COTS Journal November 2019

November 2019, Volume 21 – Number 11 • cotsjournalonline.com

The Journal of Military Electronics & Computing

JOURNAL

Accelerating the Pace of Government IT Modernization Meeting the Challenges of the 21st Century with Mil Std 1553

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

Accelerating the Pace of Government IT Modernization

By Brian Hajost, SteelCloud’s President and CEO

DEPARTMENTS 6

Publisher’s Notes;

Barbara Barrett, United States Secretary of the Air Force

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The Inside Track

SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT 20

Meeting the Challenges of the 21st Century with Mil Std 1553

By John Reardon, Editor

COT’S PICKS 24

Editor’s Choice for November

Cover Image Fighters refuel over Alaska An F-22 Raptor from Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, drops back after receiving fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker over Alaska May 26, 2010. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Brian Ferguson)

COTS Journal | November 2019

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The Journal of Military Electronics & Computing

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COTS Journal | November 2019

PUBLISHED BY RTC MEDIA Copyright 2018, RTC Media. Printed in the United States. All rights reserved. All related graphics are trademarks of The RTC Group. All other brand and product names are the property of their holders.

PUBLISHER

John Reardon, johnr@rtc-media.com VICE PRESIDENT Aaron Foellmi, aaronf@rtc-media.com

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

John Reardon, Publisher

Barbara Barrett United States Secretary of the Air Force Every once in a while a person will inspire you to be better.

Barbara Barrett is one of those people. Recently sworn in as the 25th Secretary of the Air Force in mid October 2019, Mrs. Barrett has an impressive history that reflects a person on the move. In doing my research about just who she is, it is clear that her idea of public service is extreme, with a drive that I found to be almost herculean in nature.

Her home State is Arizona, where she graduated from Arizona State University with a Juris Doctor, she hold numerous honorary Doctorates, she has been awarded the Horatio Alger Distinguished American Award, The Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service. She has been inducted into the Arizona Aviation Hall of fames and was awarded the Sandra Day O’Conner Board of Excellence from the American Bar Association. She is an instrument rated pilot and a trained astronaut who was the first female pilot to land an F-18 on a carrier.

She has a curious mix of character traits. Her interest in ranching with a ranch in Montana and her shooting for the stars training to be an Astronaut; her many accomplishments and accolades and her willingness to share the lime light as a team player; her philanthropy and her interest in politics. Her sense of urgency – needing to take a private plane to have her movements keep up with her agenda and her bicycling over 900 kilometers through Finland; Barbara Barrett United States Secretary of the Air Force 6

COTS Journal | November 2019

her enthusiasm for mountain climbing and her relaxed demeanor. Not a paradox, but rather character traits of person who is driven to live a meaningful life.

In her role as the Secretary of the Air Force, she will oversee 685,000 active duty and reserve servicemen. Her stated goal is to take her budget of $202 billion, apply her knowledge of the Aerospace industry – having been an executive at two Fortune 500 companies – and to advance the Air Force through a strong partnership with industry. She talks like a diplomat, which makes sense as she was the US Ambassador to Finland, but she seems to approach technology partnerships like a Venture Capitalist.

Her drive, her sense of adventure, her intellect and her creativity make up an individual that will surely translate into a leader of the Air Force that will demand excellence and drive advancements.

.... stated goal is to take her budget of $202 billion, apply her knowledge of the Aerospace industry .... and to advance the Air Force through a strong partnership with industry.

Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett addresses Airmen during a town hall on Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Nov. 22, 2019. Barrett and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein answered questions on a variety of topics, including their priorities, overcoming challenges and retention. (U.S. Air Force photo

by Senior Airman Elizabeth Baker)

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Leonardo invests in the world’s first solar-powered drone capable of perpetual flight with heavy payloads Leonardo is accelerating the progress of technology and innovation in autonomous flight by investing in Skydweller Aero Inc., a US/Spanish start-up specialising in largescale solar-powered unmanned air systems. The initiative will result in the development and deployment of the Skydweller drone, the world’s first fully electric unmanned aircraft capable of carrying large payloads with unlimited range and ultra-persistent endurance. “As the key technological investor and partner of the project, Leonardo will broaden its capabilities in new power systems, autonomous flight, innovative aerostructures, ultra-light materials and ecofriendly technologies to improve the company’s competitive advantage in the aerospace business fo the next 20 years “, comment-

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COTS Journal | November 2019

ed Alessandro Profumo, CEO of Leonardo.

Thanks to its unique features, Skydweller combines potentially unlimited persistence and range with the flexibility of an aircraft. It will operate from existing airbases around the world, deploy thousands of miles away to areas of high need, and remain overhead for orders of magnitude longer than current aircraft.

This revolutionary platform will be used for purposes ranging from land and maritime surveillance to monitoring the environment and infrastructure, from industrial geo-information services to telecommunications and precision navigation. During emergencies and disaster-recovery situations, the system can

be rapidly deployed from distant locations to provide backup communications and direct support to first responders.

The Skydweller project builds on a proven and mature aircraft that successfully circumnavigated the globe in 2016. The first phase focuses on converting the aircraft from a manned platform into an Optionally-Piloted Vehicle (OPV) by integrating advanced autonomy algorithms and vehicle management systems. The second step of the project will culminate in the first production aircraft, designed solely for unmanned operations and hardened against a range of environmental conditions.

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GA-ASI To Conduct Series of Capability Demonstrations in Europe Working with HAF to Showcase Maritime Surveillance and Airspace Integration for RPA

Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GAASI), a global leader in Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA), announced that they are working with the Hellenic Air Force (HAF) in Greece to conduct a series of demonstration flights for European countries in December. Flights will base out of the HAF’s site in Larissa and use a GA-ASI MQ-9 Guardian RPA to showcase

maritime surveillance capabilities, as well as a GA-ASI-developed Detect and Avoid (DAA) system that enables RPA to fly safely in civil airspace alongside manned aircraft.

“We appreciate the HAF’s support in helping showcase the maritime surveillance and civil airspace integration capabilities of our unmanned aircraft in Europe,” said Linden Blue, CEO, GA-ASI. “The demand for affordable, long-endurance airborne surveillance of the seas surrounding Europe is growing.”

The demonstration configuration is based on the MQ-9 systems operated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in support of its maritime surveillance roles.

The DAA system consists of an air-to-air radar and processor integrated with Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS II) and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B). The DAA system from GA-ASI is operational in the U.S. The system’s collision-avoidance radar provides an essential safety feature for integrating unmanned aircraft into civil airspace.

The MQ-9 system will also demonstrate a multi-mode maritime surface-search radar with Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR) mode, an Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiver, and High-Definition/Full-Motion Video sensor equipped with optical and infrared cameras. This sensor suite enables real-time detection and identification of surface vessels over thousands of square nautical miles.

The featured Raytheon SeaVue surface-search radar system provides automatic

tracking of maritime targets and correlation of AIS transmitters with radar detection.

GA-ASI is also partnering with SES, a leading satellite communications (SATCOM) operator and managed services provider, with over 70 satellites in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO). SES will provide the GEO satellite connectivity that enables the MQ-9 to operate securely with a high capacity datalink, enabling real-time transmission of sensor data from the aircraft, and extending its effective operational range far beyond that of “line-of-sight” datalinks.

“With our global satellite fleet, SES has been supporting the critical needs of GAASI and their government customers who have operated these aircraft for close to two decades,” said Nicole Robinson, Senior Vice President, Global Government at SES Networks. “We are proud to support this demonstration effort for the Hellenic Air Force as part of our long-standing relationship with General Atomics.”

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Lockheed Martin recently demonstrated their laser weapon system for the U.S. Air Force at a government test range at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where the system successfully engaged and shot down multiple fixed wing and rotary drones.

The Advanced Test High Energy Asset (ATHENA) operated in a fully-netted engagement environment with a government com-

mand and control (C2) system and radar sensor. The radar track was provided to airmen who operated ATHENA via cues from the C2, then ATHENA’s beam director slewed, acquired, tracked and defeated the drone with a high-energy laser.

