COTS Journal

June 2019, Volume 21 – Number 6 • cotsjournalonline.com

The Journal of Military Electronics & Computing

JOURNAL

Xtreme Cube supplies turn-key mobile command center for drone-based inspections Commercial Solutions for Classified Enables Mobile Command Posts

The Journal of Military Electronics & Computing COTS (kots), n. 1. Commercial off-the-shelf.

Terminology popularized in 1994 within U.S. DoD by SECDEF Wm. Perry’s “Perry Memo” that changed military industry purchasing and design guidelines, making Mil-Specs acceptable only by waiver. COTS is generally defined for technology, goods and services as: a) using commercial business practices and specifications, b) not developed under government funding, c) offered for sale to the general market, d) still must meet the program ORD. 2. Commercial business practices include the accepted practice of customer-paid minor modification to standard COTS products to meet the customer’s unique requirements.

JOURNAL

—Ant. When applied to the procurement of electronics for he U.S. Military, COTS is a procurement philosophy and does not imply commercial, office environment or any other durability grade. E.g., rad-hard components designed and offered for sale to the general market are COTS if they were developed by the company and not under government funding.

SPECIAL FEATURES 16

Xtreme Cube supplies turn-key mobile command center for drone-based inspections

By Brandon Main, CEO XTreme Cubes

SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT 20

DEPARTMENTS 06 Publisher’s Note

Is AI Transforming Federal Systems as we know it?

08

The Inside Track

Commercial Solutions for Classified Enables Mobile Command Posts

By Charlie Kawasaki, Chief Technical Officer at PacStar

COT’S PICKS 24

Editor’s Choice for June

Cover Image A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched right on time at 6:27 p.m. Thursday from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A carrying the SES-10 communications satellite for SES.

COTS Journal | June 2019

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The Journal of Military Electronics & Computing

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE

John Reardon, Publisher

Is AI Transforming Federal Systems as we know it?

In 1955 a Stanford Professor, John McCarthy coined the term “Artificial Intelligence”. At a time when Electro-Mechanical phone switches and Video recordings - known as film - were the norm, it is hard to believe that the impact was going to be as “George Orwellian” as it is felt in 2019.

Defined as “science and engineering of making intelligent machines, especially intelligent computer programs”, it seems an understatement when compared to the future impact to the world.

Although today there no single universally accepted definitions, the process of Inference processing is linked to the concept of Machine Learning and Big Data. Whether its to optimize processes, reduce backlogs, combat fraud, speed up decision making or extract value, it is apparent that future generations of Federal Systems will be implementing varies schemes of AI. Examples, I found were wide and varied. Some that you might expect, like the VA trying to improve the customer experience to the DoD planning for a crisis seemed well and good. When I considered the use of Facial Recognition for Home Land Security or the IRS tracking money for tax purposes, I couldn’t help but be a bit concerned. The quote I had read that 85 percent of AI results will be faulty through 2022 due to data errors almost put me in state of panic.

The ethical questions are amplified when considering the use of AI in applications that have normally been protected.

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Baby Boomers who have a strong sense of Civil Rights aren’t in Kansas any more.

From using the genetic code to triangulate criminal activities to using facial recognition to identify terrorists, AI has seemingly eclipsed the reasons for a FISA Warrant. It is this type of technology advances that creates a fear in those that remember tracking individuals during Nazi Germany and begs for caution when using AI. And in the same ways that the proliferation of Drones has caused lawmakers to scramble with new laws, use of AI in Federal Systems requires even more caution.

Even after acknowledging all the potential issues, the allure of AI is so great that it is my prediction that military systems, through greater and greater interconnects, will be examples of the most sophisticated AI systems in the world. Unlike the simple examples of your email filter, these complex systems will consider compound queries that will define a new level of accuracy.

They will challenge the most advance processors speeds and data pipes to draw upon data from sources around the globe.

The ethical questions are amplified when considering the use of AI in applications that have normally been protected.

COTS Journal | June 2019

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INSIDE TRACK

Northrop Grumman Demonstrates GPS Software Defined Radio Navigation Solution During Flight Test Northrop Grumman Corporation in partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory Sensors Directorate, demonstrated the first Software Defined Radio (SDR)-based, M-code enabled GPS receiver on production-capable hardware during a recent flight test. In real-time, the SDR acquired and tracked the modernized GPS military signal, known as M-code, during a live-sky demonstration.

Additionally,

Northrop

Grumman

Hex Five Adds MultiZone™ Security to the AdaCore Software Ecosystem, Providing Ada Developers with a Robust Execution Environment for RISC-V Processors Hex Five Security Inc., creator of MultiZone™, the first trusted execution environment for RISC-V, today joined AdaCore’s Partner Program to enable the secure execution of Ada applications on RISC-V processors. As part of the initiative, Hex Five has developed an Ada version of the MultiZone™ SDK and published a reference application showing how to securely run Ada software in MultiZone™ containers.

This deployment scenario is especially useful 8

COTS Journal | June 2019

achieved a security certification milestone by attaining Certification Requirements Review approval for the SDR-based GPS receiver from the GPS Directorate. This milestone constitutes a critical step on the way to fielding an M-code enabled GPS receiver that can be operated in an unclassified environment.

“Northrop Grumman’s secure software defined GPS solution provides an unprecedented level of agility and enables our cus-

in safety-critical domains, such as transportation, defense, and aerospace. With MultiZone™ Security, developers can rapidly configure open source libraries, third-party binaries, and legacy code to coexist with Ada applications, thus achieving unprecedented levels of safety and security.

“AdaCore has brought the Ada and SPARK programming languages to RISC-V developers, offering a state-of-the-art environment for safety/security-critical application develop-

tomers to outpace the threat,” said Vern Boyle, vice president, advanced technologies, Northrop Grumman.

Using a system-on-a-chip SDR approach, in lieu of the traditional fixed application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) design, enabled the platform to make rapid real-time field changes, an important capability in an evolving threat environment.

ment,” says Quentin Ochem, lead of Business Development at AdaCore. “By partnering with Hex Five Security we empower our customers to take advantage of third-party applications running alongside highly reliable Ada applications.”

“Ada sets the gold standard for developing safety-critical applications,” says Cesare Garlati, Founder of Hex Five. “However, the complex requirements of modern embedded systems are increasingly met with the integration of readily available 3rd party libraries - typically not written in Ada. MultiZone™ Security provides a robust and cost-effective mechanism to isolate untrusted 3rd party software, making it a perfect complement to Ada components.”

The

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BOXX and PAC Combine to Create Premium Hardware & Data Storage Platform

BOXX and Pacific Alliance Capital Storage Systems Combination Provides World-Class, End-to-End Computer Solutions

BOXX Technologies announced that it has joined with three major data storage divisions consolidated under Pacific Alliance Capital (PAC): PAC Storage, WCT, and PAC Data. PAC Storage is a premier developer and manufacturer of storage systems and WCT is a storage systems integrator/reseller, while PAC Data is responsible for storage distribution. The combination arrives as both BOXX and PAC are experiencing record growth. The pair of entities will report to parent company Craftsman Capital Partners, a Dallas, Texas-based private equity firm.

