Technology Feature
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Lead-free or not lead-free: High-reliability options for system designers
Reliability is a key requirement for military and aerospace systems and assemblies. Curtiss-Wright has been highly focused on ruggedness and reliability as a leading supplier of COTS [commercial off-the-shelf] electronics for more than 30 years. Over a decade ago, as lead-free (LF) components started to become mainstream, we developed strategies and a vast amount of technical expertise for dealing with this huge change. The result of these extensive efforts is that we are able to offer customers the choice, based on their requirements and preferences, of both tin-lead solder and LF solder-based designs, with both exhibiting the high reliability that customers need and expect from Curtiss-Wright. We now have over ten years of LF product reliability data to back up our claim of being the trusted, proven leader in rugged electronics reliability.
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Versatility is key as OpenVPX enclosure requirements continue to evolve
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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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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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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Mezzanine madness: The future of VITA mezzanines
It has been several years since the introduction of a new mezzanine form factor for low-profile applications. The VITA membership has been doing some soul-searching to determine what should be next. Plenty of controversy is in the air, with everything from simple right-angle edge connections and optical links to the carrier being thrown into the fray. [...]
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VPX road map
The original work on VPX started in 2004 with the formation of the VITA 46 working group. Since then, many enhancements have been added to the family of standards supporting the VPX architecture. Features such as advanced cooling schemes and connectivity – for RF and optical – have greatly extended the capability of VPX-based platforms, enabling them [...]
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SpaceVPX-enabling the next generation of satellite constellations
Almost 5,000 artificial satellites orbit our planet with just over 1,900 of them operational. These satellites provide us with communication networks, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) coverage, technological research, as well as scientific and Earth observation data. Historically, our military forces utilized geosynchronous equatorial orbit (GEO) satellites for their reconnaissance and communications networks. These satellites orbit at an altitude of [...]
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Embedded Tech Trends 2019 Wrap-up
In January, Embedded Tech Trends 2019 was held San Diego, California at the Andaz. Located in the heart of the famous Gas Lamp district, the attendees had ready access to great dining and local SoCal activities like the San Diego zoo and the USS Midway. The theme for 2019 was “The Future is Now!” The [...]
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Digital meets RF
In the not too distant past, computers and RF were not to be in the same room, let alone the same piece of computing equipment. Then over the years the two became friendlier as microprocessors were used to control radios and eventually led to the creation of soft radios and today’s highly popular smart phone.
Ivan Straznicky, Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions
Jim Mosier, TE Connectivity