Validating this type of full kill-chain performance has been a priority of the U.S. Air Force and other branches of the Department of Defense, and it remains a requirement for laser

weapons to be effective against unmanned aerial systems (UAS) on the battlefield.

“We’ve watched in recent news this type of laser weapon solution is essential for deterring unmanned vehicle type threats, so it’s an exciting time for us to watch airmen compete Lockheed Martin’s critical technology.

ATHENA has evolved to ensure integration and agility are key and it remains an affordable capability for the warfighter,” said Sarah Reeves, vice president of Missile Defense Programs for Lockheed Martin.

The ATHENA system was developed by Lockheed Martin to integrate seamlessly and provide a cost-effective, complementary anti-drone capability with the network of systems the warfighter is already using. ATHENA was operated by USAF personnel during this demonstration, and it was able to destroy multiple drones in engagements representative of what is being encountered by U.S. armed forces today.

The ATHENA high-energy laser system is transportable and therefore enables the Air Force to emplace it anywhere they need to defend bases and high-value assets.

CIRCOR Aerospace & Defense New York & Lockheed Martin Enter Site Agreement for Hellfire Missile Program CIRCOR Aerospace Inc. announced that its Aerospace & Defense New York business has entered into a site agreement with Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) in support of the Hellfire Missile Buy 17 Program requirements for kinetic switches and modules (FY2018 through FY2021).

The estimated value over the term of the agreement exceeds $12.3 million. In addition, the parties have completed negotiations on terms of the contract and production pricing.

CIRCOR Aerospace New York ( formerly Aerodyne Controls) has been an innovative leader in the design, development and manufacture of kinetic switches and pneumatic actuation systems for military and commercial applications for over 50 years.

The partnership between CIRCOR and Lockheed Martin launched in 2011 with the design phase of the Safe & Arm and Impact applications for the Hellfire Program and has con10

COTS Journal | November 2019

tinued through the industrialization and production phases starting in 2013. The AGM-114R is the latest Hellfire II variant and is equipped with semi-active laser seekers to defeat many kinds of targets. The AGM-114R can be launched from fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, surface ships, and military ground vehicles.

CIRCOR spokesperson stated, “We are excited to continue to meet and exceed our customer’s expectations with this latest agreement.

Our technology is critical to the Hellfire Missile Program and we look forward to additional opportunities to support our military.”

The

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BAE Systems will create advanced radar jamming technology that will improve air survivability and mission effectiveness for U.S. Army rotarywing aircraft and unmanned aerial systems

BAE Systems was awarded research and development funding through the U.S. Army to create an advanced radar jamming technology. The technology aims to improve air survivability and mission effectiveness for U.S. Army rotary-wing aircraft and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) by detecting and defeating complex and unknown threats in electronic combat.

As part of the contract, BAE Systems FAST Labs™ research and development team will design technology to integrate adaptive radio frequency jamming and sensing capabilities into one system. Whereas today’s

electronic countermeasure systems are too bulky and heavy for most rotary-wing and UAS platforms, BAE Systems technology will combine multiple, software-programmable antennas into a digital phased array that will enable simultaneous functions, exceeding existing capabilities while reducing the size, weight, and power (SWaP) of current systems.

The technology will enable these platforms to safely fly closer to threats and within contested areas while remaining protected.

“With the continuously evolving threat landscape, it’s critical to provide the next-generation of digital phased array technology to better defend our armed forces in electronic warfare,” said Chris Rappa, product line director for Radio Frequency, Electronic Warfare, and Advanced Electronics at BAE Systems FAST Labs. “Our technology will give the Army’s rotary-wing aircraft and UAS a new, low SWaP system to securely and drastically increase their range of movements in future missions.”

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Collins Aerospace’s Special Mission Processor prototype will provide muchneeded processing power and futureproofing functionality for U. S. Special Operations Command “Future-proof” processor will increase efficiency and require less work to upgrade Provides the resources the warfighters need to power additional systems

Collins Aerospace Systems is one of three companies selected to help the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) increase efficiency and reduce aircraft downtime with a modernized Special Mission Processor (SMP). The new SMP prototype will address obsolescence and provide additional capabilities and processing

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COTS Journal | November 2019

power across its fleet of fixed-wing AC/MC-130Js. The shift toward Multi-Domain Operations is driving military aircraft toward increased demand for processing power on electronics and computer systems. Today, adding functionality means taking an aircraft out of service to perform extensive updates to proprietary operational flight program software. This is often time-consuming and expensive. Based on an open systems architecture, the Collins Aerospace Assured Multicore™ system will provide a certified solution to give customers the power they need, when they need it.

The new prototype, designed with the Collins Aerospace mature mission computing technologies, will also have built-in compatibility with COTS and third-party software products to

easily accommodate new functionalities as needed.

“We’re driving our innovation and investments to ensure our military aircraft are meeting the needs of the warfighter by providing them with a solution that delivers the power they need now and the functionality they’ll need in the future,” said Dave Schreck vice president and general manager for Military Avionics and Helicopters at Collins Aerospace. “We’ve listened to the needs of our customers and are developing the premier solution to match the speed at which upgrades are currently needed.”

Collins Aerospace is on track to deliver its first prototype next spring with a product selection by USSOCOM expected in the summer of 2020.

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Bombardier Connects with GE to Go Big on Big Data, Offers Free “Smart” Box for Challenger, Global Customers

Bombardier announced a Preferred Service Provider (PSP) agreement with GE Aviation. As of today, GE will power Bombardier’s cockpit and cabin connectivity solutions – including new, curated, service bundles that will simplify the selection of cockpit and cabin services with tipto-tail solutions for new and in-service aircraft.

This agreement is a first step toward the launch of Bombardier’s comprehensive Smart Link Plus connected aircraft program. Launching in the second half of 2020, Smart Link Plus will help Bombardier customers drive operations and maintenance decisions by leveraging fleet-wide data.

GE Aviation is also working closely with Bombardier on the development of the Smart Link Plus box – a Health Monitoring Unit (HMU) “smart” box capable of generating key data for customers, enabling them to increase operational efficiency, and minimize return-to-service times through data-driven decisions. The smart box combines GE’s joint venture, Avionica’s,

duced on the flagship Global 7500 aircraft and will now be adapted for eligible Challenger and other Global aircraft programs, further maximizing the Bombardier in-service experience.

“Bombardier business jet customers expect and deserve the latest and greatest technology advancements available and we are continuing to deliver a high level of sophistication,” said Jean-Christophe Gallagher, Vice President and General Manager, Customer Experience. “Our new Smart Link Plus connected aircraft program will create fully connected aircraft, enabling customers to access key data and insights to help with decision-making and flight operations. We are excited to announce this for our in-service fleet as well as new aircraft. Coupled with our extensive global infrastructure expansion, this digital transformation is the next step in dramatically enhancing Bombardier’s customer service experience worldwide.”

A key enabler for the Smart Link Plus vision will be through GE Aviation’s Digital Works services leveraging GE’s experience in data and analytics. Digital Works will support the operator including connectivity, cockpit communications, flight support, and safety applications.

The smart box technology was first introduced on the flagship Global 7500 aircraft and will now be adapted for eligible Challenger and other Global aircraft programs, further maximizing the Bombardier in-service experience. lightweight, highly functional and open architecture hardware with GE’s health and data management software.

Eligible Challenger and Global customers will receive this HMU “brain” free-of-charge.* The smart box, at the heart of the program, will provide aircraft data to Bombardier’s digital platform where it will be analyzed and transferred into actionable insights, drawing on Bombardier’s aircraft expertise and leveraging the power of the entire connected fleet.

Smart Link Plus generated insights will empower flight operations and maintenance teams to more efficiently dispatch, troubleshoot and track aircraft service needs. The free-of-charge Smart Link Plus box* will be available for installation on new and in-service aircraft at all Bombardier service centers.

