cots journal

An RTC Group Publication May 2014 Volume 16 Number 5 cotsjournalonline.com

Vehicle Modernization TrendC4ISR Enhancements Lead

The Journal of Military Electronics & Computing

J O U R N A L

Data Storage for Defense Moves to Terabytes and Beyond

PCI Express Secures Mindshare in Rackmount Military Systems

Tech Focus: Small Non-Standard Boards Roundup

www.rtd.com • [email protected] © 2014 RTD Embedded Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective companies. RTD is AS9100 and ISO9001 Certified, and a GSA Contract Holder.

AS91

00 - ISO 9001

CERTIFIED

Rugged Boards & Solutions

At RTD, designing and manufacturing rugged, top-quality boards and system solutions is our passion. As a founder of the PC/104 Consortium back in 1992, we moved desktop computing to the embed-ded world.

Over the years, we've provided the lead-ership and support that brought the lat-est signaling and I/O technologies to the PC/104 form factor. Most recently, we've championed the latest specifica-tions based on stackable PCI Express: PCIe/104 and PCI/104-Express.

With our focused vision, we have devel-oped an entire suite of compatible boards and systems that serve the defense, aero-space, maritime, ground, industrial and research arenas. But don't just think about boards and systems. Think solutions. That is what we provide: high-quality, cutting-edge, concept-to-deployment, rug-ged, embedded solutions.

Whether you need a single board, a stack of modules, or a fully enclosed system, RTD has a solution for you. Keep in mind that as an RTD customer, you're not just

working with a selection of proven, quality electronics; you're benefitting from an en-tire team of dedicated engineers and man-ufacturing personnel driven by excellence and bolstered by a 28-year track record of success in the embedded industry.

If you need proven COTS-Plus solutions, give us a call. Or leverage RTD's innova-tive product line to design your own em-bedded system that is reliable, flexible, ex-pandable, and serviceable in the field for the long run. Contact us and let us show you what we do best.

We know PCIe/104.And we do it best.

RTD_C2_COTS_MAY2014.indd 1 5/2/2014 9:21:27 AM

Digital subscriptions available: cotsjournalonline.com

DEPARTMENTS

COTS (kots), n. 1. Commercial off-the-shelf. Terminology popularized in 1994 within U.S. DoD by SECDEF Wm. Perry’s “Perry Memo” that changed military industry purchasing and design guidelines, making Mil-Specs acceptable only by waiver. COTS is generally defined for technology, goods and services as: a) using commercial business practices and specifications, b) not developed under government funding, c) offered for sale to the general market, d) still must meet the program ORD. 2. Commercial business practices include the accepted practice of customer-paid minor modification to standard COTS products to meet the customer’s unique requirements.

—Ant. When applied to the procurement of electronics for he U.S. Military, COTS is a procurement philosophy and does not imply commercial, office environment or any other durability grade. E.g., rad-hard components designed and offered for sale to the general market are COTS if they were developed by the company and not under government funding.


J O U R N A L

38 Small Non-Standard Boards Solve Tricky SWaP Challenges Jeff Child

40 Small Non-standard Boards

TECHNOLOGY FOCUS VME SBCs for Tech Refresh

32 Integrating of PCIe Switching and SSD Storage Greg Bolstad, Critical I/O

SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT Annual EOL and Component Obsolescence Directory

TECH RECON PCI Express and 10 GbE as System Interconnects

20 Ruggedized Servers Revamp Data-Centric Military Environments David Lippincott, Chassis Plans

26 PCI Express Lane Shifting Enhances PCIe/104’s Capabilities Jim Blazer, RTD Embedded Technologies

Coming in June See Page 48

6 Editorial Your Special Story

8 The Inside Track

44 COTS Products

50 Marching to the Numbers

SPECIAL FEATURE Target Report: Upgrades and Modernization in Military Vehicles

10 Military Vehicle Upgrades Take a C4ISR Focus Jeff Child

16 Torque-Limiting Card-Lok Retainers Ease Field-Level Repairs Amy Escobio, Schroff-Pentair Equipment Protection

20 System Management on VPX Leveraging Established Technologies Mark Overgaard, Pigeon Point Systems

FEATURED p.10 Military Vehicle Upgrades Take a C4ISR Focus

On The Cover: The Army’s vehicle-mounted Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T) gear has gone through a series of field tests dubbed Network Integration Evaluations. Each iteration has shown a more stable network backbone. Systems that participated in previous NIEs incorporate soldier feedback into updated versions with software and hardware enhancements.

(U.S. Army photo)

CONTENTS May 2014 Volume 16 Number 5

www.rtd.com • [email protected] © 2014 RTD Embedded Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective companies. RTD is AS9100 and ISO9001 Certified, and a GSA Contract Holder.

AS91

00 - ISO 9001

CERTIFIED

Rugged Boards & Solutions

At RTD, designing and manufacturing rugged, top-quality boards and system solutions is our passion. As a founder of the PC/104 Consortium back in 1992, we moved desktop computing to the embed-ded world.

Over the years, we've provided the lead-ership and support that brought the lat-est signaling and I/O technologies to the PC/104 form factor. Most recently, we've championed the latest specifica-tions based on stackable PCI Express: PCIe/104 and PCI/104-Express.

With our focused vision, we have devel-oped an entire suite of compatible boards and systems that serve the defense, aero-space, maritime, ground, industrial and research arenas. But don't just think about boards and systems. Think solutions. That is what we provide: high-quality, cutting-edge, concept-to-deployment, rug-ged, embedded solutions.

Whether you need a single board, a stack of modules, or a fully enclosed system, RTD has a solution for you. Keep in mind that as an RTD customer, you're not just

working with a selection of proven, quality electronics; you're benefitting from an en-tire team of dedicated engineers and man-ufacturing personnel driven by excellence and bolstered by a 28-year track record of success in the embedded industry.

If you need proven COTS-Plus solutions, give us a call. Or leverage RTD's innova-tive product line to design your own em-bedded system that is reliable, flexible, ex-pandable, and serviceable in the field for the long run. Contact us and let us show you what we do best.

We know PCIe/104.And we do it best.

RTD_C2_COTS_MAY2014.indd 1 5/2/2014 9:21:27 AM

EditorialEDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jeff Child, [email protected]

MANAGING EDITOR/ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Sandra Sillion, [email protected]

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Johnny Keggler, [email protected]

SENIOR EDITOR Clarence Peckham, [email protected]

COPY EDITOR Rochelle Cohn

Art/ProductionART DIRECTOR Jim Bell, [email protected]

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Michael Farina, [email protected]

AdvertisingWESTERN REGIONAL SALES MANAGER Mike Duran, [email protected] (949) 226-2024

MIDWEST REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SALES MANAGER Mark Dunaway, [email protected] (949) 226-2023

EASTERN REGIONAL SALES MANAGER Jasmine Formanek, [email protected] (949) 226-2004

FinanceVICE PRESIDENT OF FINANCE Cindy Muir, [email protected] (949) 226-2000

PublisherPRESIDENT John Reardon, [email protected]

VICE PRESIDENT Aaron Foellmi, [email protected]

COTS Journal

HOME OFFICE The RTC Group 905 Calle Amanecer, Suite 250 San Clemente, CA 92673 Phone: (949) 226-2000 Fax: (949) 226-2050 www.rtcgroup.com

EDITORIAL OFFICE Jeff Child, Editor-in-Chief 20A Northwest Blvd., PMB#137, Nashua, NH 03063 Phone: (603) 429-8301

PUBLISHED BY THE RTC GROUP Copyright 2014, The RTC Group. Printed in the United States. All rights reserved. All related graphics are trademarks of The RTC Group. All other brand and product names are the property of their holders.


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HOME OFFICE The RTC Group 905 Calle Amanecer, Suite 250 San Clemente, CA 92673 Phone: (949) 226-2000 Fax: (949) 226-2050 www.rtcgroup.com

EDITORIAL OFFICE Jeff Child, Editor-in-Chief 20A Northwest Blvd., PMB#137, Nashua, NH 03063 Phone: (603) 429-8301

PUBLISHED BY THE RTC GROUP Copyright 2014, The RTC Group. Printed in the United States. All rights reserved. All related graphics are trademarks of The RTC Group. All other brand and product names are the property of their holders.


J O U R N A L

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EDITORIALJeff Child, Editor-in-Chief

Your Special Story

One of the great rewards of my job is getting to tell the stories of our industry’s technology supplier companies and relay what’s special about them—what they do, how they do it, or even just their unique point of view. Because we’re a tech-

nology publication, our main thrust is telling those stories through a company’s technology and products—unlike a business magazine that’s focused on the companies themselves. That said, there’s no de-nying that part of a vendor’s special story has a lot to do with their operations and not just what they sell.

With hundreds of vendors to cover in our industry, naturally the bulk of my communication week to week is by phone. But there’s really nothing like talking to someone face to face. As this magazine issue goes to press, we’re in the midst of our week of New England-based RTECC shows that our company puts on: Boston RTECC and Nashua RTECC.

In contrast to other industry events, I always find there’s a spe-cial vibe at these tabletop technology shows that are regional and suited for attendees to drop in and touch and feel products. Our company’s RTECC shows remain the only show series of its type in our industry space with a long-term record of success. And in this era of constrained travel budgets in the defense arena, these local shows are more vital than ever. For me, these events are another op-portunity to talk to technology company representatives face to face and learn more about their special stories.

This time of year also tends to be one of the key times I get a slew of invites to visit the facilities of companies in our industry. Maybe it’s the return to decent weather—particularly welcome af-ter this year’s long and brutal winter. We have a bunch of company visits scheduled to date, so I look forward to making use of the in-formation and insights gathered from them in later issues. For now though, I’ll focus on one recent visit that exemplifies this theme of special stories.

Last month I made the drive to the Long Island area to visit North Atlantic Industries (NAI). While there are many aspects to that company’s story, the tour of its factory really made my jaw drop. My thanks to NAI’s Chief Operations Officer Gene Rutland. Gene not only gave me the grand tour of the company’s manufacturing facili-ties, but he also took the time to tell me how his background from the contract manufacturing industry was used to make NAI’s opera-tions and processes truly state of the art.

Gene showed and explained to me in great detail everything from NAI’s automated X-ray inspection robot that uses machine vision to other advanced gear including their flexible, robotic con-formal coating dispensing system; automated, high-speed, non-con-tact, component underfill jet-dispensing device; automatic, high-speed router for depaneling PCBs; and an automatic pin-insertion and press-fit, pressure-feedback press. He introduced me to his de-partment heads who were very passionate and proud of consistently having the best of each category of equipment, and how they actively keep an eye out for the next generation replacement systems.

On the operations side, NAI’s processes are based on enhanced design-flow technology. They implement design processes to elimi-nate delays. Gene showed me the HD displays on the factory floor where computerized management data at every process point coor-dinates engineering and production. Definitely all that falls into the definition of a company’s special story that you have to see firsthand to fully absorb.

Along a similar theme of improvement, we at COTS Journal have been in the process of improving our story telling operations by doing more video coverage. At industry events we’ve done this in the form of video interviews with experts from our industry. In these efforts I rely on David Petty from our marketing staff. Among his many hats, David is our video production expert. On the edito-rial side, David and I have been teaming up for numerous company visits and industry events to capture video of the special stories of our industry’s technology leaders. Aside from that editorial work, David Petty and the RTC Group have been contracted by individual companies to produce corporate videos and product-specific videos and are doing really impressive work. The key to having a successful video presence is to integrate the story-telling with the marketing to make sure your story has the right audience.

In this time of constrained budgets and technology transitions, military system developers are more dependent than ever on the technology suppliers in our industry to help them meet their cost, performance and mission requirements. By telling the special sto-ries of our military embedded industry vendors, we hope to help meet those needs.


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Figure 2

The Autonomous Aerial Cargo/Utility System (AACUS) demonstration tested Lockheed Martin OPTIMUS technology aboard a K-MAX unmanned helicopter.

TE Connectivity to Acquire the SEACON Group

TE Connectivity (TE) has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the SEACON group, a leading provider of underwater connector technol-ogy and systems, for $490 million in cash. The SEACON group serves the military marine and sub-sea sectors for remotely operated vehicles (ROV) / autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV), oil and gas, environmental and oceanographic applications.

According to Tom Lynch, TE Connectivity Chairman and CEO, the addition of the SEACON group combines their fiber optic capabil-ity, TE’s cable product line and the power connector range from the company’s Deutsch acquisition to create a leading product offering for undersea applications. The sale is

subject to certain regulatory approv-als and other closing conditions and is expected to close in the company’s current fiscal year.

TE Connectivity Berwyn, PA. (610) 893-9800. www.te.com

Lockheed Martin and the ONR Demo Airborne Autonomy Technology

As autonomous technologies continue to develop and grow within the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Navy, Lockheed Martin and the Office of Naval Research (ONR) suc-cessfully demonstrated the Lockheed Martin OPTIMUS mission system’s ability to accomplish an autonomous approach and landing in an unpre-pared environment. The system enhances the onboard intelligence of the vehicle and provides an advanced

mission-planning capability that can be applied to current and future helicopters and rotary wing aircraft.

