VMEbus is a computer bus standard, originally developed for the Motorola 68000 line of CPUs, but later widely used for many applications and standardized by the IEC as ANSI/IEEE 1014-1987. It is physically based on Eurocard sizes, mechanicals and connectors (DIN 41612), but uses its own signalling system, which Eurocard does not define. It was first developed in 1981 and continues to see widespread use today.
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Multicore Solutions Target a Variety of Emerging Military Needs
Embedded developers in many arenas are constantly facing competitive pressure to provide more application features and improve performance capabilities. As a result, it’s becomeRead More...
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Rugged Ethernet Switch Boards Roundup
Dual-Channel 10GbE XMC Ready for Rough Duties The military has become sold on the idea of using Ethernet not only as a network technology but also as a fabric interconnect. TheRead More...
System, Board and Panel Innovations Fuel Rugged Display Demands
Leveraging cutting-edge graphics chips developed for the demanding gaming market, military graphics subsystems are now able to offer complex video and graphics functionality in highlyRead More...
The Inside Track
Curtiss-Wright Awarded Contract for Upgraded Radar Signal Processing Curtiss-Wright has been awarded a $10.5 million contract by Northrop Grumman to provide an upgraded Radar SignalRead More...
COTS Products
Managed Ethernet Switch Rides 3U CompactPCI Attracted by its ubiquity and longevity, the military is growing ever more fond of Ethernet. And switched Ethernet is becoming asRead More...
Finally an End to the 20-Year Bus War
The Navy has always been at the forefront of open systems and commercially available products. In the late 80s they were instrumental in pushing for the development of aRead More...
Multicore Boards Roundup
6U CompactPCI Boards Sport Quad Core Xeons The multicore trend has hit all levels of processor families, and the Xeon is no exception. Concurrent Technologies has released theRead More...
Tech Refresh Programs Weigh VME Compatibility Trade-Offs
VME has enjoyed more than a quarter of a century of success for a number of reasons. As an open architecture, it has created an ecosystem that delivers enormous flexibility toRead More...
Caged Cards versus Rugged Box-Level Systems
Companies in the military and aerospace industries compete for business, but they are united in the goal of providing our warfighters the best possible advantage. In aircraft andRead More...
Stand-Alone Rugged Boxes Fine-Tune their Feature Sets
A trend has been building in the past couple of years where traditional embedded board vendors are adding stand-alone rugged box-level systems to their military market offerings. TheseRead More...
COTS Products
VME SBC Serves Up Low Power Core 2 Duo The Core 2 Duo has become among the most prevalent CPUs in new embedded computer designs in the past couple of years. Its mix of performance andRead More...
MicroTCA Gaining Ground in Military Applications
Deeply rooted in VME and CompactPCI platforms, military embedded design is undergoing a noticeable shift. Modern warfare initiatives are driving designers to find more bandwidth, whileRead More...
PXI, VXI and LXI Boards Roundup
16-bit PXI Digitizers Boast up to 40 MS/s Sampling High-channel count and simultaneous sampling are the watchwords for a variety of military test applications. Feeding those needs,Read More...
The Inside Track
Army Orders More COTM Systems for MRAP Vehicles DataPath is providing MobiLink Technologies communications on-the-move (COTM) systems to a deployed U.S. Army unit in support ofRead More...
Despite Mixed Signals, Mil Market Looks Encouraging
Several factors–including the new administration, the thought of winding down action in Iraq, picking up activity in Afghanistan, new hostility between Palestine and Israel, theRead More...
Bandwidth and Legacy Needs Drive VPX/VXS/VME Choice
Just past its 25-year mark, VME has been the embedded computing mainstay for military and aerospace applications. And while its capabilities are still solid as a rock, new computingRead More...
Serial FPDP Boards Roundup
24 Serial FPDP Channels Blend on VME Card Using FPGAs in conjunction with the Serial FPDP (sFPDP) interconnect makes for a power combination. Such a solution hasRead More...
VME Tech Refresh Programs Abound
Often filling the role as the “cash cow” of the military embedded computer business, slot-card technology upgrade programs are continuing to do brisk business. That ability to insertRead More...
Deployed Applications Embrace System-Level Rugged Solutions
Despite their technical sophistication, defense electronics systems must deliver uncompromised performance under difficult environmental conditions, including excessive heat, humidity,Read More...
Ethernet Gains Momentum as Fabric for VME, VXS and VPX Systems
Ethernet is everywhere. That’s no surprise. In many ways, it’s as close to perfect as a technology can be in terms of its scalability, its flexibility, its simplicity and its low cost.Read More...
COTS Products
Quad-Core Intel Xeon-Based VME SBC The multicore trend has swept through the military embedded computing industry, and military system developers are embracing it with open arms.Read More...
Small UAV Payloads Wrestle with SWaP Challenges
All branches of the DoD are investing heavily in UAV development and procurement. Within the Small UAV segment of that market the variety of platforms and volume of systems scheduledRead More...