The smart box technology was first intro-

“This new relationship with Bombardier will help streamline customer service relationships by offering integrated connectivity service offerings and customer support,” said Andrew Coleman, Senior VP, Digital Solutions of GE Aviation. “We are honored to be the preferred partner of Bombardier to create advanced technologies to help connect the aircraft with flight operations and improve overall efficiencies and capabilities. Our work is centered around delighting our customers and delivering industry-leading levels of service.”

The final stage of the program brings it to its apex: a fully connected aircraft that connects owners, maintenance crews, pilots and operators to data-enabled applications, while leveraging insights from the Bombardier fleet to unlock an unprecedented experience in one digital ecosystem, including future benefits such as aircraft predictive maintenance.

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Air Force Selects Lunar Resources and Rhea Space Activity for Next Generation USAF Space Capabilities Lunar Resources, Inc. of Houston, Texas and Rhea Space Activity (RSA), a Washington, DC, ‘New Space’ industry consultancy, have been selected by the United States Air Force (USAF) to further develop their innovative new concept for the deployment of a variety of defense-focused, space-based, orbital platforms.

A research project jointly developed by Lunar Resources and RSA was recently selected for funding by the USAF under its Small Business Innovation Research program, which identifies and selects startups capable of addressing 21st Century-and-beyond national security challenges. Under this project, which has been named “IN-SILICO” by both companies, Lunar Resources and RSA are proposing the development of a new supply chain architecture model that is focused on the construction of Department of Defense (DoD) equipment and platforms in-space, primarily to reduce the overall deployment costs of a variety of national security-focused space-based assets, and to optimize

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the performance of the US space fleet for future orbital communication and reconnaissance.

In furtherance of this development project, Lunar Resources and Rhea Space Activity will apply the technologies derived from the IN-SILICO program to advance Department of Defense and Intelligence Community priorities for space-based reconnaissance, telecommunication, and directed energy.

The IN-SILICO program is one of the selectees to be participating in the greatly anticipated, first-of-its-kind USAF “Space Pitch Day,” which will take place in San Francisco on November 5-6, 2019.

Lunar Resources is considered to be one of the leading companies involved in developing in-space manufacturing technology. Comprised of members of NASA’s former Wake Shield Facility program team, Lunar Resources is a technology leader in the in-space vacuum deposition field, having pioneered a highly versatile technology that fabricates performance coatings and thin film materials for direct use in a variety of space environments. This in-space vacuum deposition technology will enable the manu-

COTS Journal | November 2019

facturing of a variety of materials including solar cells, mirror coatings and antennas, all of which can be built out of the confines of the Earth’s atmosphere.

Lunar Resources CEO Elliot Carol welcomed the encouragement and confidence of the USAF: “Lunar Resources is very grateful to have the support of the Air Force, which has the unique, rarified experience and expertise we need to quickly demonstrate and deploy our technology enabling in-space manufacturing and on-orbit repair of DoD space assets.”

RSA founder and former U.S. government scientist Shawn Usman remarked, “The ability to reliably fabricate functional materials in space will usher in a new era of more sophisticated and more functional space-borne, surveillance, intelligence, communications and navigational devices – devices that will not be burdened by orbital placement via propulsion-driven delivery systems.

These new devices will prove their worth as they are deposited on significantly larger space assets than is now possible, and I expect this to be a revolutionary technology for the intelligence community, the USAF, and the greater DoD structure.”

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Monster hurricanes. Deadly typhoons.

Devastating tsunami

If it was once true, as the adage has it, that ‘everybody talks about the weather but nobody does anything about it.’, that is no longer the case today; the newest generation of ‘eyes in the sky’ weather satellites is indeed making it possible to do something about the weather, both in the short term and the longer term.

In fact, the two of them are connected, as climate change is generating more extreme weather.

In the short term, today’s weather satellites are sending back to Earth near real-time precision images that give earlier than every warning of dangerous weather in its formative stages, providing people more time to protect themselves and their surroundings.

In the medium to longer term, satellites tracking the change in the atmosphere and the oceans are revealing critical clues to scientists on climate change and global warming so that public policy can be informed to respond before it is too late.

The revolutionary insights from today’s weather satellites can be measured in performance of both quality and quantity of images.

A Big Breakthrough through 3D Imaging Sandrine Mathieu is Product Line Manager for Meteorology and Oceanography at Thales Alenia Space. The company has been prime contractor of all of Europe’s geostationary weather satellites for more than four decades and, as

leader in satellite meteorology, is today developing a new generation of earth observation satellites for Europe. Thales Alenia Space led the manufacturing of 7 Meteosat satellites in addition to 4 MSG (Meteosat Second Generation) satellites.

The company is now working on the third generation (MTG) ,partnering with OHB. This latest generation includes 6 satellites: 4 imaging and 2 sounding satellites which explore the internal dynamics of the atmosphere.

Sandrine Mathieu says, “Think of the atmosphere as a ‘millefeuille’ French pastry with layers and layers. Up until recently, we were only able to see the top layer. Today, we can see all of the layers to analyse them for temperature, pressure, and gas concentrations such as oxygen. This allows us to detect the changes that are the origin of storms, providing much more advance warning of extreme weather which climate change appears to be generating more frequently”.

So it’s not surprising that she compares this Thales Alenia Space 3D weather observation technology in value to “the difference between an x-ray and a body scan for a medical diagnosis”.

The company’s advances in satellite radar and optics are also behind the continual improvement in the quantity and quality of the images which weather satellites are today able to generate more quickly and with more useful information.

From thirty minutes between images when the first generation of satellites was launched to today’s ten minutes and, soon, an image every one or two minutes.

PIC Wire & Cable Launches New MACHFORCE Connector Product Line PIC Wire & Cable® – A Division of The Angelus Corporation, specializing in aerospace and defense interconnects, announces the launch of new 10G Ethernet connectors product line MACHFORCE™.

MACHFORCE is a D38999 style high-speed 10G data connector designed for rugged aerospace and defense applications. Its patented design offers the market’s highest density 10G Ethernet connector with several key features: • Ten 10G Ethernet ports to maximize data density and optimize space • Reliable electrical performance with multiple disconnects • Anti-decoupling ring allows for easy connect and disconnect with gloved hand • Easy termination and field repairable with quick access to terminated wires and standard 22D pins, sockets and tools PIC Wire & Cable has joined Crystal Group’s RCS7750-48CM rugged networking switch that incorporates five MACHFORCE connectors to yield 48 10G Ethernet ports. “We look forward to solving our customers’ unique interconnect challenges with a product consciously designed to enhance density, speed and reliability,” says John Lytle, Global Sales & Marketing Director.

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SPECIAL FEATURE

Accelerating the Pace of Government IT Modernization

By Brian Hajost, SteelCloud’s President and CEO For decades, the federal government has been hamstrung in its efforts to adopt new IT systems by the glacial pace of RMF accreditation and the manual processes required to secure any system connected to the outside world from security risks and inherent vulnerabilities.

As part of this process, systems must be hardened to standard Security Technical Implementation Guide (STIG) benchmarks. The STIGs provide configuration specifications for operating systems, database management systems, web servers and weapon system used by government agencies.

Streamlining this process, however, could dramatically reshape government operations and allow for shorter-duration projects that advance the cause of government IT modernization much more quickly – including moves to the Cloud.

The problem is STIGs are long and detailed.

Often containing hundreds of pages, adhering to or upgrading software or systems to a particular STIG has been a highly specialized manual process that can take many months to accomplish. In addition to the significant time involved, it requires well-trained engineers that are skilled in the technical system, operating system policies and security guidance.

With government IT modernization initiatives stimulating new legislation and increasing funding opportunities, it is even more critical to address a significant and continuous drag on the system: the painstaking process of securing the system to the specifications of the Defense Information Systems Agency, a support agency for the Department of Defense (DoD)

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This task adds to implementation costs and can add years before an Authorization to Operate (ATO) is issued. The task is so tedious and painstaking, and there is such a shortage of STIG experts, that it often prevents agen-

cies from pursuing modernization projects.

