COTS Journal, May 2025

May 2025, Volume 27 - Number 5 cotsjournalonline.com

The Journal of Military Electronics & Computing

How SoC FPAA Technology is Bringing Analog Computing to the Frontlines of Defense Systems Rethinking the DIY Approach to Automated Test Equipment Design

BEHLMAN LEADS THE PACK AGAIN! FIRST PROVEN VPX POWER SUPPLIES DEVELOPED IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE SOSA™ TECHNICAL STANDARD

Behlman introduces the first test-proven VPX power supplies developed in alignment with the SOSA Technical Standard. Like all Behlman VPXtra® power supplies, these 3U and 6U COTS DC-to-DC high-power dual output units feature Xtra-reliable design and Xtra-rugged construction to stand up to the rigors of all mission-critical airborne, shipboard, ground and mobile applications.

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VPXtra® 800D-IQI

> 6U power module developed in alignment with the SOSA Technical Standard > Delivers 1050W DC power via two outputs > VITA 46.11 IPMC for integration with system management

> 3U power module developed in alignment with the SOSA Technical Standard > Delivers 800W DC power via two outputs > VITA 46.11 IPMC for integration with system management

The Power Solutions Provider SOSA™ and logo design and The Open Group Certification Mark™ are trademarks of The Open Group in the United States and other countries.

: 631-435-0410

: sales@behlman.com

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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 —Ant. When applied to the procurement of electronics for the 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 FEATURE 16

How SoC FPAA Technology is Bringing Analog Computing to the Frontlines of Defense Systems

By John Reardon, Editor-in-Chief, COTS Journal

SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT 20

DEPARTMENTS 6

Publishers Note

8

The Inside Track

Rethinking the DIY Approach to Automated Test Equipment Design

By Joe Engler, President at Intepro Systems

COT’S PICKS 23

Editor’s Choice for May

Cover Image: Formidable Mission

A Marine Corps Stinger missile team fires during Formidable Shield 25 in Andøya, Norway, May 7, 2025. Formidable Shield is a U.S. 6th Fleet-led multinational, live-fire exercise focused on integrated air and missile defense that includes naval, air and ground forces from 10 NATO allies and partners.

Credit: Army Capt. Alexander WatkinsEmerson Nunez

COTS Journal | May 2025

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ELECTRONIC WARFARE DEMANDS MAXIMUM BANDWIDTH Do More at the Edge with the Mercury Processing Platform, a flexible combination of integrated custom and standard signal processing technologies—from the RF front end to the human-machine interface—that rapidly turn meaningful data into mission-critical decisions. mrcy.com

PUBLISHER’S NOTE John Reardon, Editor-in-Chief, COTS Journal

The Unintended Straitjacket: How MOSA and SOSA Are Smothering Innovation For decades, open standards have been a rallying cry for those of us working in the defense electronics ecosystem. The idea is simple: create interoperable systems, reduce redundancy, and maximize reuse—ideally while driving down costs and speeding time to field. On paper, it’s hard to argue against initiatives like the Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) and the Sensor Open Systems Architecture (SOSA). They promise elegance through standardization and agility through

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modularity. But on the ground—inside engineering labs and on drawing boards across the industry—the story isn’t quite so rosy.

What began as a framework to empower innovation has, in many respects, ossified into a rigid doctrine that hampers it. As MOSA and SOSA mature, they’re becoming less a set of guiding principles and more a list of inflexible prescriptions. Instead of enabling smart, lean design, we’re watching engineers bend brilliant

solutions into awkward shapes just to remain compliant.

Let’s be clear: the vision behind these standards is laudable. No one disputes the value of interoperability, reduced vendor lock, and lifecycle affordability.

But the current execution—particularly in the form of hardware slot profiles, connector specifications, and backplane configurations—is increasingly at odds with what the services say they need most: smaller, lighter, more power-efficient systems that can be fielded quickly and perform reliably at the tactical edge.

This is where the contradiction comes into sharp relief. SWaP-C (Size, Weight, Power, and Cost) is still the gold standard by which system success is measured.