VME and cPCI Maintain Tight Grip on Mil Embedded Market
The market for military embedded computer boards and systems today is both healthy and growing. VDC Research Group has been covering the embedded systems market for over twenty years,Read More...
Thermal Challenges Throw Curves onto the Path of Faster
Modern military applications continue to push the performance envelope while still demanding the lowest possible power dissipation. At the same time, the embedded computers in thoseRead More...
MicroTCA and AMC Team for Military Duties
For the first time since the introduction of VME 25 years ago, an embedded computing architecture is emerging that is capable of serving a broad cross section of market segments:Read More...
COTS Products
3U VPX SBC Sports Freescale MPC 8640D Processor There have been only a handful of SBC vendors so far that have rolled out VPX products. The ones that jumped on board haveRead More...
COTS Products
Advanced Low-Power PMC Supports Dual Graphics Heads A blend of graphics and video performance is vital for advanced sensor fusion, image/frame capture and recording inRead More...
COTS Products
Tiny SMD Fuse Approved for Space Applications Reliability and ruggedness take on a whole new meaning for electronics used in space applications. There’s no repair truckRead More...
Cots Products
20-Inch 2U Chassis for Trenton 32 Gbyte Boards The days when military system developers did everything themselves are long gone. They’d much rather find building blocks to pieceRead More...
COTS Products
Qseven-Based Carrier/SBC Duo Rolls The Qseven connector scheme leads the way on the notion of combining a variety of I/O technologies onto one connection. Supporting that standard,Read More...
Ten Years of Change
When I took over as Chief Editor on COTS Journal, my colleague Pete Yeatman gave me a copy of the inaugural issue of this magazine from 1998–ten years ago. “The Editor-in-Chief shouldRead More...
1U Rackmount Servers Feed High-Density Computing Needs
Government organizations deploy a vast array of servers for mission-critical applications in a wide variety of networks—including enterprise computing, field operations, command andRead More...
COTS Products
0.3 mm Pitch Sockets Support Devices Up to 6.5 mm2 Keeping up with the fast moving pace of IC packaging technology is a tough challenge for the military market. FortunatelyRead More...
VPX, VXS and VME SBCs Roundup
VME SBC Boasts Latest Low-Power Core2 Duo Processor Perhaps the greatest triumph of VME is its capability to maintain backward compatibility while remaining suited to incorporatingRead More...
Modular Approach Wins for VME Power Systems
Military electronics continue to push the performance envelope in all directions. With each new system design come the same challenges: more processing power, tighter specs and shorterRead More...
Ethernet Switch Boards Roundup
10 Gbit Ethernet XMC Provides Dual Front-Panel Interfaces The military has completely embraced Ethernet both as a network technology and as a fabric interconnect scheme. With that inRead More...
Small UAV Tap the Rich Variety of Embedded Options
UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) were originally developed to take the soldier out of harm's way and have come a long way since the days of "large" surveillance drones like the PredatorRead More...
Systems Issues Drive VME, VXS and VPX SBC Trends
The military is hungry to put VPX to work in both new and legacy/upgrade programs. System developers are attracted to the increased potential bandwidth, level-2 maintenance features,Read More...
PXI, VXI and LXI Boards Each Find Their Instrumentation Strengths
At one time, it took a whole rack of test gear to implement military and aerospace test systems. Now that same functionality can be built using standards-based instrumentation andRead More...
1.4 GHz Freescale 7448 VME Board Addresses Radar/Sonar Needs
1.4 GHz Freescale 7448 VME Board Addresses Radar/Sonar Needs Demanding applications such as radar, sonar, image processing and communications all have something in common: they have aRead More...
Configurable Integrated Systems Support cPCI, PXI, VME and VPX
Designed for use in development systems and for production runs, Verotec has introduced a family of 1U, 2U, 3U and 6U configurable integrated systems. Based on combinations of standardRead More...
Rugged Single Slot Graphics Solution Rides VME
Applications such as digital mapping need to render significant amounts of graphics data in close to real time. And distributed aperture sensors need to acquire and process substantialRead More...
6U VME SBC Sports Freescale MPC8572E Processor
VME remains the most prevalent computing technology in today's legacy military systems. Extreme Engineering Solutions has announced the availability of XCalibur1531, a high-performanceRead More...
OpenVPX: Hurdles and Relay Races
With the Winter Olympics now in full swing, forgive my application of Summer Olympics metaphors, but here goes. OpenVPX faces a number of hurdles ahead this year to move from itsRead More...
Ethernet Switch Boards Roundup
Rugged 10 Gbit Ethernet XMC Sports Dual Front-Panel Interfaces The military has completely embraced Ethernet both as a network technology and as a fabric interconnect scheme.Read More...
OpenVPX Flourishes as it Readies for Prime Time
The goal of bringing together advanced switch fabric interconnects and all the features of a modern, rugged embedded computer architecture, is finally happening in the form of OpenVPX.Read More...