“With modernization, the government is spending a lot of money upfront, but they don’t get any benefit until someone can actually use the new technology in production,” says Brian Hajost, president of SteelCloud and an expert in automated STIG compliance.

“One of the things that must get done is the system must be ‘hardened’ and it has to be accredited through the RMF process before an ATO is possible.”

IT modernization projects for government agencies comes in many forms. Information may be consolidated into a single, shared data center or new applications moved to a different infrastructure. Increasingly, due to the government’s Cloud Smart program as well as security guidelines outlined by FedRAMP, modernization projects involve moving to the commercial cloud. The advantages for government are moving to a more agile and accessible system that can be accessed any-

where and does not require complex on-premise networks.

wouldn’t get one person applying for that job in six months. There just aren’t many around.”

flicts that an application will run into in a hardened environment.

According to Hajost, however, the difference between deploying an application in the Cloud and a traditional data center is insignificant, at least as it relates to security hardening.

Instead, settle for staff that are multi-tasking from other disciplines and specialties that have little to no STIG experience.

Products such as ConfigOS from SteelCloud identify and harden all controls considered a potential security risk. As outlined in the STIGs, risks are categorized into three levels (1/2/3) with Category 1 being the most severe and having the highest priority.

“Moving to the cloud is supposed to be relatively quick and easy, but addressing system security in the cloud is no faster or easier than it is for an on-premise environment,” explains Hajost. “In our world, it isn’t much different than if an application moved from one data center to another, or the application is moved from a data center to the Cloud.”

Hajost says that even considering the slow pace of it, most still underestimate the expertise and time required, particularly when moving to the Cloud. A shortage of trained personnel impacts the ability to modernize, a shortage that is even more acute in classified environments.

“In a classified environment you need to hire someone with five years of information assurance (IA) that has a TS/SCI security clearance,” says Hajost. “If you put out an ad, you

“Even with competent, trained people, [manually handling the STIGs] is a slow process,” says Hajost. “If you use people that know nothing about the STIGs, it goes really, really slowly.”

Fortunately, new automated software tools are eliminating months from the RMF accreditation process by virtually eliminating the time of the initial hardening effort while also providing the required documentation for RMF accreditation.

The software then produces a domain-independent comprehensive policy “signature” including user-defined documentation and STIG policy waivers. In this step alone, weeks, or months of manual work can be completed in an hour.

“With a software tool that can automate the process, you can take someone that is competent in some other aspect of IT and re-skill them to handle the STIGs in a few weeks and shave months off your project time,” explains Hajost.

The signature and documentation are included in a secure, encrypted signature that is used to scan endpoints (laptops, desktops, physical/cloud servers) without being installed on any of them. The time it takes to remediate hundreds of STIG controls on each endpoint is typically under 90 seconds and ConfigOS executes multiple remediations at a time.

Fortunately, there are new STIG automations tools that can quickly identify any con-

The encrypted signature can then be transported across large and small networks,

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classified environments, labs, disconnected networks, and tactical environments with connected and disconnected endpoints. No other changes are required to the network, security and no software is installed on any endpoints.

With a new update every 90 days, automated STIG remediation software accommodates for changes in the requirements. Two business days after DISA publishes a new version of the STIGs, new production signatures are tested and made available to customers.

To date, ConfigOS has been licensed by just about every branch of the Department of Defense, as well as parts of DHS, HHS, and Department of Energy. The product is also used by large defense contractors and in programs for all branches of the military.

In addition to resolving issues proactively at much less cost and time, the software also provides the required documentation for RMF accreditation. This can eliminate months from what is typically a 6 to 12-month process to further speed time to production.

The STIGs are updated and evolve as well.

environment components,” explains Hajost.

According to Hajost, removing this significant impediment to project completion has a greater benefit than just allowing for modernization.

“The greater benefit is the capacity to modernize is greatly expanded,” explains Hajost.

“Modernization shouldn’t be once every 10 years – it should be a continual process. So, if automating security compliance allows you to move faster, you might be able to move more than a few systems to the cloud in the next year, maybe it can be seven or eight,” says Hajost.

“New security updates are introduced periodically to account for newly discovered vulnerabilities as well as changes and updates to by the vendors supplying the major operating

“Then once you can modernize more, then you get reap the benefits, which includes greater agility, more consolidated information, better access to information – with better security overall,” adds Hajost.

COTS Journal | November 2019

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SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT

Meeting the Challenges of the 21st Century with Mil Std 1553

By John Reardon, Editor

In 1973 the need to communicate between systems on board aircraft was conceived and in 1978 it was released as a standard – the birth of Mil Std 1553.

On its face this 5-year incubation period seems a bit excessive, but the result was a standard that has withstood the test of time.

Pre-dating the personal computer, 1553 has evolved to be the preeminent communication bus architecture aboard military aircraft.

Having been conceived 4 years after we landed on the Moon in 1969, governments around the world have adopted 1553 or some derivatives. Today 1553 has moved beyond airplanes to be used for Smart Bombs, UAVs and Space Craft.

This simple and reliable communication bus has proven itself to be reliable and stable. Similar to a small block Chevy motor, 1553 has been able to increase its modest performance through numerous “bolt” on performance enhancements and yet maintain its legendary reliability. Adopting a bus architecture with a strong bus arbitration, allowed 1553 to address much more complex systems then

ARINC 429 a simple point-to-point architecture conceived in 1929 by the Aeronautical Radio Inc. Later to be purchased by the Carlyle Group and then purchased by Rockwell Collins in 2013. United Technology finally purchased the whole company in 2017.

429 is still used today, but has strong limitations when addressing the more complex communications of modern aircrafts.

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that of ARINC 429 with its point-to-point topology.

As 1553 continues to evolve with an enhance bit rate of up to 10Mb/s it narrows the gap in addressing the majority of applications. Through a simple implementation that allows for deterministic control for real-time response, Ethernet based solutions such as AFDX adopted on commercial airlines struggle to unseat the tried- and-true nature of the broadly installed base of 1553. Through the expansion of the 32 bit word, 1553 has been able to address the greater demands represented by RADAR and other higher speed applications.

After a half a century and a broad installed based, the largest threat to 1553s future is the requirements brought forward as we move to UAV’s that have highly complex AI engines.

AFDX or Aviation full duplex Ethernet was conceived and Patented by Airbus and is based on IEEE 802.3.

Adopting concepts such as the token bucket from the telecom standards and asynchronous transfer mode, AFDX is a highly reliable full-duplex, deterministic network. It is widely used in the commercial sector of the Avionics market due to it stability, fault tolerance and speed.

Tomorrow will bring new challenges to the mature 1553 market as advancements in design will require and even a greater data rates that can be achieved with the current 1553 solutions. As imaging, targeting and autonomous features are added to aircrafts, smart bombs, UAVs and spacecraft’s, it will be a challenged to address the compute needs at the edge. But just as RADAR pushed the current technology to new heights, there is a confidence that imaging and latency concerns can also be addressed using the bus concept of 1553.

In reviewing the current market, the following vendors were reviewed to better understand the technology. They all offer products and services beyond what is featured. Some are specific to Avionics and 1553 and some are parts of larger companies that have a compendium of solutions. We would encourage a closer review as we were limited to displaying 3 of sometimes dozens of solutions.

Noted Vendors addressing Mil Std 1553 AIM

Seven Neshaminy Interplex Suite 211, Trevose, PA 19053 (267)982-2600 https://www.aim-online.com/ AIM was founded in 1989 with a very focused approach to Avionics buses. The company offers a wide array of interfaces, analysers, simulation modules and custom systems that are supported throughout the world.

Test and Simulation Module for VME (6U)

Portable Standalone Fibre Optic Extension Systems

Alta Data Technologies 5662 Calle Real, Suite 102 Goleta, CA. 93117 (505)994-3111 https://www.altadt.com/

Alta dt was founded in 2007 to deliver the best 1553 modules available. The company continues to focus on the delivering the best products along with a strong focus on customer support.