The Autonomous Aerial Cargo/Utility System (AACUS) demonstra-tion tested Lockheed Martin OPTI-MUS technology aboard a K-MAX unmanned helicopter, which served as a test bed for the system (Figure 2). During the demonstration, an active duty Marine interfaced with the mission system’s handheld flight control device to complete a resup-ply mission. The system successfully planned, routed and executed the mission without requiring user input. The Lockheed Martin OPTIMUS suite of systems and sensors use an open architecture positioned for Future Airborne Capability Environ-ment (FACE) compliance.

Lockheed Martin Bethesda, MD. (301) 897-6000. www.lockheedmartin.com

Figure 1The demonstrations successfully implemented and tested two data links between an F-22 (shown) and the F-35 Cooperative Avionics Test Bed (CAT-B).

Curtiss-Wright announced that its Defense Solutions division’s rugged open architecture-based processing and network switch modules contrib-uted to the recent Project Missouri series of test flights at Nellis AFB, NV. These flights were performed by a Lockheed Martin-led industry team, with support from key government agencies, to successfully demonstrate how a true open systems architecture can enable improved interoperability between next generation and legacy fighter aircraft. The demonstration, which was based on the U.S. Air Force’s Open Mission Systems (OMS) stan-dard, successfully implemented and tested two data links between an F-22 and the F-35 Cooperative Avionics Test Bed (CAT-B) (Figure 1).

Curtiss-Wright technology used in the Project Missouri demonstration included the company’s off-the-shelf OpenVPX standard-based VPX6-187 Power Architecture SBC, VPX6-1957 Intel Core i7 SBC and VPX6-684 Gigabit Ethernet Switch/Router modules. The open systems architecture implementation on Project Missouri leveraged UCI-related software and development tools from the Air Force’s Common Mission Control Center effort. Use of this architecture allowed the team to complete the hardware and software development in less than seven months, with integration and test taking less than 30 days.

Curtiss-Wright Controls Defense Solutions Ashburn, VA. (703) 779-7800. www.cwcdefense.com

Curtiss-Wright’s Modules Selected for Project Missouri Test Flight Demo


TheINSIDE TRACK

Navy engineers are making final adjustments to a laser weapon prototype that will be the first of its kind to deploy aboard a ship late this summer. The prototype, an improved version of the Laser Weapon System (LaWS), will be installed on USS Ponce for at-sea testing in the Persian Gulf, fulfilling plans announced by Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jona-than Greenert at the 2013 Sea-Air-Space Expo.

Over the past several months, a team of Navy engineers and scientists have upgraded LaWS and proved that targets tracked with a Phalanx Close-In Weapon can be easily handed over to the laser’s targeting and tracking system (Figure 4). The result is a weapon system with a single laser weapon control console, manned by a surface warfare weapons officer aboard USS Ponce who can operate all functions of the laser, and if commanded, fire the laser weapon.

Office of Naval Research Arlington, VA. (703) 696-5031. www.onr.navy.mil

Navy’s Laser Weapon Ready for Summer Deployment



The initial contract award of approximately $115,000 to each of the four companies will provide the Army with engineering and field service support needed to demonstrate the SRW-A capability during the upcoming Network Inte-gration Evaluation 14.2. Orders for SRW-A products will be competed among the four companies with the products distributed to Brigade Combat Teams (BCT) as part of future Army Capability Sets.

General Dynamics C4 Systems Scottsdale, AZ. (480) 441-3033. www.gdc4s.com

Army Orders GD SRW-Applique to Increase Mobility and Comms Range for Soldiers

General Dynamics C4 Systems is one of four companies selected to provide the U.S. Army with the Soldier Radio Waveform-Applique (SRW-A), a vehicle-mounted radio product. General Dynamics’ SRW-Applique combines a secure AN/PRC-154A Rifleman radio with a 20W AN/PRC-155 Manpack radio power amplifier that mounts easily into Army vehicles. The General Dynamics product significantly increases the communications range for soldiers at the platoon level and below by securely con-necting soldiers’ voice and data communications to the Army’s Warfighter Information Network – Tactical (WIN-T) Increment 2 and other radio systems used during a mission.

GE Works Teams with NVIDIA on Tegra K1-Based Embedded Computing

GE Intelligent Platforms an-nounced at NVIDIA’s GPU Technol-ogy Conference (GTC) that it has signed an agreement with NVIDIA to bring products based on the NVIDIA Tegra K1 mobile proces-sor to the embedded computing market. GE Intelligent Platforms will develop and manufacture rug-ged high-performance embedded computing (HPEC) and graphics solutions based on Tegra K1. GE will be NVIDIA’s preferred provider of the new technology to serve ap-plications in harsh environments, most notably to customers in the military/aerospace market.

Built on the same NVIDIA Kepler graphics architecture that drives the world’s most extreme gaming PCs, the Tegra K1 brings console-class gaming graphics and

performance to mobile devices, according to NVIDIA. The Tegra K1 features 192 fully programmable GPU computing cores—capable of executing CUDA algorithms—in addition to four ARM Cortex-A15 CPU cores with a fifth battery-saver core (Figure 3).

GE Intelligent Platforms Charlottesville, VA. (800) 368-2738. defense.ge-ip.com.

Figure 4

The Tegra K1 features 192 fully programmable GPU computing cores —capable of executing CUDA algorithms.

Figure 3Navy engineers upgraded the Laser Weapon System (LaWS) and proved that targets tracked with a Phalanx Close-In Weapon can be easily handed over to the laser’s targeting and tracking system.

COTS Journal | May 2014 9


SPECIAL FEATURETarget Report: Upgrades and Modernization in Military Vehicles

SPECIAL FEATURE

Jeff Child, Editor-in-Chief

As obviously the most ground-vehicle focused of the military branches, the U.S. Army is the place to look for trends in military vehicle technology. However, the constraints are many.

First there’s the normal and expected contraction of the Army’s size due to the winding down of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Second, with the nation’s de-fense strategy making a pivot toward the Asia-Pacific, more allocation of spending is in the Navy and Air Force than the Army. Add to that the national fiscal realities that have forced drastic cuts across the board.

Within that backdrop, the Army continues to modern-ize its ground force capabilities, with emphasis on ex-isting platforms.

The DoD determined that the Ground Combat Ve-hicle (GCV) design concepts were not optimized for the future Army and canceled the program following Tech-nology Development efforts in FY 2014. The Army funded additional modernization and upgrades of select Major Defense Acquisition Programs (MDAPs). The Stryker Ve-hicles, Abrams Tank, Bradley Fighting Vehicle and Pala-din 155mm Howitzer are all undergoing modernization.

Military Vehicle Upgrades Take a C4ISR FocusWith ground vehicle budgets tighter than ever, the focus has increased on electronics upgrades and modernization leaning toward vehicle-mounted C4ISR, comms and networking.


SPECIAL FEATURE

About the only remaining major new ve-hicle in the works is the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV)—a joint program currently in development for the Army and Marine Corps. The JLTV is intended to replace the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), which is the current light tacti-cal vehicle. There are two variants planned: Combat Support Vehicles (3,500 lb) and Com-bat Tactical Vehicles (5,100 lb). The FY 2015 budget completes engineering and manu-facturing development (EMD) efforts and testing in preparation for Milestone (MS) C decision in fourth quarter. For its part, Saft was awarded a contract from Lockheed Mar-tin for delivery of e6T Li-ion battery systems for the EMD phase of the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) Program. The Saft e6T Li-ion battery system provides power for starting, lights and ignition, as well as for silent watch missions, while also providing critical front-line power to recharge personal electronics like night sights and GPS devices.

Focus on C4ISR and NetworksIn proportion, a much greater emphasis

has been focused on the vehicle-mounted C4ISR, comms and networking systems. These efforts fit nicely into the kinds of tech-nologies and products offered by the military embedded computing industry. In an exam-ple along those lines, last summer Curtiss-Wright Controls received a contract from BAE Systems to design and develop a rugged embedded processor subsystem for use as the next-generation Central Processing Unit (CPU) on the Bradley Infantry Fighting Ve-hicle (Figure 1).

Under the contract, the Curtiss-Wright Controls Defense Solutions group will sup-ply its Turret Processor Unit III (TPU III) subsystem, comprising its Fire Control Pro-cessor III (FCP III) single board computer and COTS PMC-651 Ethernet Switch, as the baseline solution for the CPU. Additional general purpose and graphics processor cards will be analyzed to support the ECP 2 CPU upgrade program. The TPU III sub-system will provide high-density comput-ing power to support processing for the Bradley’s fire control system as well as ad-ditional potential functionality such as em-bedded training to meet the Bradley’s future operational requirements. The compact, lightweight single chassis solution features

hybrid backplane technology that supports both VME and VPX open standards.

WIN-T Advances ForwardThe Army’s Warfighter Information

Network-Tactical (WIN-T) is the cornerstone for the Army’s high-speed, high-capability backbone communications network, linking warfighters in the battlefield with the Global Information Grid. The network is intended to provide command, control, communica-tions, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. The system is developed as a network for reliable, secure and seamless video, data, imagery and voice services for the warfighters in the theater to enable deci-sive combat actions.

A lot of deployment and development activity is planned for WIN-T in FY 2015. The budget funds the upgrade of 81 WIN-T Incre-ment 1 units with Modification kits to en-hance interoperability with units fielded with WIN-T Increment 2 (Figure 2). Also funded is the procurement of WIN-T Increment 2 for one Brigade Combat Team and one Division. The Army will continue fielding and support for previously procured Low Rate Initial Pro-duction equipment. Support is planned for Development Testing that leads to a Follow-on Test and Evaluation in 1st quarter FY 2015.

Standards for Vehicle NetworkingOne of the most interesting transforma-

tions looking ahead toward vehicle electron-ics of the future is the advent of the VICTORY standard. The Vehicle Integration for C4ISR/

Figure 1On the Bradley vehicle, the TPU III subsystem will provide high-density computing power to support processing for the vehicle’s fire control system.

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SPECIAL FEATURE

EW Interoperability (VICTORY) initiative has as its main goal the reduction of SWAP-C on ground vehicles. VICTORY takes aim at the current issues such as redundant functional-ity, networking and interoperability by defin-ing an approach for commonality through Gigabit Ethernet networking, standard con-nectors and well-defined electrical interfaces.

The spec continues to evolve and now VICTORY systems are even requirements called out in a number of acquisition pro-grams. The initiative is developing a frame-work for integrating electronic mission equipment including C4ISR and Electronic Warfare (EW) systems on ground platforms. The framework includes an architecture, a standard specification and reference designs. The architecture includes definitions of com-mon terminology, systems, components and interfaces. The specification provides techni-cal specifications for the systems, components and interfaces identified in the architecture.

VICTORY-Compliant SystemsOver the past twelve months, vendors

have rolled on embedded modules specifi-cally designed to be VICTORY compliant.

Among those released in the past 12 months are a family of systems from Extreme Engineering Solutions, the XPand6206, XPand6207 and XPand6208 (Figure 3). These systems are high-performance Small Form Factor (SFF) networking solutions that function as secure, standalone and fully managed switches and routers. They pro-vide a combination of performance, size and capability unmatched in the industry and include features such as 10 Gigabit Ethernet, the 4th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and a re-movable Solid State Drive (SSD).

These fully packaged solutions integrate the VICTORY-compliant XChange3013 and XChange3018 3U VPX switches and routers to enable maximum networking performance and versatility using industry-standard COTS components. They also support IPv6, Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) and a comprehen-sive set of IETF RFCs and IEEE protocols. The XPand6206 maximizes connectivity with support for twenty 10/100/1000BASE-T Giga-bit Ethernet ports. The XPand6207 empha-sizes network performance with 10 Gigabit Ethernet support, providing six 10GBASE-T 10 Gigabit ports and 12 Gigabit Ethernet ports. The XPand6208 is a fully managed 10 Gigabit and Gigabit Ethernet switch and router that also integrates the 4th Gen Intel Core i7 Processor-based XPedite7570 3U VPX module and XPort6193 removable Solid State Drive (SSD).

VICTORY-compliant applications are also the target of Themis Computer’s re-cent VITA 74 offerings, both announced last month. These are a new SFF Rugged Gigabit Ethernet Switch and an i7 version of the SFF NanoPAK. The Themis NanoSWITCH is a rugged, multi-layer Gigabit Ethernet switch system. The NanoSWITCH may be ordered in various configurations, ranging from a simple Layer 2 switch to a fully managed Layer 2/3 switch and router. An optional Auxiliary Gate-way Processor can be added, along with CAN Bus, MIL-STD-1553, SAASM GPS, SINCGARS and HAVEQUICK Interfaces, PTP and MEMS Inertial Measurement Unit, to build the Nano-SWITCH as an all-in-one centralized net-work switch and controller for military and industrial applications. Typical applications include: intra-vehicle network switching; dis-tributed architecture vehicle controller; and VICTORY-compliant switch, router, timing and control.

Figure 2The WIN-T Increment 2 Soldier Network Extension (SNE) is installed on select vehicles down to the company level. The 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division used this SNE during training exercises at the Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, LA last summer.

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SPECIAL FEATURE

Data Distribution Unit (DDU) and Blue Force Tracking 2 to enable network interoperability, Ammunition Data Link (ADL) to enable firing of the Army’s new smart 120mm ammuni-tion, and the Low Profile Commander’s Re-mote Operating Weapon Station (CROWS).