“There’s an explosion in the amount of data being consumed by our key customers,” said Rick Krause, BOXX CEO. “In fact, storage is the fastest growing area of the market segments we serve, so by joining forces with Rick Crane and Dave Holloway, the longtime, successful, senior PAC management and their excellent team, we’ll offer a complete portfolio of world-class storage solutions that deliver the highest levels of performance, efficiency, and reliability.”

Based in California and focused on data storage, backup, and disaster recovery, PAC has extensive expertise in SAN, NAS, and backup solutions. Through direct alignment with leading storage hardware and software innovators, PAC sales and engineering offers clients com-

Squirrel Compliancy Solutions Awarded Contract to Provide CCRI Support by the US Army’s Military Entrance Process Command (MEPCOM) Squirrel Compliancy Solutions is announcing the United States Army’s Military Entrance Process Command (MEPCOM) awarded a contract to Squirrel for their Automated Network Compliancy for DISA STIGs (ANCDS). MEPCOM is using Squirrel’s ANCDS solution to gain continuous monitoring and enforcement of their security posture and vulnerability risk awareness. ANCDS supports nine DISA STIGs audits and updates the audits as DISA revises or releases new STIGs.

plete solutions. The company’s goal is to assist enterprise consumers with data storage offerings through WCT or PAC Data authorized resellers.

“We’re excited about the opportunities that the BOXX team and technology brings to PAC’s existing portfolio,” said Rick Crane, PAC CEO. “This enables the PAC team to continue to expand our storage offerings which have grown exponentially driven by the increase in complex technologies, advancements in media and entertainment, and increased data security. With this consolidation, we together have the springboard to launch a premier end-to-end solution to successfully satisfy and enhance the accelerating demands in the marketplace.”

BOXX began primarily in media & entertainment, producing the fastest and highest quality hardware solutions for VFX, animation, and motion media applications. However, over the past decade, the hardware manufacturer has expanded to also develop products specific to architecture, engineering, and other markets which rely on professional 3D design applications. Data storage has always represented a tremendous opportunity for BOXX and as the company continues to add enterprise customers

MEPCOM enterprise network provides services to every branch of the United States

military. Squirrel’s ANCDS solution dynamically adjusts to the unique configuration of each remote site. ANCDS was able to identify vulnerabilities previously undetected by their

like broadcast networks and organizations with massive storage needs, PAC is a natural fit.

The BOXX and PAC combination also includes Cirrascale Corporation, a premier developer of multi-GPU servers and cloud solutions designed for deep learning infrastructure. The 2017 Craftsman Capital acquisition of Cirrascale enabled BOXX to add Cirrascale’s deep learning hardware to its line of multi-GPU solutions and solidified BOXX as the leader in multi-GPU computer technology. Cirrascale Cloud Services has continued to provide GPU-as-a-Service and other professional services offerings.

“BOXX is an incredible brand built on delivering the highest possible performance to the customer,” said Barrett Dean, Partner at Craftsman Capital. “With expanded resources and knowledge base, we have complete confidence that consumers will view BOXX as a one stop shop for end-to-end workstation requirements, especially now as BOXX completes their portfolio with data storage products. The highly experienced BOXX management team has done an outstanding job of building BOXX as a premium solution provider, so the addition of PAC further expands the BOXX brand into new markets.”

previous solution, automated the remediation process, reduced their risk exposure, and passed their subsequent Command Cyber Readiness Inspections (CCRI).

Squirrel’s Systems Engineer, Gilbert Bollinger notes, “MEPCOM struggled with completing a full audit of their network within a year due to the personnel hours and manual efforts required. After installing Squirrel’s ANCDS, we brought the time it takes to complete an audit down to 25 minutes. They can start the process and get a cup of coffee while it runs in the background. Now, they have a clear view into their security posture on a daily basis. MEPCOM saw an immediate return on their investment within the first month of using ANCDS.” COTS Journal | June 2019

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INSIDE TRACK

BAE Systems Attains Amazon DevOps Competency to Better Service U.S. Government and Commercial Clouds

BAE Systems has achieved Amazon Web Services (AWS) DevOps Competency Consulting Partner status. DevOps is a combination of practices and tools that enables users to evolve and deploy software at a faster pace than organizations using traditional software development and infrastructure management processes. AWS DevOps Competency Partners must

demonstrate expertise in helping organizations implement continuous integration and delivery practices or aiding in automating infrastructure provisioning and management with AWS configuration management tools.

“This trusted, independent accreditation of our technical proficiency furthers our position as the go-to expert for developing and operating government cloud environments,” said Peder Jungck, vice president and general manager of BAE Systems’ Intelligence Solutions business.

BAE Systems develops, delivers, and sustains secure cloud environments that can be customized to support government organizations transitioning to the cloud. To accomplish this, the company’s certified AWS DevOps professionals work closely with their customers to understand their missions and use the AWS cloud to quickly deliver applications and infrastructure, optimize cost and performance, and protect organizational assets.

“Using DevOps, we are able to quickly build, test, and deploy code to eliminate bugs, enhance mission functionality and implement cybersecurity protection quickly and efficiently, while also minimizing downtime,” said Manish Parikh, chief technology officer for BAE Systems’ Intelligence & Security business. “Our DevOps team is changing how our customers leverage the cloud throughout their enterprise to improve their overall user experience.”

The AWS DevOps competency is part of the company’s expanded government and commercial cloud service strategy. BAE Systems also offers its own Federated Secure Cloud solution, which has the flexibility to operate seamlessly on any commercial or on-premise cloud system, yet can be customized to support any government organization transitioning to a secure hybrid cloud environment.

Harris Corporation Awarded $212 Million F/A-18 Electronic Warfare System Contract Harris Corporation (NYSE:HRS) has been awarded a $212 million contract modification to supply the next production lot of electronic jammers to protect U.S. Navy and Foreign Military Sales F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet aircraft against electronic threats. The contract, which represents the largest order on the program to date, was received during the third quarter of Harris’ fiscal 2019.

Harris will manufacture and deliver Integrated Defensive Electronic Countermeasures (IDECM) jammers for the F/A-18C/D/ E/F variants, with deliveries under the new contract expected to be complete by August 2022. The Harris ALQ-214A(V)4/5 is the key onboard electronic warfare (EW) jamming system for the IDECM program, protecting the aircraft from electronic threats, including 10

COTS Journal | June 2019

sophisticated integrated air defense systems.

The award continues Harris’ 21-year partnership with the Navy and perfect ontime delivery record over the life of the IDECM program. The company has received $2 billion in awards to date from the Naval Air Systems Command for AN/ALQ-214 development and production.