Connect 3-4 Channels of MIL-STD-1553 to Ethernet

Alta 2, USB-C Thunderbolt™ 3 Appliance

Multi-Channel 1553 Interface for PCI Single or Dual Stream MIL-STD1553A/B Test and Simulation Module or PCI Express.

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Noted Vendors addressing Mil Std 1553 - countinued Avionic Interface Technologies 14769 California Street Omaha, NE 68154 (402)763-9644 https://aviftech.com/

As a division of Teradyne, Inc. AIT has the resources required to advance their avionics solutions around the world. AIT, from flight, test to simulation has maintained its focus since their inception in 2000.

Excalibur Systems

311 Meacham Ave Elmont, NY. 1103 (800)mil-1553 https://www.mil-1553.com/ Founded in 1986, the company began with an ARINC-429 interface and has focused on expanding to a wide array of 1553 solutions with a continued focus on avionics. Excalibur has a long tenure in providing stable solutions.

XMC Interface Module

The EXC-4000PCI is a multi-protocol test and simulation board for PCI computers

Fiber Optic Bus Extender

EXC-4500ccVPX/xx card & M4K1553Px(S) module

EXC-1553ccVME/Px(S) Logging & Acquisition Module

DDC – Connectivity Power Control 105 Wilbur Place Bohemia, NY, 11716 (631)567-5600 https://www.ddc-web.com/

DDC was founded in 1964 and has grown to more then 600 employees. Beyond being a leader in 1553, DDC has a wide array of products that address a wide array of aerospace, defense, space and Industrial applications.

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Holt Integrated Circuits 23351 Madero Mission Viejo, Ca. 92691 (949)859-8800 https://www.holtic.com/

Holt after forty years and more than 400 manufactures, continues their focus on building the smallest and most advance chips available.

The company offers solutions that are used on a broad spectrum of airframes.

MIL-STD-1553 PCI Express Card

Remote Terminal Developer’s Kit

Rugged Avionics Interface Computer

Variable Amplitude Transceiver

MIL-STD-1553 PCI Card

Terminal with integrated transformers

COTS Journal | November 2019

Noted Vendors addressing Mil Std 1553 - countinued Sealevel

2779 Greenville Highway Liberty, SC 29657 (864)843-4343 https://www.sealevel.com/ Founded in 1986, Sealevel grew out of the desktop market to emerge as an expert in I/O with over 300 standard modules. The company continues to blend expertise gained from the numerous market they address.

Eight-Channel VME Board

One-Channel PCI Board

Two-Channel PC/104+ Board, 8 Discrete Digital I/O

United Electronic Industries Limited 27 Renmar Ave Walpole, Ma. 02081 (508)921-4600 https://www.ueidaq.com/

UEI was founded in 1990 to address the data acquisition concerns of the defense industry. It was a natural extension to this expertise to address the 1553 market with a number of solutions.

MIL-STD-1553 Dual Channel Interface Board

Modbus TCP-based data acquisition and control I/O Chassis with 12 slots for I/O

Single Slot Data Acquisition and Control Cube with PowerPC CPU transformers

Sital Technology

4021 Hidden Woods Drive Bloomfield Hills, MI. 48301 (949)212-6=5922 https://sitaltech.com/ Founded in Israel more then 20 years ago, Sital was founded by veterans of the Israeli air force. The company offers solutions that address the security needs of today’s warfighters using FPGAs an other technologies.

Secuerd MIL-STD-1553B FPGA IP Core

A 3.3v transceiver design is an analog front-end interface solution

A

A compliant BC/RT/MT IP Core for FPGA and ASIC Devices

COTS Journal | November 2019

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November 2019

COT’S PICKS

Liquid Level-Measurement Is Being Redefined by The TruSense S300 Sensor

Laser Technology, Inc. (LTI) has developed a major enhancement of its next generation laser sensor, the TruSense® S300. This enhancement will greatly improve the accuracy and repeatability of the S300-series measuring fluids and liquids.

Optimized to measure liquids whether clear or opaque, still or turbulent, the new S300 represents a breakthrough in laser sensor technology. The S300-series uses sophisticated averaging algorithms to qualify hundreds of measurements per second.

This results in a very accurate and stable measurement reading.

Through numerous conversations with Water/ Wastewater facilities, it is apparent there is much

Orolia Presents the World’s First Aviation Survival ELT with Galileo Return Link Service Orolia’s Kannad Ultima-S, a first-generation Survival ELT (Emergency Locator Transmitter) to be installed in the aircraft’s cabin or life rafts, has been successfully tested with the Return Link Service (RLS) System in coordination with Galileo as the Service Provider and the French Cospas-Sarsat center.

This successful test event makes Orolia’s Kannad Ultima-S the world’s first Survival ELT to include Galileo’s Return L i n k Automatic Acknowledgment Service.

Kannad Ultima-S has an optional feature for this distress Automatic Acknowledgment service. part of the Cospas-Sarsat System, satellites can pick up emergency from the Search and Rescue beacons and transmit a ‘reassurance’ back to the beacon to confirm receipt distress signal.

This service provides the user with an automatic indication that distress signal has been detected and localized, and the appropriate Rescue Coordination Center is alerted, all Cospas-Sarsat network.

The RLS capability has been introduced under the international Sarsat upgrade program MEOSAR. addition to the H2020 24

A s Galileo signals distress signal of the

t h e via the

CospasI n HELIOS

COTS Journal | November 2019

interest in non-contact sensors to address the issues of high maintenance and downtime associated with contact sensors, such as pressure and float sensors.

Ultrasonics and radar haven’t always proved effective, and now lasers have shown significant promise as the next generation sensor.

The graphics below illustrate the changes in repeatable measurements of the S300. Both graphs represent measurements taken from the previous and new sensor from the same water tank. Figure 1 shows actual measurements taken over a cycle of filling and draining the water tank. Results indicate the previous S300 could measure the water level at repeatable accuracy of +/- 1.5 cm. . The new S300 can measure the water level at a repeatable accuracy of +/- 2 mm, as shown in Figure 2. This represents an improvement of 7.5 times repeatable accuracy.

• LTI’s TruSense S300 can measure the water level at a repeatable accuracy of +/- 2 mm

Program, the European GNSS Agency (GSA) is funding the commercialization process for a new range of Galileo-enabled and RLS capable beacons for Civil Aviation under the TAUCETI project. It comprises the RLS-enabled distress beacons, the search and rescue payload on Galileo satellites, in addition to the ground-based receiving stations, Mission Control Centers and the Galileo Ground Mission Segment.

Orolia’s Kannad Ultima-S is the first Survival

For the customer, this represents a non-contact sensor with very accurate and stable readings, regardless of the turbulence or dynamic conditions that might exist. The S300 has been designed for easy installation, ease of use and low maintenance.

The S300 plays a critical role in a variety of commercial and industrial applications. These types of sensors are specifically developed for the measurement of fluid levels, including water, oils and slurries.

Laser sensors have virtually no beam spread, no false echoes, can measure over long distances and can be directed through narrow spaces with numerous obstructions. They can also operate through protective screens and near walls. This makes them well suited for measuring fluid levels in tight spaces such as pumping stations with deep wells and exposed pipes.

Laser Technology, Inc. www.lasertech.com

ELT capable of notifying the crew about the successful onsite localization and sending a notification to Search and Rescue operations via Galileo Return Link Service (RLS). This signal is designed to reduce risk taking actions by survivors, by confirming that search and rescue professionals are aware of their situation and location.

Orolia www.orolia.com

November 2019

COT’S PICKS GMS Launches TITAN General Micro Systems (GMS) launched the industry’s first sealed, fanless, conduction-cooled rack mount servers with artificial intelligence (AI) and mil-circular (38999) connectors for superior ruggedness in the most demanding defense and aerospace applications. The American-designed, sourced, and manufactured TITAN, a fully configurable server, also uses up to four of Intel’s latest 2nd gen Scalable Xeon® processors, with all features coming together in a 1U or 2U chassis to provide the performance, mil-spec reliability, and complete silence required for extremely rugged battlefield environments.

