software code and COTS
Developers harness the latest software engineering tools to deliver reliable, mission-critical, real-time embedded software to mil-aero users.
USS Freedom demonstrates its power plant can handle vessel’s sensors and electronics
U.S. Navy personnel and a team of industry companies led by Lockheed Martin in Bethesda, Md., powered up the nation’s first littoral combat ship, USS Freedom (LCS 1), to demonstrate that the on-board electric plant can deliver the power required by the warship’s advanced sensors and electronics systems.
DARPA Black Swift seeks to capitalize on lessons learned from NASP
Black Swift. Prior to the release of the President’s new budget proposal last February, it was largely rumor—most off the mark—and occasional brief references, usually followed by what amounted to “no comment” from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in Arlington, Va.
M&AE Forum brings out the most crucial aspects of counter-IEDs, C4I, JTRS, and more
SAN DIEGO—The 2008 Military & Aerospace Electronics Forum (MAEF 2008) last month in San Diego covered the issues most important to those supporting the warfighter today, such as commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) integration, adaptation of software-defined radio, and lessons learned from Iraq.
Lockheed Martin selects embedded computers from GE Fanuc for air-defense system
Engineers from Lockheed Martin’s Radar Systems in Syracuse, N.Y., selected commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) electronics technology from GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms in Towcester, England, for the Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) program.
Raytheon delivers prototype missile warning sensor
Raytheon Co. in Waltham, Mass. has built and tested an integrated infrared sensor for the Risk Reduction Alternative Infrared Satellite Systems (RR-AISS) program.
Spectrum’s SDR-4000 rugged modem offered with L-3 Nova’s Wideband Networking Waveform OFDM physical layer
L-3 Communications Nova Engineering Inc. (L-3 Nova) ported the Wideband Networking Waveform (WNW) Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing physical layer (OFDM PHY) to Spectrum Signal Processing’s flexComm SDR-4000 rugged wireless modem.
In Brief
MAEF 2008: the show is back
This was a show to make you sit up and take notice. The conference was lively and engaging, the exhibit floor was full and brisk, and to top it off the weather in San Diego was glorious.
Coherent’s 100-Watt diode bar can combine with others to produce kilowatt-class lasers
Coherent Inc. in Santa Clara, Calif., is offering a 100-watt diode laser bar called Onyx that, combined with others, is capable of producing lasers in the kilowatt power range, company officials say.
Aculight offers Telesto pulsed fiber lasers for surveillance and mapping
Aculight Corp. in Bothell, Wash., is introducing the Telesto family of pulsed fiber lasers for applications such as laser radar (LADAR), surveillance, mapping, and nonlinear optics conversion.
DARPA looks to Sensors Unlimited to develop next-generation night-vision technology
The U.S. Defense Advanced Projects Agency (DARPA) in Arlington, Va., is choosing Sensors Unlimited Inc. in Princeton, N.J., to develop next-generation night-vision sensor technology for helmet-mounted and micro vehicle applications.
Cedip to supply long-range multisensor electro-optic surveillance to Lebanese navy
The Lebanese National Defence Ministry has ordered six Pharos XLR3+ long-range multisensor surveillance platforms from Cedip Infrared Systems in Croissy-Beaubourg, France, to provide its naval forces with 24/7 long-range surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities in all weather conditions.
Electro-optics Briefs
Thermal management a challenge for designers of future military aircraft
Thermal-management challenges in military and aerospace electronics systems today are “everywhere we look,” says Jim Robles of the Boeing Co.
Counter-IED system procurement sets new standards for speedy deployment
Leaders of the Pentagon’s Joint IED Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) are setting new standards for speedy weapon system procurement, as they sometimes are able to consider and fund systems to counter roadside bombs within two months from initial proposal.
Thermal management targets the enemy of electronics: excessive heat
Heat threatens the longevity and performance of electronics, especially vehicular electronics (vetronics), in mil-aero environments, warned Gerald Janicki, senior director of Meggitt Defense Systems Inc. in Irvine, Calif., in remarks to the Military & Aerospace Electronics Forum in March in San Diego.
Air Force making progress on standard cryptographic modules for information security
The U.S. Air Force, through the Mitre Corp. in Bedford, Mass., has a draft standard and working code for what is expected to be an easy and relatively inexpensive approach to cryptographic modules for military information security.
Lead-free issues continue to plague mil-aero market, says DMEA engineer
Vance Anderson, an engineer with the Defense Microelectronics Activity in Sacramento, Calif., discussed the influence of the European Union directive for the Reduction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) banning the use of certain materials in electronic equipment last month at the Military & Aerospace Electronics Forum in San Diego.
Work on IPv6 integration and migration surges
The needs and benefits of moving to next-generation Internet technology, known as Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6), was a highlight of the Military & Aerospace Electronics Forum conference and trade show last month in San Diego.
Military and aerospace organizations must comply now with IPv6; the security factor compels it
The federal government is on a mission to upgrade from IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4) to IPv6, which represents the new generation of Internet protocol, mandated by a 2005 directive from the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.
NextComputing LLC deserved mention in rugged computer feature
I read with interest the feature in the January 2008 issue of Military & Aerospace Electronics on rugged mobile computers.
Digital interfaces: DVI on decline as HDMI and DisplayPort use grows
Use of the digital visual interface, better known as DVI, will begin a steep decline in 2008 as it faces strong competition from other technologies like the high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) and the DisplayPort standard in the PC market, reports market research In-Stat in Scottsdale, Ariz.