“Our commitment to continually modernize IDECM has helped to keep naval aviators ahead of emerging threats and out of harm’s way,” said Ed Zoiss, president, Harris Electronic Systems. “The flawless delivery record to the Navy over the past two decades is a remarkable achievement and a reflection of the dedication and hard work of the Harris EW team.”

The

INSIDE TRACK

Abaco Wins Significant Orders to Equip New Sensor Processing/ Electronic Countermeasures Airborne Subsystem

• Solution leverages performance, flexibility, functional density of Abaco FPGA platforms Abaco Systems today announced that it had won significant orders from a major prime contractor to provide FPGA processor subsystems which will be at the heart of a C4ISR modernization/upgrade program. The new sensor processing/electronic countermeasures (ECM) solution will be deployed across multiple airborne platforms by the US Air Force.

The value of the program to Abaco over the coming five years is expected to be around $8 million, with hundreds of systems required.

The orders are for subsystems comprising Abaco’s rugged VP881 FPGA processing board, together with FMC216 and FMC116 FMCs, making a complete, single-source solution.

Such is the high degree of integration and functional density of the VP881, the customer was able to replace multiple boards in a prior implementation of the system with a single board, helping to reduce a legacy 12slot 6U VPX system to a 6-slot 3U VPX system – substantially improving the system’s SWaP (size, weight and power) profile. The customer also took advantage of the option-

al Firefly™ upgrade to enable even greater throughput.

“In advanced electronic warfare applications, FPGA technology provides the flexibility to rapidly implement responses to emerging threats,” said John Muller, Chief Growth Officer, Abaco Systems. “The solution we proposed reflects that need for straightforward reconfigurability, as well as the customer’s requirement for high bandwidth and advanced processing capability - on an open COTS platform.”

The 3U VPX VP881 is a high-performance FPGA processing board featuring Xilinx® Ultrascale™ and Zynq® Ultrascale+™ technology. It is designed for the most demanding, mission critical military/defense applications such as electronic warfare/ DRFM, radar/sonar image processing, satellite communications systems, multichannel digital transmission/reception and advanced digital beamforming. With seven Ultrascale FPGAs to choose from, as well as a migration path to a range of Virtex™ Ultrascale+ devices, the VP881 brings high performance, flexibility, and longevity to the 3U VPX form factor.

The FMC216 16-channel DAC FMC (FPGA Mezzanine Card) and FMC116 16-channel ADC FMC daughter cards are fully compliant with the VITA 57.1-2008 standard. The FMC216 provides 16 16-Bit D/A channels with sample rates up to 312.5Msps; the FMC116 delivers 16-channel 14-bit A/D conversion at 125 Msps.

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CP Technologies Expands into Full Rack Integration

For over 20 years, CP Technologies ( formerly Chassis Plans) has been designing and manufacturing computers, servers, LCD displays, storage arrays, and human interface devices to defense and industrial customers. CP Technologies is now expanding to offer hardware integration, including full racks and transit cases, in addition to continuing to offer individual components.

CP Technologies is the first rugged computer and displays manufacturer to expand into integration, creating a new opportunity for the industry to reduce cost and lead times while improving compatibility. The Company will also be managing obsolescence and revision control, while assuring the entire system meets Military Standards (Mil-STDs). With this new structure, Department of Defense (DoD) end users and Defense Primes will be able to deliver complete products faster and cheaper than before, with guaranteed compatibility. CP Technologies will be offering full customer systems with one part number with revision control of all sub-components.

Systems will be loaded with a basic operating system and will provide complete documentation to support the system, including a full drawing package.

Mike McCormack, President of CP Technologies shares, “Previously, the DoD end user or Prime would specify the hardware vendor and then select an integrator to integrate the hardware and customer specified systems into a rack with specific structured cabling, slides and cable management.

CP Technologies recognized that this added a layer of cost, additional logistical costs, increased lead times, and enormous configuration issues as the integrator has to assure compatibility of hardware, configuration management, revision control and obsolescence management. With our new model, we estimate a 20% cost savings for DoD end users and Primes while decreasing lead times and improving overall compatibility.”

AVX Aircraft and L3 Technologies Unveil Leap-Ahead Design for U.S. Army’s Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft-Competitive Prototype

Engineer. “AVX and L3 provide unique engineering design skills and manufacturing expertise that will provide the Army with an advanced, lethal and affordable reconnaissance and light-attack platform.”

The AVX Aircraft Company and L3 Technologies (NYSE:LLL) announced today their innovative compound coaxial helicopter (CCH) design, which is competing for Phase 1 of the U.S. Army Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA)-Competitive Prototype (CP) program competition.

The companies’ next-generation single-engine design, paired with a wing for lift during high-speed forward flight, provides leap-ahead capabilities in a faster, lighter and more lethal aircraft that requires less maintenance through its life cycle, featuring:

“We are collaborating to deliver a prototype that provides powerful leap-ahead capability for our warfighters at an affordable life-cycle cost.”

“This FARA-CP solution provides L3 and AVX an opportunity to demonstrate the agility and innovation that sets our team apart in support of the U.S. Army’s modernization priorities,” said Christopher E. Kubasik, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of L3 Technologies. “We are collaborating to deliver a prototype that provides powerful leap-ahead capability for our warfighters at an affordable life-cycle cost.”

“We are extremely pleased to reveal the design for this very important U.S. Army program,” said Troy Gaffey, AVX CEO and Chief

A fly-by-wire, side-by-side cockpit optimized for pilot efficiency • Two ducted fans that provide forward and reverse thrust for both high-speed operation and agility • State-of-the-art modern open systems architecture (MOSA)-based digital backbone and avionics systems • A small form factor that meets C-17 loading and Navy DDG shipboard size limits through manually folding blades and wings • Modularity that provides for component reuse and a high degree of systems commonality across all of the U.S. Army capability sets

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Luxembourg President Bettel signs Kleos Satellite Concession Highlights

• Satellite Operation Concession granted

by Luxembourg Government • Approval to operate under Luxembourg “Flag” • Kleos Scouting Mission operation ready Kleos Space S.A., a space-powered Radio Frequency Reconnaissance data provider, has been granted the Luxembourg Government Concession to establish and operate a Luxembourg satellite system (Concession).

The Concession, signed by Prime Minister, Xavier Bettel,is required to launch and operate theKleos Scouting Mission and any subsequent satellite constellations under the Luxembourg “Flag”.

The authority under the Concession reads (in part – translated from the original in French): “The Government grants KLEOS SPACE SA, as a private concessionaire, which ac-

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cepts, a Concession to establish and operate a Luxembourg satellite system consisting of a constellation of cubesat type satellites, including Cubesats 6U operating in circular low Earth orbit (LEO), in order to collect geolocation data from radio signals in the maritime VHF band.”