“Many military designers continue to use commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) air-cooled, rack mount servers in buildings, command posts, ships and submarines, or even in the back of MRAPs and Strykers, but servers designed for data centers can’t handle the dirt, dust, chemicals, or extreme temperatures they will encounter in the field,” said Ben Sharfi, chief architect and CEO, General Micro Systems. “The sealed, fanless, expandable and dense TITAN offers everything these designers want in a deployable rack mount server: superior processing performance, American reliability and ruggedness, and more expandability options and secure data storage than found in any other 1U or 2U rack mount server. Even better, we’ve done it all—from design to manufacturing—here in America. We made no compromises at all when creating this server.”

S1202-XVE Extreme Density, Expandability, and Conduction Cooling Sets TITAN Apart TITAN differs from other rack mount servers on the market in part for its extreme density and expandability. As a single 1U or 2U chassis, each TITAN combination includes more CPU cores, networking I/O, memory, PCIe card add-in options, removable encrypted storage, and reliably cooled Nvidia® Tesla general-purpose graphics processing unit (GPGPU) AI co-processors than any other 1U or 2U rack mount server.

TITAN is available in both air-cooled and conduction-cooled versions. The latter offers the superior reliability conduction cooling has become known for in fighter aircraft and armored vehicles, with sealed systems that dramatically reduce radiated emissions and offer superior TEMPEST results and better security. Without fans, TITAN rack mount servers can be placed in close proximity to operators who no longer need to wear uncomfortable hearing protection for noise mitigation.

In addition, available “keyed” 38999 military-style connectors ease installation and maintenance, and radically increase the mean time between failure (MTBF) as compared with flimsy COTS connectors.

In addition to boasting 96 total cores, the unique 4-way, quad-socket, Intel 2nd gen Scalable Xeon® processors are ideal for high-performance computing (HPC), symmetric multi-processing (SMP), NUMA architectures, AI, data mining, image processing, and more. The fully configurable TITAN can include the following capabilities: • Up to two Nvidia Tesla V100 enterprise-class GPGPU co-processors for AI workloads—offering data center performance right on the battlefield (up to 400 TFLOPS) • A first-of-a-kind removable Secure HighSpeed Storage (SHS) canister with up to 64 TB of RAID-encrypted storage for data recorders, sensor data storage, or system de-classification • 1/10/40Gb Ethernet built in with copper or fiber ports, plus available embedded 20-port switch—all via the 38999 mil-circular connectors or standard COTS connectors • Up to 10 PCIe Gen 3 add-in slots for program-specific functionality, I/O, or custom functions • Dual-redundant 110/220 VAC 60 Hz/400 Hz power supplies for each CPU pair; MIL-STD-704 with 50 ms hold-up recovers from “dirty” power found in typical military systems • Dedicated out-of-band remote management via IPMI • GMS SourceSafe™ BIOS and SecureDNA™ firmware/BIOS/storage sanitization The S1202-XVE is in full volume production, and is already deployed in military/aerospace applications, including airborne platforms with certification, qual, and other reliability data.

General Micro Systems www.gms4sbc.com

COTS Journal | November 2019

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November 2019

COT’S PICKS Rugged, Multi-Domain Cyybersecurity Solution Answers Army’s Technology Modernization Objectives

As the U.S. Army focuses squarely on modernization to maintain a technological edge over potential adversaries, Crystal Group’s new Network Attached Storage (NAS) solution is ready to deliver with hardware-level protection of data classified as top-secret and below in dynamic environments and across multi-domain battlefields.

evident security coatings are critical to ensuring immediate threat response.

The low SWaP solution is comprised of the Crystal Group’s FORCE™ rugged storage server, RCS7450 network switch, small form factor rugged

embedded computer and 19” rugged display integrated in a rugged transit case for mobile and tactical environments.

Crystal Group’s www.crystalrugged.com

“This versatile cybersecurity fly-away-kit brings rugged and reliable cutting-edge storage, compute capacity and technology to the tactical edge,” said Jim Shaw, executive vice president of Engineering at Crystal Group. “Given the vital nature of these operations, our solution incorporates CSfC elements with IPsec and AES256 encryption, and chassis intrusion detection in addition to being NIST compliant and meeting strict U.S. Department of Defense quality and security requirements, such as MIL-SPEC for environmental performance.”

Equipped with FIPS 140-2 data encryption, key management, near-zero latency, chassis intrusion detection and instant data destruction, customers gain a modern, easy-to-use NAS solution to protect mission-critical data at rest and data in transit. The system’s real-time data processing and tamper-

Kontron expands its Panel PC family by innovative Web Panels and Control Panels with Scalable Performance

environments. In the standard version, the Panel PCs of both series are intended for installation in control cabinets or consoles and exhibit IP65 protection on the front side.

Powerful Web Panels and Control Panels based on Arm® NXP i.MX6 processors with capacitive multitouch technology for device and machine control as well as building automation

The Web Panels visualize HTML5 content via a performance-optimized browser based on Chromium and are suitable for flexible visualizations on devices and machines as well as in building automation or infotainment.

Alternatively they are available with the slim Micro-Browser from iniNet, which enables

Kontron announces the addition of a Web Panel and a Control Panel series to its Human Machine Interface (HMI) portfolio. The devices of both product lines are characterized by an attractive design, IPS displays with high resolution in 7 inch, 10.1 and 15.6 inch, brightness and capacitive multitouch technology as well as scalable processor performance based on Single- or Dual-Core Arm® NXP i.MX6 processors. They feature a rugged touch screen in an aluminium or stainless steel frame and are specifically designed for use in industrial 26

COTS Journal | November 2019

shortest reaction times for PLC controls with an integrated webserver from CODESYS. The Control Panels offer various fieldbus interfaces on the rear and are optionally available with the CODESYS Soft-PLC to quickly and efficiently implement sophisticated automation and visualization solutions for device or machine controls, but also for building automation. If required, the devices of the Control Panel series can be supplemented with Web Panels to display visualization contents at other locations. Linux Embedded serves as the operating system.

Thanks to the robust design and the possibility of deployment in ambient temperatures from 0°C to 55°C, the panels are ideally suited for use in industrial environments.

The modular design allows easy adaptation to customer-specific requirements. A version with higher performance based on NXP i.MX8 processors is planned for the 2nd quarter of 2020.

Kontron www.kontron.com

November 2019

COT’S PICKS Newest Rugged GPGPU AI Supercomputer Uses NVIDIA® Xavier AGX SoM Aitech continues to expand line of powerful, compact embedded computing platforms Aitech North America is expanding its line of rugged GPGPU systems(link is external) to include an NVIDIA® Jetson AGX Xavier-based AI supercomputer.

Dan Mor, GPGPU product line manager of Aitech, said, “GPGPU uses a parallel structure, with multiple small cores that process multiple tasks simultaneously. As artificial intelligence continues to grow and system size continues to shrink, computing systems will be expected to perform in increasingly remote, harsh environments. The new A178 Thunder not only combines a rugged infrastructure with advanced GPGPU processing, but minimizes power consumption as well.”

With twice as many CUDA cores as Jetson TX2based systems as well as the addition of new Tensor cores, the A178 Thunder offers some of the most powerful processing capabilities in an ultra-small form factor (SFF) system. The system features 512 CUDA cores and 64 of NVIDIA’s new Tensor cores.

Tensor cores in the Xavier SoM amplify the matrix processing of large data sets, a critical function in AI environments, by enabling higher levels of computation with lower power consumption. When this SoM is coupled with Aitech’s rugged computing expertise, the A178 Thunder handles up to 22 TOPS (Tera operations per second) to provide local processing of high volumes of data where it is needed, closest to system sensors.

