Military system designers may use much of the same basic technologies–embedded form-factors, processor architectures, fabric technologies and so on–as their commercial counterparts, but the way they look at them is very different. This section helps readers sort out which technologies offer the critical mass, market longevity and physical attributes necessary for defense designs.
Most Recent
Power Supplies Attack the SWaP Challenge
Case Study: Li-Ion Polymer Battery Approach Meets Mobile Military Needs
Michael A. Stout, V.P. of Engineering, Falcon Electric
February 2010
Due to IEDs, RPGs and the penetrating power of the AK47, the military is installing a higher level of armor on vehicles to offer as much protection for the soldier as possible. ThisRead More...
Past Articles
Power Supplies Attack the SWaP Challenge
Power Supplies and Converters Tackle SWaP Issues
Jeff Child, Editor-in-Chief
February 2010
In tandem with the military's drive toward greater compute density, there's a growing demand to reduced size, weight and power (SWaP) of system electronics. And the two go hand inRead More...
IA Expands its Influence
Intel Architecture Ups its Appeal for Military Embedded Apps
Jeff Child, Editor-in-Chief
January 2010
There used to be a delay-numbered in years-between when the latest and greatest computer microprocessors first rolled out and when they made their way into the embedded computerRead More...
Pushing the Mips-per-mW Curve
Rugged Boards Push the Performance/Power Envelope
Jeff Child, Editor-in-Chief
December 2009
Compute-density has become the watchword in many segments of military system design. More and more programs are pushing for as much computer processing muscle as can possibility fitRead More...
Safety-Critical Standards
Data Distribution Service and MILS: A Powerful Combination
Joseph M. Schlesselman, Director of Market Development, Aerospace and Defense, Real-Time Innovations
November 2009
There are some unique benefits to using Data Distribution Service (DDS) publish-subscribe middleware within the Multiple Independent Levels of Security (MILS) architecture. Both MILSRead More...
Safety-Critical Standards
DO-178B Provides Certification Safety Net
John Blevins, Director, Software Tools Development, LynuxWorks
November 2009
Safety-critical avionics software has been evolving for decades, providing increased functionality while becoming more complex. In response, regulatory authorities and commercialRead More...
Safety-Critical Standards
Growing Complexity Drives Need for Emerging DO-178C Standard
Bill St. Clair, Technical Evangelist, LDRA Technology
November 2009
The size and complexity of avionics software is projected to grow geometrically. Boeing and Airbus measure the current rate of software growth as 400 percent every two years (FigureRead More...
MicroTCA and AMC in Military Systems
AMCs Expand MicroTCA's Military Potential
David Pursley, Field Applications Engineer, Kontron
October 2009
Modern warfare systems must expertly blend issues of ruggedness, flexibility, mobility and high-end processing with the need for standards-based solutions that can be developed andRead More...
MicroTCA and AMC in Military Systems
MicroTCA Connectors Tested Extreme Conditions
Phill Shaw, Product Manger, Electronics, Harting North America.
October 2009
MicroTCA connectors are extremely robust and therefore suitable for use in applications beyond telecommunications. In every situation, the connectors have to guarantee secureRead More...
Low-Power Video and Data Movement
FPGAs Serve up Video Processing for Military EO/IR Apps
Suhel Dhanani, Senior Manager, DSP Altera
September 2009
Many of today’s military electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) systems require high-complexity, real-time video processing within a constrained power budget. The latest low-power, low-costRead More...
Low-Power Video and Data Movement
Power over Ethernet Blends Distributed Power and Data Management
Steve Yates, CTO ADI Engineering
September 2009
When building sophisticated networked electronic systems, power and data distribution are two of the biggest challenges for military systems integrators. The labor, material andRead More...
VITA Standard Boards in Tech Upgrades
VITA Standard Boards Keep Tech Upgrade Path Alive
Jeff Child, Editor-in-Chief
August 2009
Among the reasons for VME’s soaring success in military systems is its unique ability to remain backward compatible and facilitate technology refresh in military programs. A new boardRead More...
VITA Standard Boards in Tech Upgrades
VITA 42.6: Standardizing 10 Gbit Ethernet for XMC
Rob Kraft, VP of Marketing AdvancedIO Systems
August 2009
High-performance applications such as radar, sonar and SIGINT are pushing current switching fabrics to the limit. Responding to this need, a task group led by AdvancedIO has developedRead More...
Impact of RoHS
Military Market Struggles with RoHS
Jeff Child, Editor-in-Chief
July 2009
In contrast to the military market, the general commercial electronics industry woke up on the morning of July 1, 2006 with little or no anxiety about the European Union’s RestrictionRead More...
