Tech Recon Networking the Battlespace
Ethernet Shines as Fabric for Sensor Nets 1 Gbit and 10 Gbit Ethernet technologies have emerged as ideal solutions for networking multiple sensors to data processing, recording and instrumentation gear in military systems. Greg Bolstad, Chief Systems Architect Critical I/O
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digital imaging systems, digital receivers, video systems and many others. Sensor-to-processor connectivity has typically been the domain of proprietary interface implementations, or narrowly adopted standards such as Front Panel Data Port (FPDP) or Serial FPDP. These types of technologies have the advantage of simplicity and relatively low latency. They have the strong disadvantage of extremely limited network capabilities—
typically none—and they require the use of special-purpose interface hardware and software in the processor system that is receiving the sensor data.
s a command and control technology, Ethernet has been used in milid tary systems for many years. But as Ethernet for Sensor Data Ethernet continues to evolve to higher While many system designers would exploration not automatically think of using Ethernet er your goal and higher levels of performance and caeak directly pability, it’s now taking on much more as a sensor data network, there are many l page, the data-intensive and time-critical applicaadvantages in doing so. Ethernet provides resource. tions. Both 1 Gbit and 10 Gbit Ethernet a true general switched network, with chnology, and products can now—when properly implemented with offload technology—provide a ed highly deterministic, high-performance Optional Sensor fabric suitable for the most demanding Management Processor real-time applications. 10 Gbit Ethernet in particular will have a greater impact on real-time systems Wide-Band than any prior advancement. It holds the FPDP, FPDP2, Sensor panies providing solutions now LVDS, PCIe promise to displace niche data network Device ration into products, technologies and companies. Whether your goal is to research the latest orderpage, of magnitude lication Engineer,fabrics, or jump toproviding a company'san technical the goal of Get Connected is to put you Standard Sensor to increase performance, Streaming ice you require for whateverin type of technology, yet maintaining 1G or 10G 1G or 10G Ethernet Digital I/O Ethernet ies and productsfull you are searching for. Ethernet compatibility with prior variants of Bridge Switch www.cotsjournalonline.com/getconnected Ethernet. In particular, both 1 Gbit and Camera, 10 Gbit Ethernet technologies are finding A/D, Digital Sensor Receiver Management a home in the implementation of flexible Sensor Data Networks that are used to connect multiple sensors to data processing, recording and instrumentation systems in a variety of sea, land and airborne Signal Processors Recorders Instrumentation military systems. Examples of sensor subFigure 1 systems that can leverage Ethernet sensor networks include radar and sonar sensors, Because of Ethernet’s capabilities to route data to multiple destinations, to multicast and to broadcast, it’s a great solution for sensor networking. Since Ethernet always provides a Get Connected bidirectional path, it can be used to communicate with and control the sensors. Shown here with companies mentioned in this article. is an example of a sensor-to-processor system connected via Ethernet. www.cotsjournalonline.com/getconnected
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[ 32 ] COTS Journal July 2007 Get Connected with companies mentioned in this article. www.cotsjournalonline.com/getconnected