Portsmith Expands Rugged Connectivity Solutions Into Rugged, Mission-Critical Market

Rugged products traditionally found in the Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC) space are finding new life in mission-critical applications.

After 25 years of success in the AIDC market, Portsmith has expanded its rugged connectivity

solutions for defense, security, aerospace, aviation, radio communications, and autonomous driving. Technology must exceed basic compliance and security to meet these applications’ high-durability requirements. Portsmith engineers its ultra-rugged products accordingly, with 810G capable, double encapsulated, direct plug-and-play solutions that meet various applicational needs.

A U.S. Department of Defense client requested the U.S.-manufactured MIL-STD 810-G-validated USB 2.0 to 10/100 Ethernet interface adapter, which was designed, certified, and tested from the ground up and then successfully delivered in 2023. Built for maximum durability in extreme environments, the product is appropriate for use on the base, field, or air. Another product in the family, Portsmith’s rugged USB-C-to-Ethernet adapter, won a prestigious 2021 Good Design Award for its engineering. The company’s fully encapsulated, one-piece USB-A and micro-USB-to-Ethernet adapters provide mobile device users with a direct wired connection to the network in unforgiving environments. These adapters are designed, engineered, and manufactured in the United States and are commercially available off-the-shelf (COTS) in North America.

Portsmouth’s rugged adapters provide hardwired connections that eliminate operational risks, such as those associated with RF signaling. They provide reliability and security that match the level of potential impact, protecting systems and data from serious threats. Having built custom solutions for DoD Prime Contractors, Portsmith designs its adapters specifically for mission-critical activities on the interconnected battlefield, such

as:

• Establishing secure connectivity for a drone’s advanced network tactical system
• Vehicle-mounted recharging stations that require 810G cabling
• Connecting a rugged computer like a Panasonic Toughbook to a software-defined radio, sonar
• array, or radar array
• Interconnectivity among conductor-cooled boxes
• With their proven, stable BOM, Portsmith adapters won’t change over time — ensuring that once a product

has been qualified for a use case, subsequent deployments will be identical.