Articles
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Despite the fact that OpenVPX is an open standard architecture, there is a significant amount of variation of system platforms. The application needs for OpenVPX systems continue to evolve rapidly. New challenges brought by the SOSA [Sensor Open Systems Architecture] Consortium’s efforts; new complementary VITA [VMEbus International Trade Association] standards; size, weight, and power (SWaP) concerns; the expanding number of backplane profiles; and SpaceVPX implementations are requiring a versatile approach by the backplane/enclosure developers.
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Sensor Open Systems Architecture (SOSA): Enabling the next generation of flexible and adaptable radar systems
In order to keep up with the continued acceleration of new technology and to be able to protect the warfighter from the latest threats, it is essential that we can turn our deployed platforms into adaptable entities that can evolve over time and are not static. The SOSA [Sensor Open Systems Architecture] Technical Standard is the next major step in realizing this goal.
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VITA Technologies Winter 2021 Application Guide
THE VITA TECHNOLOGIES 2021 APPLICATION GUIDE features articles on Level Four packaging using optics, VPX/OpenVPX enclosure design, and the vagaries of simulating an FPGA when dealing with FACE and SOSA compliance.
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Advancing electronic packaging with optics gives VPX a 450% bandwidth boost
Implementing optics for Level Four electronic subassembly packaging in VPX systems enables significantly higher bandwidth over purely copper interconnects. The signal-processing requirements of today’s active electronically scanned antenna (AESA) radar, infrared search and track (IRST), and surveillance systems are demanding. This situation challenges designers to squeeze more processing power and electronics into VPX (ANSI/VITA 46) [...]
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Can you really simulate an FPGA device?
FPGAs – field-programmable gate arrays – are an incredibly diverse method of extracting multifunctionality from a single piece of silicon. The usefulness of these devices is encouraging a renaissance of their use in military-focused embedded systems as developers scramble to be at the front of the queue for new interoperability contracts in FACE [Future Airborne [...]
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VITA standards activity updates
Note: Since March, the VITA standards meetings have all been virtual-only via WebEx. This update is based on the results of the September meeting. Contact VITA if you are interested in participating in any of these working groups. Visit the VITA website (http://www.vita.com) for details on upcoming VITA meetings. ANSI accreditation Accredited as an American National Standards [...]
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VPX Performance Boost
VITA members have been working on performance improvements to the VPX roadmap for the past several years. The trends: New applications demand ever-increasing amounts of bandwidth. At the same time, the community seeks a migration path that preserves the work done over the past 15 years. Higher data-rate protocols are being designed into OpenVPX [...]
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Kovid Krazy
Last spring, I wrote about our entry into the first phase of COVID-19 pandemic with sheltering in place to slow the spread. That went reasonably well for a couple of months, but the natives got restless and now we are breaking new case and death numbers every day, in every corner of the U.S. In [...]
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VPX and OpenVPX: Design aspects of enclosure technology
The VPX standard (VITA 46) is an advanced development of the VME standard, which was introduced in 1981. Similar to VME, VPX defines the electrical and mechanical specifications for assemblies and systems; in addition, the mechanics are based on the 19-inch standards IEC 1101-1 and IEEE 1101-10. These standards specify boards and backplanes in the Eurocard format 3U as well as in 6U and a depth of 160 mm each (assemblies 6U by 160 mm – 233.35 mm by 160 mm or 9.187 inch by 6.299 inch or 3U by 160 mm – 100 by 160 mm or 3.937 inch by 6.299 inch).
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2020 State of the VITA Technology Industry - Spring Edition
My report covers the state of the VITA technology industry in particular and of the board and system industry in general, in markets such as aerospace, defense, space, industrial, and more.