Technology Feature
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Static analysis and the impact of the target architecture
New static analysis tools work by performing an abstract execution of a program model, but these executions must consider target architecture subtleties in order to counteract the What You See Is Not What You eXecute (WYSINWYX) effect.
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Next-gen C++ API for avionics apps enhances application development
A next-gen C++ API is eliminating several avionics data bus engineering challenges. No longer must avionics application programmers become very familiar with the interface module's hardware implementation. Additionally, Object Oriented (OO) programming and design methods are supported, as are multiprocess, distributed applications,
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Making COMs rugged enough for harsh applications: VITA 59 opens the door for true standardization
COMs were designed to provide a streamlined method of implementing embedded computing with minimal developer effort. However, with many COM variations yet no standardization, embedded designers couldn't fully realize COMs' flexibility. Now VITA 59 is overcoming these difficulties and more by incorporating advanced cooling techniques, addressing shock and vibration, and keeping in mind both legacy and future technologies.
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When half isn't exactly half: 3U vs. 6U VPX
VPX has returned to defining both a 3U and 6U format, allowing designers to choose the best for their application. But the choice is not as simple as it seems on the surface. We learned in grade school that 3 is half of 6, but is 3U half of 6U?
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Automated CDC verification protects complex electronic hardware from metastability failures
FPGA and ASIC design complexity is becoming an issue for many safety-critical industries. What was once a discrete component is now merely a block in a bigger system, but all within a single chip. Each block has its own function and likely its own clocking requirements. Because the number of independent (and asynchronous) clock domains is on the rise, the probability of bugs due to CDC issues is also growing. Metastability is a resulting problem, but automated tools for CDC verification can overcome the shortcomings of manual approaches and ensure complete resolution.
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Eclipse helps overcome development challenges in modern safety-critical IMA systems
While IMA systems solve a number of operational and environmental problems for aircraft manufacturers, they present a number of issues that span the entire development cycle: the ability to transition the environment during development, integrate multiple vendors, support multiple connection methods, and ensure a partition-safe environment. However, using both software- and hardware-based tools utilizing a common Eclipse-based IDE is proving a viable remedy.
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COTS Ethernet and USB I/O solutions provide bus independence
The addition of general purpose I/O to both VME and PMC system buses has historically had its challenges: limitations in COTS I/O module diversity and insufficient slots for I/O. However, USB and Ethernet I/O options are effectively eliminating these hassles.
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The Little BEAR that could: The robot that saves lives
Field commanders might feel a moral dilemma when faced with whether to risk the life of a healthy soldier in order to rescue an injured one. However, a new Battlefield Extraction-Assist Robot (BEAR) is gearing up to prevent these casualties by rescuing injured soldiers from dangerous battlefield venues.
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VXS and VPX: Cooling these hot (literally) new architectures in ATRs
VPX and VXS mean higher power levels, but they also mean hotter enclosures. However, conduction and liquid cooling methods are helping designers face the challenge, but both methods have their trade-offs.
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Critical systems on small platforms need ultra-compact computing
A new generation of real-time, ultra-compact, rugged, and powerful computers is starting to appear on the critical systems horizon, ideal for transforming unrelenting sensor data streams into information that is usable at data transmission bandwidths.