The A178 Thunder incorporates two dedicated NVIDIA deep learning accelerator (NVDLA) engines that provide an open-source inference design method.

This facilitates interoperability with modern deep learning networks and contributes to a unified growth of machine learning at scale. The system also

features pre-installed Linux OS, which includes the bootloader, Linux kernel, NVIDIA drivers, an Aitech BSP and flash programming utilities.

Weighing less than 5.5 lbs and measuring only 8.5” x 3.2” x 6.8”, the rugged A178 Thunder is SWaP-optimized and ideal for a number of military and defense applications, such as distributed computing and signal processing in next generation autonomous vehicles as well as surveillance, targeting and EW systems.

For users looking to deploy applications fast, Aitech offers an evaluation board – the EV178 – that gives embedded engineers a reliable platform to quickly develop AI applications and port those solutions to the new highperformance, rugged A178 Thunder.

Seven preset power modes are standard on the A178 Thunder and users can create custom presets with specific clocks and online cores. It also provides a wide input voltage range of 11 Vdc to 36 Vdc with steady state operation. Input power is protected by an EMI/RFI input filter as well as reverse polarity protection.

A number of I/O options are available including Gigabit Ethernet, 10GBase-T, USB 3.0, HDMI output, UART Serial and CANbus as well as discrete and display ports. Video is simultaneously captured on up to four channels via SDI (SD/HD) or over eight channels at full frame rates using Composite (RS-170A [NTSC]/ PAL) interfaces. Also included is a high speed, internal NVME SSD with a storage capacity of up to 1 TB. Aitech www.rugged.com

COTS Journal | November 2019

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November 2019

COT’S PICKS Pentek Introduces New Sentinel Recorder for Military Signal Intelligence Applications

• Automatically tune, detect and record signals of interest • Scan and search from 800 MHz to 26.5 GHz • Capture instantaneous RF signal bandwidths up to 500 MHz • 4U chassis with front panel hot-swappable SSDs • Storage capacities to 245 TB Pentek, Inc., today announced a major addition to its popular family of Talon® signal recording and playback systems, the RTR 2654 26.5 GHz RF Sentinel™ Intelligent Signal Scanning rackmount recorder. The RTR 2654 combines the power of a Pentek Talon Recording System with a 25.6 GHz RF tuner and Pentek’s Sentinel intelligent signal scanning software.

The RTR 2654 automatically scans the RF spectrum from 800 MHz to 26.5 GHz for signals of interest and monitor or record bandwidths up to 500 MHz wide, making it very suitable for military, security and government intelligence (SIGINT, COMINT and ELINT) applications.

A Pentek Model 78141 Jade® transceiver module serves as the data acquisition engine of the Talon RTR 2654. One of its dual 3.2 GS/sec 12-bit A/D converters is operated at a sample rate of 2.8 GS/sec. The Model

New 3U VPX Graphics/Video/GPGPU Board from Abaco Systems Brings High Performance to Demanding Electronic Warfare Applications • Latest NVIDIA Pascal technology delivers up to 2.3 TeraFLOPS of performance • Support for legacy as well as current display interfaces • Enables straightforward upgrade opportunity for existing customers Abaco Systems today announced the GR5 3U VPX rugged video/graphics and GPGPU card, further extending the range of options available and providing customers with the ability to choose exactly the right solution for the specific application.

The GR5 is designed to support the video, graphics and GPGPU requirements of the most demanding SIGINT, ISR, situational awareness and radar applications, among others. It is also appropriate for deployment in harsh industrial/commercial environments.

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COTS Journal | November 2019

78141 is coupled to the 500 MHz bandwidth IF output signal of a 6 GHz RF tuner front end with excellent dynamic range across its entire spectrum.

A digital downconverter (DDC) in the Model 78141 provides frequency zooming for signal bandwidth steps of 500, 280 or 140 MHz. “The RTR 2654 Sentinel recorder greatly expands the scanning spectrum over previous Pentek products to 26.5 GHz, covering the vast majority of popular RF signal bands,” said Rodger Hosking, vice-president of Pentek.

Sentinel Intelligent Signal Scanning The Sentinel recorder provides automated signal monitoring and detection. The user specifies a start and stop frequency for the scan, covering any range between 800 MHz and 26.5 GHz. The RF tuner and DDC step across the scan range in consecutive bands, each programmable up to 500 MHz in width.

Threshold RF energy in each band can be detected to trigger creation of a waterfall spectrum display over the entire scan.

Any band can be selected for continuous real-time monitoring and/or recording. In addition to manual band selection, a recording can be automatically started during a scan by configuring signal strength threshold levels to trigger a recording of the detected band. Once a signal of interest is detected, the real-time recorder can capture and store Based on the NVIDIA® Pascal™ Quadro P2000 GPU with 768 cores, 4GBytes of GDDR5 memory and CUDA® support, the GR5 offers exceptional graphics and GPGPU capability, and is capable of delivering up to 2.3 TeraFLOPS of floating point performance.

The GR5 supports two DisplayPort™ 1.2 (4K @ 60Hz) and two single-link DVI-D ports (1,920 x 1,200 @ 60Hz), or four single-link DVI-D outputs. The two single link DVI-D ports ensure DVI pin-compatibility with Abaco’s GRA112D and GRA113D 3U VPX graphics boards, providing customers with a straightforward, cost-effective upgrade to the higher performance and increased longevity of the new board.

“Not only does the GR5 significantly strengthen our range of graphics/video/GPGPU platforms – it also strengthens our complete 3U VPX offering, reinforcing Abaco’s position as a one stop shop for customers who prefer the convenience of working with a single supplier,” said Peter Thompson, Vice President, Product Management at Abaco Systems. “By providing

hundreds of terabytes of data to disk, allowing users to store data spanning multiple days.

Ease of Operation Sentinel recorders are built on a Windows® workstation with an Intel Core i7 processor and provide both a GUI (graphical user interface) and API (Application Programmer’s Interface) to control the system. Systems are fully supported with Pentek’s SystemFlow® software for system control and turnkey operation. The SystemFlow software has been enhanced to include intelligent scanning and integrated control of the RF tuner and optional RF upconverter. The software provides a GUI with pointand-click configuration management and can store custom configurations for single-click setup. It also includes a virtual oscilloscope, spectrum analyzer and spectrogram to monitor signals before, during and after data collection.

Post processing and analysis software tools like Matlab can be installed on the Talon RTR 2654 platform. Data files are recorded to the Windows native NTFS file system, which allows operators immediate access to recordings without the need for any file format conversion.

Pentek, Inc. www.pentek.com

support for legacy graphics interfaces as well as the most recent, it also reinforces our commitment to providing our customers with the simple technology insertion opportunities that minimize their long term cost of ownership.”

The GR5 supports PCI Express™ 3.0 (x16, x8 or x4 lane configurations) when mated with compatible Abaco single board computers.

The new platform is supported by NVIDIA’s software and library stack including NVIDIA CUDA 10, OpenCL 1.2, DirectX® 12, OpenGL and H.265 (HEVC)/H.264 hardware encode/decode.

Windows® and Linux® drivers are provided for x86-based platforms.

The GR5 is designed to withstand high temperature, shock and vibration environments and meets MIL-STD-810G standards. It is available in both air- and conduction cooled formats.

Abaco Systems Inc. www.abaco.com

November 2019

COT’S PICKS New VectorPath PCIe accelerator card based on Speedster7t FPGA enables new levels of performance for high-bandwidth, data acceleration applications

Achronix Semiconductor Corporation, a leader in FPGA-based data accelerator devices and high-performance eFPGA IP, and BittWare, a Molex Company, a leading supplier of enterprise-class FPGA accelerator products, today announced a new class of FPGA accelerator card targeting high-performance compute and data acceleration applications. The VectorPath™ S7tVG6 accelerator card features the 7nm Speedster®7t AC7t1500 FPGA and offers the industry’s highest performance interfaces available on a PCIe FPGA accelerator card. The card includes 1x400GbE and 2x100GbE ports and 8 banks of GDDR6 memory with aggregate bandwidth of 4Tbps making it ideal for high-bandwidth data acceleration applications.

