Inrush Current Control Technology Boosts Power Converter Reliability

Volume 13 Number 11 November 2011 

An RTC Group Publication 

cotsjournalonline.com 

Tech Focus: ATCA Blades 

and Systems Roundup 

The Journal of 

Military Electronics & Computing 

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Ease ISR Data Overload Challenges 

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All trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective companies.

10 

The Journal Journal of 

Military Military Electronics Electronics & Computing 

Computing 

Power Supplies Meet Demanding Needs 

of Board and Box-Level Systems 

CONTENTS 

November 2011 Volume 13 Number 11 

SPECIAL FEATURE 

Powering Board and Box-Level Systems 

10 Power Supplies Meet Demanding Needs of Board and Box-Level Systems 

Jeff Child 

20 Advanced Battery Technology Shrinks Military Energy Costs 

David McShane, International Battery 

28 Inrush Current Control Technology Boosts Power Converter Reliability 

Steve Butler, VPT 

TECH RECON 

Managing and Processing the ISR Data Deluge 

34 Mobile Ad Hoc Networking Revamps Military Communications 

Chris O’Rourke, Cisco Systems, and Stephen B. Johnson, Extreme Engineering Solutions 

44 GPGPU Technology Eases Persistent Imaging Processing Challenges 

Anne Mascarin, Mercury Computer Systems 

SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT 

JTRS and WIN-T Programs Update 

50 JTRS and WIN-T Technologies Take to the Field 

Jeff Child 

TECHNOLOGY FOCUS 

ATCA Blades and Systems 

54 ATCA Blades and Systems Fill Unique Military Needs 

Jeff Child 

56 ATCA Blades and Systems Roundup 

Digital subscriptions available: cotsjournalonline.com 

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 customerpaid 

minor modification to standard COTS products 

to meet the customer’s unique requirements. 

—Ant. When applied to the procurement of 

electronics for the 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. 

Departments 

6 Publisher’s Notebook 

A Betting Man on a Tilt-A-Whirl 

8 The Inside Track 

60 COTS Products 

70 Editorial 

Disconnect in the Networked 

Vehicle Road 

Coming in December 

See Page 68 

On The Cover: The command and control systems 

module (CCSM) on the Virginia-class submarine 

integrates all of the vessel’s sensors, countermeasure 

technology, navigation and weapon control and is 

based on open system architecture (OSA). Here the 

pre-commissioned California (SSN 781) gets underway 

from Naval Station Norfolk to conduct weapons systems 

acceptance trials. It was commissioned on Oct. 29. 

(U.S. Navy photo by MCS 2nd Class William Jamieson)

[ 4 ] COTS Journal November 2011 

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Untitled-1 1 11/4/11 10:16:37 AM 

Untitled-2 1 11/8/11 10:07:39 AM 

Publisher 

PRESIDENT 

John Reardon, johnr@rtcgroup.com 

PUBLISHER 

Pete Yeatman, mail@yeatmangroup.com 

Editorial 

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 

Jeff Child, jeffc@rtcgroup.com 

MANAGING EDITOR 

Sandra Sillion, sandras@rtcgroup.com 

COPY EDITOR 

Rochelle Cohn 

Art/Production 

ART DIRECTOR 

Kirsten Wyatt, kirstenw@rtcgroup.com 

GRAPHIC DESIGNER 

Maream Milik, mareamm@rtcgroup.com 

LEAD WEB DEVELOPER 

Hari Nayar, harin@rtcgroup.com 

Advertising 

WESTERN REGIONAL SALES MANAGER 

Stacy Mannik, stacym@rtcgroup.com 

(949) 226-2024 

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Mark Dunaway, markd@rtcgroup.com 

(949) 226-2023 

EASTERN REGIONAL SALES MANAGER 

Shandi Ricciotti, shandir@rtcgroup.com 

(949) 573-7660 

BILLING 

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(949) 226-2000 

COTS Journal 

The Journal of 

Military Electronics & Computing 

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 

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20A Northwest Blvd., PMB#137, Nashua, NH 03063 

Phone: (603) 429-8301 Fax: (603) 424-8122 

Published by THE RTC GROUP 

Copyright 2011, 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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Publisher’s 

Notebook 

A Betting Man on a Tilt-A-Whirl 

The U.S. really needs to face facts and once and for all tackle 

the issues surrounding how we acquire things for the military. 

It’s time to initiate a plan that accommodates changing 

Administrations and Congresses and their ever changing vision for 

the military’s mission. The military has three basic procurement 

environments: immediate, short term and long term. The problem 

is all three of these environments have a range to them. Immediate 

can range from acquiring software or technology to halt an immediate 

cyber attack to finding a stop gap solution for IEDs. At the 

other end we have large items ranging from a new tactical vehicle 

for the Army and Marines, to the next tactical aircraft for the Air 

Force to the next generation aircraft carrier for the Navy. 

Resolving the military’s acquisition policy is a lot like riding 

a Tilt-A-Whirl. It’s ever changing; you’re not exactly sure where 

you are or where you’re going. Our elected officials are focused 

on immediate or current issues potentially requiring use of our 

military—and military is only one segment of our government. 

Will the Arab Spring quickly turn into the Arab nightmare? Will 

any of the “rogue” nations require military attention? And do we 

need to have a sufficiently strong and feared military presence 

to deter any emerging economic powers from attempting to intimidate 

us into decisions that are not in our best interest? 

The problem of acquisition reform clearly falls into the lap 

of Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta, and the Pentagon acquisition 

chief Ashton Carter. They need to propose a structure that 

eliminates the “stop, start, shift focus back and forth” approach 

to long-term acquisitions. That structure will then be used as the 

template for setting in motion the development of systems and 

equipment necessary for our military to ensure its success no 

matter the mission. A different template will be necessary for the 

immediate or short-term—5-7 year— procurement needs. These 

two areas require flexibility and a completely different process. 

At the detriment of individual political gains, all these structures 

have to be insulated from political tampering—something 

we have never been able to achieve. The current budget crisis and 

sensitivity by voters to political self-serving dealings may provide 

Secretary Panetta with an opening to actually make some 

meaningful changes to our acquisition process. 

One area lacking focus and direction is the U.S. Army vehicle 

program. This program falls into the long-term acquisition area… 

well, for the most part. We’ve had to throw the MRAP in as an immediate 

solution and then stretched it to a short-term requirement. 

I don’t think anyone anywhere feels that if we had a 10-year development 

program to find a vehicle to transport a squad of soldiers 

as safely as possible in Iraq or Afghanistan, the result would be the 

MRAP. We currently have three prongs to our future tactical vehicle 

strategy: the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV), the Ground Combat 

Vehicle (GCV) and the Humvee recap program. I guess there are 

a couple others that are on the periphery: the Stryker and the MRAP 

All Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV). This last one, the M-ATV, is like trying 

to put an extra leg on a set of crutches (MRAP) and telling the 

patient he won’t have any trouble walking through the rock quarry. 

The JLTV is a joint program between the Army and the 

Marines started in 2006, and it has yet to set what the design 

requirements are. Nor has it been decided yet how many are 

needed or how much they will cost. BAE was awarded a $450M 

contract and General Dynamics was awarded a $440M contract 

for the two-year Technology Demonstration (TD) phase of the 

GCV program. The Humvee recap program is just in the preliminary 

phase with mostly talk and no money yet. The intent is to 

give the Humvee better armor than is now available or provided 

even for the current-armored Humvees as well as an improved 

suspension and additional features including electronics. The 

intent is to extend the Humvee’s life into the 2030s. 

The Army anticipates starting to field GCVs in 2017, and 

JLTVs…when? Who knows. Not the Army. It’s possible to start 

fielding Humvee recaps as early as 2014. So let us sum up: the 

military budget is under pressure and will only see greater pressure. 

Meanwhile the JLTV doesn’t know what it is or how much 

it is. The GCV is just starting work on a TD. The MRAP has its 

problems and is extremely restricted in what it can do where. 

The Stryker has its issues especially with regard to protecting its 

occupants from IEDs and mines, and we have almost 100,000 

Humvees we could recap. Can the Army support a GCV, JLTV, 

MRAP, M-ATV, Stryker and Humvee? Clearly it can’t, so some 

programs have to get off the bus. A betting man might read the 

tea leaves this way: JLTV is history, GCV will stay a technology 

demonstrator for a long time, fielding something around 2025, 

and the Army and Marine Corps will find a way to get along 

with recapped Humvees, Strykers and M-ATVs. 

Pete Yeatman, Publisher 

COTS Journal

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The 

Inside Track 

Lockheed Martin Contracted to Maintain Army Aerostat Detection Systems 

The U.S. Army awarded Lockheed Martin a $383 million contract to 

maintain, operate and sustain the Persistent Threat Detection Systems 

(PTDS). The tethered aerostat provides real-time, around-the-clock reconnaissance 

and surveillance of broad geographic areas for warfighters 

in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Army’s Program Executive Office for Intelligence, 

Electronic Warfare and Sensors, Project Manager for Robotic 

and Unmanned Sensors, based at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., will 

provide program and acquisition management. 

Equipped with multiple sensors, PTDS (Figure 1) is an aerostat-based 

system that delivers constant day and night, 360 degree detection, surveillance, 

monitoring and force protection. It has a sensor integration architecture 

designed to support the automated interoperability between tactical/ 

theater surveillance assets and the dissemination of threat data to operational 

forces to aid interdiction of hostile fires and unconventional threats. 

PTDS leverages a wide-area, secure communications backbone for the integration 

of threat reporting from multiple available sensor assets. 

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

[www.lockheedmartin.com]. 

MIT Lincoln Lab Researchers 

Develop Radar 

That Sees through Walls 

MIT Lincoln Laboratory researchers 

developed a new radar 

system that looks through walls. 

This ultrawideband (UWB) 

multiple-input, multiple-output 

phased-array sensor has realtime 

acquisition and processing 

capability and provides video-like 

synthetic aperture radar (SAR) 

images of people moving behind 

a concrete wall. The system demonstrated 

the ability to capture 

meaningful imagery at a 10.8 Hz 

frame rate through 4-inch- and 

8-inch-thick, as well as cinder 

block, walls from a standoff distance 

of approximately 20 feet. 

The technology will be useful 

for providing soldiers in urban 

environments with increased 

awareness of activity inside or 

behind structures. While it is not 

possible to see through walls by 

using visible light, it is possible by 

using larger micro-wavelengths 


to radiate into a wall and receive 

a weak scattered signal that is 

representative of what is behind the 

wall. At the core of the system is a 

range-gated continuous-wave radar 

architecture that provides dynamic 

range and sensitivity to acquire 

weak signals scattered from targets 

behind the wall. The radar set is 

connected to an array of UWB 

antenna elements consisting of 

two subarrays made up of 8 receive 

elements and 13 transmit elements. 

To see a video, go to http://www. 

cotsjournalonline.com/mit 

MIT Lincoln Laboratory 

Lexington, MA. 

(781) 981-5500. 

[www.ll.mit.edu]. 

Quintron Systems Selected 

for Three NASA Projects 

Quintron Systems announces 

three additional contract awards 

from NASA for the Quintron 

DICES VoIP mission-critical voice 

Figure 1 

PTDS is an aerostat-based system that delivers constant day and night, 

360 degree detection, surveillance, monitoring and force protection. 

switch. Two of these represent 

follow-on work with existing NASA 

customers, while the third is a 

NASA-requested expansion to an 

existing DICES VoIP system in use 

by United Launch Alliance. The first 

NASA-direct contract will provide a 

second DICES VoIP system to Johnson 

Space Center (JSC). This new 

system includes a fully redundant 

central VoIP server equipped with 

six active T1 Gateways and one SIP 

Gateway for connectivity to other 

NASA voice systems. 

The second NASA-direct 

system is an expansion for the 

existing NASA Ames Research 

Center (ARC) Airspace Operations 

Laboratory (AOL) system first 

delivered in 2008. The third NASA 

support contract was just received 

to provide an additional ten user 

client positions to support NASA 

personnel for the upcoming Mars 

Science Laboratory (MSL) launch 

aboard a United Launch Alliance 

(ULA) Atlas V rocket from Cape 

Canaveral. The major element of 

Figure 2 

Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) 

launch will include the new 

surface rover, Curiosity 

this exciting NASA program is the 

new surface rover, Curiosity (Figure 

2). The launch is scheduled for late 

November and the new DICES VoIP 

user equipment will support NASA 

personnel and provide a touch 

screen interface consistent with their 

normal operating environment. 

Quintron Systems 

Santa Maria, CA. 

(805) 928-4343. 

[www.quintron.com].

Calumet Wins SBIR Award 

from U.S. Navy Naval Air 

Warfare Center - Aircraft 

Division 

Calumet Electronics has 

been awarded a Small Business 

Innovation Research (SBIR) 

Phase I Contract Award from 

the Naval Air Warfare Center 

- Aircraft Division. The Phase 

I objective of the award, valued 

at about $80,000, is to conduct 

research under SBIR Topic 

N112-122 titled “Embedded 

Single Mode Wave Guides for 

High Data Rate Processing.” The 

company’s Optical Interconnect 

Team has successfully produced 

electro/optical printed circuit 

boards (EOPCB) and assemblies 

(EOPCBA) on rigid substrates 

using polymer waveguides and 

surface mounted light turning 

devices in its Optical Interconnect 

Research Lab (OIRL) 

(Figure 3). 

According to Stephen J. 

Marshall, sponsored programs 

manager of Calumet, Calumet’s 

proposal demonstrated expertise 

in- the technical and development 

challenges for the requirements 

of this award. Electrical transmission 

interconnect traces have 

already begun to limit overall 

capabilities and create multiple 

signal routing difficulties because 

Figure 3 

PCB Production line in Calumet 

Electronics’ ITAR registered 

facility. The company now does 

electro/optical printed circuit 

board (EOPCB) and assembly 

(EOPCBA) prototyping services 

in its Optical Interconnect 

Research Lab. 

of bandwidth limitations and 

high bandwidth design requirements. 

Optical waveguides, with 

their inherently large transmission 

bandwidth capabilities, can 

be utilized to alleviate this digital 

data transmission bottleneck and 

overcome bandwidth limitations. 

Calumet Electronics 

Calumet, MI 

(906) 337-1305. 

[www.cec-up.com]. 

Aitech Offers 12-Year Full 

Support Lifecycle Program 

Aitech Defense Systems is 

now offering full support and a 

product availability guarantee for 

all boards and systems developed 

by the company for a minimum 

of 12 years from initial production 

date. Aitech’s three-phased 

COTS Lifecycle+ program 

ensures that in a time when 

component obsolescence is on 

the rise in many military COTS 

applications, customers will be 

able to rely on Aitech to obtain 

the needed component parts and 

support to keep systems running 

effectively well into the future. 

Each of Aitech’s standard 

products consists of the three 

product lifecycles, each with a 

guaranteed minimum support 

period of four years. The active 

phase is the initial product 

lifecycle, where both the product 

and Aitech support are available 

for all existing and new programs. 

The supported phase extends this 

product availability and support 

for existing, program-specific 

designs for a minimum of another 

four years. In the extended support 

phase, another four years is 

added and brings the full COTS 

Lifecycle+ program to a minimum 

12 years of program support. 

Aitech Defense Systems 

Chatsworth, CA. 

(888) 248-3248. 

[www.rugged.com]. 

Argon ST Teams with GE 

on Shipboard Signals 

Intelligence System 

GE Intelligent Platforms has 

received an order from Argon ST 

of Fairfax, Virginia for a quantity 

of specially modified VR12 

single board computers that will 

be deployed as part of the company’s 

Ships Signal Exploitation 

Equipment (SSEE) system. The 

initial order is valued at just over 

$1 million, and further orders 

totaling $5 million are expected 

in the coming years. 

Specifically, the VR12— 

a rugged 6U VME platform 

featuring the Intel Core i7 

processor—will play a key role 

in data acquisition as part of a 

shipboard signals intelligence 

(SIGINT) subsystem. The SSEE 

allows operators to monitor and 

analyze signals of interest within 

the Ship’s Signals Exploitation 

Space (SSES) aboard a variety 

of ship classes (Figure 4). Its use 

of COTS hardware and software 

ensures that incremental 

upgrades to hardware can be 

integrated, tested and fielded in 

a shorter time than traditional 

development efforts. The system 

can evolve and adapt quickly 

in order to exploit new threat 

emergent technology, thus 

allowing the Navy to take full 

advantage of state-of-the-art 

technology being used in the 

commercial market. The use of 

Figure 4 

The Ships Signal Exploitation 

Equipment (SSEE) system is 

used on a variety of U.S. Navy 

ships including the USS Porter 

(DDG-78), an Arleigh Burkeclass 

destroyer. 

Inside Track 

COTS hardware common with 

other systems also allows more 

economical procurement of 

hardware and spares. 

GE Intelligent Platforms 

Charlottesville, VA. 

(800) 368-2738. 

[www.ge-ip.com]. 

Event Calendar 

December 6 

Real-Time & Embedded 

Computing Conference 

Albuquerque, NM 

www.rtecc.com 

December 8 



Phoenix, AZ 

www.rtecc.com 

January 17 



Santa Clara, CA 

www.rtecc.com 

January 24-26 

AFCEA West 2012 

San Diego, CA 

www.afcea.org 

February 14 



Huntsville, AL 

www.rtecc.com 

February 16 



Melbourne, FL 

www.rtecc.com 

February 22-24 

AUSA Winter 

Ft. Lauderdale, FL 

www.ausa.org 

To list your event, email: 

sallyb@rtcgroup.com 

November 2011 COTS Journal [ 9 ]

Special Feature 


[ 10 ] COTS Journal November 2011


Power Supplies 

Meet Demanding 

Needs of Board and 

Box-Level Systems 

Even within the specific arena of military systems, power 

supply needs can vary dramatically. Advanced reliable solutions 

smooth the way on the board, brick and component level. 

While often an afterthought in embedded military computer system designs, 

choosing power supplies and power conversion electronics can become make 

or break technical choices. With more and more computing stuffed into 

smaller spaces, power has direct implications on the size, cooling and mobility of a 

board or box-level system. Add to that the challenges of multi-voltage electronics and 

the complexity of distributed system architectures, and it’s clear that military system 

designers need solutions that address those needs. Often the unsung hero of a military 

system design, power supplies and converters are critical enablers for meeting today’s 

rugged requirements. 

Vendors are smoothing the way with flexible options and robust solutions. The 

good news is that military power conversion vendors are easing the burden with more 

efficient products, new partitioning strategies and increased ruggedization. New solutions 

continue to roll out, not just at the component or brick level, but also at the module 

and board level. The recent emergence of a power supply spec for VPX, called VITA 

62, has solved standards issues specifically for the VPX arena. 

VITA 62 Power Supplies 

Starting on the board-level side, the focus of the new VITA 62 standard is to provide 

an electrical and mechanical specification that is compatible with VITA 46 and 

other specifications in the VPX suite. In the past, a power supply’s form factor and pin 

assignment varied from vendor to vendor because of the lack of standardization. Also 

because of the nature of the power supply, many were custom designed for the chassis 

that they reside in. In order for VITA 62-compliant power supplies to work in a VPX environment, 

the standard needs to be compatible to both VITA 46 and VITA 48, which 

most of the existing COTS VPX modules are designed to. VITA 46.11, System Management, 

is also directly supported. With the advent of VITA 62 power supplies, VPX users 

are no longer locked into custom, proprietary power supplies; they have the ability to 

purchase interchangeable power supplies from multiple vendors. 