“The collected data should be able to detect activities involving border security, maritime safety, illegal fishing, arms / drug / people trafficking, etc.”

“To this end, the Government authorizes KLEOS SPACE SA to pursue activities in outer space in accordance with Article VI of the United Nations Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in Exploration and Development of use of outer space, including the moon and celestial bodies.”

Kleos’ CEO said “The grant of the Luxembourg Government Concession is within Kleos expected schedule. This operational milestone is one of many that our team has achieved in readiness for the upcoming launch of the Kleos’ Scouting Mission.”

SPECIAL FEATURE

Xtreme Cube supplies turn-key mobile command center for drone-based inspections

By John Reardon, Contributing Publisher When unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) inspection and data service provider AviSight Inc. needed a sturdy enclosure for its mobile command center, it found a turn-key solution provider a few miles southeast of its Las Vegas, Nev., headquarters.

Xtreme and Snorkel telehandlers and aerial work platforms as well as modular steel building structures designed for a wide range of applications. Cubes can be found at work in the firm’s outdoor booth during industry trade

Designed to facilitate inspection flights by autonomous drones, the company calls the C3ube (pronounced as see-three cube) the future of beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) data collection. The three C’s indicated by the brand stand for command, control and communications — each a key component to any unmanned aircraft system (UAS), a term that includes the UAV as well as the ground control and communication systems.

By permitting UAV flights over distances greater than previously possible, the company said it enables live data streaming within sprawling infrastructure facilities, such as during oil rig inspections. AviSight said its goal for the technology is to supplant helicopters and other manned aviation assets in certain applications.

“For its project, AviSight researched who builds what types of containers,” said Brandon Main, CEO, Xtreme Cubes, Henderson, Nev. “They saw our units and our in-house engineering and manufacturing capacities and asked if we could do a command center. We said, ‘Absolutely.’ Generally, on custom projects, we go through a couple prototypes. We’ve made some tweaks to the first prototypes and now we’ve got a stable design. We’re going into the initial production phase this quarter.”

The company manufactures a full line of 16

COTS Journal | June 2019

Avisght Inside Command Center

shows at Las Vegas Convention Center, including World of Concrete and ConExpo-Con/ Agg. The heavy-duty steel structures are also designed, manufactured and sold for specialty crop cultivation, construction, industrial,

military, residential and retail applications around the world.

Xtreme Cubes and the construction equipment business, Xtreme Manufacturing, operate as separate entities at the same address.

The campus in Henderson, where the company moved during 2015 and ’16, covers 80 acres.

The businesses currently share more than 450,000 sq.ft. under roof and maintain dedicated assembly lines for the telehandler and Cube product lines.

The company ships the UAV command center ready to work, including desks and monitors for two pilots and additional seating for back-up pilots.

“AviSight wanted something for rapid deployment, such as in a power outage,” said Main. “They want to quickly get the drone in the air and flying the power lines to figure out where the issues are. They do a lot of rapid deployments, but also long-term deployments where it might sit in one location for ongoing monitoring.”

Xtreme Cube installs the data equipment and gen-sets, as well, often with double or triple redundancy in place. In many cases the power source is up to the customer and power ratings are dictated by the application.

“We let our customers dictate their power needs, be it 100 kW for a remote location or where they basically just run overnight,” said Main. “They tell us their power demands and then we go ahead and spec the right units.”

For the AviSight application, the company sourced Kubota diesel engines for two 5 kW generators. The command center is mounted to a trailer for rapid deployment and can also be transported in a shipping container.

“The C3ube is a portable command station that can run completely off the grid,” said Main. “Along with generators, it’s got a battery bank, inverters and charger controllers because you

www.cemtrol.com

Avisight Command Center COTS Journal | June 2019

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don’t want the generators running when the pilots are flying the equipment. They shut the generators down and the batteries run the entire operation.”

framework,” said Main. “Our structural tube steel is what basically provides all of the load bearing capacity. Plus, we can stack our units multiple stories high.”

While the C3ube is a comprehensive package designed for UAS missions, Xtreme Cube also offers Power Cubes to protect gen-sets from theft or vandalism. “We supplied one with an enclosed generator to run a billboard on the Strip in Las Vegas,” said Main, “so people couldn’t get in and mess with the generator. Other applications combine wind or solar technology with a diesel for back-up. We believe there is a huge market for Power Cubes. We have already sold a lot them to oil, gas and mining applications.”

For applications where the Cube is expected to stand directly in harm’s way and keep customer and contents safe, the company partnered with Protective Technologies Group to create hazard resistant modules to protect from threats such as ballistics, tornadoes and fire.

“The U.S. Air Force is using one in Afghanistan,” said Main, “that was designed to withstand a ballistic threat such as a rocket-propelled grenade, an RPG. They laid out all the threats and we designed their Cube to handle all of them. They told that after about one year, it got hit by an RPG and everybody in the Cube survived. It’s still in use today because it did exactly what it was supposed to do.”

Main said Cubes are built to the application, ensuring customers are not transporting something that’s too big — or, as in most cases — too small. “You’ve got full flexibility when building a ground-up container solution rather than just using what’s readily available,” he said.

Many customers wrap the Cubes for advertising or other forms of branding, and the structure’s flat walls facilitate that additional benefit. “Rather than using corrugated sides for strength, we put all of the strength in our steel

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SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT

Commercial Solutions for Classified Enables Mobile Command Posts

By Charlie Kawasaki, Chief Technical Officer at PacStar

U.S. Army and Marine Corps tactical networking and command post programs have a widely acknowledged critical need to improve mobility, leading to the transition away from tent-based command posts to mobile, vehiclemounted command posts that can move quickly.

The current state of the art for tent-based command posts requires hours of setup and thousands of feet of copper wiring that delay network availability, resulting in a dangerous lack of situational awareness for commanders.

To address this issue, the US Army recently launched a new program called Command Post Integrated Infrastructure (CPI2) to design and field vehicle-mounted command posts.

One key technological goal of this program is “leveraging secure wireless technology for rapid connectivity”.

Secure Wireless Using Commercial Solutions To enable mobility for warfighting, the National Security Agency (NSA) established a program (with a set of guidelines) called “Commercial Solutions for Classified” (CSfC).

This program enables DoD organizations to transmit classified information using commercial-grade encryption solutions, eliminating the need for expensive, difficult-to-manage classified equipment. The ability of warfighters to securely transmit both classified and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) over Wi-Fi and LTE using smartphones, tablets, laptops and other Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) mobile devices is a “need to have” capability for DoD warfighters. This is due to technology advancements made by adversaries that necessitate warfighters to have access to the same secure communications connectivity while on-the-move as they do at-thehalt. This further requires that communications solutions are delivered in a smaller form factor – whether to fit in a backpack of a dismounted soldier or integrated into a transport vehicle - and operate wirelessly.