Aitech Defense Systems Chatsworth, CA. (888) 248-3248. www.rugged.com

BAE Systems McLean, VA. (703) 847-5820. www.baesystems.com

Curtiss-Wright Controls Defense Solutions Ashburn, VA. (703) 779-7800. www.cwcdefense.com

Extreme Engineering Solutions Middleton, WI. (608) 833-1155. www.xes-inc.com

GE Intelligent Platforms Charlottesville, VA. (800) 368-2738. defense.ge-ip.com

General Dynamics C4 Systems Scottsdale, AZ. (480) 441-3033. www.gdc4s.com

Themis Computer Fremont, CA. (510) 252-0870. www.themis.com

& Integration Optimization, which provide more reliability, durability and fuel efficiency. Survivability enhancements include Frontal Armor upgrades.

The FY 2015 Budget Request asks for modifications and upgrades needed to main-tain the armor facility at a sustainable level and minimize loss of skilled labor. The plan procures numerous approved modifications to fielded M1A2 Abrams tanks, including the

Upgrades to Abrams TankUpgrades are the theme for the M1A2

Abrams—still the Army’s main battle tank. The Army has modernized it with a series of upgrades to improve its capabilities, col-lectively known as the System Enhancement Package (SEP) and the Tank Urban Survival Kit (TUSK). Currently funded modifications to the M1 Abrams include Vehicle Health Management and Power Train Improvement

Figure 3These fully packaged systems integrate the VICTORY-compliant XChange3013 and XChange3018 3U VPX switches and routers to enable maximum networking performance and versatility using industry-standard off-the-shelf components.


NAI’s family of COTS rugged systems are highly configurable and enable NAI to meet your specific requirements with no NRE. Use NAI’s COSATM architecture to integrate multi-function I/O, SBCs, power supplies and software into a rugged enclosure of your choice. Pre-existing, fully-tested functions can be combined in an unlimited number of ways — quickly and easily.

Built on NAI’s unique, field-proven COSA architecture, our rugged systems maximize flexibility and functionality. Costly NRE and program delays are eliminated while you benefit from reduced power consumption, faster integration and lower overall program costs.

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dealing with large or expensive equipment.The transition to a two-level mainte-

nance system, consisting of sustainment and field-level repairs, has reduced equip-ment downtime and minimized the com-plexity of the maintenance process. This new methodology enables more mainte-nance capacity at the unit level and allows

mission-critical equipment to be returned to fully mission capable (FMC) status faster.

Sustainment-Level Maintenance: Sustainment-level maintenance requires mission profile considerations—such as the enemy, terrain and weather, troops and time constraints and personnel. Sustainment maintenance is a repair-and-return-to-the-

Torque-Limiting Card-Lok Retainers Ease Field-Level RepairsCard locking mechanical gear—or card loks—are a key part of mission-critical embedded computing systems. New approaches to torque-limiting card loks make field-level repairs much more practical.

Amy Escobio, Product Marketing Manager, Schroff-Pentair Equipment Protection

Figure 1Card-loks must be installed with a calibrated torque wrench that is set to the correct amount of torque in order to achieve optimal performance.

Military equipment—such as ship-board, surveillance, mobile artil-lery and control stations, combat aircraft and unmanned air vehi-

cles—often consists of highly technological and sensitive electronics. It is likely that these electronics, at some point, will be exposed to harsh environments, including extreme heat, dust, moisture, shock and vibration.

Within these harsh environments, card-loks are often used for printed circuit board retention and thermal management to ensure continued reliability and perfor-mance. For mission-critical applications, where high availability and rapid deploy-ment are required, torque-limiting card-loks should be considered to support field-level maintenance (Figure 2).

Two-Level MaintenanceIn the past, the Department of Defense

supported a four-level maintenance system consisting of unit, direct support, general support and depot repairs. This system had an echeloned maintenance structure, re-quired a large logistical footprint and relied heavily on the evacuation of systems for re-pair. As a result, units were required to plan for equipment downtime while evacuating equipment to higher maintenance levels, wait for that item to be repaired and then sent back through the appropriate chan-nels. This process often was prolonged when


SPECIAL FEATURETarget Report: Upgrades and Modernization in Military Vehicles

SPECIAL FEATURE

supply-system activity. These repairs often require a trained technician to disassem-bled/reassemble parts, complete repairs to national standards and use a variety of spe-cialized tools.

Field-Level Maintenance: Within the military’s two-level maintenance structure, field-level maintenance focuses on compo-nent replacement, damage, repair, recovery and related maintenance activities at the military squadron, ship or unit level—essen-tially wherever they are located worldwide. Field maintenance tasks do not require spe-cialized tools and are typically a system swap versus a system repair. Oftentimes, this type of maintenance activity is basic enough to be successfully completed by an operator.

Field-level maintenance is generally preferred because it reduces cost and equip-ment downtime. Unlike traditional card-loks, torque-limiting card-loks have been specifi-cally designed to satisfy the requirements for field-level maintenance. Torque-limiting card-loks do not require any specific tools or

advanced technical knowledge for installa-tion, or ongoing calibration of tools.

Comparing the TechnologySimilar to conventional card-loks,

torque-limiting card-loks are based on a screw-actuated design with a hex head. When torqued, conventional and torque-lim-iting card-loks function in the same manner: the wedges are pushed together, they slide against each other on 45 degree angles, and the assembly expands widthwise. This expan-sion provides the clamping force required for board retention and aids in thermal transfer from the PCB to the cold wall.

For all card-loks, achieving the specified torque is critical for achieving optimal clamp-ing and thermal performance. If the card-lok is under-torqued, the clamping force may not provide enough retention, especially in high shock and vibration environments, resulting in loose printed circuit boards and poor ther-mal transfer. If the card-lok is over-torqued, severe damage may result to the cold wall or

Figure 2Torque-limiting card-loks include an internal ratcheting mechanism, which provides highly repeatable and reliable clamping force and thermal performance.

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Figure 3Unlike traditional card-loks, torque-limiting card-loks satisfy the requirements for field-level maintenance because they do not require any specific tools or advanced technical knowledge to install or utilize them, or ongoing calibration of tools..


SPECIAL FEATURE

mance. Because the torqueing mechanism is built in, a calibrated torque wrench is not required for installation; operators can use any standard tool with a hex head. Once the proper torque has been achieved, the ratchet mechanism will “slip,” creating an audible and tactile response. This feature not only eliminates risks associated with under- or over-torqueing the card-lok, but it also im-proves the ease of installation. Because the torque-limiting card-lok can be a system re-pair, it doesn’t require any specialized tools or technical knowledge, and can be completed by the operating crew—making it ideal for field-level maintenance (Figure 3).

Solutions in the FieldTorque-limiting card-loks are designed

primarily for security and defense applica-tions. However, any application that has critical board clamping for thermal trans-fer requirements, requires high equipment availability, or has a high expense for down-time, may benefit from a torque-limiting card-lok design. Schroff ’s Calmark torque-limiting card-lok retainers are available in various profiles, finishes and performance specifications. Testing reports are available upon request.

Schroff - Pentair Equipment Protection Minneapolis, MN. (763) 421-2240. www.pentairequipmentprotection.com

a properly calibrated torque wrench, specifi-cally in cases where the operator’s tools are exposed to harsh environmental conditions, or the operator may not know the proper torque level, which varies depending on the card-lok design (Figure 1).

The torque-limiting card-lok was devel-oped to mitigate these issues; it features an integrated ratcheting mechanism that pro-vides highly repeatable and reliable perfor-

printed circuit board.Attaining accurate torque is not always

simple, especially in rugged, high-stress en-vironments, such as the battlefield. In order to achieve optimal results, a conventional card-lok must be actuated using a torque wrench; the torque wrench must be prop-erly calibrated; and the card-lok must be torqued to a specified level. In some situa-tions, the operator may not have access to

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The world of computing has evolved over the past 20-30 years, but in the area of “big metal” servers it has been a circular path. In the early period of

server computing in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the most widely used server for tech-nical computing was the Digital Equipment Corporation VAX 11/780. The VAX 11/780 came in a variety of configurations, but the most common was housed in multiple six-foot 19-inch equipment racks and required a lot of power and a special air-conditioned room with proper air-filtering equipment.

User access to these servers was usually a serially connected “dumb” terminal only capable of displaying text, or for the lucky user, a graphics terminal with a high-per-sistence screen to display mono-color lines and filled areas. The introduction of low-cost personal computers with local data storage, networking and bit-mapped dis-plays reduced the use of servers in favor of local control of applications and data. This created a whole new set of problems such as outdated applications, lost data, data theft and others.

In order to make the servers more at-tractive to users—and to protect data—the concept of a thin-terminal was developed, in this case, the X Terminal. The X Terminal was a networked bit-mapped display with keyboard and mouse but no local storage that could be used to connect to servers

over the network, which was usually Ether-net—10 MHz at the time. It was a novel idea, and for users of dumb terminals, a giant leap forward. For users of PCs, it was not so excit-ing since they could also use their PC as an X Terminal via a software application.

What the X Terminal did do was intro-duce the concept of a user device that was connected via a network to a “cloud” of ap-plications and data. Applications could be

controlled and data could be protected more easily since they were centrally located. The downside was that the technology of the mid-1980s was not capable of supporting the performance required to compete with the standalone PC or workstation.

2014: The Modern ServerSince the 1980s, the technology has

moved on exponentially in computing

Ruggedized Servers Revamp Data-Centric Military EnvironmentsBy using ruggedized rackmount servers with extended environmental specifications, military system integrators can provide back office capability in the field.

David Lippincott, CTO, Chassis Plans

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Figure 1Design specifications of Chassis Plans systems to meet the rigors of military deployment. These systems are designed to meet or exceed the requirements of MIL-S-901D, MIL-S-810G and MIL-S-461F.


TECH RECONPCI Express and 10 GbE as System Interconnects

TECH RECON

power, storage density/speed and network-ing performance. Also the level of applica-tions and usage of data has increased as well. The concept of downloading high-definition maps and video in real time, an impossible task in the 1980s, is common practice today.

The IT server of today is still rack-mounted, but in the smallest instance con-sists of a 1U (1.75-inches) high by 19-inches wide and 25-inch deep chassis with the computing power of up to two multicore In-tel Xeon processors with Gigabytes of RAM and Terabytes of storage. In addition there is room for PCI Express (PCIe) graphics or network cards. Other servers are available in larger sizes, typically 2U to 5U in height for more storage and I/O options. One thing they all have in common is that they are de-signed to operate in a controlled computer-room environment.

These servers are used to provide sup-port for all aspects of the World Wide Web and all types of commercial businesses such as banks, Google, Facebook, Amazon and many others. Other users need servers that

Figure 2The shock-mounted 6U transit case supports a 2U military-grade server offering two multicore XEON processors, seven PCIe expansion slots, a RAID storage unit with up to 72 Terabytes of disk storage, a UPS/Power Conditioner for assured operation in power-poor environments, and a military-grade rackmount keyboard/LCD display.

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the mission. All of these requirements can be met by proper design and packaging provid-ing a COTS solution for a ruggedized server.

With all that in mind, Chassis Plans has developed a series of military-grade rackmount systems with 1U to 5U configu-rations. These systems were developed to ensure reliable operation in harsh environ-ments. Figure 1 shows the specifications for the series of Chassis Plans’ enclosures. In order to meet these specifications, several unique techniques were incorporated. For further details, see in the Web-only sidebar “A Ruggedized Server for Today’s Military Needs” in the online version of this article.

Army Implementation PlanThe military users require a solution

that will optimize and protect the use of large databases, in particular, detailed maps and high-definition video, and restrict ac-cess of the system by uncontrolled applica-tions and persons. As an example, the Army has released a recent architecture docu-ment called “U.S. Army Thin/Zero Client Computing Reference Architecture Version 1.0 March 2013.” In the architecture defined by the Army, a user’s applications, data, pro-cessing and storage are hosted on an instal-lation processing node, and user access is via a Thin or Zero Client. The current ver-sion of the reference architecture is targeted toward selected continental U.S. (CONUS) sites, although a future version will encom-pass the Army-wide enterprise.

Thin/Zero Clients are the modern up-date to the concept of the X Terminal of the past. Designed to connect to a server via the network, the Zero Client is a diskless box that supports 1-4 screens, a keyboard and a mouse. A Thin Client also contains a local disk drive and is able to store applications and data locally. For the Army, the Zero Client is a good solution to display several screens of high-definition information with the minimum of hardware, and no software or data storage at the remote location.

In January 2014, the Army’s Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS-A) pro-gram selected software from TerraGo (www.terragotech.com) to provide geospatial in-telligence (GEOINT) to remote warfighters without having to rely on complex geospatial tools installed on desktops, field-deployed laptops and mobile devices. The software,

tion needs of the military. This requires the server to be able to support storage of large amounts of data, Gigabit Ethernet con-nections, the processing power to support multiple applications, and I/O capability to support data compression accelerators and graphics processors. Also a ruggedized server must be able to be transported, operated for an extended period in very harsh environ-ments and provide the reliability to support

can be used in a much-harsher environ-ment, but at the same time provide data protection and common applications. One of these users is the military.

