You can never have too much bandwidth. High-speed processing and growing amounts of data to be communicated require generous bandwidth from the board level to the I/O. VPX, with a backplane connector system supporting 6.25 Gb/s in a switched fabric architecture, is the latest generation of VMEbus and offers new levels of performance for embedded computer systems. VPX systems are designed for flexible application of demanding highspeed protocols, such as 10G Ethernet, RapidIO, InfiniBand, and Hyper Transport protocols, in ground, aerospace, and marine applications.

Anovel tested technology for cooling electronic circuitry is also useful in many other industries. The method is called “Thin Cavity Fluidic Heat Exchanger”(TCFHE). Technology details can be viewed at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Web site, at application 20100078155.

Sophisticated graphics have hit the embedded systems world and are increasingly demanded by military, aerospace, industrial, and medical applications. The problem, of course, is that graphics are challenging even in the desktop world. In embedded designs, they present unique issues that include very specific, non-standard functionality.

General Dynamics UK recently specified Green Hills Software’s INTEGRITY® real-time operating system (RTOS) as the operating system software for all of the mission-critical computers being used in the Scout Specialist Vehicles (SV) program. General Dynamics UK is currently in the demonstration phase of the Scout program. Green Hills Software’s MULTI® integrated development environment (IDE) has also been selected to build the application code that runs on top of the INTEGRITY operating system on all the computer subsystems in the vehicle.

Schiebel recently conducted the successful first flight of a heavy-fuel-powered CAMCOPTER® S-100 UAS (Unmanned Air System). After extensive development, the S-100 successfully made its maiden flight with a new heavy fuel engine at Schiebel’s range near the production facility in Wiener Neustadt, Austria. The Schiebel-designed engine fulfilled all expectations and series deliveries are scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2012.

Logos Technologies has begun delivery of the first two electro- optical/infrared Kestrel wide-area persistent surveillance systems to the U.S. Army for deployment on aerostats at forward operating bases (FOBs) in Afghanistan. Replacing interim, day-only Kestrels rushed to the battlefield last October, the new persistent surveillance systems will now offer sensor operators on the ground round-the-clock coverage of a forward operating base’s environs. This means greater protection for the warfighter in and around “the wire.”

Engineers from SSAI (Support Systems Associates, Inc.) have selected commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) 3U CompactPCI technology from North Atlantic Industries (NAI) in Bohemia, NY to be used in the replacement Loader Weapon Control Panel (LWCP) and Electronic Control Unit (ECU) for the AC- 130U gunship. The LWCP provides user interface for gunner control of the 40-mm and 105-mm weapons installed on the gunship. The ECU takes the mission computer commanded position and senses feedback on actual gun position to control the dynamic aiming of the AC-130U trainable gun mounts.