Figure 1 

VITA 62 standard power supplies mean 

that VPX system developers are no 

longer locked into custom, proprietary 

power supplies but can instead use 

interchangeable power supplies from 

multiple vendors. 

Figure 2 

For ground vehicle requirements, the 

most commonly used specification is 

MIL-STD-1275. This 28 VDC nominal 

specification imposes 100 VDC surges 

for up to 100 milliseconds. 

Extreme Engineering Solutions (X- 

ES) has a VITA 62 offering called the 

XPm2120, a conduction-cooled, VITA 

62, 3U VPX power supply that takes a 

MIL-STD-704 input voltage of 28 VDC 

and provides up to 300W of power on the 

3.3-volt, 5-volt and 12-volt rails at 90% 

efficiency with 12-volt as the primary 

power distribution rail in the system. 

The XPm2120 was designed to the VITA 

62 draft standard. Designed for rugged, 

deployed military applications, the slim 

0.8-inch pitch XPm2120 integrates MIL- 

STD-461E EMI filtering. 

More recently, Curtiss-Wright Controls 

Electronic Systems rolled out its 

own VITA 62 product. The 3U OpenVPX 

(VITA 62) and VPX (VITA 48.2) Smart 

Power Supply is a small form factor, rug- 


Figure 3 

The Powertron JL Series of open-frame DC/DC converters are conduction-cooled units 

designed for applications where the power supply is mounted inside a sealed enclosure. DC/ 

DC converters are rated up to 50W and offer full EN50155 compliance as well as the ability 

to accept the wide range of typical railway input voltages. 

ged power supply module that provides 

up to 279W of power. The CWCES Smart 

Power Supply includes advanced features 

such as an integrated Nuclear Event Detector 

(NED) and crowbar for radiation-tolerant 

applications, and a holdup 

circuitry for full protection against MIL- 

STD-704 and MILSTD-1275 transients. 

The Smart Power Supply (Figure 1) 

conforms to the 3U VPX (VITA 48.2 / VITA 

62) form factor and is offered in a 1.0” pitch 

single slot configuration. Fully rugged, the 

module is available in conduction-cooled 

and Level 2 maintenance variants. This fully 

featured intelligent power supply supports 

Built-in Tests (BIT) and software programmability 

to enable rapid system development. 

The device offers 80% efficiency and 

an 18-36 VDC input range. Input reverse 

polarity protection and over/under voltage, 

short-circuit and under/over temperature 

protection are supported. A White Sand 

Missile Range (WSMR)-tested Nuclear 

Event Circumvention circuit is included. 

Filtering and Defense Standards 

Shifting to the component power supply 

side, vendors continue to push the limits in 

power, high voltage, wide temperature range 

and advanced filtering schemes. Among the 

most challenging issues in today’s military 

power system designs is making the latest 

and greatest power supply and conversion 

technologies compliant to military 

standards. Defense applications must meet 

a number of noise and power related standards 

such as MIL-STD-461, MIL-STD-704 

and MIL-STD-1275 (Figure 2). Complicating 

matters, those standards have a number 

of revisions, any of which may be enforced 

by an application’s requirements. 

One strategy that converter vendors 

are enabling is broadening the capability 

of existing converter architectures by 

providing advanced filtering. Vicor, for 

example, offers its MIL-COTS VI BRICK 

Filter as a stand-alone filter or integrated 

with the PRM Regulator Module. The filter 

enables designers using Vicor’s MIL- 

COTS VI BRICK and V•I Chip PRMs to 

meet conducted emission / conducted 

susceptibility per MIL-STD-461E/F, and 

input transients per MIL-STD-704A/E/F 

and MIL-STD-1275A/B/D. It accepts an 

input voltage of 16.5 - 50 VDC and delivers 

output power up to 120W.

Figure 4 

For harsh rugged military applications, 

wide temperature range is key for 

power supplies. Designed as a turn-key 

solution for applications requiring input 

to output isolation, the EW from Calex 

offers three input ranges with five output 

voltage combinations. This 10 watt 

EW Single Output Series of DC/DC converters 

offers available input ranges of 9 

to 18V, 18 to 36V and 36 to 75 VDC. The 

output voltage options are 2.5, 3.3, 5, 12 

and 15 VDC. The input to output isolation 

is 1500 VDC. All outputs are tightly 

regulated for problem-free operation. 

The EW is housed in a five-sided shielded 

metal enclosure. Case size is 1.25” x 0.80” 

x 0.4”H. All models are fully encapsulated 

for improved thermal performance. 

The operating temperature range of 

the EW is -40° to +90°C. The switching 

frequency of all models is 400 kHz with 

efficiencies as high as 87%. Output noise 

is as low as 50 mV peak to peak. Output 

voltage accuracy is +/-0.6%. Line and load 

regulation is +/-0.3% and +/-0.5% respectively. 

Temperature coefficient is +/- 

3% and all models are protected through 

continuous short circuit protection. 

Inrush Current Issues 

Another issue that affects reliability 

is the control of incoming current. Addressing 

that need, VPT has expanded 

its product line with a new power protection 

module, the DVCL Inrush Current 

Limiter. The DVCL controls potentially 

damaging inrush current drawn by DC/ 

DC converters, EMI filters and discrete 

capacitors during startup. With a power 


By using Lithium-ion chemistry, UPSs can provide less weight, longer runtimes and higher 

energy density than lead-acid solutions. Falcon Electric has added Lithium-ion batteries as 

an option to its 1500 VA model of the SSG Series Industrial Grade UPS Plus. 

capacity of 200W, users can protect multiple 

downstream VPT DC/DC converters 

using a single, lightweight DVCL 

module. Inrush current is the spike of 

current drawn by a power supply when it 

is turned on. Large inrush currents might 

be governed by a system-level specification. 

High spike currents can create electromagnetic 

interference in adjacent circuitry, 

trip an upstream circuit breaker, 

or overwhelm the over-current protection 

of a solid state power controller. The 

DVCL Inrush Current Limiter functions 

by limiting the rate of rise of its output 

voltage. It will also control the inrush 

current of discrete input capacitors. 

Also in the vein of harsh environment 

supplies, railway requirements have 

a lot of overlap with the rugged requirements 

of military applications. TDK- 

Lambda America has expanded its line 

of railway DC/DC converters with the 

introduction of the new 24V input, 100watt, 

CN100A24 Series. These quarter 

brick modules operate off a wide range of 

DC inputs from 14.4 to 36.0 VDC, which 

is widely used in the railway industry, and 

for 24-volt vehicles. Available with output 

voltages of 5V, 12V, 15V or 24 VDC (adjustable 

±10%), these fully regulated and 

isolated power modules deliver exceptional 

performance. 

Designed for very harsh environments, 

the CN100A24 Series meets the 

stringent shock and vibration requirements 

of IEC61373 Category 1, Grade B. 

These baseplate-cooled power converters 

have standard pin-outs and provide full 

output power from -40° to +100°C at the 

Surface Mount 

(and Plug In) 

Transformers and 

Inductors 

See Pico’s full Catalog immediately 

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Low Profile from 

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Audio Transformers 

Impedance Levels 10 ohms to 250k ohms, 

Power Levels to 3 Watts, Frequency Response 

±3db 20Hz to 250Hz. All units manufactured 

and tested to MIL-PRF-27. QPL Units available. 

Power & EMI Inductors 

Ideal for Noise, Spike and Power Filtering 

Applications in Power Supplies, DC-DC 

Converters and Switching Regulators 

Pulse Transformers 

10 Nanoseconds to 100 Microseconds. 

ET Rating to 150 Volt Microsecond, 

Manufactured and tested to MIL-PRF-21038. 

Multiplex Data Bus 

Pulse Transformers 

Plug-In units meet the requirements 

of QPL-MIL-PRF 21038/27. 

Surface units are electrical equivalents 

of QPL-MIL-PRF 21038/27. 

DC-DC Converter 

Transformers 

Input voltages of 5V, 12V, 24V And 48V. 

Standard Output Voltages to 300V (Special 

voltages can be supplied). Can be used as self 

saturating or linear switching applications. All 

units manufactured and tested to MIL-PRF-27. 

400Hz/800Hz 

Power Transformers 

0.4 Watts to 150 Watts. Secondary Voltages 5V 

to 300V. Units manufactured to MIL-PRF-27 

Grade 5, Class S (Class V, 

155 0 C available). 

Delivery-Stock to one week 

for sample quantities 

for FREE PICO Catalog 

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143 Sparks Ave. Pelham, N.Y. 10803 

E Mail: info@picoelectronics.com 


November 2011 COTS Journal [ 13 ] 

Untitled-9 1 7/5/11 12:01:44 PM


baseplate without deratings. The 100-watt 

model CN100A24-12, for example, delivers 

8.4 amps at 12 VDC with a conversion 

efficiency of 88% at full load. These quarter-brick 

modules measure 1.45 x 2.28 

inches and are only 0.50-inch high. 

Meeting SWaP Requirements 

Size, weight and power concerns 

have become almost equally as impor- 


tant as ruggedness in many military applications. 

Serving those needs, Martek 

Power has made significant additions 

to its Powertron JL Series (Figure 3) of 

open-frame DC/DC converters. They 

are conduction-cooled units developed 

by Martek in response to an increase 

in applications where the power supply 

is mounted inside a sealed enclosure. 

Originally designed for onboard pas- 

Untitled-3 1 11/8/11 10:10:43 AM 

senger information systems, JL DC/DC 

converters are rated up to 50W and offer 

full EN50155 compliance as well as the 

ability to accept the wide range of typical 

railway input voltages. Outputs can be 

specified between 5 and 110 VDC, and 

the units have a footprint of just 135 x 85 

mm including the mounting plate. With 

efficiencies approaching 90 percent, 

the conduction-cooled versions help to 

minimize any temperature rise within 

the host equipment. All converters in 

the JL Series are designed for continuous 

operation at ambient temperatures of up 

to 75°C without de-rating. 

AC/DC Supplies and UPSs 

Closer to the installation side of 

military systems, new solutions in AC/ 

DC and UPS product areas continue to 

advance. With its latest AC/DC solution, 

RECOM has released a new range of 

isolated AC/DC power supply modules 

with very low standby input currents, 

ideally suited for low-power applications 

or standby power supplies. The RAC01 

and RAC02 offer 1W or 2W of output 

power from a universal input voltage of 

90-265 VAC and yet draw only 30 mW 

in standby. The RAC03 offers a higher 

output power of 3W yet draws only 80 

mW when unloaded. Unlike other lowpower 

AC/DC modules, the RAC01, 

RAC02 and RAC03 offer high-efficiency, 

well regulated, short-circuit protected 

DC outputs with 3.3, 5, 9, 12, 15 or 24V 

voltage options and a line and load regulation 

of typically ±2%. The conversion 

efficiency is up to 78%, which enables 

RECOM to guarantee an operating temperature 

range of -25° to +85°C for the 

one watt part, reducing to +80°C for the 

two and three watt converters. 

Moving ahead in the uninterruptible 

power supply game, SynQor recently announced 

a line of Military-Grade Uninterruptible 

Power Supply units that are 

designed for the extreme environmental 

and demanding electrical conditions of 

Military/Aerospace applications. Syn- 

Qor’s UPS incorporates field-proven high 

efficiency designs and rugged packaging 

technologies. This UPS will accept a wide 

range of input voltage and frequency values 

while delivering a well-conditioned


AC output to the load. Its use of Lithium 

polymer batteries permits the lowest profile 

and lowest weight solution in its power 

class. It is designed and manufactured in 

SynQor’s USA facilities to comply with 

a wide range of military standards. Options 

include a DC output and the ability 

to also draw power from a military standard 

28VDC input. 

Long Life Support 

Falcon Electric, meanwhile, has 

added Lithium-ion batteries as an option 

to its 1500 VA model of its SSG Series 

Industrial Grade UPS Plus. Lithium-ion 

chemistry offers several advantages over 

Kontron 

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Phone: (770) 295-0031 

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valve regulated lead-acid (VRLA) batteries 

including less weight, longer runtimes 

and higher energy density. The SSG Series 

is a true double-conversion on-line 

sinewave regenerative UPS. This robust 

and rugged solution provides military, 

aerospace and industrial applications 

with a high level of power protection that 

tolerates many of the elements found in 

these harsh environments. Due to its 

rugged design, the U.L. listed SSG Series 

is capable of withstanding elevated temperatures 

of up to 131°F (55°C). The SSG 

Series, which is available in 1500 VA, 2200 

VA and 3000 VA configurations, can be 

placed in an equipment rack or installed 

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Toucan-QM57 

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Intel HD Audio 

LEMT condition management 

Extended temperature range 

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Supports Windows, Linux 

E-mail: ussales@lippertembedded.com 

Web: www.lippertembedded.com 

LiPPERT Embedded Computers, Inc. 

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Phone: +49 228 965 864 0 

Fax: +49 228 96 58 64 10 

as a stand-alone tower in close proximity 

to the critical load. 

This eliminates the need to shield the 

UPS from the environment. Moreover, the 

SSG’s 10-year rated VRLA batteries when 

operated in a typical environment of 21° 

to 23°C, double the average UPS battery 

life. When operated in harsher temperature 

environments at 50°C, the projected 

battery life is four years—quadrupling the 

battery operating life over typical UPSs. 

The SSG Series is a true regenerative online 

UPS that is designed to give users the 

highest level of protection against a wide 

spectrum of power problems. It provides 

a continuous, clean, tightly regulated 

Hurricane-QM57 

Intel Core i7 Processor 

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LEMT condition management 

Extended temperature range 

-40°C…+85°C 

ANSI/VITA 47-2005 V3 & OS2 

compliant 

E-mail: ussales@lippertembedded.com 

Web: www.lippertembedded.com 

NAMC-QorIQ-P4080-V6 

N.A.T.’s single-width AMC board, 

NAMC-QorIQ-P40, combines 

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Xilinx’s Virtex-6 FPGA. Front panel 

interfaces are 1 x10/100/1000-BaseT 

Ethernet, 10 GBit (XAUI) SFP+ 

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Web: www.nateurope.com


power source from the most polluted incoming 

AC power source. Unlike off-line 

and line-interactive UPS designs, the SSG 

Series acts as an electronic firewall between 

incoming “dirty” power and sensitive 

microprocessor-based Programmable 

Logic Controllers (PLCs), computers and 

automated systems found in these industrial 

environments. 


Calex 

Concord, CA. 

(925) 687-4411. 

[www.calex.com]. 

Curtiss-Wright Controls Electronic Systems 

Santa Clarita, CA. 

(661) 257-4430. 

[www.cwcelectronicsystems.com]. 

Untitled-4 1 2/16/11 9:51:50 AM 

Extreme Engineering Solutions 

Middleton, WI. 

(608) 833-1155. 

[www.xes-inc.com]. 

Falcon Electric 

Irwindale, CA. 

(626) 962-7770. 

[www.falconups.com]. 

Martek Power 

Torrance, CA. 

(310) 202-8820. 

[www.martekpower.com]. 

Pico Electronics 

Pelham, NY, 

(914) 738-1400. 

[www.picoelectronics.com]. 

Rantec Power Systems 

Los Osos, CA. 

(805) 596-6000. 

[www.rantec.com]. 

RECOM Power 

Brooklyn, NY. 

(718) 855-9710. 

[www.recom-power.com]. 

TDK-Lambda Americas 

San Diego, CA. 

(619) 575-4400. 

[www.lambdapower.com]. 

Vicor 

Andover, MA. 

(978) 749-8359. 

[www.vicorpower.com]. 

VPT 

Blacksburg, VA. 

(425) 353-3010. 

[www.vpt-inc.com].

MIL-STD 

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Advanced Battery Technology 

Shrinks Military Energy Costs 

The transition to more advanced military battery technologies provides a variety of 

benefits. Not least among these is a reduction in mil vehicle fuel costs. 

David McShane, Executive V.P. of Business 

Development and Engineering 

International Battery 

According to a study completed by 

the U.S. Army in 2007, one out 

of eight U.S. Army casualties in 

Iraq was a result of protecting a fuel 

convoy-related mission. Keeping forward 

operating bases (FOBs) running 

takes an immense amount of energy 

derived from diesel-fuel generators; 

from communications and electronic 

systems to environmental systems, everything 

needs to be powered 24/7. A 

recent Deloitte study on “Energy Security” 

has the U.S. military consuming 

22 gallons of oil per day per soldier. 

With fuel cost estimates running between 

$30 and $300 a gallon resulting 

in approximately $16 billion in costs 

per year, these factors have the military 

exploring alternative fuel options more 

aggressively than ever. The integration 

of green technology is the key to 

lowering oil consumption and keeping 

troops safe. 

The armed forces have already 

taken the first steps to lower their carbon 

footprints. Installing wind turbines 

and solar systems at military bases has 

been a common practice for years, and 

like with other technologies, the U.S. 


√ 

√ 

√ 

√ 

√ 

√ 

√ 

√ 

Figure 1 

Lithium-Ion Advantages Over Lead-Acid Technology 

military is an innovative front runner 

in pushing energy efficient technology 

to far reaching places. The goal for a 

more fuel efficient military vehicle is 

not that far off: biofuels have already 

begun to power several test projects including 

HMMWVs (military Humvees) 

and aircraft. But advanced battery systems 

are likewise playing a key role in 

reducing the fuel consumption within 

military operations. 

Dramatic weight reduction, up to 80 percent in high C-Rate applications 

Footprint/volume reduction, up to 65 percent in high C-Rate applications 

Dramatically longer cycle life 

Use 100 percent of capacity of lithium battery without shortening rated cycle 

life, vs. 40-60 percent of capacity for lead-acid 

No service for the lifetime of the battery 

Shorter charge times (1.5-2 hours vs. 5-8 for lead-acid) 

Lower effective capacity loss at high rates of discharge 

Lower total life cost 

Many integrators are turning to advanced chemistries such as Lithium-ion for more energydense 

applications, driven by the many advantages they have over lead-acid batteries. 

New Advanced Battery 

Chemistries 

When powering vital communications 

systems, diesel generators and 

lead-acid batteries have long been the 

military’s main power sources. In efforts 

to cut down on fuel consumption, there 

has been a move to using generators as a 

secondary power source and depending 

on energy storage as a means to reduce 

fuel consumption. And while the low


Untitled-4 1 7/25/11 10:31:05 AM 


Figure 2 

Large-format Lithium-ion prismatic cells are proving themselves in interesting pilot 

programs as they offer up to 70 times the capacity of traditional packaged lithium batteries 

that are the size of a D cell. 

cost of lead-acid batteries has made them 

a popular choice for several years, many 

integrators are now turning to advanced 

chemistries such as Lithium-ion for more 

energy-dense applications. Figure 1 lists 

the many advantages Lithium-ion batteries 

have over lead-acid batteries. 

Finding the Right Fit 

Large-format cells, also referred to 

as HyperClass Lithium-ion prismatic 

cells, (Figure 1) on the market today are 

proving themselves in interesting pilot 

programs as they offer up to 70 times 

the capacity of traditional packaged 

lithium batteries that are the size of a D 

cell. While most lithium batteries are 

produced as small cylindrical cells up to 

3 Ah or “pouch” prismatic cells up to 10 

Ah, large-format cells can range from 50 

Ah to 200 Ah. With each individual cell 

being considerably larger, large-format 

batteries greatly decrease the number of 

cells needed within the battery module, 

which improves reliability and efficiency 

while lowering maintenance costs and 

the number of connectors. Individual cell 

monitoring with the use of Battery Management 

Systems (BMS) is a key to success 

with these systems. 