CSfC enables access to classified information using inexpensive, commercial technologies, providing benefits such as: • Enabling entirely new classes of wireless access to classified networks for warfighting

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• Significantly reducing equipment costs and simplifying key management • Simplifying equipment handling/security procedures CSfC-based communications solutions transmit classified information via two layers of commercial encryption solutions. Previously, the only means to transmit classified information was via expensive, controlled, military grade encryption devices such as SECNET-54s and KG-250s.

The Figure 1 on next page demonstrates how classified information can be transmitted over non-secured wireless connections such as Wi-Fi, LTE, and SATCOM, including public, government and partner networks. This is achieved using two sets of encryption technologies, one layered inside the other. Approved configurations include encryption using VPN inside VPN, VPN inside Wi-Fi WPA2, MACsec inside VPN, and TLS inside VPN. Organizations can select from a variety of technologies listed on the NSA CSfC Components List to create integrated solutions that enable classified networking over radio infrastructure such as SATCOM, Wi-Fi, LTE and mesh network, enabling vehicles to communicate with each other, to communicate with upper echelons/HQ, and enabling soldiers to use mobile devices such as laptops, tablets or smartphones, in transit, at the halt, and in dismounted use cases.

Mobile Command Post Communications using CSfC The U.S. armed forces have called for more mobility, maneuverability, interoperability and reduced setup time for tactical command posts. To meet those objectives, command post programs are moving away from large complexes relying on multiple tents, to architectures based on vehicle-mounted communications shelters utilizing wireless technologies.

Figure 1

This new approach promises to dramatically reduce setup time associated with constructing tents and data-center like infrastructure and laying thousands of feet of cable.

A complete modern architecture for mobile command posts includes CSfC wireless, public key infrastructure, and cybersecurity infrastructure mounted on main command post

platforms, and matching extension kits on remote (smaller) support vehicles. The main command post provides encryption, PKI and management services for the entire fleet of

Figure 2 COTS Journal | June 2019

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connected vehicles and end-user devices, and also provides Wi-Fi access points on the main command platforms for end-user Wi-Fi access.

On remote support vehicles and for Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) communications, extension kits use CSfC layered IPsec VPN gateways over meshing radio, enabling the transport of one or more classified and/or unclassified networks between remote support vehicles and main command post vehicles.

On remote support vehicles, for vehicle-to-end user (V2E) communications, the extension kits can include Wi-Fi access points configured to meet CSfC requirements that provide network access to end user devices such as laptops, tablets and smartphones. The remote Wi-Fi network can use layered encryption managed by the main command post vehicle, extending WiFi services to remote vehicles while minimizing SWaP for those remote vehicles.

Size, Weight and Power True mobility demands innovation and modernization designed to reduce size, weight, and power (SWaP) requirements. Not only do dismounted soldiers need mobility, but so does the network infrastructure to support them – when

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COTS Journal | June 2019

wireless infrastructure is vehicle-mounted.

To make this happen, programs are looking to small form factor, rugged, commercial-offthe-shelf technologies that fit within limited spaces and provide wireless network access inside vehicle shelters and between vehicles.

In contrast to legacy, data-center style 19” rack mount equipment, new generations of COTS equipment designed for tactical/expeditionary use are becoming available for use with CSfC-capable technologies. Additionally, with network function virtualization, many CSfC-required technologies may be co-located on a single server platform. Figure 3 on next page visually illustrates the size, weight and power savings with small form factor COTS equipment.

New tactical equipment, as compared to legacy 19” rack mount equipment, on average: • Is 10.4 times lighter than a typical 1ru server • Is 12.4 times smaller than a typical 1ru server • Consumes up to 18 times less power These types of low SWaP solutions enable maximum program flexibility, enabling vehicle-mounted, roll-on/roll-off, fly away, and sta-

tionary use cases, all using the same hardware platform.

Ruggedization and Environmental Testing To ensure reliable uptime of CSfC-based solutions in vehicle mount applications, components should be selected that have completed and passed a suite of MIL-STD testing appropriate for vehicle-mounted use cases, including environment, EMI and power (MIL-STD-810G, MIL-STD-461F and MILSTD-704D). These tests must be conducted by independent, outside laboratories, and, where applicable, with the equipment powered on and operating.

Configuration Management and Monitoring NSA CSfC requirements add complexity and training burden, imposed by the two layers of encryption and extensive security requirements. Organizations should consider CSfC-specific configuration management tools.

These tools can simplify the setup, configuration, and management of the underlying equipment and devices used in CSfC solutions.

Figure 3

Such tools can provide a base level of capabilities which include: • Enabling the deployment of CSfC solutions, with attendant benefits, while reducing the amount of added complexity and training • Providing a unified interface (“a single pane of glass”) to underlying equipment from multiple vendors • Providing means to monitor multiple sets of equipment, in fixed/branch offices and tactical settings, enabling lightly trained operators to manage the equipment • Managing PKI, certificates, VPN and Wi-Fi encryption configuration to ensure compliance with security requirements.

Available Now Available advancements in small form factor COTS hardware, virtualized networking and cybersecurity functions, combined with software management tools, make secure wireless mobile command posts possible – improving warfighter situational awareness, mobility and maneuverability – enabling US DoD overmatch and contributing to mission success.

Charlie Kawasaki, CISSP, is Chief Technical Officer at PacStar. Charlie joined PacStar in early 2005, and leads numerous innovation programs developing tactical solutions for secure wireless, cybersecurity and data center applications. Charlie is part of the PacStar team that recently won the networking equipment awards for both the US Army T2C2 and Marines NOTM vehicle-mount and deployable tactical communications programs. Charlie has over 35 years’ experience in cybersecurity, software and network engineering, and systems integration. He currently serves as a board member of the Technology Association of Oregon. He is vice-chair of the Oregon Cybersecurity Advisory Council (www. cyberoregon.com) , and is co-founder and manager of Northwest Cyber Camp (www.nwcyber.camp). For more information about new IT technologies transforming the battlefield visit www.pacstar.com.

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June 2019

COT’S PICKS Pleora Introduces Modular, Scalable Sensor Networking Platform for RealTime Military Imaging Systems

Pleora Technologies introduced a ruggedized sensor networking platform that helps manufacturers and system integrators reduce cognitive burden and increase mission-effectiveness for end-users while meeting interoperability and scalability demands in size, weight, power and cost (SWaP-C) sensitive real-time military imaging applications.

The company’s networked sensor switching expertise has been designed into local situational awareness (LSA), C4ISR, remote controlled weapon stations (RCWS), driver vision enhancer (DVE), and panoramic surveillance applications, and is being evaluated for emergency service vehicle and railway systems.

Military imaging systems have traditionally used point-to-point interfaces to connect sensors, processors, and displays. This approach adds system and integration costs, redundancy and failure concerns, and challenges future scalability. More critically, it results in complex, difficult to operate vehicle electronics (vetronics) systems for an already overburdened crew.

