Technology Feature
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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.
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Cost benefits of FPGA and FMC for embedded systemsdevelopment
The FPGA Mezzanine Card (FMC), as defined by industry standard VITA 57.1, can be used to greatly improve project risk management and bring products to market faster due to its flexibility and performance. FMCs are very effective for system upgrades and technology insertion, and using them makes it easier to incorporate new technologies such as higher resolution A/Ds and D/As as they become available.
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Bringing LTE to OpenVPX
Reliable communications are critical in defense applications, and the ability to set up ad hoc networks where existing communications are absent or damaged is key to future combat systems. When assessing the next generation of technology with which to upgrade existing military communications infrastructure, it's difficult to ignore standards-based solutions such as Long-Term Evolution (LTE) systems.
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Chassis management for VPX systems
Systems built to VITA standards, such as VME, have not traditionally needed the high reliability of many of the telco systems, and have relied upon front panel LEDs to indicate fan failure, voltage monitoring, and thermal issues with the boards and chassis. While VME has long been the preferred architecture of the military and aerospace industry, as higher speeds and increased reliability became more critical to system operation, it was apparent that these older architectures just wouldn’t cut it. VPX, or VITA 46.0, was VITA’s answer to implement modern high-speed interconnects, real-time monitoring, and remote mitigation of certain system parameters in harsh environmental applications.
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Validating the interoperability of VITA 46.11-based system management elements
VITA 46.11 was adopted by the VITA Standards Organization (VSO) as a Draft Standard for Trial Use in November 2013. VITA 46.11 aims to enable the creation and integration of standardized, independently implemented, chassis and plug-in module system management components, reducing integration time and cost, as well as time to theatre. The article “System management on VPX: Leveraging VITA 46.11 for VPX plug-in modules,” in the Spring 2014 issue of VITA Technologies introduced the standard, with an emphasis on its plug-in module level.
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Small form factors get deployed
Several key DoD programs (DARPA, VICTORY, MOSA, etc.) are driving standards where Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) are key considerations. Small Form Factor (SFF) boards and systems are key components in many of the programs.