Weight, temperature and energy requirements 

are all important factors to 

consider when choosing Lithium-ion bat- 

teries. Some have very wide temperature 

ranges and can be ideal for in-field vehicles 

that experience high desert temperatures 

and meet longer runtime demands, but 

not many have military testing certification, 

which is an important requirement. 

Lithium iron phosphate chemistry—a 

form of Lithium-ion—is by far the safest 

and therefore the best choice for power 

delivery applications. 

Energy Storage: The Silent 

Advantage 

The Tank Automotive Research, 

Development and Engineering Center 

(TARDEC), has developed a hybrid energy 

storage system suited for tanks and 

Stryker armored vehicles. This energy 

storage system has been implemented 

within the current Silent Watch program, 

aimed at allowing military vehicles 

to operate with little to no audible 

signature. Developing tanks and military 

Humvees more suited for covert missions 

is a major challenge, and energy storage 

plays a huge role in the development of 

this program. 

The Silent Watch vehicles rely on 

the battery system to operate quietly for 

stealth and tactical missions (Figure 2). 

With the communications systems being 

powered by the battery, the audible signature 

of these vehicles is greatly reduced

Copyright © 2011 Kontron AG. All rights reserved. Kontron and the Kontron logo and all other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners and are recognized. Rev. # D110eu01 

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Untitled-2 1 10/24/11 10:46:40 AM 


Figure 3 

Silent Watch Humvees use Lithium-ion batteries to power communications systems while 

the vehicle is in idle. 

without the need to rely on the noisy engine. 

Furthermore, the advanced battery 

system within Silent Watch vehicles is 

thermally managed, providing military 

operations with electricity for 10 hours 

without the telltale heat signature of a 

running engine, thus avoiding infrared 

detection. 

Between communications systems 

and other mission-critical hardware, the 

power demands on board vehicles are 

constant. Due to the “always on” nature 

of this equipment, military vehicles are 

faced with high power demands while in 

idle and are subject to the reliability of 

their power supplies. To power these systems, 

many existing vehicles rely on the 

use of diesel generators or the vehicle’s 

engine. While this setup is effective, it is 

by no means fuel efficient, cost-effective, 

or even tactically reliable. 

Off-loading Engine Battery 

To replace the dependence on the 

vehicle’s engine, TARDEC is using advanced 

battery packs and energy storage 

systems to run the mission-critical 

equipment while in idle. To meet the desired 

runtime and sheer energy density 

needed, TARDEC integrated a hybrid 

12-volt energy storage system powered 

by a Lithium Iron Phosphate battery. 

The lead-acid batteries previously used 

in the application proved to be heavier 

and experienced reliability issues in 

harsh environments. 

Battery makers learned that forward 

operating mission procedures directed 

troops to replace lead-acid battery systems 

after only one mission, because 

reusing a battery without intelligence/ 

monitoring left questions as to the state 

of health of the battery and therefore it 

would be safer to use a new battery than 

risk any failure on the front line. Newer 

battery systems are rechargeable and 

contain management systems (via a communications 

port) to monitor voltage 

and temperature. Another consideration 

is that lead-acid batteries can take up to 

six hours to recharge, while large-format 

Lithium-ion batteries require as few as 

two hours to charge. 

Powering Forward Base Systems 

Another project using rechargeable, 

large-format Lithium-ion batteries 

to supply energy storage to military vehicles 

was recently demonstrated at the 

U.S. Marine Corps’ Experimental For-

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Untitled-3 1 10/31/11 1:43:44 PM 


ward Operating Base (ExFOB) event. A 

Vehicle Integrated Power Unit Regulator 

(VIPUR) can provide up to 75 percent 

fuel consumption reduction for Humvees 

and other military vehicles that use 

excessive idling as a means of generating 

electrical energy. Medium Tactical 

Vehicle Replacements (MTVRs) are frequently 

used to provide 2.5 kW of peak 

power for ground-based systems such 

as radios, laptops and blue-force trackers. 

The VIPUR system replaces the need 

to run off of the vehicle’s engine to supply 

the energy and instead relies on advanced 

battery systems. 

The VIPUR energy storage system 

operates automatically (no operator intervention 

needed) and independently 

of a vehicle’s battery system. The VIPUR 

system operates on an auxiliary alternator 

and up to four 1.5 kWh or 4.1 kWh largeformat 

Lithium Iron Phosphate rechargeable 

cells. The unit hooks up to a 430-watt 

portable solar power unit for recharging, 

resulting in greater fuel efficiency. 

Beyond Vehicles 

Military vehicles are not the only 

“gas guzzlers” in the field. Camps and 

military bases are reliant on diesel 

generators as well. To combat that dependence, 

the U.S. Marines developed 

the Ground Renewable Expeditionary 

ENergy System (GREENS), a portable 

energy storage/generation system that 

consists of a networkable and vastly scalable 

1600W solar array and rechargeable 

large-format batteries. The 24V, 1.5 kWh 

energy storage system is integrated into 

a ruggedized enclosure allowing for portability 

and easy setup. 

The small footprint, superior life 

cycle and high durability of Lithium-ion 

batteries makes them powerful solutions 

for off-grid operations. According to the 

Office of Naval Research, “GREENS will 

reduce the logistics burden for providing 

power to remote locations. It will provide 

AC and DC power needs to charge 

typical communication, targeting and 

computing devices. GREENS will reduce 

the fuel use otherwise needed for 

typical generators, and will lessen the 

need for fuel resupply, reducing the associated 

threats to vehicle convoys in Af- 

ghanistan and Iraq.” Renewable energy 

has had a huge impact on making these 

forward operating bases and camps far 

more energy efficient and less dangerous 

to the troops protecting them. 

Looking Ahead 

Projects like Silent Watch, VIPUR 

and GREENS all advance the U.S. military’s 

desire to integrate green technologies 

into a wide range of operations. The 

use of Lithium-ion batteries provides 

these pilot programs with high levels of 

energy storage while maintaining the 

lightweight and rugged design needed 

in mission-critical environments. Due 

to the more stable chemistry, the batteries 

are also safe and can withstand 

greater temperatures. 

While still in the early stages of integration, 

advanced battery technologies 

have already made a huge impact on how 

military systems consume energy. Lowering 

the amount of fuel required to power 

communications systems and forward 

operating bases will greatly decrease the 

military’s consumption and improve 

liquid logistics. With more pilot projects 

like GREENS on the horizon, and 

advancements being made in the Silent 

Watch program, energy storage systems 

will continue to breed a culture of energy 

efficiency within the military while advancing 

troop safety. 

International Battery 

Allentown, PA. 

(610) 366-3925. 

[www.internationalbattery.com].



Inrush Current Control Technology 

Boosts Power Converter 

Reliability 

Large peak inrush currents can cause a host of problems in military electronic 

systems. Choosing the right power protection solutions can avoid damage to 

mission-critical equipment. 

Steve Butler, Vice President of Engineering 

VPT 

Designing power subsystems for platforms 

like military vehicles, aircraft 

and shipborne gear requires 

special care. It’s critical to protect those 

multimillion-dollar machines from failing 

while ensuring reliable performance 

in mission-critical situations. Among the 

challenges is dealing with the problem 

of inrush current. Inrush current is the 

current drawn by a power system when 

power is applied or it is turned on. 

The input EMI filter will include some 

capacitance connected across the input 

line. The DC/DC converter will have capacitance 

internally across its input and 

output. A typical power system is shown in 

Figure 1. There may be additional capacitance 

at the input to the DC/DC converter, 

and the load will usually include additional, 

possibly distributed, capacitance. Each of 

these capacitors requires current to charge 

them from their initial or zero state to their 

final steady state voltage. This current can 

have a high peak magnitude depending 

on the input voltage rise time and source 

impedance, and is referred to as the inrush 

current. Large peak inrush currents are 

usually governed by a system-level specification. 

There is a concern that high spike 

currents can trip an upstream protection 


+ - 

S1 

28 VDC 

Figure 1 

EMI FILTER DC/DC CONVERTER 

circuit or create electromagnetic interference, 

upsetting sensitive adjacent circuitry 

or interfering with RF signals. 

Inrush Current Waveform 

A typical power system inrush current 

waveform is shown in Figure 2. It 

has two current peaks. The first “inrush 

spike” peak current occurs when the input 

voltage source is turned on. Thispeak 

current flows into the EMI filter capacitors 

and any capacitors on the input side 

of the DC/DC converter, charging them 

to their steady state value. The second 

current peak occurs when the DC/DC 

converter turns on. This peak current 

flows through the power transformer in 

the DC/DC converter to the output capacitor 

and into any load capacitance, 

charging them to their steady state value. 

There can be multiple occurrences if there 

is more than one DC/DC converter. 

T1 

C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 LOAD 

Typical power system showing relevant capacitances. 

The first current peak is often referred 

to as the inrush spike. Its peak 

value and shape are highly dependent on 

the characteristics of the input source, 

specifically the voltage rise time or dv/ 

dt and source impedance. A fast rising 

input voltage waveform, such as from a 

mechanical switch or relay closure, will 

produce a very high and narrow current 

peak, limited only by series resistance 

and inductance. EMI magnetics are usually 

too small in value or quickly saturate 

under high peak currents. And the resulting 

peak is limited only by the source, line 

and parasitic resistances. 

Switching power converters typically 

have output voltage rise times on the order 

of a few milliseconds, solid state power 

controllers (SSPC) usually from 50us to 

500us, and large capacitor banks cannot be 

charged in less than several milliseconds. 

These slow rise times will not produce ex-


0 

0 

Figure 2 

cessively high current peaks and may meet 

system specifications without additional 

protection. While the peak inrush current 

must be tested for spec compliance, 

the i 2 t of the current waveform should also 

be evaluated, as it could trip an upstream 

fuse, circuit breaker or SSPC. 

Turn-On Current 

The second current peak is also considered 

part of the inrush current. This peak 


Typical inrush current waveform 

inrush spike 

Shown here is the waveform of a typical power system’s inrush current. It has two current 

peaks. The first “inrush spike” peak current occurs when the input voltage source is turned 

on. 

Figure 3 

large load 

capacitance 

Typical turn-on current waveform 

normal 

In this waveform of a typical turn-on current, turn-on current is the same whether the 

converter is turned on by applying an input voltage or via an enable/inhibit signal. 

occurs when the DC/DC converter turns 

on and draws current from the source to 

charge its output capacitance and any load 

capacitance. Typical turn-on current waveforms 

are shown in Figure 3. The turn-on 

current is the same whether the converter 

is turned on by applying an input voltage 

or via an enable/inhibit signal. The turnon 

current waveshape and peak value will 

be well-controlled as long as the converter 

has an output soft start feature. But it could 

require a higher peak current when starting 

into a large capacitive load. 

VPT’s DC/DC converters, for example, 

use a proprietary magnetic feedback 

scheme with a well-controlled internal 

start-up sequence and a precise output 

voltage soft start feature. The voltage soft 

start feature ensures the output ramps up 

in a controlled manner, with controlled dv/ 

dt. Due to the soft start, the input current 

usually does not exceed the steady state input 

current of the converter during turnon. 

These DC/DC converters also feature 

continuous constant output current limit. 

They will supply full rated current into any 

load; they do not hiccup or shut down and 

restart. This allows them to start any load 

capacitor, regardless of size. For cases with 

very large load capacitance, the DC/DC 

converter might enter this constant current 

limit mode during turn-on. In this case the 

input current would not exceed approximately 

1.5 times the steady state input current. 

This is not high enough to cause any 

interference or trip upstream protection 

devices. For VPT’s DC/DC converters, this 

second inrush peak will not cause adverse 

effects in the system design. 

Active Inrush Limiting 

In some applications there is a requirement 

to limit the inrush spike current 

into the input capacitors. The only 

way to accomplish this is to insert a series 

element into the circuit in front of those 

capacitors. There are several approaches: 

a resistor with a bypass switch, an inductor, 

a controlled MOSFET, or a dedicated 

inrush current protection module. In a 

basic inrush limiting circuit using a series 

resistor and a bypass switch, the resistor 

will limit the input current until the 

input capacitors are charged. The switch 

will then close to allow the full current 

to flow to the downstream DC/DC converter. 

The switch can be a relay or semiconductor 

switch, and can be driven from 

the 28V input such that it is somewhat automatically 

controlled. The resistor also 

can be replaced with a positive (PTC) or 

negative temperature coefficient (NTC) 

thermistor. The NTC thermistor does not 

require a bypassing switch S1, but does require 

time to cool after power is removed, 

before it is functional again.

An inductor could also be used to limit 

inrush current. It would not need to be bypassed 

since it can carry DC current with 

low loss. However, a large inductance value 

and size would usually be required, and 

care must be taken to damp its resonance 

with the system capacitances to avoid transient 

ringing, control loop interactions and 

instabilities with the DC/DC converter. 

Another Configuration 

Another practical circuit uses a series 

MOSFET placed in the negative power 

lead. The MOSFET is normally off, with 

its gate pulled low through a resistor. 

When input voltage is applied, the gate 

will charge through the first resistor. The 

charge time and turn-on of MOSFET can 

be chosen to allow the input capacitors to 

charge slowly, limiting the inrush current. 

After the input capacitors are charged, 

the gate of the MOSFET will charge to 

the zener voltage and it will remain fully 

on. During the inrush period, the voltage 

across the MOSFET results in a large voltage 

difference between the return lead 

of the source and the input return of the 

DC/DC converter. This voltage will interfere 

with primary referenced control 

interfaces, requiring additional isolation 

for the control signals. 

A better solution is to move the series 

MOSFET to the positive lead. While this 

can be accomplished by using a P-channel 

MOSFET, a better approach is shown in Figure 

4. The MOSFET is located in the high 

side, allowing primary circuits to share a 

common return, but an N-channel MOS- 

FET is used. The N-channel MOSFET will 

have a lower on-resistance, reducing power 

loss. A charge pump is required to drive the 

gate of the MOSFET above the input voltage. 

The MOSFET can also be operated in 

the linear region as a source follower to 

provide input transient protection. 

Input Modules with Inrush 

Limiting 

VPT now offers a new approach to 

solving the inrush current problem. The 

DVCL28 is a dedicated Inrush Current 

Limiter Module, packaged in a tiny 1-inch 

square hermetic case. It can power multiple 

EMI filters and DC/DC converters 

up to 11A or 200W over the full military 

4 

+ - 

28 VDC 

Figure 4 

CHARGE 

PUMP 

temperature range of -55° to +125°C. The 

DVCL28 uses the circuit diagrammed 

in Figure 6 to control the output voltage 

ramp rate or dv/dt. The voltage waveforms 

shown with and without the inrush limiter 

are shown in Figure 5 and Figure 6. A 

28V step function waveform is applied to 

the input. The rising slope of the output 

voltage is controlled to 6 V/ms, limiting 

the inrush current into a 500 uF capacitor 

to less than 3.5A peak. 

C1 

Q1 

ACTIVE INRUSH CIRCUIT 

C2 


EMI FILTER/ 

DC/DC CONVERTER 

The MOSFET is located in the high side, allowing primary circuits to share a common return, 

but an N-channel MOSFET is used. This MOSFET will have a lower on-resistance, reducing 

power loss. 

Vin: 5V/div 

lin: 20 A/div 

Figure 5 

Vin 

lin 

timescale: 200µs/div 

Shown here is the operation of a typical power system without a DVCL Inrush Current 

Limiter. 

An off-the-shelf solution such as the 

DVCL Inrush Current Limiter Module 

saves engineers the design time required to 

create some of the other solutions discussed 

in this article. A single DVCL can limit the 

inrush current of multiple devices, up to a 

maximum of 200W combined. The DVCL 

is designed to comply with MIL-STD-461 

EMI requirements and will not inject additional 

noise onto the input line. It also 

provides an output signal to delay the 


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Untitled-2 1 11/4/11 10:18:15 AM 


1 

Vin 

Vin: 5V/div 

Vout: 5V/div 

lin: 20A/div 

Figure 6 

Vout 

turn-on of downstream electronics until 

the inrush cycle is completed. For engineers 

designing avionics, military, or other 

high-reliability systems, the DVCL module 

is plug-and-play, meeting all hi-rel system 

specifications including the wide military 

temperature range of -55° to +125°C. 

VPT offers several additional input 

modules that include built-in inrush current 

limiting. These modules each use a series 

N-channel MOSFET in the positive lead. 

The N-channel MOSFET achieves the lowest 

ON-state resistance to minimize power 

losses. Locating it in the positive lead leaves 

the return path unbroken, simplifying system 

design. Using modules with built-in inrush 

current protection saves the engineer 

design time, board space and cost. 

Filtering and Transient Voltages 

Several modules also provide EMI filtering 

and input voltage transient protection. 

EMI is specified to MIL-STD-461. 

The EMI filter and inrush circuits are optimized 

to work together. The inrush circuit 

limits any current flowing into the EMI 

capacitors, but does not introduce any additional 

EMI into the input lines, as is possible 

with a discrete circuitry. Transient 

lin 

protection is specified to MIL-STD-461, 

MIL-STD-704, MIL-STD-1275, DEF- 

STAN 59-411 and ISO 7637-2 depending 

on the module. For transient protection, 

the high-side series MOSFET is used for 

dual purposes to provide both inrush limiting 

and transient protection. The VPT- 

PCM-12 is a special case in that it also contains 

switching elements, so it may require 

additional EMI filtering at its input. 

Inrush current is the peak current that 

flows into the power converter when the input 

voltage is applied or at turn-on. Many 

system specifications will be met with VPT’s 

DC/DC converters and EMI filters alone. 

Some applications that place limits on this 

inrush current may require additional inrush 

protection. This inrush protection can take 

several forms, from a passive thermistor, to 

discrete active circuitry, to a dedicated active 

inrush current limiter module. It is worth the 

effort to examine your design to see which 

solution meets your system specifications for 

the most efficient use of time and cost. 

VPT 

Blacksburg, VA. 

(425) 353-3010. 

[www.vpt-inc.com]. 

timescale: 1ms/div 

Shown here is the operation of a typical power system with a DVCL Inrush Current Limiter. 

A controlled voltage waveform is applied to the EMI filter and input capacitors. Inrush is 

negligible.

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Tech Recon 


Mobile Ad Hoc Networking 

Revamps Military 

Communications 

With massive amounts of real-time military ISR data to disseminate, traditional 

networking schemes can’t keep up. What’s needed are mobile net technologies that 

deliver the reliability and flexibility required on the deployed edge. 

Chris O’Rourke, Technical Marketing Manager 

Cisco Systems 

Stephen B. Johnson, Customer Support Engineer 


Driven by technologies such as data 

networking, GPS, real-time video 

feeds from UAVs, and satellite in- 

Gigabit or 100Mbps 

Ethernet Physical connect 

2 Mbps 

RF Over The Air 

Links 

telligence, today’s modern military has 

access to a plethora of real-time data. 

RAR 

Neighbor A 2 Mbps 

1 Mbps 

However, getting this information to the 

warfighter at the “edge of the network” 

is still problematic. Getting real-time 

voice, data and streaming video to the 

Neighbor B 1 Mbps 

Neighbor C 128Kbps 

128 Kbps 

B 

warfighter at the edge is no easy task. 

ies providing Networking solutions now infrastructure might be in Figure 1 

C 

on into products, place technologies on the battlefield, and companies. though Whether your typically goal is to research A the view latest of a battlefield illustrating a mobile, wireless network capable of communicating 

ion Engineer, it or cannot jump to a company's support technical the heavier page, the require- goal of Get Connected is to put you 

voice, data and video traffic. The networking infrastructure is located in vehicles equipped 

you require for ments whatever of type new, of technology, feature-rich applications. 

nd products you are searching for. 

with backhaul radios and embedded routers. 