Rugged Servers for Field UseIn order to support the military the

server has to be ruggedized to be used in the field. In addition, the server must be power-ful enough to support the current applica-


TECH RECON

image quality for the available network bandwidth. The more graphically intense the user’s PCoIP session, the more workload is placed on the server CPUs for the render-ing and protocol encoding process.

In order to reduce the workload of the server in processing PCoIP, a special purpose accelerator can be installed in the server, which greatly reduces the processing power required to service the clients. An example

The default protocol in the VMware Horizon View environment is the PC over Internet protocol (PCoIP). This protocol works by using the server CPU coupled with a sophisticated set of codecs to compress/render pixels, graphics, audio and text at the server side and remotely display them across the network at the user’s screen. The PCoIP protocol uses a sophisticated multi-codec compression protocol that delivers the best

which is compatible with a wide range of PDF-compatible devices, is designed to allow Army intelligence analysts and geospatial en-gineers to share intelligent 2D and 3D maps and imagery to improve situational aware-ness and help make informed decisions faster. This type of application is ideal for the Server/Zero Client environment.

Server/Zero Client EnvironmentAt the start of this article it was stated

that the server concept has evolved in a cir-cular manner. With the concept of a server and a thin, or zero client, we are back to the concept of a server and a “dumb” terminal. Well, almost. There are significant advan-tages with the present configuration over the server and dumb terminal.

First, there is enough performance in the server to run the applications and pro-vide the data to the Zero Client. There also is enough bandwidth between the server and the Zero Clients being served to display the data in real time. Finally, there is room for expansion to increase bandwidth or support more Zero Clients.

The system shown in Figure 2 is a com-plete “in a box” ruggedized Cloud server solution intended for harsh battlespace deployment. The system provides an easily transportable turn-key solution capable of hosting Zero Clients. By using this system with server software, such as VMware (www.vmware.com), Thin/Zero Clients can be connected via the network to the server. It is not unusual for a small server to support 16-64 Zero Client displays.

Figure 3Processor load data with and without the Teradici APEX PCoIP accelerator card demonstrates the major performance improvement for displaying maps and video using the accelerator.

Of�ce Worker

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SW w/APEX

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improvement for typical military applica-tions. It is clear from the figure that signifi-cant processing improvement is possible using an accelerator card, allowing more displays per server for better performance. A typical 1U rackmount system provides for two PCIe expansion slots, so an additional Teradici APEX card could be added and a GPU-based graphics accelerator could also be added, which would increase the per-formance of applications requiring image-intensive processing. The system shown provides up to seven expansion slots for multiple Teradici cards or GPU cards for sig-nificant performance improvement.

With the technology available today, it is possible to implement a powerful server system that will support multiple users, and mount that server in a transit case that can be deployed in hostile environments with a minimum of preparation. Beyond just the processing power of the server, users benefit from the networking options avail-able. Those options enable user access to be implemented in a set of minimal hardware that provides high-performance display of critical data without requiring software and local data storage at the user’s location. This enhances data security and, in the case of the military, allows the warfighter to have access to real time data.

Chassis Plans San Diego, CA. (858) 571-4330. www.chassis-plans.com.

sor unit (GPU) if available—but rather offloads the PCoIP protocol encoding tasks from the main server CPU, freeing up valu-able CPU cycles for the applications. It also means that the virtual desktops themselves could be configured with less virtual CPUs, translating to less work for the VMware ESX “scheduler” in scheduling those virtual CPUs down to the physical CPU.

Figure 3 shows the typical performance

of a hardware accelerator for PCoIP is built by Teradici. (www.teradici.com). Teradici is the developer of the PCoIP protocol and the manufacturer of a PCoIP system on chip (SoC) that is used in accelerators as well as in the Zero Client hardware to manage the PCoIP protocol.

The Teradici APEX accelerator card does not render pixels—that’s still the job of the software layer, or graphics proces-

Untitled-1 1 9/17/09 3:09:10 PM


© 2014 General Electric Company. All rights reserved. All other brands, names or trademarks are property of their respective owners.

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GE: bringing the Internet of Things to the battlefield

Just like the Internet of the future, the battlefield of the future will see huge amounts of data collected, processed and distributed and turned into valuable, actionable data in real time. Smart machines will communicate with other smart machines.

The result? Everyone becomes more empowered – and more effective.

To turn that into a reality takes more than just products. It takes the resources, expertise and experience of the world’s largest companies.

GE is already leading the development of the Internet of Things. That’s why, at GE, it’s no longer the battlefield of the future. It’s the battlefield of today.

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0514 COTS GE MilComm ad MECH.indd 1 5/1/14 4:35 PM

PC/104 has been the standard for the stackable PC for over 20 years, started by providing a rugged stackable version of the ISA bus

that was used in desktop personal com-puters of the day. As the PC evolved to ever faster buses, PC/104 followed tak-ing advantage of the well proven, archi-tectures and vast component supplies. PC/104 added PCI-104 as the PCI bus took over in the desktop, and the PCI Ex-press bus implementation is PCIe/104.

One big difference between PC/104 and desktop PC evolution is that as the desktop evolved it discarded the slower buses because they were not needed, but these buses were and still are perfect for many embedded applications that need a stackable PC. Since component ven-dors still make chips for ISA and PCI, the PC/104 Consortium maintains these open specifications that keep ISA and PCI buses going while providing paths to new technologies like PCI Express with backward compatibility. Figure 1 shows a PC/104 stack.

How PCI Express Works in PCIe/104PCIe/104 maintains PC/104’s inher-

ent ruggedness and stackability, however using a point-to-point connection like PCI Express in a stackable architecture can be challenging. PCIe/104 makes it

easy thanks to a high-quality connec-tor that was specifically designed for PC/104’s special requirements and tested to operate at PCI Express generation 1, 2, and 3. The surface mount design allows the connector on the top of the board to carry different signals or, more impor-tantly, the same signals in a different lo-cation than the bottom. This has major advantages for the peripheral boards and the host PC.

PC/104’s ISA bus and PCI/104’s PCI bus required the peripherals to have

jumpers or switches to configure them in the stack because the connector has the same pins all the way through the bus. Every card in the stack gets the same sig-nals, so there has to be something on the board to make it different from any other board in the stack, allowing the CPU to uniquely identify the board. PCIe/104 uses lane shifting technology to do this automatically without jumpers, switches, or user interaction of any kind. Just stack the boards together and go.

For simplicity let’s focus on just PCI

PCI Express Lane Shifting Enhances PCIe/104’s CapabilitiesBy integrating PCI Express into the tried and true PC/104 stackable format, the powerful PCIe/104 architecture was born. By enabling lane shifting of the PCI Express links, system developers gain an elegant way to blend flexibility and high performance.

Jim Blazer, CTO, RTD Embedded Technologies

Figure 1PC/104 has been the standard for the stackable PC for over 20 years. It started by providing a rugged stackable version of the ISA bus that was used in desktop PCs of the day. Shown here is a PCI Express stack (right) with a PCIe/104 card stacking onto two PCI/104-Express cards. On the left is a PC/104 stack.


TECH RECONPCI Express and 10 GbE as System Interconnects

TECH RECON

2 there’s a simplified host with four PCI Express links going up. The peripheral installed above a host uses link 1 coming in from the bottom connector and then shifts link 2 from the bottom to link 1 on the top, shifts link 3 from the bottom to link 2 on the top, and finally shifts link 4 from the bottom to link 3 on the top.

Express x1 links during this explanation, but PCI Express x4, SATA, USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 operate the same. Link shifting operates by having each peripheral board use the first PCI Express lane presented to it and shifting the remaining lanes so the next card in the stack will have an ac-tive lane in the first position. In Figure

Simpli�ed Link ShiftingPCIe

Device

Bottom Connector

Top Connector

Top Connector

Host

Peripheral

PCIe Link 1 PCIe Link 2 PCIe Link 3 PCIe Link 4

Figure 2Link shifting operates by having each peripheral board use the first PCI Express lane presented to it and shifting the remaining lanes so the next card in the stack will have an active lane in the first position. Shown here is a simplified host with four PCI Express links.

Figure 3When additional peripherals are added the shifting continues until all four links are used.

Simpli�ed Link Shifting Using all Four LinksPCIe

Device

PCIeDevice

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Bottom ConnectorTop Connector




Peripheral

Peripheral

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HostPCIe Link 1 PCIe Link 2 PCIe Link 3 PCIe Link 4


TECH RECON

Shifting the LinksWhen additional peripherals are added, the shifting contin-

ues until all four links are used as shown in Figure 3. Notice that the four peripheral boards are exactly the same yet each gets its own PCI Express link and will be recognized by the host as a separate device automatically. That’s a good foundation for ex-amining PCIe/104 link shifting in detail. In the above example, the host CPU only has a connector on the top. If a host had the connector only on the bottom, the peripheral board would have to change because the host would be supplying PCI Express links to the peripheral’s top connector and the PCIe device on the pe-ripheral board is expecting the PCI Express link to be coming in from the bottom connector. PCIe/104 resolved this by requir-ing all peripherals to add a signal switch to the board that is controlled by a direction signal. The direction signal informs the peripheral whether it is installed above or below the host so it can select a link from the top or bottom connector automatically depending on its location.

In the example in Figure 4, the host CPU actually has eight PCI Express x1 links and sends four up the stack and four sepa-rate links down the stack. This means that peripherals can be stacked both above and below the CPU at the same time. In this example only links 1, 6, 7 and 8 are used, leaving links for three more devices above and one below the host. A close inspection of the peripheral boards above and below the host shows them to be identical. This means that a peripheral will work in any location in the stack, making things really easy for system de-signers.

PCIe/104 link shifting simplifies system configuration and provides maximum flexibility for users. Hosts can allow stack up, stack down, or both at the same time and know that any

Figure 4Here the host CPU actually has eight PCI Express x1 links and sends four up the stack and four separate links down the stack.

PCIe/104 Stack Up and DownPCIe

Device

PCIeDevice

PCIeDevice

PCIeDevice

SignalSwitch

UpDown

Top Connector

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Bottom Connector

Bottom Connector

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PCIe Link 1 PCIe Link 2 PCIe Link 3 PCIe Link 4PCIe Link 5 PCIe Link 6 PCIe Link 7 PCIe Link 8


TECH RECON

any PC/104 module and brings all its I/O to a single milled aluminum frame with the standard connectors that are typical on a desktop PC. Modules in the frames can be stacked too for a system in a metal enclosure exactly as boards are stacked. These standard products allow building a quick proof of concept system in a pretty rugged enclosure. Maintaining PC/104’s modularity enables adding or changing

closure or take advantage of many exist-ing PC/104 enclosures.

A typical PC/104 system is a stack of boards that are wired to an I/O panel and then slipped inside a tube. This approach is functional, but minimizes PC/104’s modularity. RTD Embedded Technologies has developed two unique enclosures that place special emphasis on PC/104’s rug-ged nature and modularity. IDAN takes

peripheral will work. Also, peripheral manufacturers only have to build one ver-sion of a device and know that it will work above or below any host.

PCIe/104 in COTS ApplicationsPCIe/104 is one of a family of open

standards that are maintained by the members of the PC/104 Consortium. The specifications include ISA, PCI and PCI Express bus architectures and 104, EPIC and EBX form factors. The specifications can be downloaded from www.pc104.org. In addition to the members of the Consor-tium, there are many manufacturers that use this open standard for their products. Having an open standard ensures that everyone is following the same rules and builds compatible products.

PC/104 architecture is based on proven desktop and laptop PC architec-ture and leverages components designed for this huge market. The resulting prod-ucts have a familiar look and feel to us-ers. They are PCs that run DOS, Windows, Linux and many real-time operating sys-tems that were designed for desktop PCs. Embedded system designers can use the same development tools that are used by PC users around the world.

PC/104 Inherently RuggedPC/104’s size, stacking connectors

and four corner standoffs make it inher-ently rugged. Many vendors take added steps like using industrial temperature components, avoiding socketed compo-nents, conformal coating boards, and us-ing specially designed enclosures to make the products even more rugged. PC/104’s modularity makes it easy to size the sys-tem with exactly the functionality needed and not have to worry if there is a card slot left to plan for future enhancements. Just add another board to the stack to provide the enhancements required.

All PC/104 specifications are open standards, making it possible for end users to build custom boards with spe-cial features or meeting specific require-ments, and they can be combined with existing products to minimize develop-ment time and risk. The selected stan-dard products with any custom boards can be installed as a stack in a larger en-

Untitled-18 1 5/2/12 2:03:25 PM


TECH RECON

bility and performance by using PCI Ex-press. The use of surface mount connec-tors and PCI Express link shifting makes a point-to-point bus work in a stacking architecture in a manner designed to simplify system configuration. PCIe/104’s inherent ruggedness and broad supplier base using the open standards make it an ideal solution for demanding MIL/COTS applications.

RTD Embedded Technologies State College, PA. (814) 234-8087. www.rtd.com

development costs and the designer can focus on the system. The enclosure can be modified to fit the space, functionality and I/O options required.