Many Factors Influence Slot-Card vs. Module Choice
Military embedded system designers are always eager to take advantage of new technologies and emerging industry standards once a critical mass of acceptance is achieved and a clearRead More...
Evaluating Tech Upgrade Paths: OpenVPX vs. RACE++
Many designers and developers of deployed military embedded systems require a significant leap in embedded computing performance to support rapidly advanced sensing and imagingRead More...
Secure Network Communications Pushes Compute Limits
New and evolving technology initiatives such as Brigade Combat Team Modernization, JTRS (Joint Tactical Radio System) and WIN-T (Warfighter Information Network-Tactical) rely heavilyRead More...
Deployable xTCA Platforms Fuel Net-Centric Application
Broad new military initiatives such as the U.S. Navy’s (CANES) Consolidated Afloat Networks and Enterprise Servers, Brigade Combat Team Modernization, (JTRS) Joint Tactical RadioRead More...
FPGA Processing Boards Roundup
Virtex-5 FPGA PMC Aims at I/O Processing At one time FPGAs served merely as glue logic interfaces. Now they function as complete processing engines. Acromag’s PMC-VFX modulesRead More...
Ethernet Ascends as 1553 Gets Boxed In
The great dilemma with military I/O technology is accommodating the needs of legacy interface schemes while meeting the performance needs of next-generation computing and electronicRead More...
The Inside Track
Northrop Grumman to Upgrade Integrated Bridge Systems for Nimitz-Class Carriers Northrop Grumman Corporation has been awarded a contract to provide Scalable Integrated Bridge SystemsRead More...
The Inside Track
Rochester Electronics Ramps Up Anti-Counterfeiting Efforts Rochester Electronics is stepping up its efforts to lead the semiconductor industry in the fight against counterfeit andRead More...
12-bit ADC Has Two or Six Channels with up to 3.2 GS/s per Channel
A new 12-bit ADC supports either two 12-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC) channels at 3.2 GSPS (Gigasamples per second) or six channels at 1.6 GSPS. The Calypso-V5 from TekmicroRead More...
XMCs and Processor XMCs Roundup
XMC Marries Virtex-5 FPGA, PCIe and Deep Memory A set of mezzanine modules from Acromag features a configurable Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGA enhanced with multiple high-speed memory buffersRead More...
The Inside Track
Air Force Reserve Contracts SDS for F-16 Trainer Upgrade SDS International (SDS) has been awarded a multiyear contract to provide a full range of specialized operational and technicalRead More...
The Case for Blending COM Express and VPX
Many military system developers are starting to transition designs from VME architecture to the VPX standard as next-generation Mil/Aero computing systems require the performance ofRead More...
The Inside Track
General Dynamics C4 Systems Taps GE Network Gear for BCT Modernization GE Intelligent Platforms has received the first in a series of orders that are expected to total approximatelyRead More...
FPGAs Take On Expanded Processing Roles
Once used merely as glue logic, FPGAs are now complete systems on a chip. And now that many of them even have general-purpose CPU cores on them, the military is hungry to use FPGAs toRead More...
The Inside Track
General Atomics Selects PT’s Processing Gear for Navy’s Carrier AAG Program General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (EMS) Division has selected PT, the recently rebranded PerformanceRead More...
Single Slot Blade Provides 3 Tbytes of Storage
Critical I/O has announced the availability of its 3 Tbyte storage blades for VXS and VME system. StoreEngine is a scalable storage server designed for high-performance embeddedRead More...
Slot-Card and Box-Level Solutions Jockey to Meet UAV Payload Needs
A trend has been building in the past couple years where traditional embedded board vendors are adding stand-alone rugged box-level systems to their military market offerings. TheseRead More...
OpenVPX Strengthens Its Hand for Military Embedded Designs
Military system developers have long faced a conflicting desire to harness the latest and greatest computing technologies versus the need to mitigate the risks inherent in banking onRead More...
Advanced Composite Technology Boosts Chassis Thermal Performance
The push for increased capabilities and performance in manned and unmanned military vehicles is driving a need for reduced Size, Weight, Power and Cost (SWaP-C)—to be able to add newRead More...
Complex Systems Pose Tricky Thermal Management Challenges
Today’s military applications routinely push the limits of size, weight and power (SWaP) restrictions while at the same time performing with the utmost reliability in intenseRead More...
Hybrid Backplanes Weave Legacy Technology into New Systems
The pressure to deliver next-generation defense capabilities faster and to deliver them within the guidelines of recent Department of Defense (DoD) Acquisition Reform mandatesRead More...
The Inside Track
Raytheon Awarded $84.7 Million for Airborne Radar Contract Raytheon has received an $84.7 million U.S. Navy contract for continued production of ALR-67(V)3 digital radar warningRead More...
30-Year History: Shuttle Program Parallels Computer Tech Advances
I magine a world with no personal computers, no MS-DOS, no Internet, no iPhone; iPad or App Store; No Twitter or Facebook. That’s where we were in 1981 when Ronald Reagan took the oathRead More...