Soldiers are mobile and need high-per- 

www.cotsjournalonline.com/getconnected 

formance, high-bandwidth networks 

that move with them to deliver the in- seamless access to timely information to equipment in operations and command 

formation they need. 

all warfighters and decision makers at centers. But it isn’t practical or even 

The U.S. DoD has standardized on every level in the military hierarchy. This possible to create a fixed, wired network 

IP networks to achieve the goals set out enables soldiers, ground vehicles, aircraft infrastructure on a battlefield; the only 

in the high-level Global Information Grid and command centers to shape collected practical way to provide a network- 

(GIG) and Network Operations (formerly 

Network End Centric of Article 

Warfare) doctrines. The 

information into a coherent, accurate 

view of the battlefield. 

ing infrastructure is to create a mobile 

wireless network. Since most soldiers 

goal for Network Operations is to provide 

are typically in or near some sort of ve- 

Mobile Network Building Blocks hicle, an effective way to create a mo- 

A portion of a military IP network bile wireless network is to make use of 

can be based on fixed wired infrastruc- vehicles such as Humvees, Strykers and 

ture, utilizing satellites and networking Bradley Fighting Vehicles to carry the 

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Tech Recon 

Self-forming 

Self-healing 

No Infrastructure 

Peer-to-peer 

Predominantly 

wireless 

Highly dynamic 

Figure 2 

infrastructure necessary to build and 

maintain these networks on the move 

(Figure 1). 

Mobile wireless networks are built 

using a variety of IP-enabled radios and 

specialized embedded network routers. 

Network infrastructure radios are called 

backhaul radios, which can communicate 

with other backhaul radios or with satellites. 

Each backhaul radio is connected to 

an IP-router to create a network node. 

At the “edge of the network” are a 

variety of clients. Dismounted soldiers 

carry some, such as handheld radios, 

man-pack radios, laptops, cameras and 

PDAs; multiple clients can connect 

wirelessly to the same IP network node. 

There are also a variety of clients that 

reside inside vehicles. Often an Ethernet 

switch is interfaced to the router 

in a vehicle, providing a vehicle local 

area network (LAN), for clients such as 

radios, laptops, battlefield display systems 

and mission-control computers. 

This enables the same IP-networking 

system in a vehicle to support both 

internal vehicle and external vehicle 

communications simultaneously. For 

example, externally mounted cameras 


Advantages of Deployed Ad Hoc Networks 

Nodes that come within radio range of each other can establish a network 

association without any pre-configuration or manual intervention. 

Nodes can join or leave rapidly without affecting operation of the remaining 

nodes. 

In an ad hoc network, mobile nodes form their own network and essentially 

become their own infrastructure. 

Traditional networks typically support end systems operating in client-server 

mode. In an ad hoc network, mobile nodes can communicate and exchange 

information without prior arrangement and without reliance on centralized 

resources. 

Historically, networks have been mostly wired and enhanced or extended 

through wireless access. The ad hoc environment is essentially wireless, but 

can be extended to support wired resources. 

Mobile nodes are in continuous motion, and ad hoc networking topologies 

are constantly changing. 

Ad hoc networks have several distinguishing characteristics when compared with 

conventional networking solutions. 

will stream video feeds to the dashboard 

utilizing the vehicle LAN, while 

in-vehicle and dismounted soldiers 

communicate with each other and with 

remote C2 installations utilizing the 

mobile wireless network. 

Unique Challenges of Mobile 

Wireless Networks 

The Internet was built on a fixed, 

static, wired infrastructure. More recently, 

there have been great strides in 

wireless and mobile connectivity. However, 

in the consumer and commercial 

world, wireless and mobile users still 

rely on a fixed, static, wired infrastructure. 

Cellular and Wi-Fi base stations 

and wireless routers are tied into the core 

networks with routing infrastructure, 

known gateways and Quality of Service. 

As a wireless or mobile user, you have to 

play within the rules; wireless connectivity 

works great in highly populated areas 

because that is where the infrastructure 

investment has been made. But as you 

move away from population centers, your 

wireless connection will be less likely to 

work because of the lack of infrastructure 

and radio coverage. 

With fixed wired networks, the network 

nodes are fixed, and the only components 

that move are clients that are not 

used to route other traffic, such as cellular 

and Wi-Fi-enabled devices. On the battlefield, 

not only are the clients mobile, 

but so are the basic building blocks of a 

mobile wireless network, for example the 

radios and specialized embedded routers. 

This creates a fluid and ever-changing 

network with dynamic nodes and frequent 

routing table changes. These are 

referred to as mobile ad hoc networks. 

Mobile Ad Hoc Networks 

A Mobile Ad hoc NETwork (MA- 

NET, pronounced mă-nā) provides a 

means for delivering the benefits of IP 

networking to users operating beyond 

the reach of a fixed network. It is a selfconfiguring, 

infrastructure-less network 

of mobile devices connected by 

wireless links. Each device in a MANET 

is free to move independently in any direction, 

and therefore, will change its 

links to other devices frequently. Each 

must forward traffic unrelated to its 

own use, and therefore participate in 

the routing of traffic. The primary challenge 

in building a MANET is equipping 

each network node to continuously 

maintain the information required to 

properly route traffic. Such networks 

may operate by themselves or may be 

connected to a larger network. In ad hoc 

networks, mobile nodes associate on an 

extemporaneous or ad hoc basis. Ad hoc 

networks have numerous distinguishing 

characteristics when compared with 

conventional networking solutions. Figure 

2 lists those characteristics. 

Ad hoc networks deliver a compelling 

advantage wherever highly mobile 

warfighters, unsupported by fixed infrastructure, 

need to share IP-based 

information. They offer superior information-sharing 

at all levels, enabling 

improved situational awareness, a clearer 

understanding of leader’s intent, and the 

ability for remote users to self-synchronize. 

The fact that they’re self-forming 

and self-healing facilitates deployment 

and minimizes the need for manual configuration 

and intervention. Meanwhile, 

their multi-hop networking nature ex-

tends network coverage and provides 

redundant paths for increased resilience. 

With ad hoc networks you also have the 

ability to operate with or without connectivity 

to a centralized network. Such 

networks are a key enabler for new applications 

such as vehicle-to-vehicle 

networking, intelligent transportation 

systems, sensor networking, telemetry 

monitoring and more. 

Specialized Embedded Routers 

Are Key 

Traditional network infrastructure 

routers are designed to work with fixed, 

mostly static networks with known neighbors. 

When there is a change to the network 

infrastructure requiring a change to 

the way packets are routed, routing tables 

have to be updated and propagated. Network 

operators in the fixed networks know 

the paths available and can engineer the 

routing changes using costing in the rare 

cases where neighbors change. There is 

typically the luxury of having monitoring 

points alarm to a network operations center 

(NOC) in the event of such network events. 

There can be months of planning for network 

or routing changes within known 

maintenance windows. A traditional network 

router would not cope with dynamic 

routing table changes that can occur with 

nodes participating in a MANET. 

Weather, terrain and mobility make 

radio-based communications dynamic; 

therefore, routers must be aware of each 

radio’s condition in order to make effective 

routing decisions with built-in 

mechanisms to prevent constant rerouting 

and human intervention. Mobile 

networks delivering real-time services, 

such as video and data, cannot tolerate 

prolonged network disruptions as the 

network changes due to radio dynamics. 

To address this challenge, IP routers are 

deployed with technology to minimize 

network disruption due to network reconvergence. 

These routers support features 

such as radio-aware routing, traffic 

optimization, firewall/network security 

and voice services. 

Dynamic Link Exchange Protocol 

The Dynamic Link Exchange Protocol 

(DLEP) is the latest protocol in 

SATCOM Radio 

Backhaul Radio 

Embedded Router 

Wireless Access Point 

UAV Link Radio 

Wireless Clients 

Figure 3 

the Radio Aware Routing (RAR) family 

of protocols that enable communications 

between a router and a radio in 

a mobile ad hoc network (Figure 3). It 

enables a radio to provide a router with 

information about the quality of links 

between radios and can report on the 

presence or loss of potential routing 

neighbors. Key to the concept of RAR 

protocols is that a router may connect 

to a radio using standard Ethernet, but 

the radio can convey information about 

the true characteristics of the over-theair 

radio links to the router, including 

the actual available bandwidth, delay, 

or link quality. This functionality is especially 

critical with today’s dynamic 

radio waveforms, which can vary frequencies 

and power based on current 

conditions in real time. The resulting 

changes in bandwidth or other characteristics 

must be communicated to a 

router using the radio channels in order 

to apply QoS or to communicate metric 

information within routing protocols. 

Tech Recon 

Command 

Post 

Routers have specialized Radio Aware Routing (RAR) capabilities to allow them to receive 

information from IP-enabled radios. By knowing information about each radio link, the 

router can very quickly and dynamically route packets to other network nodes across any 

available link. 

The actual available bandwidth to 

any given radio neighbor may in fact 

be different from any other neighbor, 

and certainly may be different from 

the bandwidth of the physical connection 

between a radio and a router. The 

bandwidth to any specific neighbor can 

also change and such changes need to 

be taken into account for both IP routing 

and Quality of Service. Neighbor 

up/down signaling enables routers to 

provide faster network convergence by 

reacting to link status signals generated 

by the radio, rather than waiting for protocol 

timers to expire. Routers can factor 

link quality metrics reported by radios 

into their OSPFv3- or EIGRP-based 

route cost calculations. Utilizing bandwidth 

metrics, routers can provide flow 

control for data to minimize the need to 

queue and buffer data in radios, allow 

voice to be prioritized over video when 

radio links are degraded, and provide 

consistent QoS for networks with multiple 

radios. 


Tech Recon 

Figure 4 

The 5940 Embedded Services Router (ESR) is an example of a router with the features 

needed to build a mobile, ad hoc network (MANET). It can integrate into deployable ATR 

style enclosures with other embedded computing technology to create a rugged mobile 

networking infrastructure. 

SWaP and Ruggedization 

Mobile ad hoc networks for military 

applications pose hardware and 

platform challenges because many of 

today’s networking devices must be 

optimized from a Size, Weight and 

Power (SWaP) perspective and also be 

made to work reliably in harsh envi- 


ronments. In the peer-to-peer world, 

anybody or anything that moves can 

potentially be a wireless networking 

node. Military ad hoc networking requires 

a variety of platforms, ranging 

from vehicle-based to hand-carried or 

wearable, and all offering equivalent 

network services. 

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Whether a router and a Gbit Ethernet 

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The ability to integrate the router 

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Untitled-10 1 11/4/11 10:47:47 AM

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and rigorous testing for the most demanding applications. 

Contact us today to find out how the JMR experts can deliver a 

custom solution for your specific project - on time and on budget. 

This is JMR. This is what we do. 

Find out more about our COTS services at www.jmr.com

Tech Recon 

ibility for future upgrades, and it makes 

it much less likely that the user will get 

locked into a proprietary design. 

Network Solutions for the 

Dynamic Environment 

While the challenges presented by 

tactical networks are unique, COTS 

routing technologies are available (Figure 

4) to deliver network services optimized 

for dynamic environments. These 


embedded routers are key to deploying 

the rich set of applications and service 

that today’s warfighters require. When 

these ruggedized, embedded routers are 

coupled with today’s high-performance, 

IP-enabled radios, they do much more 

than just create mobile ad hoc networks. 

They help ensure that the networks and 

the data are highly secure, critical applications 

are prioritized, and bandwidth 

is optimized. They deliver vital data to 

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Untitled-1 1 2/15/08 9:18:26 AM 

dismounted soldiers, such as live streaming 

video from UAVs overhead. They 

allow commanders to get a total, integrated 

view of the battlespace. They have 

even allowed the President of the United 

States to view Navy SEAL operations in 

real time, half a world away in Pakistan. 

What the Future Holds 

It is easy to predict what will happen 

in the future for mobile, ad hoc military 

networks simply by looking at what is happening 

in the commercial world. There 

will be increasing bandwidth demands 

from an ever-growing list of rich services 

and applications, as has happened as a 

result of the explosion of smartphones. 

There will be a proliferation of connected 

nodes as the technology is integrated into 

more clients. This will be driven by the 

need to continually reduce the SWaP of 

the radios, routers and embedded systems 

used to create the communication 

systems and tactical networks. We will 

see a variety of industry-standard COTS 

form factors to support clients and nodes, 

ranging from dismount to ground vehicle 

to airframe solutions. Likely form factors 

will be 3U VPX, XMC, and other emerging 

small form factors (SFFs). 

The demand for smartphones, laptops 

and tablets is driving the tremendous 

growth in commercial wireless networks. 

These same technologies are helping to 

create mobile, wireless, ad hoc networks 

for the military. Key to creating these military 

networks is router technology taken 

from the commercial world and modified 

to support the mobility of these networks 

and the harsh environment of the battlefield. 

Ruggedized, embedded routers with 

Radio Aware Routing are helping achieve 

the goals set out in the Network Operations 

doctrine. 

Cisco Systems 

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GE 

Intelligent Platforms 

The more real-time data your ISR 

system sees, the better we look. 

Whether your goal is to develop new ISR functionality 

or increase the resolution of existing technology, the 

success of your project depends on its ability to exploit 

the vast amount of real-time data being gathered by 

cameras and sensors. GE Intelligent Platforms offers 

more COTS or custom choices in rugged, real-time 

data processing solutions using multiprocessor, GPGPU 

or many core processor technology than any other 

provider of COTS embedded computing products. 

We have leveraged these same ISR visualization 

technologies in GE’s new 360° Situational Awareness 

systems. These solutions were designed to provide 

warfighters in ground vehicles with the highest degree 

of protection and information-gathering capabilities 

with real-time stitching and panning of video and 

sensor feeds. Let us demonstrate how this or our other 

image processing and exploitation capabilities can be 

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To learn more about ISR solutions from GE, please visit 

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© 2011 GE Intelligent Platforms, Inc. All rights reserved. 

All other brands or names are property of their respective holders.

Tech Recon 


GPGPU Technology Eases 

Persistent Imaging Processing 

Challenges 

For the data-intensive processing needs of persistent image processing, GPGPUs 

can outperform CPUs at real-time parallel data stream computation. 

Anne Mascarin, Solutions Marketing Manager 

Mercury Computer Systems 

Although used previously in conventional 

warfare applications, persistent 

imaging is a major new advancement 

in the war against terror. Radar, 

electro-optical (EO), infrared (IR), signals 

intelligence (SIGINT) and hyper-spectral 

are among the sensor system modalities 

that can be used for this purpose. The ability 

to collect, process and compare outputs 

from these sensor systems captured from 

aboard a moving platform such as an Unmanned 

Aerial Vehicle (UAV), or from a 

stationary airborne platform such as an 

aerostat, can provide the warfighter with 

invaluable situational awareness. 

Since today’s modern sensors can 

gather so much data during long collection 

missions, extracting the real-time 

actionable information from the data 

and storing it for later forensic analysis 

is a challenging task (Figure 1). There are 

some key technologies worth exploring 

for addressing this challenge using highperformance 

embedded computing to 

process and reduce the data from current 

and next-generation sensors. 

Persistent Imaging Processing 

The derivation of real-time actionable 

information from sensor data is a 


Figure 1 

Today’s modern sensors can gather so much data during long collection missions that 

extracting the real-time actionable information from the data, and storing it for later 

forensic analysis, is a challenge. A Global Hawk UAV shown here gets all pre-flight checks 

accomplished from maintenance technicians before a mission. 

compute-intensive, real-time operation 

that requires SWaP (Size, Weight and 

Power)—optimized, ultra-high speed, 

real-time processing power. Traditionally 

used only in gaming, GPGPUs are 

performance powerhouses in terms of 

performance and SWaP optimization. 

In many instances, GPGPUs can outperform 

CPUs. GPGPUs excel at performing 

mathematical operations such as image 

processing on parallel data streams, because 

GPGPUs are actually highly par-

Tech Recon 

Figure 2 

The Ensemble 6000 series 6U OpenVPX 

(VITA 65) GSC6200 GPU processing 

module harnesses the tremendous 

compute power of graphics processing 

units (GPUs) for rugged, highperformance, 

embedded signal and 

image processing. 

allel, multicore mathematical processors 

with high-speed, on-off chip data access—perfect 

for high-speed mathematical 

operand read and write. 

In terms of SWaP, GPGPUs minimize 

board real estate because of their 


Figure 3 

This rugged, customizable Data 

Storage Unit is optimized for SWaP, 

environmental, temperature and 

interface requirements. Storage capacity 

can be extended up to 96 Terabytes. 

high performance per processor (Figure 

2). In general, for applications that 

require multiple parallel mathematical 

operations, GPGPUs will outperform 

CPUs, so fewer processors are needed 

to perform the same task. GPGPUs also 

compare favorably against many CPUs 

in terms of Gflops per watt. GPGPUs can 

offer more performance per unit of en- 

Untitled-5 1 9/7/11 8:22:13 AM 

ergy consumed than CPUs. This aspect 

is clearly beneficial for power-limited airborne 

platforms. At both the component 

and system level, all airborne applications 

require high-performance components 

and systems for reliable operation 

under harsh environmental conditions. 

However, airborne imaging applications 

require additional features from a component 

and subsystem level. 

Frequent GPGPU Tech Upgrades 

As imaging subsystem performance 

requirements inevitably increase and 

sensor payloads grow, a reliable way to 

increase performance will be required. 

Fortunately, GPGPU manufacturers such 

as NVIDIA and AMD release new and 

higher-performing GPGPUs roughly twice 

per year. However, a method for rapidly 

and seamlessly upgrading components to 

the latest GPGPUs (with minimal system 

downtime) should be available. One way to 

achieve this is to implement GPGPUs via a 

Mobile PCI Express Module (MXM), an 

industry standard form factor. Both AMD/ 

ATI and NVIDIA ship their GPGPUs on 

these surface-mount boards with defined 

connecter specifications. Upgrading a carrier 

card with MXMs featuring the latest 

GPGPU technology is a much quicker way 

to disseminate the latest technology than a 

complete re-spin of a GPGPU board containing 

soldered-down components. 

At the subsystem level, openness and 

interoperability not only align with openstandards 

initiatives, they make it easy to 

incorporate key persistent imaging functionality 

such as camera interfaces and 

compression technology. The OpenVPX 

specification is a defined set of system architectures 

describing an open, interoperable 

embedded subsystem interface 

definition. High data rate switch fabrics, 

ability to manage heterogeneous processing, 

and high-speed IO are all critical requirements 

of high-performance airborne 

imaging applications, and are aspects of 

the OpenVPX-based subsystems. 

Storage Considerations 

Producing high-quality imagery on 

board a mobile platform poses some interesting 

algorithmic and SWaP challenges 

because mitigating platform- and sensor-

Tech Recon 

induced distortions can degrade image 

quality. Also, meeting the simultaneous requirements 

for extracting real-time, actionable 

data and storing high-fidelity forensic 

data is a massive computational challenge. 