The Legacy ContinuesPC/104 has been used for over 20

years in many rugged MIL/COTS applica-tions. PCIe/104 was added in 2008 to allow these applications to expand their capa-

system at will.Meanwhile, RTD’s HiDAN and Hi-

DANplus enclosures are for more rugged applications. They have EMI and water-tight gaskets between the frames and feature MIL connectors. While they are custom designed for the specific applica-tion, they use standard PC/104 products and maintain a level of modularity. Using standard PC/104 boards eliminates board

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The multiple sensors used in modern battlefield and surveillance systems produce tremendous amounts of data (Figure 1). This leads to increasing

challenges in processing, storing and ex-tracting key intelligence and tactical infor-mation from a mountain of acquired data. With increasingly smaller and more mobile platforms, processing systems also face severe SWaP constraints that exacerbate the problem. The tight integration of high-performance Solid State Drive (SSD)-based storage directly into a processing system’s interconnect network can help to address these difficult issues.

PCIe-based processing architectures (typically OpenVPX systems) are prime can-didates for the merger of PCIe switching with PCIe-based SSD storage, essentially replacing PCIe switch boards with hybrid boards that incorporate SSD storage along with the switching function. These must be combined with efficient SSD storage management software that allows any of the PCIe connected devices (sensors, SBCs, DSPs, FPGAs) to simultaneously write or read data to/from the SSD storage at multi-Gbyte/s rates.

Two Different RolesSSD storage may serve two very differ-

ent roles in these processing systems. First, it may be used for the more traditional long-

term archiving or recording of raw or pro-cessed data. And second, as a system-wide high-capacity, ultra-high-bandwidth data “cache” where raw or partially processed data can be held until appropriate process-ing resources become available, or until the data is deemed no longer useful. This cache mechanism can provide increased flexibility in a system’s processing timeline and thus allow for more efficient use of heteroge-neous processing resources.

This dual usage of SSD storage creates a hierarchy of storage, with SSD storage el-ements at different levels having different characteristics. The cache level of hierar-chy is typically characterized by ultra-high read/write bandwidth (multiple Gbytes/s), a very high endurance requirement, but a relatively modest storage capacity; often less than a Terabyte. The archival/recording level of storage hierarchy is characterized by more modest write bandwidths, but ultra-

Integrating of PCIe Switching and SSD StorageDealing with the deluge of data coming in from multiple sensor streams causes huge data movement issues. Blending PCI Express switching and SSD storage smoothes the way.

Greg Bolstad, Chief Systems Architect, Critical I/O

Battle�eld/Surveillance Notional Processing System

DataCaching

FPGAProcessing

Data & Control Fabrics

SensorInterface

Processing DataRecording

SBCProcessing

FusionInterfaces

DSP/GPUProcessing Command

& ControlInterfaces

Figure 1Battlefield/surveillance notional processing system.


SYSTEM DEVELOPMENTMemory Storage Interface and Media Technologies

SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT

view, as PCIe is generally the native I/O in-terface used by the chips within the boards. Moreover, PCIe offers very high and scalable

will have some degree of PCIe connectively built in. And it essentially comes for free, from both board space and power points of

high storage capacity (multiple Terabytes), and may also be faced with security, remov-ability and transportability requirements.

This article explores in detail the in-tegration of PCIe interconnect and storage into hybrid PCIe switch/SSD storage blades, including a discussion of architectures, en-abling technologies and the benefits (and possible drawbacks) to this approach. A dis-cussion of the challenges and issues associ-ated with the approach follows, and finally a discussion of an example real-world system that integrates SSD storage deeply into the processing system.

Enabling TechnologiesPCI Express and OpenVPX: PCIe is

seeing increasing use in embedded process-ing systems as the primary interconnection fabric. While PCIe can occasionally pres-ent some (solvable) topology and bridg-ing challenges, its advantages are hard to ignore. First and foremost, it is pervasive; nearly every embedded processor board, FPGA board, sensor board and I/O board

PCIe Switching and SSD Storage in OpenVPX

DSP/GPUFusionInterfaces

PCIe Data PlaneSwitch/Storage Blade(s)

SensorInterfaces FPGA SBC

Omd/QtrlInterfaces

SSD DataCaching

SSD DataRecording

Figure 2Shown here is the integration of PCIe switching and SSD storage in an OpenVPX processing system.


SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT

PCIe-connected SSD storage provides a number of system benefits. First, and most obvious, is the ability to capture fully or par-tially processed data, at multiple steps in the processing flow, into non-volatile storage. Data recording architectures are often a bit of an afterthought, even in relatively recent systems designs. Tightly integrating storage in the baseline system architecture allows more recording and playback options and higher levels of recording performance.

The ability to cache data, either raw sensor data or partially processed data, is a key benefit of integrated SSD storage. This al-lows processing systems to “revisit” data, es-sentially going back in time, in cases where it may be useful to reprocess a data region of interest using different parameters or al-gorithms. It addition, caching of data may allow processing timelines to be adjusted or time-shifted to allow more optimal schedul-ing of processing resources, and thus pro-vide a more optimized SWaP for this system. This allows processing resources to be sized to handle the average load, not oversized to handle the peak load.

Some systems may use SSD storage as a continuous recorder, capturing all data at one or more points in the processing flow. These systems may operate in an overwrite mode, where some amount of data, for ex-ample several hours’ worth, is captured and available, but is continuously overwritten as new data is captured.

And finally, tightly integrated storage is useful for development and debug of pro-cessing architectures and algorithms, al-lowing the non-volatile capture of data at multiple points in the processing flow, and allowing reinjection of previously captured data, or synthesized test data, at those same points. While this capability is clearly useful in the integration and test phases of a pro-cessing system, it is becoming increasingly popular and useful to include these types of integrated instrumentation in fully fielded systems to support data collection to allow ongoing algorithm enhancement and tuning.

PCIe Access and Storage ManagementA key aspect of SSD integration is

control and management of the SSD stor-age, and the control and management of the data flow between the various process-ing boards and SSD storage. While PCIe

levels support single blade storage capacity of up to 16 Terabytes, with densities increas-ing at a rapid rate.

PCIe Switch/Storage Hybrid Archi-tecture: Building on the pervasiveness of PCIe technology in modern battlefield and surveillance systems, and the well-defined high-speed serial connection pathways in VPX architectures, new systems are being defined that integrate PCIe connectivity with SSD storage. Specifically, this approach leverages hybrid PCIe blades that combine a PCIe switching function with a SSD storage function. These hybrid blades can take the place of single-function PCIe switch blades and provide high-performance SSD storage that is accessible to any PCIe connected sen-sor, I/O, or processor board in the system.

Heterogeneous MixToday’s embedded military processing

systems are often a heterogeneous mix of var-ious processing resources. Sensor interface FPGA-based ADC or digital receiver boards are often used as the raw sensor interface, followed up by dedicated DSP or Graphic Processor Unit (GPU) signal processing boards that can provide multiple Teraflops of processing capability. And the overall opera-tion of the processing system including co-ordination of processing activities as well as management of interfaces is often assigned to one or more general purpose Single Board Computer (SBC) CPU boards. All of these dis-parate board types have PCIe interfaces, and thus all can potentially benefit from direct access to PCIe-based storage.

performance levels with ultra-low node-to-node latency.

The PCIe Gen 2 x4 “Fat Pipe” links typi-cally used in VPX systems support usable data rates of up to 1.7 Gbytes/s per x4 link. Two x4 links can often be merged to create a single link of twice the performance; or about 3.5 Gbytes/s. And Gen 3 links offer the potential to double these performance levels. PCIe is also becoming a key inter-face for SSD storage, either directly through PCIe-based flash controllers, or indirectly through PCI to SATA bridge controllers.

Open VPX defines slot profiles and backplane profiles that lend themselves to a switched PCIe system fabric. Several dif-ferent switch slot profiles are defined for 3U and 6U open VPX systems, with combina-tions of fat pipe data plane connectivity and ultra-thin pipe control plane connectivity to payload slots. Figure 2 shows the integra-tion of PCIe switching and SSD storage in an OpenVPX processing system.

Flash-based SSD storage: Flash-based SSD storage is becoming increasingly more cost-effective and can also now achieve levels of performance that can support the data rates of high-performance systems. Current generation SSDs can easily achieve per-SSD write rates of over 500 Mbytes/s for SATA-based versions and over 1 Gbyte/s for PCIe-based versions. The performance of multiple SSDs can be seamlessly combined through hardware or software approaches to achieve aggregate sustained write and read rates of several Gbytes/s for a single SSD storage blade. Current SSD density

Commandand ControlInterfaces

Processing System Using Hybrid PCIe Switch/SSD Storage Blade

Sens

or I/

FFP

GA

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or I/

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GA

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essi

ng

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emIn

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StorePak PCIe Data Plane Switch/Storage BladeIntegrated 6 TB Removable SSD Storage

VPX Backplane

Figure 3An example processing system leveraging a StorePak Hybrid PCIe Switch/SSD Storage Blade.


SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT

is another aspect of non-volatile storage. For many processing systems, data security for raw and partially processed data is not a particular concern. In certain military sys-tems, however, it becomes a critical factor. For more on data integrity, reliability and se-curity, see the Web-only sidebar “Data Integ-rity, Reliability and Security” in the online version of this article.

Incorporation of technology that is

data transfers, while generally performed under the direct control of the switch/stor-age blade(s), may be initiated and moni-tored via lightweight drivers hosted on one or more of the system’s processing boards.

Data Integrity, Reliability and SecurityData integrity is clearly an important

issue in data transfer and storage, particu-larly in military systems. And data security

provides the raw transport mechanism, the actual flow of data must be managed by control software. There are several possibili-ties, including ad-hoc distributed control, centralized control via software hosted on a general purpose SBC, or centralized control via software hosted on a dedicated storage control board. Each of these approaches has merits. Distributed control is the most flexi-ble, and potentially offers good performance (and in theory the best scalability), but suf-fers from the lack of a unified way to manage SSD storage resources, often resulting in un-necessarily partitioned data, performance conflicts and less that optimal network and storage utilization.

The two centralized control methods offer similar advantages. Centralized con-trol means that data flow between process-ing boards and SSD storage has a single point of control, as does the SSD storage. This allows for more coordination of PCIe and SSD activities, thus enabling more effi-cient use of these resources.

The key functionality that must be pro-vided by the storage management software includes detection (and potentially con-figuration) of the PCIe network topology, initialization and control of PCIe DMA data transfers to and from the various processing and interface boards, and management of the SSD storage file system. The block level SSD storage is allocated and managed using a tailored file system that can fine-tune the data layout for optimal SSD write perfor-mance, while at the same time presenting a normal file system management and access view from the user perspective. PCIe DMA

Figure 4The 3U and 6U OpenVPX StoreEngine (shown) and StorePak products integrate PCIe data plane switching with removable PCIe SSD storage and comprehensive PCIe storage management software.


SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT

4. In this system, multiple raw sensor inputs are received through ADC/FPGA preproces-sor boards. These boards can transfer data (through the switch/storage boards) to the DSP processing boards, or to SSD stor-age, or both. The DSP boards also routinely transfer processed data to the SSD storage boards, and to the general purpose CPU boards, which also manage other system I/O and control interfaces. The SSD stor-age can “replay” raw or partially processed data through the FPGA or DSP boards. And finally, the SSD storage module itself is hot-swappable, allowing it to be removed to sup-port off-site analysis of raw and processed data, and to allow synthesized test data to be inserted into the processing system in real time. The SSD storage in this system supports simultaneous write/read rates of over 1.2 Gbytes/s, which allows recording and replay of all raw or partially sensor data channels in real time.

The integration of high-performance Solid State Drive (SSD)-based storage di-rectly into a processing system’s PCIe in-terconnect network can help military sys-tems designers deal with the challenges in processing, storing and extracting key intelligence and tactical information from a mountain of acquired sensor data. Hy-brid PCIe switch/SSD storage blades lever-age advances in the performance, density and reliability of SSD flash storage, and the pervasiveness of PCIe interconnection in OpenVPX systems, to allow next-generation military processing systems to fully benefit from this tight integration of PCIe network-ing and SSD storage.

Critical I/O Irvine, CA. (949) 553-2200. www.criticalio.com

is also critical to carefully evaluate SSDs for consistency of write performance over both the SSD lifetime and the operating tempera-ture range.

Realization and Example SystemFigure 3 shows a real-world example

of an airborne processing system that le-verages Critical I/O’s StorePak hybrid PCIe switch/SSD storage blades shown in Figure

fundamentally commercial into military systems always faces ruggedization is-sues. Of particular concern is operation of flash-based SSD over extended tempera-ture ranges. These issues are best addressed through careful analysis and selection of SSD and flash technologies, and compre-hensive testing of the selected technologies over the temperature range of interest. For high-performance recording applications, it

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At first blush it’s easy to think that the idea of non-standard implementa-tions flies contrary to the military’s usual preference toward standard and

open architecture form factors. Standard form factors are attractive because such ar-chitectures offer some defense against the vendor or its product going away, becoming obsolete. Indeed, established standards—such as PC/104, VME or CompactPCI—opened the door for a variety of similar prod-ucts based on a standard architecture, easing the difficulties of replacing a board.

Thanks to the magic of semiconductor integration, however, more functionality can be offered in very small board footprints. As a result, embedded board vendors continue to roll out products and product lines of non-standard products. This trend isn’t restricted to the military embedded market segment—industrial, automotive and communications segments are likewise expressing keen inter-est in this phenomenon.