In comparison, the RuggedCONNECT NVPU converts sensor data from multiple sources into a standardized feed that is transmitted over a low latency, multicast Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) network to endpoints. With the scalable, modular Rugged-

CONNECT platform, manufacturers can design straightforward camera-to-display systems and cost-effectively evolve to fully networked architectures integrating different sensor and display types, switching, processing, and recording units.

The RuggedCONNECT platform meets video performance requirements outlined in Def Stan 00082 (VIVOE), STANAG 4697 (PLEVID), and MISB ST 1608 to enable to design of vehicle electronics platforms that comply with STANAG 4754 (NGVA), Def Stan 23-009 (GVA), and VICTORY guidelines.

Pleora Technologies www.pleora.com

“RuggedCONNECT leverages our low-latency networking expertise and user-focused design approach help increase intelligence, awareness, and safety while reducing cognitive burden for vehicle crew members,” says Harry Page, president, Pleora Technologies. “Manufacturers can design standards-compliant vehicle platforms that are rapidly deployable, mission configurable, and cost-effective. Our fully scalable platform allows easy implementation of future capabilities that increase mission effectiveness with minimum integration effort.”

The Biggest Thing in Anti-Jam Technology Just Got Smaller NovAtel® Expands GPS Anti-Jam Portfolio with the GAJT®-410ML NovAtel announced an addition to their GPS Anti-Jam Technology (GAJT®) portfolio, the GAJT-410ML. Designed specifically for rapid integration into space-constrained military land applications, this easy-to-use system protects GPS-based navigation and precise timing receivers, including M-Code, from both intentional and accidental interference.

The GAJT-410ML is the next evolution of NovAtel’s battle-proven anti-jam technology. It maintains the high levels of interference rejection performance as in the larger GAJT-710ML system, but in a lower size, weight and power (SWaP) design.

Working alongside the GAJT-410ML, the Power Injector Data Converter (PIDCTM) provides access 24

COTS Journal | June 2019

to the jammer status and direction-finding (DF) information. It also provides clean power and data over the same cable that delivers the protected GPS signal back to the receiver, which reduces the need for costly platform modifications. The PIDC can be supplied in either an enclosure or board and is available to license for installation into third-party equipment.

NovAtel Defence Segment Manager, Dr. Dean Kemp, notes, “Building on the success of our existing anti-jam portfolio, the GAJT-410ML is the first system to address the needs of smaller land-based platforms and add situational awareness capability to already high levels of mitigation performance.” Dr. Kemp adds, “This product offers more choices for system integrators and end users to protect against GPS denied or con-

strained situations and delivers on our commitment to provide assured positioning anywhere.”

NovAtel www.novatel.com

June 2019

COT’S PICKS OmniVision Announces Compact Global Shutter Camera Module for NearInfrared Mobile Facial Authentication, AR/VR Eye Tracking and Machine Vision CameraCubeChip™ Module Provides Low Power Consumption Via Multiple Standby Modes and Faster Global Shutter Capture and Processing During Active Mode OmniVision Technologies, Inc. announced the OVM7251 CameraCubeChip™ module. Built on the 3 micron OmniPixel®3-GS global shutter architecture, the OVM7251 offers designers a small form factor, low power consumption and cost effective 640x480 VGA resolution camera

module. The module is available in an 850nm version for AR/VR eye tracking, and a 940nm version for machine vision and 3D sensing in mobile facial authentication.

“Until now, most camera modules for these applications have been built with rolling shutters, which have latency issues. Meanwhile, global shutter modules have previously been too large and expensive,” said Aaron Chiang, marketing director at OmniVision. “Our new OVM7251 overcomes these challenges by providing a cost effective VGA module with global shutter performance in a wafer-level, reflowable form factor.”

The OVM7251’s sleep current consumption is 5mA, and during active mode, the module’s global shutter enables fast image capture. This combination can result in extended battery life for a broad range of applications, such as head-mounted displays for AR/ VR, facial authentication in smart phones, and machine vision for factory automation, barcode readers and robot vacuum cleaners. Additionally, by using the OVM7251 for eye tracking in AR/VR headsets, designers can further reduce power consumption by programming the system to only process the display areas where users are currently looking, instead of the entire image.

OmniVision Technologies, Inc. www.ovt.com

Avionics Digital Panel Meter For Military & Commercial Aircraft OTEK’s model APM was specifically designed to replace the “needle” meter standard in many aircrafts. The APM model conforms to Military and Commercial 1” diameter standards with a depth of 2.15”. Additionally, the model conforms to respective Mil-Standards of 461D, 704F, 130K, 810F, and 889B2 as well as being RTCA-160F compliant.

The APM can be loop powered, eliminating the need for an external power supply and expensive wiring. The <100mW loop power adds a burden under 5 VDC max to the loop and has an operating range of 3-36mADC. The APM features 4-20mA or a VDC signal input, 0-5VRMS/VDC for intensity control, and 5-48VDC power input. The 4 digit (9.9.9.9) display comes in standard red, green or blue. The display can also be NVG3 compliant (green display only).

The APM is conducive for an altitude up to 50,000’ and weather conditions from -20°C to 70°C. The accuracy and linearity of the APM is +0.05%. It weighs 1.5 oz and its display consists of 0.25” high efficiency LED’s. The APM also adheres to a Cyber Security Exempt status, as it was designed without any digital assets.

Oteks AS www.oteks.ee

COTS Journal | June 2019

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June 2019

COT’S PICKS

Viasat Expands ‘Edge to Cloud’ Network Encryption Portfolio with Introduction of First Type 1 100 Gbps Ethernet Encryptor Viasat Continues Secure Networking Leadership; Builds on IP Encryption Heritage by Delivering the Most Bandwidth- and Cost-Efficient Ethernet Encryptor for Government Cloud Computing and Data Transport

Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT announced the Viasat KG-142, a first-to-market 100 Gbps Type 1 Ethernet encryptor delivering speeds 10x faster than existing solutions, and with significant improvements in network performance.

With the new KG-142 high-speed Ethernet encryptor, government users can better meet the bandwidth and security needs for cloud computing and real-time data transport across the battlespace.

The introduction of the KG-142 combines

decades of experience protecting classified government data with proven innovation in broadband networking. This product is the first Type 1 MACsec Ethernet encryptor capable of operating at speeds up to 100 Gbps. It delivers the encryption power of 10 separate 10 Gbps encryptors in a single rack unit, increasing scalability, and minimizing network overhead for Layer 2 Ethernet communications up to TS/SCI (Top Secret / Sensitive Compartmented Information).

By bringing the KG-142 to market, Viasat broadens its ‘edge to cloud’ network encryption portfolio. The new encryptor comes on the heels of the recently announced NSA-certified KG-250XS, which is the lowest size, weight, and power (SWaP), rugged HAIPE® IS v4.1 network encryptor, and is compatible with Viasat’s family of field-proven Type 1 HAIPE devices.