Single sensor images (such as a warfighter 

would request of a particular sensor) 

must be stored for analysis. Forensic 

analysts can use this imagery to determine 

recurring activity of interest and 

view adversarial movement patterns. 

mission: 


Solving these tough challenges for a 

successful implementation takes a combination 

of specialized products. Advanced image 

processing functions that are optimized 

for execution on GPGPUs would certainly 

save countless hours of algorithm research, 

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tagging functions to indicate areas for fur- 

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Untitled-4 1 10/13/11 11:42:54 AM 

ther analysis, and geometrical correction 

functions to correct for image distortion 

due to factors such as camera angle tilt and 

curvature of the earth. Additionally, creating 

an amalgam-type of image from individually 

processed sensor streams requires 

stitching or mosaic-ing operations. 

Accommodating Scalability 

In addition to imaging functions, 

additional imaging software features are 

beneficial. Scalability is crucial for support 

of multiple cameras. Video feed 

orientation, coverage area and resolution 

must be mutually independent variables. 

And a mature and fielded solution is 

clearly desired for robustness. 

Highly dense storage is the final technology 

needed to address the challenge of extracting 

actionable information from stored 

data. Sensor images need to be stored for both 

post-mission analysis and for serving the 

warfighter in a digital video recorder-type capability 

(Figure 3). Also, imaging techniques 

such as histogram analysis on stored data 

can be used to determine troop movement 

by identifying disturbed versus undisturbed 

ground. However, persistent imaging timeframes, 

particularly on unmanned flights, 

can be weeks or months long—calling for 

ultra-dense, scalable rugged storage. 

There are many elements of storage 

solutions to be considered, including 

environmental requirements such as vibration 

tolerance; data interface choices 

such as SATA, 10GbE, and Fibre Channel; 

degree of redundancy; availability 

of upgrade path; and security needs. But 

perhaps the most crucial, least negotiable 

factor is storage density; lack of sufficient 

storage density could hamper access to 

actionable information. 

Although key technology and components 

for extracting actionable data from 

overwhelming streams of sensor data are 

highlighted here, additional hardware 

components, software, system interconnect 

and management, plus integration 

time and expertise are required to create 

a total persistent imaging subsystem. 


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System Development 

JTRS and WIN-T Programs Update 

JTRS and WIN-T Technologies 

Take to the Field 

Jeff Child 

Editor-in-Chief 

Each with years of step by step, multifaceted development behind it, the JTRS and 

WIN-T programs are facing the challenges of field testing and deployment. 

loration 

our goal 

directly 

ge, the 

ource. 

ology, 

Advances in the software defined 

radio market continue to overlap 

nicely with the DoD’s software radio 

efforts. For the DoD’s Joint Tactical 

products Radio System (JTRS) program, many 

of the technology pieces are coming together 

with its organizational problems 

now in the past. Meanwhile, WIN-T—the 

Army’s on-the-move, high-speed, highcapability 

backbone communications 

network— is moving forward to become 

ies providing the solutions network now for reliable, secure and seam- 

on into products, less video, technologies data, and imagery companies. and Whether voice your services goal is to research the latest 

tion Engineer, for or the jump warfighters. to a company's With technical that page, in the mind, goal of the Get Connected is to put you 

you require defense for whatever industry type of technology, is entering into a new 

and products you are searching for. 

phase where huge R&D efforts are being 


concentrated on defense communications, 

as an increasing number of defense estab- Figure 1 

lishments realize the need for empowering 

their defense forces with the latest communications 

technologies available. 

A soldier uses a JTRS radio inside his vehicle to exchange information with upper command 

headquarters. The radio can emulate current force radios and use Internet Protocol 

The long road to sophisticated soft- waveforms WNW and SRW. 

ware defined radios is finally getting real 

as End the JTRS of program Article moves into deploy- airborne, vehicular, maritime and small ity and reusability. FY 2012 plans for JTRS 

ment phase. JTRS encompasses ground, form factor variants of the radio hardware; include funding the design, development and 

17 Increment 1 waveforms for porting into manufacture of JTRS engineering develop- 

the JTRS hardware; and network management models (EDMs), and low rate initial 

Get Connected 



ment applications. All JTRS products are 

being developed in a joint environment, enhancing 

hardware and software commonal- 

production (LRIP), to include hardware 

and software, as well as sustainment of 

fielded radios and certified waveforms. 

[ 50 ] COTS Journal November 2011

Much JTRS Activity 

Just the last couple months have seen 

some significant steps forward with JTRS. 

Last month the Joint Program Executive 

Office for the Joint Tactical Radio System 

(JPEO JTRS) announced the completion 

of another round of Network Integration 

Evaluation (NIE) 12.1 New Equipment 

Training (NET) for members of the 2nd 

Brigade, 1st Armored Division at Ft Bliss, 

TX. 

The training centered on JTRS 

equipment and systems that will be a part 

of the Army’s upcoming NIE 12.1 to include: 

Handheld, Manpack, Small Form 

Fit (HMS) Rifleman Radio and Manpack 

Radio, Ground Mobile Radio (GMR), 

and JTRS Enterprise Network Manager 

(JENM) and Soldier Radio Waveform 

Network Manager (SRWNM) (Figure 1). 

Taking place over the first couple 

weeks in November, NIE 12.1’s purpose 

is to assess network and non-network 

capabilities. Priorities of NIE 12.1 are to 

extend the network to the individual Soldier, 

advance mission command on the 

move, and continue to establish an Integration 

Network Baseline. 

MIDS JTRS Contracts 

On the contracts side, ViaSat was 

awarded engineering development orders 

valued at over $15 million for Multifunctional 

Information Distribution System 

Joint Tactical Radio System (MIDS JTRS) 

terminals for the U.S. government. The 

awards resulted from a cooperative procurement 

through the Space and Naval 

Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR). 

The orders were awarded under the MIDS 

Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity 

contract initially executed in March 2010. 

The awards provide the first block cycle 

(BC1) information assurance modernization 

upgrades and additional enhancements 

for MIDS JTRS terminals. 

MIDS JTRS (Figure 2) is a joint development 

of ViaSat and Data Link Solutions 

and provides a migration path from the 

MIDS-LVT to a certified, reprogrammable, 

software-defined radio architecture 

Figure 2 

for tactical data links. The MIDS JTRS 

adds three programmable channels to the 

legacy Link-16 and TACAN capabilities of 

the MIDS-LVT. The three new channels 

are designed to host future advanced airborne 

networking waveforms. MIDS JTRS 

is “plug-and-play” backward compatible 

with MIDS-LVT so it can easily replace the 

MIDS-LVT, but remain interoperable. 

Since their original introduction in 

2000, MIDS-LVTs have provided secure, 

high-capacity, jam resistant, digital data 

and voice communications capabilities for 

a variety of platforms, including ships, aircraft, 

missile defense systems, and national 

and international command and control 

agencies. Over 8,100 MIDS-LVTs are on 

contract or have been delivered worldwide, 

with thousands of future installations and 

applications projected through 2021. 

JTRS SRW Field Tests 

Another significant milestone for 

JTRS occurred in September when the 

JTRS Reference Implementation Laboratory 

(JRIL) conducted a Soldier Radio 

Waveform (SRW) Interoperability Quicklook 

(SIQ) Field Exercise at SPAWAR Sys- 


The MIDS JTRS system adds three programmable channels to the legacy Link-16 and 

TACAN capabilities of the MIDS-LVT. Those channels are designed to host future advanced 

airborne networking waveforms. 

tem Center (SSC) Pacific Topside and Seaside 

facilities in San Diego. With assistance 

from the JPEO JTRS Technical Director, 

participating JTRS Program Offices and 

several commercial vendors, JRIL test 

engineers from SSC-Atlantic and SSC- 

Pacific successfully configured, executed 

and monitored lab and field tests using 

the latest version of SRW, SRW Network 

Manager (SRWNM) and JTRS Enterprise 

Network Manager (JENM). 

The JTRS government test engineers 

successfully demonstrated the formation 

of a heterogeneous SRW Island comprised 

of six unique types of SRW-capable radio 

platforms including two radios developed 

under government contract by the JTRS 

Program: Ground Mobile Radio (GMR) 

and Handheld, Manpack, Small Form Fit 

(HMS) Rifleman Radio. Leveraging the 

JTRS Enterprise Business Model (EBM), 

the commercial vendors obtained the 

SRW waveform from the JTRS Information 

Repository and integrated the waveform 

into their radio products using internal 

funding. Commercial radios that 

participated in the interoperability event 

include ITT Soldier Radio-Rifleman, ITT 



Figure 3 

The Sidewinder Vehicle Mount unit equips vehicles that do not have communications 

capability with tactical radios operating in the SRW network. Used in conjunction with the 

networking AN/PRC-154 Rifleman radio, the Sidewinder quickly transitions the radio from 

a body-worn radio. 

Side Hat Radio, Harris AN/PRC-117G, 

and the Northrop Grumman Freedom 

radio. 

Putting JTRS through its Paces 

According to the JTRS JPEO, the objective 

of the field exercise was to evaluate 

the effectiveness of recent SRW patches 

and parameter updates on platform interoperability 

and performance in a field 

environment. Both static and mobile configurations 

were examined. Each vendor 

provided multiple radios, which permitted 

the formation of networks containing 

up to 14 nodes. Initial test results indicate 

that all participating radios were able to 

form a network and exchange Internet 

Protocol (IP) data and Combat Network 

Radio (CNR) voice in an interoperable 

manner. 

This SIQ test provided initial validation 

of SRW’s ability to interoperate 

across multiple radio platforms. The SR- 

WNM also successfully monitored the 

configured network throughout the testing, 

enabling critical insight to the health 

and status of the heterogeneous SRW 

network. The success of these tests have 

been touted by officials as a win for the 

JTRS business model. That model was a 

paradigm shift for defense communications 

in its move away from sole source, 


stove-piped, point-to-point proprietary 

systems to a highly competitive, interoperable, 

networking environment. 

Successful completion of the SIQ 

event lays the groundwork for the upcoming 

Army’s Network Integration Exercise 

(NIE) 12.1 as mentioned earlier. Four of 

the six JTRS radios tested as interoperable 

over-the-air using SRW during this 

event will also be participating in that exercise. 

Priorities of NIE 12.1 are to extend 

the network to the individual Soldier, 

advance mission command on the move 

and continue to establish an Integration 

Network Baseline. JPEO JTRS plans 

to continue partnering with Army and 

commercial developers to conduct JTRS 

waveform interoperability testing in support 

of future NIE events. 

Vehicle Mount Solution 

Facilitating the vehicle side of SRW 

JTRS, General Dynamics C4 Systems has 

built a piece of gear called the Sidewinder 

Vehicle Mount (Figure 3). The unit 

equips vehicles that do not have communications 

capability with tactical radios 

operating in the Soldier Radio Waveform 

(SRW) network. An accessory for the networking 

AN/PRC-154 Rifleman radio, 

the Sidewinder quickly transitions the 

radio from a body-worn radio to a vehi- 

cle-mounted radio, augmenting its power 

and extending its range. Just as quickly, 

the Rifleman radio can be removed from 

the Sidewinder while maintaining connectivity 

with the tactical network. 

The Sidewinder’s hardware assembly 

includes the 20W power amplifier from 

another JTRS HMS radio, the AN/PRC- 

155, and connectors that work with the 

vehicle’s existing intercom systems and 

are compatible with standard mounting 

trays that most vehicles already have in 

place. The Sidewinder/Rifleman radio 

combination has been selected by the 

Army for evaluation at the upcoming NIE 

12.1 event. 

WNW Software Support 

Another critical JTRS waveform, 

Wideband Networking Waveform 

(WNW) has undergone significant developments. 

WNW does the heavy lifting 

needed to quickly and efficiently move 

large amounts of data from the core of 

the network to the tactical edge. Last 

month General Dynamics C4 Systems 

was awarded the Wideband Networking 

Waveform Software In-Service Support 

contract by the U.S. Navy’s Space and 

Naval Warfare Systems Center, to support, 

maintain and add new capabilities 

to the Wideband Networking Waveform 

(WNW). WNW provides the bandwidth 

capacity needed to move large amounts 

of data through the U.S. military’s tactical 

network. The five-year, indefinite delivery, 

indefinite quantity contract has a 

maximum potential value of $64.5 million 

if all options are exercised. Software 

support and maintenance will increase 

reliability and improve performance of 

WNW software thus increasing capabilities 

within the tactical network. Planned 

WNW enhancements include increased 

scalability and throughput adding capability 

for commanders while on the 

move. 

WIN-T Rolls Forward 

A step up in scope from JTRS is another 

key military networking program: 

the Warfighter Information Network – 

Tactical (WIN-T). WIN-T is the Army’s 

on-the-move, high-speed, high-capability 

backbone communications network, linking 

warfighters in the battlefield with the

Figure 4 

Global Information Grid (GIG). This network 

is intended to provide C4ISR support 

capabilities. The system is being developed 

as a network for reliable, secure and seamless 

video, data, imagery and voice services 

for the warfighters in the theater to enable 

decisive combat actions. 

The WIN-T program consists of four 

increments. Last year the Army awarded 

General Dynamics C4 Systems a contract 

to enable a General Dynamics-led team 

to begin Low Rate Initial Production of 

the Warfighter Information Network 

– Tactical (WIN-T) Increment 2. Increment 

2 (Figure 4) equips vehicles with onthe-move 

broadband communications 

enabling command and control from 

anywhere in the battlespace. The fiscal 

year 2012 procures and continues to field 

WIN-T Inc 1 to the Army, with a Ka satellite 

upgrade. WIN-T Inc 2 is currently in 

Limited Rate Initial Production (LRIP) in 

anticipation of its Initial Operational Test 

in FY 2012. WIN-T Inc 3 continues in its 

Engineering, Manufacturing and Development 

(EMD) phase to deliver the full 

networking on the move, including the 

airborne tier of the program. 

In March the Army awarded delivery 

orders to a General Dynamics-Lockheed 


Two Point of Presence vehicles are shown here during the six-week WIN-T Increment 2 

Production Qualification Test-Government (PQT-G) event this summer at Aberdeen Proving 

Ground, Md. 

Martin team to procure Warfighter Information 

Network – Tactical (WIN-T) 

Increment 2 systems for five additional 

brigade combat teams (BCTs). The Army 

has now ordered Increment 2 systems for 

a total of eight BCTs under a three-year 

contract that was awarded in March 2010. 

The first WIN-T Increment 2 fielding is 

scheduled to take place this month. 

General Dynamics C4 Systems 

Scottsdale, AZ. 

(480) 441-3033. 

[www.gdc4s.com]. 

Lockheed Martin 

Bethesda, MD. 

(301) 897-6000. 

[www.lockheedmartin.com]. 

ViaSat 

Carlsbad, CA. 

(760) 476-2200. 

[www.viasat.com]. 

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Untitled-9 1 1/12/10 10:03:31 AM

Technology Focus 

ATCA Blades and Systems 

ATCA Blades and Systems Fill 

Unique Military Needs 

Jeff Child 

Editor-in-Chief 

Offering the size and features other computing form factors lack, ATCA has carved 

out a healthy niche of military system design mindshare. Shipborne and UAV 

control station systems are among the adopters. 

ATCA in recent years has carved out a solid niche in military 

applications suited to its features. Where ATCA shines is 

in a military system where compute density and raw performance 

are top priorities. Traditionally, military and aerospace 

standards-based applications were limited to mission 

computing and built with rugged VME or CompactPCI. The 

form factors are still enjoying huge military market share, but 

they have limits when applied to network-centric military applications. 

Their configurations are suited for managing heavy 

I/O, but their form factors limit networking and processing 

capability. 

Last month, PICMG, the standard body that created ATCA, 

announced the adoption and availability of a new specification 

for ATCA: PICMG 3.8 AdvancedTCA Rear Transition Module 

Zone 3A specification. The new spec adds a defined set of connectors 

for data and management for full size AdvancedTCA 

Rear Transition Modules (RTMs). The specification defines a 

power and system management connector, and addresses power 

and cooling issues specific to AdvancedTCA RTMs. 

The high-performance and bandwidth capabilities of ATCA 

bring the latest technologies to standards-based applications, 

such as command and control, aerospace surveillance, land mobile 

communications and maritime networks, which must collect 

and manage large amounts of data in real time. ATCA is 

the perfect fit for those requirements, because ATCA was specifically 

designed to address high-density network communications 

applications and delivers up to eight times the performance of 

VPX and 40 times the performance of VME or cPCI. In addition, 

ATCA is a broadly adopted standard that has proven its 

interoperability through five years of deployment in the communication 

segment. Among the major programs that have considered 

ATCA is the U.S. Navy’s Consolidated Afloat Networks 

and Enterprise Services (CANES). 

Open standards-based high-availability (HA) middleware 

on ATCA platforms provides further fault tolerance on an ap- 


Figure 1 

ATCA platforms provide fault tolerance on an application level 

enabling continued operations of critical missions even with some 

hardware and software failures. This is one reason ATCA has 

gained entry into applications like UAV Ground Control Stations. 

plication level that allows continued operations of critical missions 

even with some hardware and software failures. This is 

one reason ATCA has gained entry into applications like UAV 

Ground Control Stations (Figure 1). With ATCA it is easy to integrate 

new networks with legacy systems. Video and audio are 

critical elements of these applications, which combine to create 

tremendous bandwidth requirements. Current ATCA technologies 

can fully support 10 Gbit of traffic on the system backplane to 

process voice and video traffic, while future ATCA solutions will 

handle 40 Gbit of traffic for video applications such as HD video. 

ATCA supports AMCs to provide legacy connectivity with communication 

equipment that performs functionalities like SIGINT 

and COMINT. A new system can come online using ATCA while 

maintaining interconnectivity with older systems.

MILITARY ELECTRONICS 

DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE 

MILESTONE Military Electronics Development Conference is a single-day conference focused on the challenges 

and solutions critical to mission success for the most rugged and decisive computing environments. 

This conference is fertile ground for engineers, project managers and vendors of military and defense electronic 

projects to discover, discuss and demonstrate the computing technology that will shape future battlefields. 

• EDUCATION: Learn about technology trends and design issues from top level industry speakers from 

from the U.S. military and leading defense electronics contractors. 

• RESOURCES: Interact face-to-face with suppliers of critical embedded electronics and 

computing technologies 

• NEWS: Learn about new products, vendors, acquisitions and other significant changes in the 

military electronics design industry 

For conference news and more information 

including how to register for free; visit us at: 

MILESTONECONF.COM 

EXCLUSIVE FOR COTS JOURNAL READERS 

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Technology Focus: 

ATCA Blades and Systems Roundup 

ATCA Base Switch Blade Provides 

24 Gbit Ethernet Ports 

ATCA has carved out a respectable niche in 

the military where high-density computing 

and net-centric communications are a priority. A 

24-port GbE AdvancedTCA (ATCA) Multilayer 

Base Switch Blade is based on the Broadcom 

BCM56312 switch chip. It supports up to thirteen 

GbE ports for a 14-slot PICMG 3.0 ATCA system, 

with six egress GbE ports and two 10GbE SFP+ 

uplink ports via front panel access. The aTCA- 

3150 from Adlink Technology incorporates 

Broadcom’s Fastpath networking software and 

is designed for ATCA adopters (NEPs & TEMs) 

who require AMC modularity, Gigabit layer 3 

switching, a scalable control-plane engine and 

high-availability Base Interface. 