Every program, from soldier-borne sensors to autonomous vehicles, is under pressure to minimize footprint and energy consumption while increasing computing density. Yet MOSA-aligned architectures often demand large form factors, generous thermal envelopes, and fixed interface rules that conflict with those very SWaP-C imperatives.

We’re seeing it again and again: engineers are forced to sacrifice optimal design paths in order to shoehorn capabilities into SOSA slots. Boards are made larger than necessary. Unused I/O channels must be routed just to check compliance boxes. Thermal margins are wasted because the spec mandates more headroom than the application requires. In some cases, it feels as if we’re designing systems not for the mission, but for the standard.

And here’s the deeper concern: when compliance trumps performance, innovation suffers. Startups with bleeding-edge solutions are sidelined because their breakthrough doesn’t fit within a legacy mechanical envelope. Prime contractors invest more time in documentation and certification than in experimentation or field testing. It’s the classic bureaucracy trap—standardization for the sake of itself, rather than for the

warfighter.

We are not advocating for a free-for-all or a return to stovepiped solutions. The goals of MOSA and SOSA—interoperability, reuse, agility—are more relevant than ever. But they must be treated as enablers, not constraints. The standards must evolve to allow for mission-driven flexibility, not just platform uniformity. SWaP-C realities should not be subordinate to the shape of a card edge connector.

What’s needed is a course correction. Not a wholesale rejection of open architectures, but a recalibration of their purpose. The services must demand that compliance never becomes a substitute for performance.

Industry must push back when smart designs are punished for thinking outside the card cage.

Our military doesn’t win by conforming. It wins by out-innovating. Let’s make sure our standards don’t forget that.

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Inside Track

Northrop Grumman Navigation Technology Completes Hypersonic Test Flights Northrop Grumman Corporation successfully completed two test flights of its Advanced Hypersonic Technology Inertial Measurement Unit at hypersonic speed, leveraging Stratolaunch’s reusable hypersonic airplane, Talon-A. These advanced flight tests move engineers one step closer to precisely navigating hypersonic vehicles in GPS-denied environments, further protecting the trajectory of the hypersonic vehicle from adversary threats.

Survivability of the navigation unit, also known as a hemispherical resonator gyroscope, is a major accomplishment due to the harsh environment hypersonic speed presents and the intense forces experienced as the technology operates within Earth’s atmospheric boundary. This technology collected critical ground and flight data hours, which is pivotal for future development.

The hypersonic vehicle carrying Northrop Grumman navigation technology completed successful test flights. (Photo Credit: Stratolaunch)

iDirect Government’s 450 SDR Modem Accomplishes Successful Field Trials with Airbus DS Government Solutions’ SATCOM Terminal Next-Gen SDR Modem Integration Elevates first custom multi-orbit, multi-waveform Ranger Flyaway Terminal with Multi-Orbit, SDR modem, is designed to adapt to cusMulti-Waveform MILSATCOM Capabilities tomer requirements and offers unparaliDirect Government announced suc- leled flexibility in terminal design. It feacessfully integrating and testing its 450 tures an innovative, modular three-board Software Defined Radio (SDR) satellite design: a radio (RF) module, a common modem into Airbus DS Government compute (digital) module, and a carrier Solutions’ Ranger Flyaway Terminal. board. With advanced security features, This seamless integration marks a mile- anti-jam technology, and voice, data, stone in delivering enhanced resiliency, and video defense communications supflexibility, and security to MILSATCOM port, the 450 ensures seamless network customers. interoperability while delivering robust The 450 SDR, iDirect Government’s and resilient MILSATCOM capabilities.

Airbus DS Government Solutions has successfully integrated and tested the 450 SDR, refining its size and design to create the most advanced SATCOM terminal to date. The Ranger Flyaway terminal sets a new standard for reliability, delivering exceptional performance across multiple orbits and waveforms.

“We are excited that Airbus DS Government Solutions is integrating our 450 SDR into the

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Ranger Flyaway Terminal to deliver government and defense communications that support connectivity, coordination, and command resources in the field,” said Tim Winter, president of iDirect Government.