Unlike standard boards, non-standard approaches face issues of obsolescence—driving a need for customers to keep com-ing back to the same supplier for new or up-graded systems rather than finding another source. But in very small systems, often the size and space of the board takes precedence over the need for standards. The priority is in-stead on squeezing as much functionality and compute density onto a single board solution.

These non-standard boards seem to be targeting very different applications areas—areas where slot-card backplane or PC/104 stacks wouldn’t be practical. In other words, they aren’t really stealing any market share away from established standards such as VPX, VME, CompactPCI or PC/104. Systems that use them tend to be extremely space- or weight-constrained, or where traditionally only a fully custom solution would do the job. Examples include unmanned air and ground

vehicles (Figure 1), mission-specific hand-held systems and even intelligent munitions.

An interesting variety of example prod-ucts is shown in the “Small Non-Standard Boards Roundup” on the next four pages. The Roundup shows that non-standard boards come in a variety of shapes and sizes. A ma-jority of them are small embedded solutions in form factors the size of credit cards or DIMM-sized modules or the like. Some fol-low de facto industry standard sizes like 3.5 inches, while others take a twist on existing standards—such as ATX or PC/104—to pro-duce a “one off ” implementation that takes some of the benefits of a standard form fac-tor. There are also some company-specific “standard” form factors that offer an innova-tive new approach.

It’s interesting to note that the list of companies that make up this sampling of small non-standard board vendors is a wide mix. Like their products, these companies seem to come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes—although there appear to be two extremes. On the one hand are the small ven-dors that have grown up on a couple of fami-lies of non-standard architectures and focus on small form factors. At the other extreme are familiar larger vendors in the embedded board business such as Kontron, who have grown through acquisitions and have gath-ered a lot of in-house expertise in small form factor offerings.

Small Non-Standard Boards Solve Tricky SWaP ChallengesFor military platforms that are the most constrained by size, weight and power (SWaP) requirements, small non-standard boards put function over form to provide the right solution.

Jeff Child, Editor-in-Chief

Figure 1Ground robots are a good example of the kind of military system that makes use of small, non-standard embedded boards. Shown here is a remote-controlled robot used by the explosive ordnance team at Combat Outpost Meade, putting a bottle of water in a barrel.


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Fanless Core i5 3.5-Inch SBC Provides Rich Mix of I/O

Advantech offers its MIO-5271 SBC in a 3.5-inch MI/O Extension (146 x 102 mm) form factor, based on Intel 4th generation Core i5/Celeron processors. It supports 1600/1333 MHz DDR3L, USB 3.0, SATA up to 6 Gbit/s (600 Mbytes/s), Intel AMT 9.5 Release, and has triple independent display capability. Advantech has developed an optimized thermal solution for MIO-5271, making fanless design possible on this kind of compact, high-performance platform. MIO-5271 also has both iManager and SUSIAccess, developed by Advantech, integrated to monitor and control system operation remotely and effectively. These tools increase system reliability and provide a smarter software framework for the embedded customer, helping to speed up time-to-value for intelligent system design.

In response to ever-increasing embedded application demands, MIO-5271 supports two onboard GbE ports, and also adds two miniPCIe slots with a SIM holder. The customer can activate WLAN and 3G/4G LTE mobile module at the same time, giving the ability to hand off between different wireless networks. This facilitates seamless integration and permits high-efficiency network use. Not only that, but MIO-5271 incorporates the MIOe unified connector, which could extend additional interfaces, integrating DisplayPort, PCIe x1, LPC, SMBus, USB 2.0/USB 3.0, audio line-out and power. MIO-5271 is equipped with the latest-generation graphics core (Intel HD Graphics 4000) with DXVA ( full AVC/VC1/MPEG2 Hardware Acceleration), OpenGL 4.0, and DirectX 11.

Advantech Irvine, CA. (949) 789-7178. www.advantech.com

Embedded 150W ATX Power Supply Boasts Compact Size

ADL Embedded Solutions has announced the release of its small form factor ADLPS35-150, 150W ATX Power Supply. The ADLPS35-150 power supply board is designed to meet the needs of industrial and embedded motherboards by providing robust ATX voltages (5V, 5VS, 3.3V, 12V) in a small form factor power supply designed for -40° to +85°C operation. Its small 2” x 4” size (50 mm x 102 mm) allows it to fit many space-limited applications, and with an MTBF greater than 600,000 hours, it is ideal for long-lived embedded systems in extreme, rugged environments.

The ADLPS35-150 is tailored to sit side-by-side with our 3.5-inch product line of motherboards and can also be adapted to a PC/104 stack via an optional mounting plate. The power supply features ATX-compliant signaling to allow ACPI/APM power management from within compliant operating systems. At 150 watts total power and just 50 mm x 102 mm in size, this small and rugged power supply will fit into most embedded applications. The ADLPS35-150 is available in two variants, one allowing an input voltage range of 7-30V but providing only the 5V, 5VS and 3.3V outputs, and the other with a narrower input voltage range of 14-30V but providing 5V, 5VS, 3.3V and12V outputs. Both variants include over-current, over voltage and short circuit protection.

Advanced Digital Logic San Diego, CA. (858) 490-0597. www.adl-usa.com

Fanless Mini-ITX Sports Dual Core 1.86 GHz Atom Processor

Acrosser Technology provides a Mini-ITX mainboard, AMB-D255T3, which carries the Intel dual-core 1.86 GHz Atom Processor D2550. AMB-D255T3 features onboard graphics via VGA and HDMI, DDR3 SO-DIMM support, PCI slot, mSATA socket with SATA and USB signals, and ATX connector for easy power in. The board also provides complete I/O such as 6 x COM ports, 6 x USB 2.0 ports, 2 x GbE RJ-45 ports and 2 x SATA port.

AMB-D255T3 can support dual displays via VGA, HDMI or 18-bit LVDS. The card has one MiniPCIe type slot and one PCI for customer’s expansion. The MiniPCIe slot works with SATA and USB signals that can be equipped with mSATA storage module. AMB-D255T3 is certainly an excellent solution for applications that require powerful computing while still maintaining low power consumption in a small form factor motherboard and has a complete set of I/O functions. Users can deploy the system solution with this fanless mainboard easily.

Acrosser USA Cypress, CA. (714) 903-1760. www.acrosser.com

Small Non-Standard Boards Roundup




SMARC COM Boards Provide x86 Processing

Kontron has introduced ultra-low-power SMARC Computer-on-Modules with Intel Atom processor E3800 series. The SMARC form factor is a low-profile mini-computer form factor (82 mm x 50 mm). The new Kontron SMARC-sXBTi Computer-on-Modules offer excellent graphics, high processor performance and x86 compatibility on the smallest SMARC footprint combined with very low power consumption (5 to 10W). Both the flat profile of the module and its mobile feature set are tailored for the smallest portable handheld devices.

The new Kontron SMARC-sXBTi Computer-on-Modules have been developed to comply with the SGET specification and are equipped with Intel Atom processor E3800 series and up to 8 Gbytes of RAM, optional with ECC. They support the extended temperature range of -40° to +85°C, measure only 82 mm x 50 mm, and have an especially low-profile design thanks to the use of edge card connectors. Powerful Intel Gen 7 Graphics are carried out via HDMI 1.4 and LVDS (optional eDP) with up to 2560 x 1600 and 60 Hz to the display. Further interfaces include 1x GbE LAN via Intel Ethernet Controller I210, 1x USB 3.0 and 2x USB 2.0, among others. Customer-specific extensions can be implemented via 2 SDIO and 3 PCIe x1 lanes with 5 GTransfers/s.

Kontron Poway, CA. (888) 294-4558. www.kontron.com

EMX I/O Card Blends Ethernet, Serial, GPIO and Wi-Fi

The EMX-ESG777 from Diamond Systems combines all the functionality of the company’s EMX-ESG200 and EMX-ESG614 I/O modules into one compact board packed with I/O features. EMX-ESG777 provides 2 PCI Express Gbit Ethernet ports based on the Intel 82574IT industrial temperature Gigabit Ethernet controller in the efficient EMX I/O form factor. The board utilizes two PCIe lanes on the EMX I/O connector, one for each controller, offering higher throughput compared to designs using a PCIe switch that shares one lane for both ports.

The EMX-ESG777 also provides 6 RS-232/422/485 ports based on the SMSC SCH3116 industrial temperature UART in the efficient EMX I/O form factor. Ports 1 - 4 support RS-232, RS-422 and RS-485 protocols, while ports 5 and 6 support RS-232 or TTL mode. In RS-232 mode, ports 1-4 offer TX, RX, RTS and CTS signals, while ports 5 and 6 offer TX and RX only. All ports feature programmable baud rates up to 921,600 in all protocols.

EMX-ESG777 includes 14 digital I/O lines for general purpose application. Each line has individually programmable direction, and all lines offer ESD protection for increased reliability. For applications requiring GPS functionality, EMX-ESG777 can be fitted with the Trimble Condor C2626 GPS receiver offering up to 5 Hz update rate, NMEA communications protocol and PPS timing output. An onboard backup battery maintains the GPS almanac for faster acquisition after power-up.

Diamond Systems Mountain View, CA. (800) 367-2104. www.diamondsystems.com

Qseven Module Serves Up Quad-Core Intel Atom E3800

The conga-QA3 module from Congatec is a Qseven module based on the Intel Atom processor E3845. That board is fitted with ceramic capacitors making it suitable for applications in harsh environments. Features include an ample L2 cache, which can be shared by multiple cores, and a much faster Intel HD graphics unit compared with the previous generation. This turns new applications into visual experiences. The conga-QA3 comes in five different Intel Atom processor-based versions. It ranges from the entry-level single-core Intel Atom processor E3815 with 1.46 GHz and a low power consumption of 5W, up to the quad-core Intel Atom processor E3845 with 1.91 GHz and 10W.

The Qseven modules are each equipped with 2 Gbyte of DDR3L memory and up to 16 Gbyte eMMC 4.5 for mass storage. Depending on which processor is used, versions with 8 Gbyte of RAM are available. The integrated graphics are significantly more powerful than the previous model and support DirectX 11, OpenGL 3, OpenCL 1.2 and high-performance, flexible hardware decoding to decode even multiple high-resolution full HD videos in parallel.

Up to 2,560 x 1,600 pixels with DisplayPort and 1,920 x 1,200 pixels with HDMI are natively supported in the processor. It is also possible to connect up to two independent display interfaces via 2x 24-bit LVDS. Thanks to native USB 3.0 support, the modules achieve fast data transmission with low power consumption. One of the five provided USB 2.0 ports is executed as USB 3.0 Superspeed. Volume pricing starts below $200.

Congatec San Diego, CA (858) 457-2600 www.congatec.com

TECHNOLOGY FOCUS | Small Non-Standard Boards Roundup




Low-Cost SBC Simplifies Instrument Control

The PDQ Lite from Mosaic Industries is a low-cost single board computer and development board that hosts the Freescale HCS12/9S12 MCU and an embedded RTOS. This GNU C-programmable instrument controller is well suited for data acquisition and control, PWM drive, I2C sensor interfacing, instrumentation and automation. A compact 2.5 x 4-inch board, this simple SBC provides all the I/O of the Freescale MC9S12A512 processor chip, including dual logic-level and standard RS-232 serial ports, 10-bit resolution analog inputs, I2C, dual SPI links, PWM and timer-controlled digital I/O. The PDQ Board Lite is powered by +5 volts delivered via one of the I/O headers or from a standard micro-USB connector, the same type used on many cell phone chargers.

The PDQ Board Lite contains an embedded RTOS in firmware and is programmed using an open-source C integrated development environment (IDE). The Mosaic IDE+ is a comprehensive GNU environment that simplifies the coding of any multitasking application and allows users to edit, compile, download, interactively debug and run application programs. Pricing starts at $99.00 for quantity 1.

Mosaic Industries Newark, CA. (510) 790-8222. www.mosaic-industries.com

Carrier Baseboard Speeds Qseven 2.0 Module Development

MSC Technologies provides its embedded platform MSC Q7-MB-EP6, which is the company’s first baseboard designed for the new Rev. 2.0 of the popular Qseven standard for computer-on-modules (COMs). The versatile carrier board can be used for the development of embedded systems, but is also well suited as a Qseven application board for small and medium production volume. With its compact size and universal interface set, it saves system designers the time and effort to develop their own baseboard to provide the infrastructure for the compact Qseven module.

The platform board MSC Q7-MB-EP6 implements the new features of the Qseven specification Rev. 2.0. The Qseven carrier board MSC Q7-MB-EP6 can be used as a test board for Qseven 2.0 modules and provides a wide selection of important interfaces for embedded applications such as dual Gbit Ethernet, four USB 2.0 ports (one as host/client), one USB 3.0 connector, two serial interfaces (one selectable as RS-232 or as RS-485), SATA, I2C, SMBus and I2S Audio. TFT panels can be connected directly to the JILI30 connector while the LCD’s backlight can be driven via another connector that also provides for control signals and dimming. Industrial displays can be connected to the HDMI and DisplayPort interfaces, which are derived from the internal graphics output signals of the Qseven module and also support DisplayPort++ signaling. Functionality of the 148 x 102 mm baseboard may be expanded using the two Mini PCI Express and mSATA slots.