The aTCA-3150 provides a COM Express Type 

2 site for expansion with a processing subsystem, 

allowing users to tailor processing power to 

application demands. In addition, two mid-sized 

AMC bays for I/O expansion are supported to suit 

the needs of different applications. The aTCA- 

3150 provides 10/100/1000Base-TX GbE and 

layer 3 switching on Base Interface with support 

for 14-slot shelves. It offers six front panel RJ-45 

egress Gigabit Ethernet copper ports plus two 10 

Gigabit Ethernet SFP+ optical uplink ports in 

connection with the Base Interface domain. The 

aTCA-3150’s switch blade design incorporates a 

powerful Freescale MPC8313E PowerQUICC II 

Pro 333 MHz processor for local management 

functions. This processor is used for managing 

the BCM56312 GbE switch and for hosting the 

Fastpath networking software switching and 

management modules. Pricing starts at $3,815. 

ADLINK Technology 

San Jose, CA 

(408) 495-5557. 

[www.adlinktech.com]. 


Xeon-Based ATCA Blade Offers 

8-Core/16-Thread Performance 

The multicore trend is now entrenched in the 

realm of embedded processing. Exemplifying 

that trend, Advantech’s first Intel Xeon 

5500-based AdvancedTCA design was followed 

by a dual processor ATCA blade version, the 

MIC-5322. The underlying architecture and 

software drivers remain identical to the MIC- 

5320 single processor model making software 

fully reusable. Customers can freely choose 

the module that matches their application 

performance needs and chassis cooling 

capabilities. 

In addition to supporting hot-swappable 

rear transition modules (RTM) for explicit 

carrier grade or HA applications that require 

it, the MIC-5322 blade adheres to Advantech’s 

Common RTM definition developed to 

maximize interoperability and reuse between 

RTMs and ATCA blades. These guidelines 

clearly define the management interface and 

RTM port mapping for interconnects such 

as USB, PCIe, XAUI and SAS. In this way, 

customized RTMs can be reused among 

different blades and generation of blades. 

The MIC-5322’s improved DDR3 memory 

latency, faster PCI Express 2.0, and accelerated 

virtualization technologies provide impressive 

processing capacity. The design enhancements 

in Intel’s new 82599 10 GbE controller also play 

a key role in end-to-end network performance 

and throughput. Compared to the previous 

generation Intel 82598, the Intel 82599 is 

packed with new and improved features 

contributing up to a 2.5 times improvement 

in LAN throughput. Corresponding hardware 

optimizations in the Intel 82599 include a new 

PCI Express 2.0 interface (5 Gbit/s) to improve 

the entire data path as well as intelligent queue 

support (VMDq) optimized for multicore 

processors. 

Advantech 

Irvine, CA. 

(949) 789-7178. 

[www.advantech.com]. 

ATCA SBC Boasts Dual Six-Core 

Intel Xeon 5600 CPUs 

There’s a great deal of overlap between the 

performance and reliably of telecom and the 

communications needs of military networks. 

Feeding such needs, Continuous Computing’s 

FlexCompute ATCA-XE80 is a dual socket 

single board compute blade supporting 12 cores 

/ 24 threads via two high-performance Intel 

Xeon 5600 series “Westmere” processors. The 

XE80 provides support for four hard drives, 

64 Gbyte memory and an optional RTM with 

additional network interface options. 

The XE80 dual Intel Xeon Westmere ATCA 

compute blade was designed with performance 

in mind, supporting the option of either the 

Intel Xeon L5638 or the higher-performing 

Intel Xeon E5645 processor. The XE80 dual 

Intel Xeon Westmere ATCA compute blade 

can address low entry points via a single CPU 

option and scale to two processors without the 

need for full re-qualification. 

Featuring over 1 Terabyte of storage, 

the XE80 dual Intel Xeon Westmere ATCA 

compute blade has two low-cost solid state 

disks on the main blade, up to 32 Gbytes of 

cost-effective USB Flash and an additional two 

drives on the RTM with RAID support. The 

RTM also supports a high-performance 4-port 

external SAS connector. The XE80 dual Intel 

Xeon Westmere ATCA compute blade features 

two mezzanine sites for the addition of offload 

engines and a dual 10G fabric NIC supporting 

iSCSI, TCP offload, VLAN tagging and 

congestion control. Since the blade has been 

validated with leading hypervisors, it is an ideal 

platform because support for extended VT-x 

and VT-d decreases the overhead associated 

with virtualization. 

Continuous Computing 

San Diego, CA. 

(858) 882-8800. 

[www.ccpu.com].

AdvancedTCA Processor Blade 

Serves Up Intel Westmere-Based 

CPU 

Diversified Technology offers an ATCA 

solution that includes multiple processor 

blades, switches, systems and full integration 

capabilities. The ATC7000 is a dual socket node 

blade supporting 12 cores (24 simultaneous 

threads with HyperThreading enabled) of 

processing performance by way of dual Intel 

Xeon 5600 series “Westmere” processors. The 

ATC7000 provides support for up to 64 Gbyte 

memory and an optional RTM with additional 

network interface options. The board is a 

PICMG 3.0-compliant processor board that 

provides high performance for LTE/4G and 

other next-generation wireless and wireline 

military systems. 

The ATC7000 boasts both a base fabric of 1 

Gbit Ethernet and an extended 10 Gbit Ethernet 

fabric. The dual Intel Xeons are L5638, 2.0 

GHz Hex Cores or dual Intel Xeon E5645, 2.4 

GHz Hex Cores. The Intel 5520 (Tylersburg) 

chipset supports a QPI CPU bus and up to up 

to 64 Gbytes of registered DDR3 DRAM. There 

are two onboard solid state storage disks. I/O 

includes front panel I/O, two 1 Gbit Ethernet 

ports, a USB 2.0 port, serial and management 

LAN. The rear transition module has two SAS/ 

SATA ports, two 1 Gbit Ethernet ports, a USB 

2.0 port and serial and management LAN. 

The RTM supports TM7000 and 

TM7000HD. The board is compatible with the 

ATS1936 10G ATCA Switch and the ATS1160 

1G ATCA Switch. The board is compatible 

with Targa-14 Series 14 Slot ATCA Systems, 

Targa-6 Series 6 Slot ATCA Systems and MRS- 

6 - Mobile Rugged ATCA Systems. The board 

supports PICMG specification PICMG 3.1 

Option 9. 

Diversified Technology 

Ridgeland, MS. 

(800) 443-2667. 

[www.dtims.com]. 

ATCA Platform Is Ready for Tough 

Field Deployment 

A high-performance, multiprocessing system 

platform is designed to address computeintensive 

requirements in command and 

control data center applications. The ATCA7365 

SystemPak from Elma Electronic combines 

the high-performance multiprocessing of an 

integrated ATCA platform with a ruggedized 

design capable of withstanding the high shock 

and vibration found in rugged mobile transport 

applications. It has been successfully tested to 

withstand a 36” drop shock test per MIL-STD- 

810G. 

Featuring three ATCA processor blades, 

each with two six-core Intel processors as 

standard, the ATCA7365 SystemPak offers 

high processing power that makes it an 

ideal solution for use in rugged “comms 

on the move” (COTM) applications such 

as data center virtualization and networkcentric 

environments. The new ATCA7365 

platform has been successfully tested to meet 

environmental requirements for operation in a 

command and control center. It is mounted in 

a lightweight transit case, can withstand a 36” 

drop test on two axes, and can endure random 

vibration up to 25 Gs per MIL-STD-810G. 

Operating temperature is 3° to 37°C in 5% to 

95% non-condensing humidity. In addition 

to the three processor blades, the standard 

configuration includes an Elma Type 11A, 6U 

six-slot ATCA chassis, a fully replicated mesh 

backplane and a single system management 

card with a provision for dual management as 

well as redundant cooling and power supplies. 

Four 300 Gbyte SAS (serial-attached SCSI) 

drives and a 10 Gigabit Ethernet fabric switch 

blade with RTM (real-time monitoring) are also 

part of the ready-to-run unit. 

Elma Electronic 

Fremont, CA. 

(510) 656-3400. 

[www.elma.com]. 


ATCA Blade Provides Advanced 

Packet Processing 

The ATCA-9405 from Emerson Network Power 

is a state-of-the-art AdvancedTCA blade for high 

touch and high throughput packet processing 

applications to support the latest data-intensive 

network evolution. Packet processing is used widely 

in network security applications such as unified 

threat management and session border controllers; 

in the latest 4G LTE mobile networks for lawful 

interception and packet gateways; and in deep packet 

inspection applications for policy enforcement and 

quality of service control. 

With a 40 Gbit/s ATCA fabric, up to 82 Gbit/s 

direct Ethernet terminations, a sophisticated 

onboard managed Ethernet switching infrastructure 

to support traffic flow the ATCA-9405 represents 

a balanced 3x to 4x performance and throughput 

increase over previous generations. The card sports 

MIPS64 cores, and acceleration engines provided 

by two Cavium OCTEON II CN6880 multicore 

processors. The dual-core service processor is 

used to offload other blade functions in order to 

maximize the packet processing capability, including 

managing Layer 2 and 3 switching/routing functions 

on the local Ethernet switch. 

Software support includes Wind River’s PNE 4.x 

operating system, Cavium’s packet processing SDK, 

and 6WIND’s 6WINDGate fast path networking 

stacks. The ATCA-9405 can operate with or without 

rear transition modules (RTMs) depending on 

system architecture, and is designed to support 

NEBS/ETSI requirements when used in conjunction 

with any of Emerson’s CPTA-B.4 grade enclosures. 

To make the most use of the 40 Gbit/s fabric, the 

blade should be paired with a 40 Gbit/s hub switch 

like the Emerson ATCA-F140. 

Emerson Network Power 

Tempe, AZ. 

(602) 438-5720. 

[www.emersonnetworkpower.com 

/embeddedcomputing]. 



ATCA SBC Blends Dual Xeon 

5500s, 64 Gbyte RAM 

A new ATCA single board computer is 

designed for demanding military networks where it 

will enable significantly faster network performance 

than is currently possible. Typical applications 

include Control Plane functions for WiMAX, LTE 

(Long Term Evolution) and NGN (Next Generation 

Networks) networks. The A10200 ATCA SBC from 

GE Intelligent Platforms features two Intel Xeon 

Nehalem 5500 Series dual or quad core processors 

and up to 64 Gigabytes of DDR3 SDRAM memory, 

and it delivers a combination of unsurpassed 

performance and low power dissipation. 

For LTE applications, the A10200 is suited for 

[www.ge-ip.com]. End of Article 

Get Connected 




ATCA Blade Sports Six-Core Intel 

Xeon Processors 

ATCA has captured a solid niche in defense 

applications where large board space and heavy 

duty networking throughput are key. Kontron’s 

AdvancedTCA node blade AT8050 and its 

Kontron server board KTC5520 are available 

with the Intel Xeon processor 5600 series. This 

provides military network equipment providers 

a second feature-rich processor option for the 

two products that were originally designed with 

the Intel Xeon processor 5500 series. 

loration 

our goal 

directly 

ge, the 

ource. 

logy, 

products 

Mobility Management Entity (MME) and Home 

Subscriber Server (HSS). MME has a stringent 

requirement for user handover latency, and the 

A10200 with its multiple processing cores, faster and 

less contentious memory interfaces and high-speed 

The key feature differences with the Intel 

Xeon processor 5600 series compared to the 

5500 series are: six cores instead of four; 12 

threads versus 8; 32 nm technology compared 

to 45 nm; increased performance within the 

same thermal power envelope; new low-power 

Ethernet connectivity options is well suited for this platform consumption with LVDDR3L; and it 

application. HSS holds the subscriber database and maintains all the performance functionalities 

requires fast and reliable storage options, which the of the 5500 series plus a new hardware- 

A10200 offers in the form of dual SAS drives. More based security technology called Advanced 

demanding storage needs can be addressed by the Encryption Standard - New Instructions (AESuse 

of a customized rear transition module (RTM) NI). The Kontron ATCA node blade AT8050 

using dual Fibre Channel interfaces. 

features a single socket for either one quad-core 

ies providing Also solutions contributing now to the A10200’s leading-edge Intel Xeon processor L5518 or the six-core Xeon 

performance is its support for multiple Gigabit processor L5638. Both options are compatible 

on into products, technologies and companies. Whether your goal is to research the latest 

Ethernet and 10 Gigabit Ethernet interfaces, together with the existing Intel 5520 chipset, which 

ion Engineer, or jump to a company's technical page, the goal of Get Connected is to put you 

you require for 

with 

whatever 

a Gigabit 

type 

Ethernet 

of technology, 

maintenance port for remote supports up to 36 lanes of PCI Express 2.0 

nd products management you are searching and troubleshooting. for. 

The A10200 and directly assignable I/O for virtualization 

benefits from its implementation of Intel’s new 82599 (VT-d), significantly accelerating I/O traffic 


Ethernet controller, which includes a new 40 Gbit/s and lowering processor use in both native and 

PCI Express interface and the ability to deliver up to 

a 250% improvement in network throughput. 

virtualized environments. 

GE Intelligent Platforms 

Charlottesville, VA. 

(800) 368-2738. 

Kontron America 

Poway, CA. 

(858) 677-0877. 

[www.kontron.com]. 

ATCA GigE Switch Blade Puts 

RapidIO to Work 

The Ensemble BSW-201 AdvancedTCA 

RapidIO/GigE Switch Blade is the heart of the 

Ensemble AdvancedTCA (ATCA) Application 

Platform. This ATCA fabric and base switch 

blade provides a serial RapidIO fabric interface 

for ATCA systems with up to 14 slots, while also 

supporting Gigabit Ethernet communications 

via a GigE switch. The 10 Gbit/s system hub is 

ideal for next-generation base station, RNC and 

media gateway development. 

The BSW-201 Switch Blade is part of the 

Ensemble Serial RapidIO ATCA Platform, 

which is a standards-based solution built 

around the power, functionality and scalability 

of serial RapidIO, AdvancedMC, AdvancedTCA 

and MicroTCA. The platform supports a variety 

of I/O sources and heterogeneous processing 

endpoints, thereby reducing integration costs, 

improving efficiency and minimizing risks in 

design of next-generation applications. 

The blade sports three 8-port Tundra TSi578 

serial RapidIO switches and supports 21 

channels of Gigabit Ethernet communications 

via a GigE switch. Two mid-height, singlewidth, 

RapidIO-enabled AMC sites are 

provided along with an onboard MPC8548 

PowerQUICC III host controller. 


Chelmsford, MA. 

(866) 627-6951. 

[www.mc.com].

ATCA Platform Targets Command 

and Control Apps 

ATCA has secured a solid niche in the 

military market, particularly for applications 

that stress high-performance communications 

and networking. RadiSys has announced the 

Promentum C2 Server, the industry’s first preintegrated, 

portable ATCA platform designed to 

provide the performance and features required 

for rugged, ground mobile applications in the 

Mil/Aero industry. The C2 Server leverages 

LCR Electronics’ ruggedized ATCA chassis and 

Astute Networks’ Edge Storage Blades in a rapidly 

deployable, higher performance platform with 

more than 30 percent weight decrease and lower 

power consumption than current rackmount 

servers. RadiSys’ C2 Server provides integrated 

computing, switching and storage in one easyto-manage 

platform that scales to meet most 

environmental and performance challenges 

presented to the Mil/Aero market. 

The C2 Server has been designed to meet 

the demanding environment requirements of 

MIL-STD-810 and can quickly be deployed and 

serviced in the field. The computing modules are 

certified with VMware ESXi, which allows the use 

of multiple operating systems for consolidation of 

application, and the use of VSphere to provide costeffective 

fault tolerance for critical applications. 

This pre-integrated RadiSys platform is based on 

best-of-breed technologies from three trusted 

industry experts and allows Mil/Aero contractors 

to focus primarily on their value-add of software 

and services, while reducing time-to-market. 

The pre-integrated C2 Server consists of a 

Ruggedized 6U 6-slot AC LCR Chassis, two 

RadiSys Promentum ATCA-2210 10 Gigabit 

Ethernet Switch and Control Modules with 

optional COM Express module, which can support 

platform management functions, up to four 

RadiSys Promentum ATCA-4500 series single 

board computers (SBCs) and Astute Networks’ 

Caspian R1100 Edge Storage Blades. 

RadiSys 

Hillsboro, OR. 

(503) 615-1100. 

[www.radisys.com]. 


ATCA SSD Blade Provides 6 

Terabytes of Networked Flash 

We’re certainly living in the Terabyte era 

when it comes to embedded storage. Along 

those lines, SANBlaze Technology’s latest 

addition to the ATCA2000 Family of Storage 

Blades offers up to 6 Terabytes of solid state 

flash storage capacity. It boasts 1500 Mbytes/s 

of sustained backplane bandwidth, high 

IOPS (25,000) and low latency. The blade 

provides slots for up to ten 2.5” hot-swappable, 

enterprise class SSD (solid state drives), using 

MLC, eMLC or SLC-based flash chips. It is 

protected with a sophisticated hardware RAID 

engine that boasts an independent 1 Gbyte 

battery protected cache. Expansion to 20 disks 

is accomplished by pairing with a JBOD blade 

installed in an adjacent slot. 

The ATCA2000 SSD Blade enables dynamic 

expansion and re-allocation of flash capacity. 

Also, SSD drives can be mixed with rotating 

drives, to build hybrid storage solutions. The 

blade enables a fully homogenous ATCA 

deployment, with all the benefits therein: low 

power, ruggedness, reliability and interoperable 

modularity. The board eliminates the cost, 

space, management and power requirements of 

an external storage device without losing any 

functionality and performance. The ATCA2000 

improves system MTBF, system performance 

and system capacity, in a single slot ATCA 

footprint. 

SANBlaze Technology 

Maynard, MA. 

(978) 897-1888. 

[www.sanblaze.com]. 

MISSION MISSION 

CRITICAL CRITICAL 

DEVICES DEVICES 

DC-DC DC-DC 

Converters Converters 

AC-DC AC-DC 

Power Power 

Supplies Supplies 

• Expanded Operating 

Temperatures -55 to +85C 

• Vibration, Method 204, Cond. D 

• Shock, Method 213, Cond. I 

• Altitude, Method 105, Cond. D 

• Environmental Screening 

• Specification Review 

• Custom Models Available 

• 400 Hz and Now - 

800 Hz AC-DC Models 

Thousands of Standard 

Models 2V to 10,000 VDC 

Outputs - 0.75 to 2,000 Watts 

PICO Electronics,Inc. 

143 Sparks Ave, Pelham, NY 10803-1837 

E-Mail: info@picoelectronics.com 


See full Catalog immediately 



Untitled-12 1 6/2/11 2:01:48 PM

Products 

COTS 

Get Connected with companies and 

products featured in this section. 


3U CompactPCI SBC Family Is Cold Plate Cooled 

End of Article 

Products 

Get Connected 



Fan cooling isn’t acceptable in most deployed military systems. That has forced military SBC Get Connected with companies mentioned in this article. 

developers Get Connected to constantly with innovate companies their and passive products cooling featured technologies. in this section. Along such lines, www.cotsjournalonline.com/getconnected 

Curtiss-Wright www.cotsjournalonline.com/getconnected 

Controls Embedded Computing (CWCEC) has introduced a new family of compact, 

conduction-cooled rugged ½ ATR-style 3U CompactPCI systems. The MPMC-931x family of Multi- 

Platform Mission Computers comes in five standard configurations. Each of these fully developed 

system configurations features an integrated 28 VDC power supply and either a DCP-124P SBC Power 

Architecture 7448 SBC or a DCP-1201 Intel Core2 Duo SBC. In addition, the MPMC-931x couples these 

processing capabilities with a variety of I/O modules to meet specific program requirements such as 

graphics, ARINC 429, MIL-STD-1553, Gigabit Ethernet Switching and more. 