VectorPath S7t-VG6 Accelerator Card Capabilities The VectorPath accelerator card was designed for high-performance and high-bandwidth data applications and features the following hardware capabilities: • 400GbE QSFP-DD and 100GbE QSFP56 interfaces • 8 banks of GDDR6 memory delivering 4 Tbps aggregate bandwidth • 1 bank of DDR4 running at 2666MHz with ECC • PCIe compliance and certification • 20 Tbps two-dimensional network-on-chip (NoC) inside the Speedster7t FPGA • 692K 6-input LUTs

• 40K Int8 MACs that deliver >80 TOps • OCuLink – 4-lane PCIe Gen 4 connector for connecting expansion cards The VectorPath accelerator card includes a full suite of Achronix’s ACE development tools along with BittWare’s board management controller and developer toolkit which includes the API, PCIe drivers, diagnostic self-test and application example designs to enable a rapid out-ofthe-box experience. Designed for prototyping as well as high-volume production applications, the VectorPath S7t-VG6 accelerator card provides designers the ability to process massive amounts of data not possible with previous generations of FPGAs. “The VectorPath accelerator card provides a platform to rapidly develop AI/ML, networking and data acceleration applications using the new Speedster7t FPGA” said Robert Blake, president and CEO of Achronix Semiconductor. “We are thrilled to have partnered with BittWare, the market leader in FPGA-based PCIe cards. Their deep expertise in design, manufacturing and support of FPGA-based PCIe cards and solutions gives our customers a world class platform to accelerate their development and deployment of an exciting new range of computational tasks.”

“BittWare has a long history of successfully developing and designing leading-edge technologies for high-performance applications,” said Jeff Milrod, president of BittWare. “The partnership with Achronix leverages the strengths of BittWare and Achronix jointly so customers will have a tremendous out of the box experience and utilize the cutting-edge capabilities of the Speedster7t FPGA.”

Achronix Semiconductor Corporation www.achronix.com

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November 2019

COT’S PICKS Behlman introduces 6U VPX highpower dual output power supply aligned with the SOSA technical standard 6U VPXtra® 1000CD5-IQI unit designed to accommodate 28VDC input voltage and output the dual SOSA VPX voltages Hauppauge, New York, USA, October 21, 2019 – Behlman Electronics Inc., known for its leadership in providing power products for military shipboard, airborne and mobile programs, as well as for industrial and commercial applications, introduces the VPXtra® 1000CD5-IQI COTS DC-toDC Power Supply, which is aligned with the SOSA technical standard.

The Behlman VPXtra® 1000CD5-IQI COTS

power supply is a VITA 62.0 6U VPX power module that delivers 1050W of DC power via two outputs.

In addition, it includes intelligence features aligned with the SOSA technical standard. The Behlman VPXtra® 1000CD5-IQI COTS 28DC input to 12VDC and 3.3VDC output power supply is a rugged, highly reliable, conduction cooled, switch mode unit built for military and high-end industrial applications.

The 1000W +12V main output can be paralleled with the main output of other VPXtra® 1000CD5-IQI power supplies for higher power; both main and auxiliary outputs may be paralleled for redundancy. The VPXtra® 1000CD5-IQI operates IAW MIL-STD-704E, and contains a VITA 46.11 IPMC for integration into chassis with system management. VPXtra® 1000CD5-IQI power supply has no minimum load requirement and has overvoltage and short circuit protection as well as over-current and thermal protection. The power

supply is designed to support the rigors of missioncritical airborne, shipboard, vehicle and mobile systems. The VPXtra®1000CD5-IQI has many other features: efficiency of 90% typical, conduction cooled at card edge, conformal coating on PCB, remote sensing on main output, load sharing on main output, and redundancy on all outputs.

The new product continues Behlman’s 60year history of developing innovative power solutions to meet unique military requirements, said Behlman Vice President of Sales and Marketing Joseph Pozzolano. “The VPXtra®1000CD5-IQI card is a response to the Tri-service acquisition memorandum calling for open systems standards, and Behlman is excited to lead the way in the power supply segment”, he said.

Abaco Systems Inc. www.abaco.com

New COM Express Type 10 Carrier Hosts Four AcroPack® mPCIe I/O Modules for a Mix of Processing Functions on a Mini-ITX Platform Acromag broadens their family of rugged AcroPack mini-PCIe I/O module carrier cards with the new Model ACEX4041, which hosts a COM Express® Type 10 processor module. The Mini-ITX form factor board interfaces four plug-in AcroPack I/O modules to an Intel Atom® E3950 (Apollo Lake) CPU module with provisions for both M.2 and SATA SSD data storage and a variety of peripherals on-board. Further, there are ports for two RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet, two USB 3.0, two RS232, one Mini-DisplayPort, and audio connections.

Four AcroPack I/O slots provide a reliable PCIe mini card interface for a mix of analog, digital, serial, FPGA, avionics, and other I/O functions. Four 68-pin VHDCI connectors securely route the field I/O to the AcroPack modules without any loose internal cables. AcroPack I/O modules support conduction-cooling and have an operational temperature rating of -40 to 85°C. Power is sourced from a 10-36V DC and/or ATX supply with redundant, auto-switch power capability. A development system package is offered; simplifying evaluation and proof-of-concept engineering efforts in a lab.

ACEX4041: Designed for a Variety of Data Acquisition and Control Applications. The ACEX4041 is designed for defense, industrial, and mobile embedded computing systems, and is well-suited for systems with SWaP-C limitations.

AcroPacks perform A/D, D/A, discrete I/O, RS232/485, MIL-STD-1553, CAN bus, Gigabit Ethernet, and other functions. Third-party mPCIe modules are supported for use in the AcroPack slots. An additional feature that the COM Express Mini Size Type 10 slot offers is the ability to host Intel Core™ i7 processors and other compatible computer-on-module processors.

“This versatile SFF carrier card brings powerful modular embedded computing and flexible I/O signal processing capabilities to a standard Mini ITX platform,” states Robert Greenfield, Acromag’s Business Development Manager. “It’s easy to integrate within a custom system or mount in a rugged enclosure.”

Acromag www.acromag.com

30

COTS Journal | November 2019

COTS COTS

ADVERTISERS

Company Page# Website Behlman Electronics ............................................ BC ............................................. www.behlman.com Fairview Microwave ................................................ 11 ............................. www.fairviewmicrowave.com

Kingston Technology ............................................. IBC ............................................. www.kingston.com MilesTex ................................................................

27 ............................................. www.milestexs.com

Milpower Source ..................................................... 19 ............................................. www.milpower.com MPL ..................................................................... 23/30 .................................................... www.mpl.com Neonode ................................................................

18 ............................................... www.neonode.com

New Wave DV .........................................................

12 ......................................... www.ewwavedve.com

Index

OSS ........................................................................ IFC ................................. www.onestopsystems.com Pasternack ............................................................

13 ......................................... www.pasternack.com

Percepio ...............................................................

29 .............................................. www.percepic.com

Pentek ..................................................................

5 ................................................ www.pentek.com

PICO Electronics, Inc .............................................

25 ................................... www.picoelectronics.com

Sealevel .................................................................

4 .............................................. www.sealevel.com

Vicor Cororation ..................................................... IBC

............ www.vicorpower.com/defense-aero.com

COTS Journal (ISSN#1526-4653) is published monthly at; 3180 Sitio Sendero, Carlsbad, CA. 92009.

Periodicals Class postage paid at San Clemente and additional mailing offices.

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Ultra-High Voltage Bus Converter Provides 98% Efficiency This unique K=1/16 fixed ratio bus converter sets the industry benchmark for efficiency and power density. The thermally adept VIA package simplifies customer cooling approaches in addition to providing integrated PMBus control, EMI filtering, and transient protection. These strong abilities make it ideally suited to military applications.

Evaluate it today!

vicorpower.com