MSC Technologies San Bruno, CA. (650) 616-4068. www.mscembedded.com

ESMini COM Features 1.6 GHz Atom and Flexible I/O

MEN Micro offers a low-power, rugged SBC that incorporates flexible I/O for demanding graphics environments. Using an Intel Atom processor running at 1.6 GHz, the new SC27 is compact, powerful and able to withstand harsh environments. Ideal for LCD TFT displays with screens from 7 to 15 inches and a maximum resolution of 1280 x 768 pixels, the new SBC reliably operates in compact spaces where conditions are rugged. Up to 2 Gbytes of DDR2 SDRAM memory, with an 800 MHz bus frequency, as well as 16 Mbits of boot flash come standard on the SC27. The board also includes an mSATA slot with transfer rates of up to 3 Gbit/s as well as a microSD slot via USB. Standard I/O includes a Fast Ethernet port via an M12 connector, two USB ports and a GPS interface as well as an RS-232 or RS-422/485 interface.

The fanless SBC dissipates up to 7W and includes a temperature sensor to monitor and control the display, enabling reliable operation over an extended temperature range of -40° to +85°C. For real-time data requirements, wireless communication via Wi-Fi, WiMAX, GSM/GPRS, UMTS, HSDPA and LTE can be provided via the PCI Express Mini Card and the microSIM card slot. Pricing for the SC27 is $1,042.

MEN Micro Ambler, PA. (215) 542-9575. www.menmicro.com





Multicore ARM SBC Offers -40° to +85°C Operation

WinSystems provides a line of SBCs based on the Freescale i.MX6 family of Cortex-A9 multicore processors. Available with a single core, dual core, or quad core processor, the low-power 800 MHz SBC35-C398Q SBCs provide high performance and a rich array of onboard I/O for embedded designs.

The SBC35-C398 product family features the scalable Freescale i.MX 6 processors in the de facto industry standard 3.5-inch SBC format, 102 x 146 mm. The i.MX 6 processors use dedicated hardware accelerators to obtain high-performance multimedia at low power consumption, while having the CPU core relatively free for performing other tasks. The video engines can drive three simultaneous display interfaces while maintaining communications and control functions. Power can be provided by wide range 10-50V DC input or Power over Ethernet (PoE) to provide flexibility and reduce wiring requirements.

Industrial I/O options include Gigabit Ethernet with IEEE-1588 support, multiple USB 2.0 channels, multiple serial channels and dual CAN interfaces. Each of the 24 onboard GPIO lines are tolerant of voltages up to 30V DC and configurable for software-enabled interrupts. The SBC35-C398 series also introduces the IO60 expansion connector to allow for additional functionality. The IO60 specification supports I2C, SPI, TTL-UART and PWM signals, allowing stackable expansion through off-the-shelf 72 x 50 mm modules or application-specific designs.

WinSystems Arlington, TX. (817) 274-7553. www.winsystems.com

3.5-Inch SBC Serves Up AMD Embedded G-Series SoC

WIN Enterprises offers the MB-60830, a 3.5-inch SBC featuring the new AMD Embedded G-Series SoC (System on Chip) with integrated chipset and discrete-class AMD Radeon Graphics Processing Unit. Memory includes DDR3 up to 4 Gbytes. For I/O the board provides 4 x COM, HDMI/VGA & LVDS, 6 x USB, SATA, 2 x Mini-PCIe sockets, 1 x Giga LAN, HD Audi, 1 x RS-232/422/485 and 3 x RS-232. From a usage standpoint, the new 28nm processor is a single-chip solution that can be used on boards like MB-60830 to accelerate 3D graphics, as well as to support more generalized embedded computing applications.

In addition to its integrated chipset and AMD Radeon 8000 Series graphics, the AMD Embedded G-Series SoC integrated components include L2 cache and a DDR3 memory controller. The platform also includes enterprise-class Error-Correction Code (ECC) memory support, industrial temperature range of -40° to +85°C, and is available with dual- or quad-core CPUs based on AMD’s next-generation architecture (codenamed “Jaguar”). The AMD Embedded G-Series SoC platforms achieve superior performance per watt through more aggressive clock and power gating. Thermal Design Power (TDP) for the new family of SoCs ranges from 9 to 25W.

WIN Enterprises North Andover, MA. (978) 688-2000. www.win-ent.com

ARM Cortex-A9 Module Supports Four Displays at Once

Through the use of several display interfaces, the TQ Group’s TQMa6x board with i.MX6 by Freescale provides the very highest degree of flexibility for applications in which several user displays with different display forms are required. Software developed with Pengutronix is available for applications with touch displays. The TQMa6x features a CPU-internal graphic controller. This controller supports displays with resolutions of up to Full HD. This CPU module also enables the simultaneous connection of up to four displays with the possibility of displaying different types of image content. This means that alongside conventional control tasks, the ARM Cortex-A9 module is also ideally suited to animated display screen and/or multi-touch and multi-display applications.

Thanks to the high degree of interface integration, this module is suited for a variety of applications where the advantages of virtualization play an important role. The ARM Cortex-A9 core, scalable in terms of performance, and the clock rate of up to 4 x 1.2 GHz, ensure that the optimal performance can be selected for every application. The TQMa6x is equipped with up to 2 Gbytes of DDR3L RAM, up to 128 Mbyte SPI NOR flash and up to 16 Gbyte eMMC flash for program and data. The design is enhanced by an EEPROM, an RTC and a real-time clock backed by battery from the main board.

TQ-Group Seefeld, Germany +49 8153 9308-0 www.tq-group.com




www.intelligentsystemssource.comCOTSPRODUCTS

Rugged Embedded Computer Suits Harsh, Space-Constrained Applications

Crystal Group announced the release of the RE0814 Rugged Embedded Computer. This new computer is the ideal fit in environments with restrictions on moving parts and physical footprint. The unit has an exceptional operating temperature of 85°C and it encloses a new powerful processor-Intel Core i3, i5, or i7. It is packaged into a small rugged 1U short chassis that is 11 x 14 inches. The RE0814's billet construction is made from machined strain hardened 6061T651 structural aircraft aluminum. This compact construction weighs only 7.5 lbs. with the ability to include 4 SATA 2.5-inch solid state drives and 5 USB ports, 4 on the back and 1 on the front. The unit is also available with up to 4 Ethernet ports and a VGA or DVI-I port.

Diamond Systems, Mountain View, CA. (800) 367-2104. www.diamondsystems.com

Graphical RF Signal Editing Software Goes to Version 3.0X-COM Systems, a subsidiary of Bird Technologies, has introduced Version 3.0 of its RF

Editor graphical signal editing software. The new release includes significant new features and enhancements that make the software an even more powerful tool as well as easier and faster to use. RF Editor is the only commercially available software that offers comprehensive editing capability for waveforms and waveform segments that have been captured over the air, offloaded from a signal analyzer, or created in programs such as MATLAB. It allows users to easily manipulate I&Q data files for RF signals of any length. Typical applications for RF Editor include creating simulated signal threat scenarios and laboratory, production and field testing of communications, EW and radar systems, using custom stimulus signals.

X-COM Systems, Reston, VA. (571) 612-5490. www.xcomsystems.com

Voltage Controlled Oscillator Delivers 2700 MHz with High Linearity

Crystek’s CVCO55CC-2700-2700 VCO (Voltage Controlled Oscillator) operates at 2700 MHz with a control voltage range of 0.5V~4.5V. This VCO features a typical phase noise of -118 dBc/Hz at 10 KHz offset and has excellent linearity. Output power is typically +7 dBm. Engineered and manufactured in the USA, the model CVCO55CC-2700-2700 is packaged in the industry-standard 0.5-in. x 0.5-in. SMD package. Input voltage is 5V, with a max current consumption of 30 mA. Pulling and Pushing are minimized to 0.5 MHz and 0.1 MHz/V, respectively. Second harmonic suppression is -15 dBc typical.

Crystek, Ft. Myers, FL. (239) 561-3311. www.crystek.com

Compact IP-Based RISC Box Targets Net-Centric ComputingAdvantech has announced the launch of UBC-200, an ARM-based compact box computer

powered by the Freescale ARM Cortex-A9 i.MX6 dual/quad core high-performance processor. This box computer offers a metal chassis, DIN rail and wall-mount support, fanless design, 9 ~ 24V wide range power input, and multiple I/O options. UBC-200 is equipped with the Freescale ARM Cortex-A9 i.MX6 Dual/Quad CPU, dual 1 Gbyte banks of DDR3 of onboard memory and 4 Gbyte flash memory for storage. It supports Full HD 1080P HDMI display, 1 x USB 2.0 port, Gigabyte Ethernet and a mini-PCIe interface.

With a compact size of only 111 mm x 77mm x 30 mm, and a feather-light weight of 312g, the unit can be integrated anywhere through the specialized mounting kit. The metal chassis

provides excellent protection against oxidation, corrosion and dust, and the wide range power input, wide temperature 0~60°C operation and fanless design enhance its reliability in harsh

environments. Lockable DC-in and RJ45 connectors prevent loose cables caused by shock and vibration.UBC-200 comes with Linux 3.0.35 by default. With a Linux-based environment, the development of applications is free with no extra

license fees. Advantech provides a complete SW toolchain, Linux source code package and software support service for application development. An Android App can be integrated with UBC-200, as well as the newest Windows embedded OS “Windows Embedded 2013,” on a “by project” basis.

Advantech, Irvine, CA. (949) 420-2500. www.advantech.com


COTS PRODUCTS

WIN Announces Versatile Fanless Networking DesktopWIN Enterprises has announced the PL-80550, a fanless, small

form factor appliance that can serve the networking needs in a variety of environments from departmental IT, SMB, retail or factory floor. The unit features the 1.86 GHz Intel Atom D2550 processor and a choice of either 4 or 6 GbE LAN with bypass function. The D2550 processor is available in dual-core design. Both processor options are partnered with an Intel ICH10R I/O controller. Wi-Fi capability is optional. PL-80550 provides a compact footprint in a rugged aluminum chassis with surprising 6 LAN throughput in a small unit. System I/O includes 2x USB 2.0 and RJ-45 console port.

WIN Enterprises, North Andover, MA. (978) 688-2000. www.win-ent.com

Rugged OpenVPX Board Provides 40 Gigabit Switch Fabric

Mercury Systems offers the new Ensemble SFM6104 Switch Fabric Module with enhanced InfiniBand and 40 Gigabit Ethernet capabilities for embedded, state-of-the-art sensor chain compute solutions. Designed to work seamlessly with Mercury’s advanced I/O, processing and OpenVPX development chassis offerings, the new module supports either SDR/ DDR/ QDR/ FDR-10 InfiniBand or 10/40 Gigabit Ethernet across the data plane and Gigabit Ethernet on the control plane. The SFM6104 conforms to VITA 65 (OpenVPX), the embedded computing industry’s open architecture standard.

The SFM6104 uses Mellanox’s latest SwitchX-2 technology to perform complex switch fabric bridging. Users can now expedite the development of advanced systems by using the company’s OpenVPX development chassis. Populated with Intel Xeon server-class processing modules and SFM6104-enabled InfiniBand and Ethernet switch fabrics, a fully functional sensor signal processing and data center ecosystem can be quickly created within a rugged OpenVPX format. As with all Mercury products, the SFM6104 can be seamlessly integrated with other building blocks by Mercury’s Services and Systems Integration (SSI) group to create affordable sensor processing subsystems that fulfill complex application-specific requirements and efficient subsystem upgrades.

Mercury Systems, Chelmsford, MA. (978) 967-1401. www.mrcy.com

Integrated Platforms Enable FPGA Accelerated Computing

Nallatech has announced delivery of its OpenCL integrated platforms for FPGA accelerated computing.

Customers can choose from leading vendors’ servers and blades bundled with a Nallatech FPGA accelerator card, OpenCL

software development kit from Altera, FPGA board support package and design tools. These integrated platforms enable the growing adoption of OpenCL and energy-efficient FPGA accelerators by dramatically simplifying evaluation and production ramp up. Nallatech’s accelerator cards are available pre-integrated in server and blade platforms from leading vendors including IBM.

Nallatech, Camarillo, CA. (805) 383-8997. www.nallatech.com

Fanless Embedded Computer Features Multicore Atom E3800 Processors

WinSystems has introduced a line of multicore Intel Atom E3800 embedded computers designed to operate from -40° to

+85°C. The feature-rich SBC35-CC405 series of embedded PCs include onboard USB, Gigabit Ethernet, serial ports and additional I/O expansion through

MiniPCIe and IO60 connectors. A low-profile thermal solution creates a rugged platform base that protects the PCB assembly and provides convenient four-point mounting. These off-the-shelf industrial computers are designed for rugged embedded applications requiring extended temperature operation, long-term availability, and provide a wide variety of I/O expansion options to meet unique project requirements.