The MPMC-931x provides high functional density in a small package. As a cold plate cooled 

system, the MPMC-931x is designed for reliable operation in harsh environments. Packaged in an 

ultra compact form factor and equipped with reliable, industry-leading processing solutions, the MPMC-931x has all the elements required of modern 

mission computers in space and/or weight-constrained applications. Optimal system cooling is ensured via thermal transfer between card edges of 

its conduction-cooled 3U cPCI cards and the base of the system enclosure. Environmental and EMI sealing is employed for accommodation of a wide 

variety of deployed platforms and environments. The MPMC-931x uses advanced packaging techniques to provide advanced processing power in a 

rugged enclosure that measures a compact 141.5 cubic inches and a lightweight 4.5 lb, yet is able to operate and survive in external air temperatures of 

55°C using a cold plate cooling approach. 

Curtiss-Wright Controls Embedded Computing, Ashburn, VA. (703) 737-3660. [www.cwcembedded.com]. 

3 dB Hybrid Couplers Serve Defense Applications 

Narda, an L-3 Communications company, has introduced two 

90-degree “mini-hybrid” 3 

dB couplers that combine 

high isolation with extremely 

compact size and the ability 

to meet military specifications 

for temperature, shock and 

vibration. The Model 4031C 

operates from 500 MHz to 1 GHz 

with isolation of at least 30 dB, 

insertion loss of less than 0.2 dB, and maximum VSWR 

of 1.25:1. The coupler maintains amplitude balance of +/-0.6 

dB and phase balance of 5 degrees. Model 4034C operates from 4 to 8 

GHz with isolation of at least 20 dB and insertion loss of less than 0.3 dB, 

and maintains amplitude balance of +/-0.6 dB and phase balance of 10 

degrees. 

Narda Microwave, Hauppauge, NY. (631) 231-1700. 

[www.nardamicrowave.com/east]. 


Platform Bridges Gap between ATCA and MicroTCA 

ATCA is a large footprint form factor and offers extreme computing power, making it ideal for core 

network applications, but it is not very flexible or scalable. MicroTCA is a small footprint form factor, ideal 

for military Edge-based applications, but does not scale up well. PT is announcing a new product branded as 

MONTEREY 8000 that bridges the gap between AdvancedTCA and MicroTCA. This leaves many Aggregationlayer 

applications caught in the middle; demanding a mid-size compromise that has plenty of performance 

and high-speed bandwidth, but in a cost-effective smaller footprint with flexibility and modularity. PICMG 

emerged with the MicroTCA.4 specification, also known as MTCA.4. 

The Monterey 8000 platform, based on the Enhanced MicroTCA.4 specification along with highperformance 

processing, high-speed IP-based fabric switching, and integrated Linux OS, middleware and 

protocols, is highly tuned for next generation networking applications. The platform supports 12 AdvancedMC 

modules with Rear Transition Modules. Redundant 10GbE to AMCs is provided with 40GbE aggregated 

uplinks. Layer 2/3 Ethernet management is supported and the system provides carrier grade, five-nines 

availability with complete redundancy. 

PT, Rochester, NY. (585) 256-0200. [www.pt.com]. 

Chassis Mount Switching AC/DC Power Supply 

Provides 100W 

ConTech has announced the 

CM100 Series of AC/DC switching 

power supplies. The CM100 Series 

offers 100 watts of fully regulated 

output power in a chassis mount case, 

which makes it well suited for many 

applications. The easily accessible 

terminal block and output voltage 

adjustment potentiometer give it 

the versatility to be used as a power solution in a large assortment of 

applications. The devices have a universal input voltage range of 88 to 

264 VAC. The series offers output voltages of 12, 24 and 48 VDC, with 

efficiencies up to 84%. Protective features include Short Circuit, Over 

Voltage and Overload protection. The metal cage type chassis mount 

case is designed for free air convection cooling. The CM100 series is rated 

for 3000 VAC isolation, is RoHS compliant, and has UL 60950 approval 

pending. Pricing for the CM100 Series is $22.50 each. 

ConTech, Concord, CA. (925) 609-1193. [www.contech-us.com].

Get Connected with companies and products featured in this section. 


3D Handheld Display Offers Ultra 


Reliable www.cotsjournalonline.com/getconnected 

Imaging 

Today’s sophisticated smartphones have give 

warfighters a taste of what’s possible in a handheld 

device. IEE has integrated 3M’s revolutionary 3D 

film, which requires no 3D glasses, into its fieldproven, 

military-qualified handheld 4.8-inch control 

display unit (CDU). Initially developed for use in 

terrain mapping, remote robotics control and enhanced 

video feeds, the new 3D display is making its way into virtually all 

rugged military display applications from remote observation to training 

environments. In addition to the 3D functionality, key design elements are the 

unit’s small size and LED backlight technology that provides a low power, portable device with a 

higher resolution than other displays using 3D technology. The new 4.8-inch display decreases offaxis 

image reversals and color distortions, a common concern in the use of 3D technologies, and can 

easily be switched to 2D with imagery comparable to modern day smartphones. 

The display features a resolution of 800 x 480 x RGB with a typical brightness of 200 cd/m2 in 

both 2D and 3D modes with an optimum viewing distance of 16”. External dimension are 3.45 x 

5.98 x 1.22 inches. A system integration development (SID) kit that allows developers to work with 

the 3D display technologies and related software will be available for government agencies and 

prime contractors in first quarter of 2012. Technology demonstrations are available now, with units 

scheduled to ship in second quarter of 2012. 

IEE, Van Nuys, CA. (818) 787-0311. [www.ieeinc.com]. 

2.5 kW Rectifiers Boast up to 400 VDC Output 

TDI Power has recently introduced its 2.5 kW Mercury Rectifier solution with up to 400 VDC 

output. The high-voltage Mercury rectifier module can be integrated into a TDI Power system or 

used as an OEM building block for customer-specific applications. With scope to provide nominal 

output voltages between 270V and 400V, the module is ideal for an array of vehicular, and batterybased 

solutions. Input voltage is 230 VAC at 2.5 kW, 100 

VAC at 1.2 kW. Nominal out is 376 VDC, but output 

can be factory preset between 400V and 270V. Also 

output can be programmed via a 0-5 VDC signal. 

Efficiency is 92% at 208 VAC input and 70% load. The 

device provides hot bus plug-in and N+1 redundancy. 

Multi-Octave Frequency Synthesizers 

Feature Low-Phase Noise 

A series of fast-switching frequency synthesizers is 

available in three custom multi-octave frequency bands 

to 8 GHz and is targeted as a lab source for prototype 

and benchtop testing. The three models from EM 

Research include the SBC-3000 frequency synthesizer, 

which operates from 400 to 3000 MHz, and features 

tuning steps of 1 Hz, with exceptionally low- phase 

noise (-100 dBc/Hz at 10 KHz). The SBC-5000 operates from 700 to 

5000 MHz, features tuning steps of 1 Hz, and low-phase noise (-95 

dBc/Hz at 10 KHz). The SBC-8000 operates from 5000 to 8000 MHz, features tuning steps of 1 Hz, 

with low-phase noise (-95 dBc/Hz at 10 KHz). The units are locked to a 10 MHz external reference 

and offer +7 dBm output power, -15 dBc harmonics and -60 dBc spurs. Options include external or 

internal references (10-500 MHz) and extended temperature ranges. 

EM Research, Reno, NV. (775) 345-2411. [www.emresearch.com] 

TDI Power, Hackettstown, NJ. (908) 850-5088 

[www.tdipower.com]. 

COTS Products 

XMC Blends 1 GSPS ADCs and 

DACs with Virtex6 FPGAs 

At today’s level of semiconductor integration, 

computer data conversion signal processing 

subsystems can be squeezed onto a single 

mezzanine card. Along just those lines, 

Innovative Integration has announced the 

X6-1000M. The X6-1000M integrates highspeed 

digitizing and signal generation with 

signal processing on a PMC/XMC IO module 

for demanding DSP applications. The tight 

coupling of analog I/O to the Virtex-6 FPGA 

core dramatically simplifies SDR, radar and 

lidar implementations. The board features two, 

12-bit 1 Gsample/s A/Ds and four 1 Gsample/s 

16-bit DACs. Analog input bandwidth of over 

2 GHz supports wideband applications and 

RF undersampling. The DACs have features 

for interpolation and coarse mixing for 

upconversion. 

A Xilinx Virtex-6 SX315T (LX240T and 

SX475T options) with four banks of 1 Gbyte 

DRAM provides a very high-performance 

DSP core with over 2000 MACs (SX315T). The 

close integration of the analog I/O, memory 

and host interface with the FPGA enables 

real-time signal processing at extremely high 

rates. The X6-1000M power consumption is 

19W for typical operation. The module may 

be conduction cooled using VITA20 standard 

and a heat spreader. Ruggedization options 

for wide-temperature operation from -40° to 

+85°C and 0.1 g2/Hz vibration. 

Innovative Integration, Simi Valley, CA. 

(805) 578-4260. [www.innovative-dsp.com]. 


COTS Products 

Visualization System Provides 360° Local Situational Awareness 

Demand for complete function-specific system-level solutions is on the upswing in today’s military. 

Feeding that need, GE Intelligent Platforms offers a complete, self-contained, ready-to-run platform that 

enables 360° local situational awareness and is capable of being easily integrated into a broad range of 

existing and new military vehicles. The rugged IPS5100 is specifically designed to have minimal impact 

in terms of size, weight and power (SWaP) on a vehicle, enabling it to be deployed in environments 

that are highly space-constrained. 

The IPS5100 is capable of handling the input from 4 to 20 cameras depending on the color depth and 

resolution (via video streaming over Ethernet), and delivering video to up to four operator screens in its basic 

form. Scalable to more than twice those numbers, the capabilities of the IPS5100 include real-time panning and 

stitching, slew-to-cue pointing, motion detection and archive recording. 

The high performance of the IPS5100 delivers a typical latency below 80 ms, making it possible to drive a vehicle by using the real-time video images 

delivered by the IPS5100 system. IPS5100 hardware is a rugged 5-slot 3U OpenVPX chassis and enclosure that integrates GE’s Intel Core i7-based SBC324 

single board computer, the GFG500 Gigabit Ethernet Video Processor for the ingest of multiple GbE HD+ sensors, two GRA111 Graphics Processors, 

and the GE SDD910 solid state disk for up to 256 Gbytes of data storage. The IPS5100 measures just 8.5 x 7.0 x 8.9 inches, and weighs only about 20 lbs. 

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

2.5-Inch SATA SSD Offers 240 Gbytes of Storage 

Modular Technologies has 

announced a 2.5-inch SATA solid 

state drive. Called the Xcel-200, 

the drive delivers performance 

metrics of 500 Mbyte/s sequential 

read/write speeds and up to 

60K/40K random read/write 

IOPS. The Xcel-200 is available 

in capacities ranging from 60 to 

240 Gbytes, using highly reliable 

single-level-cell (SLC) NAND 

flash. The Xcel-200 was designed 

and tested per MIL-STD-810 to operate in high 

shock and vibration applications at industrial operating temperatures 

of-40° to +85°C. It is also certified for operation at altitudes up to 80,000 

ft. The Xcel-200 SSDs will be sampling in November 2011 and available in 

production volume in 1Q 2012. 

SMART Modular Technologies, Newark, CA. (510) 623-1231. 

[www.smartm.com]. 

Rugged Military Grade 1U LCD Keyboard Drawers Provide Side Access 

The CCXR-17 Slideways 1U rackmount LCD keyboard drawer provides unique side access usage for spaceconstrained 

applications. It is military grade providing rugged 5052-H32 aluminum construction, 17-inch 

1280x1024 resolution, bonded Anti-Reflective glass contrast enhancement filter, NEMA-4 / IP65 sealed keyboard 

and a rugged 4-port KVM. A contrast enhancing glass Anti-Reflective (AR) filter is bonded to the LCD for 

superior contrast in high bright environments. A separate bonded layer provides an ITR EMI filter across the face 

of the display. A military grade Genesis LCD controller provides a mix of features with aRGB VGA and DVI-D 

video inputs. The controller is conformal coated for environmental and shock/vibration protection and supports 

an operating temperatures of -40° to +80°C. 

Two keyboards are offered providing either 133 keys and a Hula point mouse device or 97 keys with a touch 

pad. Both keyboards are sealed silicon rubber and provide full travel with tactile feedback for ease of typing and 

are sealed to NEMA-4 / IP65 standards. The 97-key keyboard is also backlit for use in low light situations. Both 

keyboards provide a spill proof system impervious to spills such as Coke or coffee, common in the rugged environments these are installed into. 

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


Demo Kit Promotes Engagement 

in Open goJTAG Initiative 

Within the framework of the 

goJTAG initiative, Goepel Electronic 

has developed a new demonstration 

kit. In addition to the USB 2.0 

controlled Boundary Scan controller 

PicoTAP and respective software, it 

contains a specific demo board for 

practical exercises. The initiative 

founded by various universities and 

the company Testonica Lab, pursues the goal of providing 

the industry JTAG/Boundary Scan tools and knowledge based on an 

independent and non-commercial platform, sustainably accelerating the 

wide adoption of standardized IEEE 1194.x test methods. The opensource 

project goJTAG provides IEEE 1149.1 training software that can 

be run in both simulation mode as well as online mode. The tool enables 

numerous graphical displays on various levels. In the online mode users 

are able to utilize the software for the new demo board for individual 

projects without restrictions. The goJTAG software includes simulation 

components that fully reveal every single bit of movement along the scan 

chains with a single TCK precision. 

GOEPEL Electronic, Jena, Germany. +49 3641-6896-0. [www.goepel.com].



USB-PET Protocol and Electrical Tester Includes “On the Go” Testing 



A new USB protocol and electrical tester is capable 

of performing the suite of tests defined in the USB 

Implementers Forum, Inc.'s “Battery Charging, 

USB On-The-Go and Embedded Host Automated 

Compliance Plan.” The Packet-Master USB-PET from 

Saelig is connected to a host PC using a High-Speed USB 

connection, and controlled using the GraphicUSB application software, which can generate test 

reports and perform analyzer-style captures. USB-PET's front panel features a micro-AB receptacle 

and a D-type connector for connection to a unit-under-test. The rear-panel allows the connection of 

a meter or oscilloscope for monitoring, for example, VBUS voltage. Single unit price is $5,995. 

Saelig, Pittsford, NY. (585) 385-1750. [www.saelig.com]. 

Unmanaged, Low-Power 12-Port Gigabit Ethernet Switch Module 

A rugged 12-port Gigabit Ethernet switch module is an 

extremely low-power, high-performance Ethernet switch. 

The H2 from North Atlantic Industries supports 16 Kbyte 

jumbo frames, 802.1P QoS or DiffServ/ToS priority 

queues, 802.1Q VLAN, Port Aggregation, Spanning Tree, 

Rapid & Multiple Spanning Tree, NAT, Port Forwarding, 

DNS, DHCP and Firewalling. The module can be 

mounted on a 3U cPCI or 6U VME rugged board. When 

mounted on a 6U VME board, single board computer 

and/or additional I/O functions can be added to support 

system-level requirements for processing and sensor 

interfacing. 

The H2 implements standard Ethernet switching 

functions via Broadcom technology and features IPv4 

and IPv6 traffic class support, automatic learning and 

aging tags at 6.6W with 12 x GigE ports active at 85°C. 

It also supports a true non-blocking GigE integrated 

switch fabric with 4 Mbit packet buffer memory (for L2 

functionality) and a high-performance look-up engine 

with support for up to 8K unicast MAC addresses. 

The H2 module switch enables system integrators 

to link Ethernet-based communications, control systems and sensor data across a broad range of 

application-ready subsystems. Customers looking forward to the next generation of unmanned 

aircraft systems (UAS) and other autonomous robotic systems will take advantage of the high 

channel density and extremely low power features our H2 has to offer. In addition, based on NAI’s 

COTS, multifunction, high-density I/O and processor platforms (such as 75D3, 64DP3, 64E3), 

multiboard systems can be configured combining the H2 multiport GigE switch capability with 

application-specific processing and I/O. 

North Atlantic Industries, Bohemia, NY. (631) 567-1100. [www.naii.com]. 

Small, Flexible Sensor Measures Temperature and Air Velocity 

A flexible, robust candlestick sensor can simultaneously measure both temperature and air velocity for 

characterizing thermal conditions in electronic systems. The MS 1000-CS-WC from Advanced Thermal Systems is 

a candlestick-shaped sensor that is narrow and low profile to minimize disturbance of heat flow in the test domain. 

Its flexible, plastic-sleeved stem eases installation and repositioning during the testing process. MS 1000-CS-WC 

candlestick sensors are calibrated for both low (natural convection) and high velocity flows. They are capable of 

temperature measurements ranging from -30° to +150°C ±1°C. Velocity measurements range from 0 to 50 m/s 

(10,000 ft/min) ±2%. The sensor’s stem is just 0.5 mm in diameter; its base diameter is 9.5 mm. Three different 

heights are available: 9, 12 and 20 mm. Prices for MS 1000-CS-WC candlestick sensors start at $180. 

Advanced Thermal Solutions, Norwood, MA. (781) 769-2800. [www.qats.com]. 

COTS Products 

PMC Modules Do Cost-Effective 

FPGA Processing 

A set of new PMC mezzanine modules 

features the cost-optimized Xilinx Spartan-6 

FPGA. The PMC-SLX reconfigurable FPGA 

modules from Acromag can save thousands 

of dollars, yet still deliver high-performance 

computing for algorithm acceleration and 

custom logic processing tasks. Spartan-6 

FPGAs have integrated logic, DSP and memory 

resources that leverage the flagship Virtex-6 

FPGA platform’s architecture and systemlevel 

blocks for quicker and smoother system 

development. Acromag adds a high-throughput 

PCI-X interface, large memory banks, and easy 

access to field I/O signals to deliver a readyto-use 

FPGA computing module for advanced 

signal processing applications. All models 

employ the logic-optimized SLX150 version of 

the Spartan-6 FPGA, which provides 147,433 

logic cells and 180 DSP slices. Dual-ported 

SRAM (256k or 1M x 64-bit) facilitates highspeed 

DMA transfers to the bus or CPU. The 

base price is just $2,895 with extra memory and 

extended temperature options available. 

Acromag, Wixom, MI. (248) 295-0310. 

[www.acromag.com]. 

November August 2011 COTS Journal [ 63 ]

COTS Products 

6U OpenVPX Blade Server with Integrated 10 Gigabit Ethernet 

Switch 

A rugged, high-performance 6U VPX (VITA 46) Single Board Computer (SBC) features a 

quad-core Intel L5408 Xeon processor and integrated 10 Gigabit Ethernet switch to support 

full-mesh backplane data layer interconnectivity for up to eight SBCs integrated into a single 

chassis. Available in air-cooled or conduction-cooled formats, the CPU-111-10 from Parvus 

conforms to the OpenVPX (VITA 65) payload module profile MOD6-PAY-4F2T-12.2.2.4 with 

four fat pipes (10 GBase-BX4) and two thin pipes (1000Base-T). 

Providing unparalleled data processing capabilities in a single-slot 6U VPX form factor 

card with built-in 10 Gigabit Ethernet fabric switching, the CPU-111-10 serves as an ideal 

open-architecture building-block for next-generation Command, Control, Communications, 

Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) applications onboard 

(un)manned air / ground vehicles and shipboard platforms. Standard onboard I/O resources 

include up to eight 10 Gigabit Ethernet, two 1 Gigabit Ethernet, four SATA, two USB 2.0, one 

RS-232/485 and VGA video ports. Dual XMC / PMC expansion module sites enable additional 

I/O expansion, including 10G XAUI lanes from each XMC card to the 10G switched fabric. 