“When it comes to secure networking, Viasat has a clear competitive advantage in pro26

COTS Journal | June 2019

viding innovative and network-efficient ‘edge to cloud’ encryption solutions to the U.S. government,” said Jerry Goodwin, chief operating officer, Government Systems Division, Viasat. “We are committed to lead the market with our Type 1 network encryptors, enabling warfighters to securely access classified communications across the entire battlespace. From the KG-142 to the KG-250XS to our Type 1 embeddable security modules, we are providing best-in-class solutions that meet the evolving communications needs of our forces.”

Paul Pittelli, NSA Deputy Director, Trusted Engineering Solutions, commented, “Continuing our enablement of secure communications for the DoD, we are pleased to partner with Viasat to deliver the first 100 Gbps Layer 2 encryptor, enabling our users to safely transport more data than ever before. The introduction of the Viasat KG-142 represents a key milestone in securely enabling cloud networking for clas-

sified government data and communications.

Having a single box capable of 100 Gbps speeds will greatly reduce the power and space requirements for high-speed Ethernet encryption at Layer 2.”

A high-speed, low-latency encryptor, the Viasat KG-142 conforms to the NSA’s new Ethernet Security Specification (ESS) standard, ensures interoperability across government networks, delivers protection at the highest security standards and has been tested for high-reliability. It also uses a field-proven software-upgradeable design to ensure the network’s security framework can evolve to meet future cybersecurity standards and interoperability requirements, without hardware changes.

NSA certification is expected by October 2016.

Viasat Inc. www.viasat.com

June 2019

COT’S PICKS The First VITA 66.5 compliant 3U VPX Xilinx Kintex® UltraScale™ FPGA board, available on the market Interface Concept, a leader in Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) solutions is announcing the IC-FEP-VPX3f board, a new high-speed 3U VPX FPGA board based on the Xilinx Kintex® UltraScale™ technology and designed for the signal-processing-intensive applications of high-performance embedded computing (HPEC) systems.

The IC-FEP-VPX3f board is the first VITA 66.5 compliant 3U VPX Xilinx Kintex® UltraScale™ FPGA board available today on the market. The VITA 66.5 standard enhances VPX capabilities by offering fiber optic interfaces on the board’s backplane connectors: the IC-FEP-VPX3f comes with 12 such full-duplex optical lanes.

Interface Concept has selected the LightCONEX™ LC 150G optical interconnect from Reflex Photonics to equip its IC-FEP-VPX3f, as it is the only full-duplex optical interconnect with 24-lane transceivers on the market. It provides bandwidth in excess of 150 Gbps, and delivers unprecedented performance to our FPGA VPX board.

The IC-FEP-VPX3f board integrates the following key devices: a user-programmable Xilinx Kintex® UltraScale™ FPGA (KU060, KU85 or KU115) based on the cutting-edge 20 nm technology and which provides higher performance than its predecessors while maintaining low power consumption; 8GB of 64-bit wide DDR4 (2 x Bank of 4GB); 2*128 Mbytes of QSPI Flash for bit streams storage; 1*128 Mbytes of QSPI Flash for user data storage; one Xilinx Artix® -7 transceiver optimized FPGA.

From an interface point of view, the Kintex® UltraScale™ FPGA directly connects to the board’s backplane connectors via SERDES, LVDS and fiber, thus optimizing digital signal processing, packet processing and board transfer performance with achievable data rates of up to 16.3 Gbps. Up to 3*4-lane fabric ports are available on the board’s VPX connectors, configurable as either 3 * GTH x4 to Fat Pipes on the P1A and P1B VITA 66.4 connectors, or 3 * GTH x4 to 12 optical transceivers on the VITA 66.5 connector (12TRX). In addition, 28 FPGA GPIOs are made available on the P2 VITA 66.4 connector.

The board is delivered with host drivers and an example design including hardware IP Resources (VHDL code) that can be used to implement PCI Express Gen2/Gen3 links, 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports (XAUI, 10GBase-KR) and Xilinx Aurora. A VITA 57.4 compliant FMC+ site is available to plug in an FPGA Mezzanine Card (see our FMC modules range). Additional accessories include an Engineering kit (JTAG ports for FPGA configuration) and rear transition modules. From a firmware standpoint, the ICFEP-VPX3f board is compatible with the Xilinx development tools (Vivado, platform cable).

The board is available in standard, aircooled and conduction-cooled grades (85°C).

Interface Concept www.interfaceconcept.com

COTS Journal | June 2019

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June 2019

COT’S PICKS Basler ace 2: Next Generation of the ace Camera Series with Unique “Beyond” Features Basler launches the next generation of its ace camera series: ace 2. An optimized hardware design, the latest CMOS sensors and powerful features such as Compression Beyond, Pixel Beyond and PGI ensure higher frame rates, reduced data volumes and superior image quality. The new ace 2 series kicks off with four models each in the ace 2 Basic and ace 2 Pro product lines. They feature Sony’s IMX392 sensor, offer 2.3 megapixels resolution, and deliver up to 160 frames per second.

Camera manufacturer Basler presents a fundamentally new model series with its new camera series ace 2, which takes into account the rise of various customer needs with regard to cost-effective solutions for standard applications on the one hand, and increased performance requirements on the other. The ace 2 Basic product line is tailored to the standard tasks of a vision system, while the ace 2 Pro line provides valuable support for more demanding requirements,

thanks to powerful new in-camera features such as Pixel Beyond and Compression Beyond.

Both product lines - ace 2 Basic and ace 2 Pro - feature state-of-the-art CMOS sensor technology, optimized hardware design, and improved image quality. Both lines are available with both GigE and USB 3.0 interfaces and can be combined with Basler’s extensive accessory portfolio. ace 2 Basic The ace 2 Basic is specifically designed for the standard requirements of a vision system in terms of functionality and price awareness and fulfils these tasks in an exemplary manner and with the usual reliability. The first four models are equipped with Sony’s IMX392 sensor, offer 2.3 megapixel resolution at a frame rate of 51 fps in the GigE version and up to 160 fps with USB 3.0 interface. The advantage for customers: they only pay for what they really need for their application.

ditionally offer powerful in-camera features: in addition to the proven PGI feature set, with Compression Beyond and Pixel Beyond, they include two unique new features, patent pending from Basler, which contribute directly to increasing the performance of a vision system.

The ace 2 Pro product line offers features that are unique in the market: Compression Beyond compresses image data directly in the camera’s FPGA, in real time and without sacrificing image quality. As a result, more bandwidth is available, which in turn ensures considerably higher frame rates, especially with GigE - up to two to three times the rate, depending on the image content. If required, the image data can be stored in compressed form in full resolution and thus require significantly less storage capacity. The advantage for customers: they can operate the GigE interface in their system with the same hardware up to twice as fast.