The SBC35-CC405 series features the latest generation Intel Atom E3800 family of processors in an industry standard 3.5-inch SBC format COM Express carrier. The processor is integrated using a Type 6 COM Express module supporting a quad-core, dual-core or single-core processor and includes up to 8 Gbytes of DDR3L SDRAM. The Intel Generation 7-based graphics engine supports up to two simultaneously active displays with interfaces available for analog VGA, DisplayPort 1.1 and LVDS connections. For networking and communications, the SBC35-CC405 includes two Intel I210 Gigabit Ethernet controllers with IEEE 1588 time-stamping and 10/100/1000 Mbit/s multi-speed operation. Four Type A connectors support three USB 2.0 channels and one high-speed USB 3.0 channel. Two serial ports support RS-232/422/485 interface levels with clock options up to 20 Mbit/ss in the RS-422/485 mode and up to 1 Mbit/s in the RS-232 mode. The single-core E3815-based SBC35-CC405-3815-2-2 is priced as low as $499 in OEM quantities.

WinSystems, Arlington, TX. (817) 274-7553. www.winsystems.com


COTS PRODUCTS

Converters Offer 300W with 120 to 370 VDC Input Voltages

Pico Electronics has announced their new DC-1 series of converters designed to combine High Input Voltage capabilities of 120 to 370 VDC and High Power Ratings of up to 300W with regulated output voltages from 5 VDC to 300 VDC standard. Pico’s new DC-1 High Input Voltage series of modules, now in a single brick package, allows users to input a DC voltage range of 120 to 370 VDC and provide isolated output voltages from 5 VDC to one of the highest output voltages available of 300 VDC, and output power up to 300 watts. Sixteen new models will provide an isolated, regulated DC output voltage at a fixed 100 kHz operating frequency.

PICO Electronics, Pelham, NY. (800) 431-1064. www.picoelectronics.com

AMC Mezzanine Carriers Support Xilinx All Programmable FPGAsVadaTech has released a full suite of FPGA mezzanine carriers based on Xilinx All Programmable FPGAs. The VadaTech Advanced Mezzanine Card (AMC) modules come in versions

that include Virtex-5, Virtex-6, Artix-7, Kintex-7, Virtex-7 FPGAs and Zynq All Programmable SoCs. These AMC modules

come in the single-width size. The Virtex-7 device was also selected for a 100G Processor with an integrated FPGA in the double-module AMC size. The broad offering allows engineers to choose the price/performance level that best matches their application. The FPGA Carriers allow any VITA-57-complaint FMC mezzanines to be plugged in, providing a wealth of I/O options.

VadaTech, Henderson, NV. (702) 896-3337. www.vadatech.co

XMC/PrPMC Modules Sport QorIQ T2080 and T1042 Processors

Extreme Engineering Solutions introduced two new Freescale QorIQ T2080 and T1042-based modules at Freescale

Technology Forum (FTF) 2014, the XPedite5970 and the XPedite6101. The XPedite5970 is a 3U OpenVPX REDI module based

on the T2080 processor, and XPedite6101 is a conduction-cooled XMC or PrPMC module based on the T2081, T1042, or T1022 processor.

The Freescale T2080 and T2081 processors provide a System-on-a-Chip (SoC) solution that emphasizes processing and I/O performance per watt in a space-efficient package. They offer eight virtual ( four dual-threaded) e6500 cores and support an operating frequency of up to 1.8 GHz. Each e6500 core includes the Freescale AltiVec technology-based SIMD engine, providing DSP-level floating-point performance and an extensive inventory of software libraries.

The XPedite6101 supports multiple processor configurations and up to 8 Gbytes of DDR3 ECC SDRAM. It also supports a number of high-performance I/O options with a Gen2 PCI Express interface to P15, as well as dual Gigabit Ethernet, USB 2.0 and SATA 3.0 Gbit/s interfaces to P16. The XPedite5970 and XPedite6101 offer versatile T2080 and T1042 processor options.

Extreme Engineering Solutions, Middleton, WI. (608) 833-1155., www.xes-inc.com

cPCI-3510

VPX6000

3U CompactPCI 4th Gen Intel® Core™ i7 Processor Blade

Rugged 6U VPX 4th GenIntel® Core™ i7 Processor Blade

Up to 8GB DDR3L ECC3 independent display portsSystem/Peripheral slot operation

PCIe non-transparent bridge and 10 GbERemote management and TPMAir cooling design or conduction cooled with conformal coating designs

ADLINK Technology, Inc.Tel: +1-408-360-0200Toll Free: +1-800-966-5200Fax: +1-408-360-0222Email: [email protected]


Technical tracks and topics include: Cyber Security and Trusted Computing Waveforms and Signal Processing Networking: Architectures, Management, Protocols and Performance System Perspectives Selected Topics in Communications

The premier international conference and exposition for military communications, MILCOM 2014 showcases

the technical innovations and creative talents of military, academic and industry leaders. Attendees will

experience an in-depth technical program with industry exhibits, panel discussions and tutorials, which are

eligible for continuing education units.

Oct. 6–8, 2014Baltimore Convention Center

www.milcom.org

AFFORDABLE MISSION SUCCESS: MEETING THE CHALLENGE

MILCOM 2014

Inde

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Company Page# Website Company Page# Website

GET CONNECTED WITH INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS SOURCE AND PURCHASABLE SOLUTIONS NOWIntelligent Systems Source is a new resource that gives you the power to compare, review and even purchase embedded computing products intelligently. To help you research SBCs, SOMs, COMs, Systems, or I/O boards, the Intelligent Systems Source website provides products,

articles, and whitepapers from industry leading manufacturers---and it's even connected to the top 5 distributors. Go to Intelligent Systems Source now so you

can start to locate, compare, and purchase the correct product for your needs.www.intelligentsystemssource.com


COTSADVERTISERS INDEX

Milcom 2014 .................................... 47 ................................. www.milcom.org

Mobile Pathways, LLC. .................... 23 ..................www.mobilepathways.com

North Atlantic Industries .............. 15, 17 .................................. www.naii.com

One Stop Systems, Inc. .................21, 51 ...............www.onestopsystems.com

Phoenix International Systems, Inc. . 4 .............................. www.phenxint.com

Pico Electronics, Inc. ....................... 13 ................... www.picoelectronics.com

RTECC ............................................. 37 ...................................www.rtecc.com

RTD Embedded Technologies, Inc. ... 2 ....................................... www.rtd.com

SIE Computing Solutions ................. 18 ..........................................sie-cs.com

SynQor, Inc. ..................................... 39 .................................www.synqor.com

TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. ... 33 ..........................www.telecomsys.com

Trenton Systems, Inc. ..................... 19 ...................www.trentonsystems.com

TQ Systems GmbH ....................................................................................... 49

..................................................... www.convergencepromotions.com/TQ-USA

Vadatech Incorporated .................... 36 .............................www.vadatech.com

WinSystems, Inc. ............................. 7 ..........................www.winsystems.com

Access I/O Products, Inc. ................ 29 ............................ http://accesio.com/

Acromag .......................................... 35 ............................. www.acromag.com

Adlink .............................................. 46 ...........................www.adlinktech.com

Aries Electronics, Inc. ..................... 12 .............................www.arieselec.com

Ballard Technology, Inc. ................... 30 ......................... www.ballardtech.com

Cots Product Gallery ........................ 49 ...........................................................

Curtis-Wright, Corp. ........................ 48 ...................... www.curtisswright.com

Data Bus Products, Corp. ................ 24 ................ www.databusproducts.com

Data Device Corporation ................. 28 ............................. www.ddc-web.com

Equipto Electronics Corp. ............... 22 .........................www.equiptoelec.com

Extreme Engineering Solutions ........ 52 ................................www.xes-inc.com

GE Intelligent Platforms .................. 25 .........................defense.gp-ip.com/isr

Innovative Integration ..................... 14 ....................www.innovative-dsp.com

Intelligent Systems Source ............... 2 ..... www.intelligentsystemssource.com

Interface Concept ............................ 27 ................ www.interfaceconcept.com

Mercury Systems, Inc. ..................... 5 .................................... www.mrcy.com

COTS Journal (ISSN#1526-4653) is published monthly at 905 Calle Amanecer, Suite 250, San Clemente, CA 92673. Periodicals Class postage paid at San Clemente and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to COTS Journal, 905 Calle Amanecer, Ste. 250, San Clemente, CA 92673.

Special Feature: Military I/O System Choices: From 1553 to Ethernet and MoreTried and true I/O schemes such as MIL-STD-1553 and ARINC 429 remain popular for pure control applications, but they’re bandwidth-limited by today’s standards. A slew of multipurpose communications protocols provide options to suit emerging needs, and Ethernet is a top contender among them. Articles in this section compare today’s crop of I/O schemes relevant to avionics and other military users.

Tech Recon: Advances in Smart Munitions and Small UAV PayloadsSmart munitions and small UAV payloads both share an increasing appetite for highly integrated, low-power embedded computing. Selecting the right embedded electronics and embedded computers in those systems becomes a make or break decision. This section focuses on the electronics aboard UAVs in the “Small” category as well as the full range of smart munitions.

System Development: Displays and Panel PCs for Naval SystemsThere’s been a major upward trend in the military toward systems that re-quire sophisticated graphical user interfaces, and for shipboard systems this is especially true. Often in the form of displays and panel PCs, this is where the naval warfighter gets the complex situational awareness data—maps, video, images and text—interfaced directly to military weapons platforms on networks. This section explores the technology trends and capabilities of these mission-critical products.

Tech Focus: PC/104 and PC/104 Family BoardsPC/104 has become entrenched as a popular military form factor thanks to its compact size and inherent ruggedness. Sweetening the deal, a number of special enclosure techniques are used to outfit PC/104 for extremely harsh environments. This Tech Focus section updates readers on these trends, along with a look at the new PC/104 follow-ons: EPIC, PCI-104, PCI/104-Express and PCIe/104. Also provided is a product album of representative boards.

48

COMING NEXT MONTH

A TQMa35 module witha Freescale i.MX35 cansave you design timeand money

ConvergencePromotions.com/TQ-USATQ-USA is the brand for a module product line represented in N. America by Convergence Promotions, LLC

Technology in Quality

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The TQMa35 module comes with aFreescale i.MX35 (ARM11™), andsupports Linux, QNX, and WinCE6.0 operating systems.

The full-function STKa35-AB StarterKit is an easy and inexpensiveplatform to test and evaluate theTQMa35 module.

TQMa35 V2 1-3 Page Ad.indd 1 2/3/14 3:56 PM

PRODUCT GALLERYCOTS

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MARCHING TO THE NUMBERS

The amount of water that the future USS America (LHA 6) displaces. The Navy ac-cepted delivery of the ship from Huntington Ingalls Industries April 10. America, the lead ship of the class, is the first of the Navy’s next generation amphibious assault ships. The LHA 6 design removes the traditional well deck to include space for an enlarged hangar deck, expanded aviation maintenance fa-cilities, and an increase in available stowage. America spans an expansive 844 feet and can operate at speeds of over 20 knots.

44,971 long tons

The worth of the global armored vehicle market by 2019 according to a recently released report from ASDReports.com. The report provides an in-depth analysis of the present industry size and growth prospects during the forecast period, in-cluding highlights of key growth stimu-lators. The major chunk of the armored vehicle market is consumed by key mar-ket players such as BAE Systems and General Dynamics, among others.

$28.62 Billion

Amount of flying time completed when the Navy’s MQ-4C Triton completed its initial flight test phase at Northrop Grumman’s Palmdale, CA facility March 13. The flight testing of the MQ-4C reached a maximum altitude of 59,950 feet and executed 568 data points. The Triton’s software and sensor sys-tems are being tested separately on a surro-gate aircraft. This includes a multi-function array sensor (MFAS), configured to function in a maritime environment.

81 hours

The distance beyond low Earth orbit that the Orion spacecraft will fly during its test flight after the uncrewed spacecraft launches on the Delta IV Heavy rocket. Testing of the Orion spacecraft’s avionics system has concluded at Kennedy Space Center. Engineers have veri-fied that the avionics for Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) are ready to support a success-ful flight and re-entry of the spacecraft.

3,600 MILES

Total number of hours that the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fleet recently sur-passed, marking a major milestone for the program. As of April 7, operational F-35s had flown 8,050 hours while System Devel-opment and Demonstration aircraft had ac-cumulated 7,123 flight hours. In 2014, F-35A test aircraft have flown 328 hours; F-35B test aircraft have accumulated 191 hours; and F-35C test aircraft have flown 91 hours. In comparison, operational F-35As have flown 963 hours, while their F-35B and F-35C counterparts have accumulated 1,012 and 98 hours respectively for the year.

15,000 flight hours

COTS Journal’s

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Designed, manufactured, and supported in the USA

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Module and System-Level Solutions from

Rugged, SWaP-Optimized, COTS-Based Systems

XPand4200Sub-½ ATR, 6x 3U VPX slot system

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XPand6000SFF Intel® Core™ i7 or Freescale

QorIQ-based system with XMC/PMC

XPand6200SFF 2x 3U VPX system with removable

SSD and integrated power supply

Intel® and Freescale™ Single Board Computers

Secure Ethernet Switches and IP Routers

XPedite75704th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-based 3U VPX

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XCalibur1840Freescale QorIQ T4240-based 6U VPX

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High-Capacity Power Supplies

XPedite2400Xilinx Virtex-7 FPGA-based XMC

with high-throughput DAC

XPm22203U VPX 300W power supply with EMI

filtering for MIL-STD-704 & 1275

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