RFID market grew to $5 billion in 2007
In round figures, the value of the radio frequency identification (RFID) market grew strongly to $5 billion in 2007, mainly powered by a peak in deliveries of the Chinese national ID card with about $2 billion worth of cards and infrastructure being delivered by Chinese suppliers, say analysts at RFID constant IDTechEx Inc. in Cambridge, Mass.
State and local spending on GSA technology schedule increases 45 percent in 2007
United States General Services Admnistration (GSA) Technology Schedule 70 orders for federal fiscal 2007 rose 45.4 percent to $361.2 million from $248.5 in 2006, say analysts at market researcher INPUT in Reston, Va.
USB-to-synchronous-cable enables IP data communications for tactical radios
Sealevel Systems in Liberty, S.C., is introducing the ACC-188 USB synchronous interface adapter that enables military tactical radios to interface to PCs and transmit IP-based data via USB port.
C&K offers rectangular connectors for military and aerospace applications
C&K Components in Newton, Mass., is introducing high-reliability rectangular connectors for military, aerospace, and medical applications.
Stealth Computer introduces metal-encapsulated LCD for harsh environments
Stealth Computer Corp. in Woodbridge, Ontario, is offering the TuffTouch industrial-grade liquid crystal display (LCD) for industrial plant floors and other harsh-environment applications.
Pentek offers VME/VXS board with PowerPC, FPGA, and Gigabit Ethernet
Pentek Inc. in Upper Saddle River, N.J., is releasing its Model 4207 high-performance digital signal processing and data-acquisition system with Freescale’s MPC8641D dual-core PowerPC AltiVec processor and a Xilinx Virtex-4 FX series field-programmable gate array (FPGA).
General Micro Systems offers multiprocessing CompactPCI single-board computer
General Micro Systems Inc. in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., is introducing a fifth-generation dual-processor, rugged single-board computer called the Premonition.
Emerson introduces dual-core PowerPC VME single-board computer
Emerson Network Power in Tempe, Ariz., (formerly Motorola Embedded Communications Computing Group) is introducing the MVME7100 VMEbus single-board computer (SBC) with dual core PowerPC processor and 2eSST high-speed VMEbus interface for defense/aerospace, industrial, and medical applications.
Elma offers 1U MicroBox as an integrated solution
Elma Electronic Inc. in Fremont, Calif., is offering its 1U MicroBox is now offered as an integrated solution.
Actel qualifies 4-million-gate rad-tolerant FPGA to MIL-STD 883 Class B
Actel Corp. in Mountain View, Calif., has qualified its 4-million-gate radiation-tolerant RTAX-S field-programmable gate array (FPGA) for mission-critical space systems to MIL-STD 883 Class B.
ACS Motion Control offers economical family of multi-axis motion controllers
ACS Motion Control in Plymouth, Minn., is introducing a family of motion-control modules that provide multi-axis motion control for a variety of motion-control applications.
Aethercomm introduces high-power rackmount UHF amplifier
Aethercomm Inc. in San Marcos, Calif., is introducing a high-power CW or pulsed RF amplifier that operates from 350 to 500 MHz in a rack-mounted configuration.
General Dynamics Itronix introduces Duo-Touch II rugged tablet PC
General Dynamics Itronix in Spokane, Wash., is introducing the Duo-Touch II rugged tablet PCs that are designed for one-handed operation.
Agilent offers bus-analysis capability for 5000 Series oscilloscopes
Agilent Technologies Inc. in Santa Clara, Calif., is introducing serial bus triggering and real-time decode support for the company’s 5000 Series oscilloscopes that enhance analysis capability for embedded system developers.
Aeroflex offers RF spectrum analyzer for the 3500 hand-held radio test set
The Aeroflex Wichita Division in Wichita, Kan., released an RF spectrum analyzer option for the 3500 handheld 1 GHz radio test set.
Eaton to supply CH-53K helicopter cockpit control panels, dimming controllers
Engineers at Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a United Technologies company in Irvine, Calif., needed lighted control panels and dimming controllers for its CH-53K military heavy-lift helicopter under development for the U.S. Marine Corps.
Norsat delivers satellite equipment, services to Irish Department of Defence
Officials in the Republic of Ireland’s Department of Defence sought satellite system equipment, satellite capacity, training, and network services for the Irish Defence Forces peacekeeping mission to Chad.
U.S. Army deploys Fortinet security systems to protect outdoor network
U.S. Army officers needed a high-end security system to protect the wired and wireless outdoor network at the U.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground, Utah.
FLIR Systems provides multisensor systems to Colombian Ministry of Defense
Officials at the Colombian Ministry of Defense needed a sensor system capable of providing high-resolution imagery from a position onboard air force helicopters.
BAE Systems to provide transparent armored gun shield for the U.S. Marine Corps
U.S. Marine Corps officers recognized a need for a vehicle-based protection and situational awareness solution, particularly in close-combat urban environments.
Telephonics Corp. technology selected for mobile surveillance systems for U.S. Customs and Border Protection
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials needed an integrated surveillance system to extend the eyes of CBP agents and to support securing U.S. borders.
BAE Systems delivers UAV target-detection systems to U.S. Army
Officers needed to outfit the U.S. Army’s Shadow unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with target-detection equipment for identifying potential threats.
American Science and Engineering OmniView Gantry, ZBV help secure major Italian port
Officials overseeing the security of a major, high-volume Italian port needed x-ray detection systems to assist in inspecting cargo and vehicles entering the country.
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