Basler AG www.baslerweb.com

ace 2 Pro The four models of the ace 2 Pro line ad-

COTS Journal | June 2019

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June2019

COT’S PICKS

Pentek Enhances Navigator Design Suite for the RFSoC Quartz Architecture

• Advanced FPGA development tools for RF and microwave applications • New capabilities support the Xilinx Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC • Navigator Design Suite speeds development and custom IP integration Pentek introduced several enhancements to its Navigator Design Suite for the Xilinx Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC. New IP expands Pentek’s existing IP library to over 140 cores for FPGA development on its Quartz Architecture platform. Pentek’s Navigator Design Suite includes the Navigator FDK (FPGA Design Kit) for integrating custom IP into Pentek factory-shipped designs and the Navigator BSP (Board Support Package) for creating host applications.

“The combination of the Navigator Design Suite and Quartz Architecture deliver some of

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the highest performance RFSoC FPGA designs available today,” said Robert Sgandurra, director of Product Management. “These enhancements demonstrate our commitment to providing our customers with the best tools possible to opti-

mize our hardware for their applications.”

Pentek www.pentek.com

June 2019

COT’S PICKS

New High Performance 24 Channel ARINC 429 Board from UEI

United Electronic Industries (UEI) announced the release of the DNx-429-516 ARINC 429 interface for use with UEI’s Cube and RACKtangle chassis. With 24 RX and 16 TX channels coupled to a high-performance FPGA, the board provides unprecedented flexibility to record, playback, process, and test their ARINC-429 traffic.

from specific labels or from labels whose data has changed since the last read

United Electronic Industries www.ueidaq.com

The DNx-529-516 board supports high speed (100 kHz) and low speed (12.5 kHz) operation, selectable on a channel by channel basis. The channel speed can be set to frequencies other than 100 and 12.5 kHz to support legacy devices that “push” the ARINC 429 standard.

256 word FIFOs on all channels ensure data integrity in both directions. The board includes an ARINC 429 receiver connected to each transmit channel. This allows the application to confirm the correct information has been written to the ARINC 429 bus. The TX drivers on the TX/RX channels can be disabled on a channel-by-channel basis allowing TX channels to function as RX. Channels may transmit asynchronously or based on a hardware-controlled scheduler supporting up to 256 unique schedules. The DNx429-516 provides a host of helpful filtering capabilities including the ability to only return data

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June 2019

COT’S PICKS MBloomy Announces Five Modules for Aerospace Automated Test and Simulation Systems

The new modules for the NI SLSC architecture test complex electronic and flight control systems.

Bloomy Controls, Inc. announced the availability of five new modules and accessories for the NI Switch, Load and Signal Conditioning (SLSC) architecture. Designed for aerospace hardwarein-the-loop (HIL) simulations for testing complex electronic control systems, Bloomy’s new SLSC products include: • SLSC modules and accessories8-Channel Thermocouple Simulator Module – Eight channels of galvanically-isolated thermocouple simulation • 8-Channel VDT/Resolver Simulation Module – Eight channels of variable differential transformer (VDT) sensor simulation • 8-Channel Load Module – Isolated current and voltage measurements for eight on-board 5W loads or off-board 120W loads • Multipurpose Module – A convenient solution in an SLSC system for applications ranging

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COTS Journal | June 2019

from a simple rearrangement of signals to installation of circuits and components • ThroughPoint™ Interface Panel – Highly-flexible connection between the unit under test and multiple SLSC modules and other system resources in an SLSC-based test system The new SLSC modules are a fundamental technology in the Bloomy Simulation Reference System, which is the common platform for Bloomy’s HIL simulation systems for Full Authority Digital Engine Controls (FADEC), Flight Control Computers, and Environmental Controls. In NI PXI-based automated test systems, the PXI chassis provides

power, cooling and a communication bus for modular instruments or I/O modules. Bloomy’s SLSC modules interface the general-purpose PXI components to the specialized, often complex signals of the unit under test. The modules provide signal conditioning and fault insertion and enable engineers to customize the standard I/O for high-performance aerospace test and simulation applications. Additionally, the cables and connections are designed so components can be reused from one system to another to meet future test requirements – reducing maintenance, integration time and troubleshooting.

“Bloomy has delivered turnkey HIL Simulators that are used by leading companies for testing aerospace Full Authority Digital Engine Controls (FADECs), Flight Control Computers and Environmental Controls,” said Greg Brown, Principal Offering Manager, Validation Systems, Aerospace, Defense and Government Business at NI. “These simulators are enabled by Bloomy’s modules, accessories and extensive real-time test application domain expertise and are a valuable addition to the NI ecosystem.”

Bloomy Controls, Inc. www.bloomy.com

June 2019

COT’S PICKS New 6U VITA 66/67 Hybrid Development Chassis From Pixus Technologies

Pixus Technologies, a provider of embedded computing and enclosure solutions, now offers a 6U OpenVPX chassis platform with a mix of VITA 66.4 optical connectors and VITA 67.3 RF connectors.

architectures. The company provides enclosure solutions in 19” rackmount, ATR/Rugged, development, and specialty small form factor designs.

Pixus Technologies Inc www.pixustechnologies.com

The open frame chassis features a 6-slot 6U OpenVPX backplane with the RF and optical connector cutouts. The specialty connectors can optionally be installed by Pixus. The OpenVPX connectors are pass-through for versatility in development. The backplane can be loaded to various requirements, with slots positions populated/unpopulated as needed. There are 3U versions also available.

The chassis includes a modular power supply for up to 6 VPX voltages. Card guides that accepted conduction-cooled boards are optional. Contact Pixus for C4ISR Modular Open Suite of Standards (CMOSS) and Sensor Open Standard Architecture (SOSA) options.

Pixus offers backplanes, chassis platforms, and specialty products in various modular open standard

VadaTech Announces a New VITA 57.4 (FMC+) module with 12 TX/RX Fiber MTP/MPO VadaTech announced the FMC258. The FMC258 is an FPGA Mezzanine Module per VITA 57.4 (FMC+) specification. It has a single Board-Mount Optical Assembly, providing 12 channel full-duplex transceivers with Clock Data Recovery (CDR) and front-panel Fiber I/O via MTP/MPO. The transceivers are

available in two speed grades - 10.6 Gb/s and 28.1 Gb/s per channel, both with multi-rate capability. The 10.6 Gb/s can drive 100 m over OM3 MM Fiber and 28.1 Gb/s can drive 100 m over the OM4 MM Fiber.

The FMC258 module also has an on board Ultra-Low Jitter Clock Generator with two independent fractional PLL. The clocking allows synchronization to an external clock input or onboard. Six clocks are routed to the GBT’s on the FMC+ pinouts and two are routed to CLK0 and CLK1 for a total of 8 clock outputs. The Module has 16 LEDs in Green/Yellow to allow for LNK/ACT, debugging or another user defined function.

Green Hills Software www.vadatech.com

COTS Journal | June 2019

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COTS COTS

Index

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