Airbus’s agility to rapidly integrate modern technology into its range of terminals translates into mission-critical solutions that deliver a tactical advantage on land, in the air, and at sea for a reliable, trusted, and secure environment.

“The richness and dynamic nature of the 450 SDR, coupled with our engineering, systems integration, and automation, enables us to deliver a best-fit solution for government and warfighters’ communications,” said Chris Tsirlis, vice president of business development & product innovation, Airbus DS Government Solutions.

“This advanced iDirectGov solution ensures networks and devices are protected for effective MILSATCOM missions.”

The

Inside Track

Aitech Wins 2025 Artificial Intelligence Excellence Award For Setting New Standards in Rugged AI Supercomputing Solutions Aitech A230 Vortex Supercomputer Named Winner in Innovative’ AI Products – Defense’ Category Aitech announced it has been named a winner in the 2025 Artificial Intelligence Excellence Awards, presented by the Business Intelligence Group. Designed to meet growing demands for higher computational power, enhanced efficiency, and increased flexibility, the award-winning A230 Vortex rugged AI supercomputer has been recognized in the “Innovative AI Products— Defense” category. It is the most advanced embedded computer for AI, deep learning, and video and signal processing in distributed systems that need to operate reliably in remote, harsh conditions.

“The A230 Vortex represents a leap forward in rugged AI supercomputing, delivering enhanced performance and adaptability for next-generation edge and AI-driven systems,” said Dan Mor, direc-

tor of customer solutions, Aitech. “This recognition from the Business Intelligence Group is a testament to Aitech’s 40 years of expertise in building electronics designed to meet evolving customer requirements, ensuring future-proof performance and value.”

“The AI industry is evolving rapidly, and it is through the efforts of companies like Aitech that we see real-world applications driving change,” said Russ Fordyce, CEO of the Business Intelligence Group. Aitech responds to demanding market trends and sets new standards in rugged AI supercomputing solutions. Their work exemplifies the kind of innovation and leadership shaping artificial intelligence’s future.”

and is the most advanced embedded computer for AI-driven autonomy, deep learning, surveillance, and electronic warfare.

The A230 leverages NVIDIA AGX Orin’s Ampere GPU architecture, delivering up to 248 TOPS, nearly tripling the performance. It offers unmatched AI workloads, deep learning, and real-time processing capabilities. The A230 has revolutionized AI processing in edge applications, enabling unmatched performance and efficiency for autonomous vehicles, UAVs, defense systems, and next-generation deep learning deployments worldwide.

Powered by NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin, the compact, energy-efficient, and powerful A230 Vortex increases rugged AI processing in military applications

MatrixSpace Delivers AI-Powered Edge Solutions for Public Safety and Smart City Applications MatrixSpace integrates Dell NativeEdge to enhance real-time AI, strengthen public safety programs, and support next-generation innovative city initiatives.

MatrixSpace announced that MatrixSpace 360 Radar is using Dell Technologies AI-powered edge computing to enhance its radar sensor solutions.

By integrating Dell NativeEdge, the advanced edge operations software solution that helps manage and secure technology deployed in the field, MatrixSpace is boost-

ing its situational awareness technology’s speed, security, and scalability to support the future of public safety and smart city operations.

“Our vision at MatrixSpace has always centered on the edge,” said Dr. Nihar Nanda, Head of AI Products at MatrixSpace. “We needed a partner to deliver the performance and reliability required for critical, real-time applications. Dell NativeEdge met those needs perfectly, allowing us to accelerate our AI development, enhance user experiences, and get these life-saving solutions into the field faster.”

The MatrixSpace 360 Radar combines a future-proof edge computing architecture with scalable AI software. It delivers real-time object detection and classification, simplified system management, and accelerated decision-making with-

out relying on cloud processing. Powered

by Dell NativeEdge, each node provides a 360-degree field of view with an industry-leading detection range for aircraft and small drones. It is also interconnectable for consistent low airspace awareness across vast distances.