Offered in both convection-cooled and ruggedized conduction-cooled variants, the CPU- 

111-10 is designed for use with ANSI/VITA 46 1.0” pitch VPX form factor backplanes. Air-cooled variants provide a front panel SFP+ port supporting 

CX4 copper and fiber applications for chassis-to-chassis and rack-to-rack communications. Conduction-cooled variants feature traditional board 

stiffeners, heat spreaders and wedge locks to passively transfer heat to the chassis and tolerate high shock and vibration environments. An optional Rear 

Transition Module (RTM) is available that brings out VPX I/O over industry standard connectors. 

Parvus, Salt Lake City, UT. (801) 483-1533. [www.parvus.com]. 

[ 64 Untitled-5 ] COTS 1Journal November 2011 

10/6/11 9:46:16 AM



COTS Products 

Software Radio Module Provides FPGA Preconfigured for Turnkey Operation 


www.cotsjournalonline.com/getconnected A new multichannel data converter with digital down and upconverters boasts two channels each of 12-bit, 

500 MHz A/D and 16-bit, 800 MHz D/A. The Model 71651 from Pentek has a Xilinx Virtex-6 FPGA at its core. 

The FPGA is preconfigured with data acquisition and playback IP to give the module turn-key functionality, 

with room left for user customization. The Model 71651 features two input and two output RF channels, 

transformer-coupled to allow direct connection to HF or IF radio stages. The input channels feature 12-bit, 

500 MHz A/Ds that feed data into the Virtex-6 FPGA. The output channels incorporate a Texas Instruments 

DAC5688 digital upconverter that translates real or complex baseband signals to any IF frequency up to 380 

MHz. Dual 16-bit, 800 MHz D/As create real or in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) analog outputs. 

Four types of preconfigured IP in the FPGA help simplify the capture, movement and playback of data. 

Three Acquisition IP modules accept data from any of the A/Ds, a test signal generator, or the Playback IP in 

loopback mode. These acquisition modules each have a private memory bank for storing data in capture mode, 

or to serve as a FIFO buffer for the linked-list DMA engine to move data off-board through the x8 Gen 2 PCIe 

interface. The DMA engines can automatically generate meta-data to simplify host processing. 

The D/A Waveform Playback Module provides a linked-list controller so users can easily deliver waveforms 

stored in onboard or host memory to the D/As. Up to 64 individual link entries can be chained together to 

create complex waveforms with a minimum of programming. Parameters for each waveform include length of 

waveform, delay from playback trigger, waveform repetition, plus the link to the next waveform. 

Pentek, Upper Saddle River, NJ. (201) 818-5900. [www.pentek.com]. 

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August 2011 COTS Journal [ 65 ]

POWER YOUR LAPTOP & CHARGE YOUR BB-2590 

MILITARY BATTERY WITH SOLAR POWER 

LIND’S SOLAR CHARGE SYSTEM 

The Lind Solar Charge System 

is used in conjunction with the 

BB-2590 rechargeable battery (not 

included). The system consists of 

the combination charge control/DC 

output module, a foldable 60 watt 

solar panel and related cabling for 

complete connection between the 

battery, laptop and solar panel. 

For more information, please contact 

Lind at 1.800.897.8994, via email at 

info@lindelectronics.com, or visit us 

online at www.lindelectronics.com. 

Solid as a Rock... 

and twice as Cool! 

Ruggedized 3U Multi Protocol RAID Systems 

No matter how you shake it, bake it, or configure it, everyone 

knows the reputation, value and endurance of Phoenix solid 

state and rotating disk products. Leading the way in rugged 

COTS data storage technology for decades, Phoenix keeps you 

on the leading edge with very cool products! 

We Put the State of Art to Work 

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PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL IS AS 9100/ISO 9001: 2008 CERTIFIED 


POWER SPECIALISTS FOR MOBILE COMPUTING 

Untitled-8 1 1/11/11 11:40:44 AM 

Untitled-5 1 9/9/11 6:35:00 PM 

COTS Products 

Fanless System Offers 5 Ethernet Ports, Wide 

Temperature Range 

Two new fanless systems 

feature Intel’s Core i5/ 

i7 Mobile CPUs and HD 

graphics housed in a durable, 

sleek chassis. The Neousys 

NUVO-1003B and NUVO- 

1005B from Logic Supply 

offer high-performance 

computing in a wide 

operating temperature range 

of -25° to 70°C. In addition to 

the three or five Intel 82574L Gigabit Ethernet ports, both NUVO systems 

boast a broad suite of I/O capabilities. Featuring one RS-232/422/485 

port, three RS-232 ports, PS2 mouse and keyboard input, six USB 2.0 

ports, VGA and DVI/HDMI video output, the NUVO series ensures ease 

of integration with legacy systems and next-generation applications alike. 

Storage options include a 2.5” SATA HDD bay, accessible by a single-screw 

trap door, externally accessible CompactFlash, and two eSATA ports for 

external storage. 

Logic Supply, South Burlington, VT. (802) 861-2300. 

[www.logicsupply.com]. 

EPIC Form Factor SBC Serves Up Vortex86DX 

Processor 

An economical EPIC format single board computer (SBC) features 

extensive I/O capabilities, very low power consumption and fanless 

operation over the full industrial temperature range. The Newt board 

from VersaLogic leverages 

DM&P's Vortex86DX System on 

Chip (SoC). It offers 800 MHz 

performance, full industrial 

temperature (-40° to +85°C) 

operation, and very low power 

requirements. Based on the 

industry-standard EPIC form 

factor (4.5 x 6.5 inches), the 

Newt is designed for headless 

applications (no video output), or it may be used 

with plug-in video expansion modules. 

The Newt features built-in data acquisition ports including sixteen 

analog inputs, up to eight analog outputs and thirty-two digital I/O 

lines. Basic onboard I/O includes single or dual Ethernet with network 

boot capability, up to 1 Gbyte soldered-on DDR2 RAM, up to four USB 

ports, four serial ports, IDE controller with support for two devices, 

CompactFlash socket or eUSB interface (optional) for removable flash 

storage, and three general purpose timers. An industry-standard PC/104- 

Plus expansion site provides plug-in access to a wide variety of expansion 

modules from numerous vendors. The SPX expansion interface provides 

additional plug-in expansion for low-cost analog, digital and CANbus 

I/O. Pricing starts at $411 in OEM quantities. 

VersaLogic, Eugene, OR. (541) 485-8575. [www.VersaLogic.com].



CompactPCI Serial Board Provides Flexible 


Configuration 


A universal CompactPCI Serial 

peripheral board provides flexible serial 

communication via an individual mix 

of UART and fieldbus interfaces and is 

targeted at mission-critical industrial, 

mobile and harsh environment 

applications. Although equipped 

with five standard interfaces, the 

G215 from Men Micro features a 

configurable FPGA IP core that offers 

nearly unlimited interface options 

that enable several functionalities. Developed for use in harsh embedded 

environments, the G215 has an operating temperature range of -40° to 

+85°C, with all components soldered to withstand shock and vibration. 

The use of Altera's new Cyclone 4 high-performance FPGA enables users 

to develop intelligent applications, as found when using programmable 

processors, such as a Nios softcore. The FPGA also handles fieldbuses such 

as CAN, InterBus-S or the vehicle bus IBIS. Pricing for the G215 is $490. 

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

A/V Solutions 

ENGINEERING 

DESIGN AND 

MANUFACTURING 

SERVICES 

Founded in 1994 to provide complete systems 

engineering to the electronics industry. 

949.419.6796 

INFO@PRISMCS.COM 

WWW.PRISMCS.COM 

FLASH Arrays 

COTS Products 

FPGA-Based Frame Grabber and Motion Drive Serve 

Vision Applications 

Serving military 

vision and control 

applications, two 

new additions to the 

reconfigurable I/O 

(RIO) technology 

from National 

Instruments include 

a reconfigurable Camera Link frame grabber for demanding embedded 

vision applications, and a motion module for the NI CompactRIO 

platform. The NI PCIe-1473R frame grabber is a PC-based embedded 

vision board that combines field-programmable gate array (FPGA) 

technology with a Camera Link interface to help engineers create highperformance 

embedded imaging and inspection applications. The NI 

9502 brushless servo drive C Series module makes it possible for engineers 

to drive brushless servo motors, including six new custom NI motor 

options, directly from the reconfigurable CompactRIO system to address 

advanced motion control challenges. 

National Instruments, Austin, TX. (512) 794-0100. [www.ni.com]. 

RAID Controllers 

Bridge I/O Solutions 

DESIGN SERVICES 

Prism Computer Solutions provides rapid development for your engineering needs. 

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT 

With a wide array of capabilities, we offer our services to ful� ll your precise requirements. 

MANUFACTURING SERVICES 

We offer turnkey manufacturing services for pre-production and small to medium quantities. 


prismadv2.indd 1 8/29/11 1:20:31 PM

Index 

Advertisers Index 

Company Page# Website Company Page# Website 

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. ............7 .................... www.amd.com/embedded 

Ballard Technology, Inc. .....................72 ...........................www.ballardtech.com 

Calex Mfg. Co., Inc. .............................4 ..................................... www.calex.com 

Critical I/O, LLC .................................35 ...............................www.criticalio.com 

Data Translation, Inc. .........................21 .....................www.datatranslation.com 

Elma Electronic, Inc. ...........................14......................................www.elma.com 

Extreme Engineering Solutions, Inc. ..25 ......................................www.x-es.com 

Falcon 

Get 

Electronics, 

Connected 

Inc. ......................65 ............................ www.falconelec.com 

with companies and 

GE products Intelligent featured Platforms, in this Inc. section. .............43 .................................... www.ge-ip.com 

General www.cotsjournalonline.com/getconnected 

Micro Systems, Inc. ..............15...............................www.gms4sbc.com 

Innovative Integration .........................17 ......................www.innovative-dsp.com 

Interface Concept ...............................32 ..................www.interfaceconcept.com 

ISI Nallatech, Inc. ...............................18............................... www.nallatech.com 

JMR, Inc. ............................................41 ........................................www.jmr.com 


Kontron ...............................................23 ................................ www.kontron.com 


Lauterbach GmbH ..............................22 ............................www.lauterbach.com 

LCR Electronics, Inc. ..........................40 .................................. www.lcr-inc.com 

LeCroy Corporation .............................4 .................................... www.lecroy.com 

Lind Electronics, Inc...........................66 .....................www.lindelectronics.com 

LiPPERT Embedded Computers, Inc. ...24.................. www.lippertembedded.com 

Logic Devices, Inc. .............................26 .........................www.logicdevices.com 

Mercury Computer Systems, Inc. ......27 ........................................www.mc.com 

MILESTONE .......................................55 ......................www.milestoneconf.com 

Mobile Pathways ................................46 ...................www.mobilepathways.com 

Mountain Secure Systems .................45 ..... www.mountainsecuresystems.com 

MSC Embedded, Inc. .........................49 .....................www.mscembedded.com 

Multicore Boards Gallery ...................16............................................................... 

Products 


Get Connected with technology and companies providing solutions now 

Get Connected is a new resource for further exploration into products, technologies and companies. Whether your goal is to research the latest 

datasheet from a company, speak directly with an Application Engineer, or jump to a company's technical page, the goal of Get Connected is to put you 

in touch with the right resource. Whichever level of service you require for whatever type of technology, 

Get Connected will help you connect with the companies and products you are searching for. 


Coming Next Month 

[ 68 ] COTS Journal November 2011 2011 

North Atlantic Industries ....................19........................................www.naii.com 

Ocean Server Technology, Inc. ..........53 ........................www.ocean-server.com 

Octagon Systems Corporation ...........71 .................. www.octagonsystems.com 

One Stop Systems, Inc. ......................47 .................. www.onestopsystems.com 

End Phoenix International of Article 

.........................66 ...............................www.phenxint.com 

Pico Electronics, Inc. ......................13, 59 ................. www.picoelectronics.com 

Presagis USA, Inc. ..............................5 ................................www.presagis.com 

Prism Computer Solutions .................67 ................................www.prismcs.com 

Get Connected 

RTC Embedded with companies Technologies, mentioned Inc. in ..2, this 36, article. 37 ................................... www.rtd.com 

RTECC www.cotsjournalonline.com/getconnected 

................................................69 .....................................www.rtecc.com 

SynQor ........................................... 29, 64 ...............................www.synqor.com 

TDI Power ...........................................42 ............................... www.tdipower.com 

Trenton Technology, Inc. ....................33 ....................www.trentonsystems.com 

Get Connected with companies mentioned in this article. 

Xembedded ........................................48 ..........................www.xembedded.com 


ARE YOU 

A seasoned embedded technology professional? 

Experienced in the industrial and 

military procurement process? 

Ever thinking about writing as a career? 

CONTACT SANDRA SILLION AT THE RTC GROUP 

TO EXPLORE AN OPPORTUNITY 

sandras@rtcgroup.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. Ride-Along Enclosed. 

Special Feature: Size, Weight and Power Hurdles for Small UAV Control The flight control, mission control and 

communications gear aboard Small UAVs—like the Raven, Dragon Eye, Shadow and Killer Bee—face some of the most rigorous 

size, weight and power restrictions. 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 under 1,320 pounds and range from 

Line-of-sight control UAVs up to those that fall under the “light sport aircraft” standards. 

Tech Recon: I/O Architectures in Rugged Box-Level Systems Stand-alone rugged box-level systems have become a fixture in the military market. These 

complete system boxes often support standard form factor boards inside them. The problem is there’s no standard scheme for I/O configurations. New VITA 

standards are attempting to rectify this, but there’s a debate on which approach is the best. This section looks at this issue and product class and outlines challenges 

they present. 

System Development: VPX and VME Tackle Airborne I/O and Data Storage VME and its successor VPX have a strong grip on the military slot-card 

embedded computing realm. Whether it’s a system refresh program using backward-compatible VME cards, or a new system requiring VPX performance, there’s 

a wide variety of product and technology choices for developers. This section explores the use of these form factors in airborne systems that depend heavily on 

I/O and data storage for their functionality. 

Tech Focus: XMCs and Processor XMCs XMCs are becoming entrenched as the natural successor to PMC as the leading mezzanine form factor in military applications. 

Meanwhile fabric-based Processor XMCs accommodate that trend nicely, enabling military system integrators to swap out just the computing core and leave the 

base board unchanged. This Tech Focus section updates readers on these trends and provides a product album of representative XMC and PrXMC products.

Embedded Engineers Transform the World 

RTECC 

TRANSFORMS EMBEDDED ENGINEERS 

New Classes • New Products • New Resources 

UPCOMING 

LOCATIONS 

December 6, 2011 

The National Museum of 

Nuclear Science & History 

Albuquerque, NM 

December 8, 2011 

Hilton Phoenix Airport 

Phoenix, AZ 

January 17, 2012 

Santa Clara 

Convention Center 

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COTS 

Editorial 

Jeff Child, Editor-in-Chief 

Disconnect in the Networked 

Vehicle Road 

When former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates cancelled 

the Army’s massive Future Combat System (FCS) program 

two years ago, it certainly disrupted the direction of a future 

vehicle strategy and the opportunities for embedded computing 

electronics that went along with it. It’s not possible to say for sure, 

but it looked like OpenVPX would have had FCS as an emblematic 

design win if the program had progressed as planned. OpenVPX is 

very likely to be a candidate for new vehicle electronics efforts, but 

with FCS the uptake may have happened sooner. In hindsight, it was 

a bold and smart decision on Gates’ part to scrap FCS and start with a 

sort of blank slate. Continuing on a path of preparing for conflicts 20 

years in the future is fine. But when that approach steals mindshare 

and funds away from current needs, it is problematic. 

In the aftermath of FCS, the Army turned its efforts toward new 

vehicle developments, primarily the Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV). 

And along with that, the networking part of FCS has taken a parallel 

path—though not so closely coupled with a specific vehicle program. 

At this point however, it’s fair to say that neither the vehicle nor the 

networking side of this rebooted effort has moved forward all that 

smoothly. In his column in this issue, Pete does a nice exploration of 

the uncertain state of Army and Marine vehicle plans for the future. 

Here, I’ll look at some of the unique troubles on the networking side 

of the DoD’s vehicle effort. 

Whether the ambition of a seamless unified network of manned 

and unmanned systems as envisioned by FCS was even possible isn’t 

clear. But post-FCS the Army has shifted to a more realistic strategy 

to develop and field a tactical information network for its deployed 

forces. On the downside, that’s moving in the direction of developing 

a number of “stovepipe” capabilities that may not work together as a 

network, thus wasting resources. A recent GAO report cites how in 

this new approach numerous programs will be developed separately 

and coordinated centrally. The plan is for network increments to be 

integrated and demonstrated before they are fielded. This replaces 

the previous practice of ad hoc development and integration in the 

field. This new approach involves coordinating the schedules of the 

separate programs with the Army’s planned, semiannual field events, 

called network integration evaluations (NIEs). During these events 

emerging technologies are put in soldiers’ hands for demonstration 

and evaluation. 

In its report, the GAO cites several issues in need of resolution 

as the Army moves its network strategy forward. First off, the Army 

does not have a blueprint or framework for using its various current 

networking capabilities with the ones it is acquiring. The danger being 

the risk of acquiring technologies that may work in a stand-alone 

mode but do not add utility to the broader network strategy. There’s 

also been criticism of the lack of test protocols to objectively capture 

performance of the mobile data networks evaluated during the NIE 

exercises. This includes not having the proper instrumentation gear to 

do operational tests on large integrated networks, and not having clear 

network requirements. 

Another hurdle in the Army’s network efforts is the loss of the Joint 

Tactical Radio System (JTRS) ground mobile radio (GMR), a softwaredefined 

radio that was expected to be a key component of the network. 

The GMR was recently terminated. In a letter to a congressional defense 

committee explaining the termination, Frank Kendall, Acting 

Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, 

stated that the termination was based on growth in unit procurement 

costs. Kendall said it is unlikely that Joint Tactical Radio System ground 

mobile radio would affordably meet requirements and may not meet 

some requirements at all. The GMR performed poorly during the network 

integration evaluation and was given a “stop development and 

do not field” assessment by the test unit. A replacement program was 

established but it’s not clear when and how that program will proceed. 

Also, the way that these new radios will be able to fit within the 

Army’s network strategy is yet to be determined. 

Among the challenges of the Army’s future tactical network 

plans is the sheer complexity of deploying wideband networking 

and soldier radio waveforms. It’s not clear that these technologies 

are at acceptable levels of maturity. And again, the loss of the ground 

mobile radio makes it unclear how waveform maturation will continue. 

In terms of scope, the WIN-T and JTRS programs provide the 

mission-command-on-the-move capability and integrate the soldier 

in the network to some degree. That said, those programs of record 

don’t provide a unifying capability to fully network the force. As one 

Army spokesmen said in a recent Defense Systems interview, “[JTRS 

and WIN-T] don’t connect all the way down to the company level 

and don’t provide the mission-essential capabilities to the earlier battalions 

that were not connected previously.” 

On a positive note, the Army has reportedly developed an approach 

to solicit ideas from industry and demonstrate the proposed 

technologies in the NIE exercises. The plan includes a strategy to identify, 

demonstrate and field emerging technologies and to expedite those 

actions. So far the Army is still formulating its approach for funding 

and rapidly procuring the more promising technologies.

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