The City of Palm Springs Police Department (PSPD) is among the first to deploy this integrated solution. Through a network of MatrixSpace 360 Radars powered by Dell NativeEdge, the department supports its innovative “Drone as First Responder” (DFR) program. The system allows remotely piloted drones to be dispatched immediately to emergency scenes, helping to de-escalate incidents, locate suspects, assist in search and rescue missions, and act as a vital force multiplier for the agency.

Working with Dell Technologies, MatrixSpace is helping to lay the foundation for the next generation of public safety and security programs and the future of drone delivery and autonomous air mobility.

COTS Journal | May 2025

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Inside Track Kepler Validates SDA-Compatible Space-to-Ground Laser Links with Cailabs

Kepler Communications Inc. announced that it has successfully demonstrated space-to-ground optical data relay with French optical ground station company, Cailabs, paving the way for the future of in-space optical technology.

Kepler has demonstrated full Space Development Agency (SDA) standard data rates and acquisition in multiple spaceto-ground scenarios between its optical Pathfinder satellite, equipped with TESAT’s SCOT80, in low Earth orbit (LEO) and Cailabs’ Optical Ground Station (OGS) in Rennes, France.

“Optical data relay is no longer a theoretical concept. It is tested, proven, and operational in many acquisition scenarios,” said Mina Mitry, chief executive officer and co-founder of Kepler Communications. “This is a critical milestone in creating resilient on-orbit optical infrastructure, proving our ability to leverage the power of light to improve the future of space communications.”

Successful demonstration of space-to-ground station optical links is a first step to validating other space-to-ground

scenarios, including communications with airborne assets.

Space-to-ground optical data transmissions are notoriously challenging, with increased velocities and atmospheric effects imposing pointing, acquisition, and data transfer challenges. The milestone also substantiates the ability to transmit cross-plane space-to-space optical links, a key objective of The Kepler Network, where optical terminals can perform data relay across different orbits.

“Cailabs was very glad to support Kepler on this important validation effort and to collaborate closely with their team. Testing our optical ground station, which mitigates atmospheric turbulence, with multiple terminals and satellites, is key to guaranteeing full operability across diverse scenarios. In that context, we’re proud to be part of this successful SDA-compatible space-to-ground link announcement,” said Jeff Huggins, President of Cailabs US. Kepler is committed to proving and maturing optical technology in a range of operational scenarios. By collaborating with industry partners, it provides customers with secure, low-latency solutions for mission-critical data.

ACE Aeronautics Selects Ultra PCS and Curtiss-Wright Integrated Cockpit Voice and Flight Data Recorder/HUMS Solution for Foreign Military UH-60L Fleets The contract for the Fortress HUMS solution is the first for a cockpit voice/flight data recorder. With an integrated Health and Usage Monitoring System on U.S.-built rotorcraft Ultra PCS and Curtiss-Wright’s Defense Solutions Division announced that ACE Aeronautics has selected them to provide a lightweight, high-technology Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorder (FDR) with integrated Health and Usage

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Monitoring System (HUMS) solution for installation on the UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter fleets of foreign militaries. Under the contract, Ultra PCS and Curtiss-Wright will provide ACE Aeronautics, with the ED-112A, collaboratively developed Fortress HUMSTM CVR/FDR with integrated HUMS capability designed for use on rotorcraft platforms.

The initial contract is for 13 Aircraft and includes the prototype aircraft at Ace Aeronautics. Shipments are scheduled to

The

Inside Track begin later this year and run through 2028.

This contract represents the first selection of a lightweight modern combined crash recorder with voice, flight data, and integrated HUMS developed for U.S.-built rotorcraft.

Compared to segregated crash recorder and HUMS alternatives, and to competitive offerings, the 13lb Fortress HUMS delivers advanced technology, including the latest 25-hour CVR capability, with substantially lower weight (~50lbs less) and greater ease of installation. Fortress HUMS, which can monitor all rotorcraft mechanical systems, blends accident, incident, and flight data analysis with advanced rotorcraft mechanical diagnostics, resulting in increased safety and aircraft operational availability while lowering maintenance costs. The use of HUMS as a standalone solution has been shown to increase rotorcraft availability by 15-20% by successfully predicting maintenance-related issues so that maintenance can be conducted based on real-time condition

data, rather than schedule.

“Ultra PCS is delighted to bring this next-generation, game-changing technology to market,” said Ben Sutton, Vice President, Data Processing, Ultra PCS. “The Fortress HUMS will provide the end-user with a significant fleet management capability that enables them to reduce operational costs by making better decisions about maintenance analysis, safety, training, and interface to the supply system. This system will provide the transformational ability to the customer from crew chief to design engineer.”

“The selection of the Fortress HUMS recorder by ACE Aeronautics to support the Black Hawk helicopter fleets of foreign militaries are an important milestone in bringing advanced voice/data recording and HUMS monitoring and diagnostics to rotorcraft platforms,” said Brian Perry, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions Division. “With its unmatched size and weight reduc-

Vertex Solutions Awarded Contract to Increase Delivery of t-38 Mixed Reality Training Devices Vertex Solutions, a Woman-Owned Small Business known for cutting-edge systems integration and advanced training technologies, has been awarded a contract to deliver 25 additional T-38 Gen 2 reconfigurable enhanced immersive training devices (eITDs) to the U.S. Air Force (USAF) as part of the Virtual TRaining for Air Dominance (VTRAD) Fighter Bomber Fundamentals (FBF) program.

This contract is a directed award by Air Education and Training Command (AETC) under the authority of the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) Other Transaction Agreement (OTA). Vertex received a success memo from DIU stating its acceptance of the prototype VTRAD fast jet simulators developed under the OTA. This DIU Success Memo provides justification and authorization under 10 U.S.C. §4022 for government organizations to award Vertex Solutions sole-source contracts for similar mixed reality simulators.

“This award reflects the performance of our team and the trust that DIU and the USAF continue to place in Vertex Solutions,” said Dennis Wikoff, President and COO of Vertex Solutions. “From initial prototype to full-scale production, we’ve demonstrated that our immersive training systems deliver value, adaptability, and training effectiveness that meet the evolving needs of pilot training.”

The reconfigurable Gen 2 eITD enables student pilots to conduct cockpit familiarization, emergency procedures, and rehearse mission scenarios, significantly reducing the need for costly aircraft and more expensive traditional simulator time. With built-in instructor oversight and flexible scenario customization, these devices support individual and team-based learning. Vertex’s ITDs

are currently fielded across the U.S. Air Force and Navy’s undergraduate pilot training enterprise and continue to demonstrate measurable performance outcomes.

“Vertex now has more immersive training device configurations in operation than any other provider,” said Sandra Reiter, Principal Owner and CEO of Vertex Solutions. “That speaks to our ability to innovate, adapt, and scale solutions that meet mission requirements and get results.”

With more than 500 training devices delivered across military and commercial aviation sectors, Vertex Solutions leads the way in developing and deploying next-generation learning technologies that are scalable, effective, and results-driven. The successful DIU-led acquisition process that enabled this latest contract provides a proven, accelerated pathway for other government organizations to procure immersive training solutions directly from Vertex, helping agencies meet urgent training needs without delay.

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Inside Track tion, Fortress HUMS significantly reduces the time and cost of aircraft installation and through-life operational costs. Fortress HUMS delivers a compelling approach for optimizing defense mission readiness and weight savings for the 3,300 UH-60L Black Hawks and 1,730 CH-47 platforms in service around the world. Moreover, Fortress HUMS offers equal, if not even greater, potential value to commercial rotorcraft fleet operators.”

About Fortress HUMS Fortress HUMS is a non-invasive, fault-tolerant, and compact solution that combines Curtiss-Wright’s next-generation Fortress crash recorder with the revolutionary integrated HUMS developed by Ultra PCS. The resultant product will offer full CVR/FDR recorder capability coupled with a state-of-the-art HUMS that will provide users with a powerful Yet, it is a lightweight and affordable prognostic and diagnostic health monitoring system. Advanced HUMS algorithms calculate the remaining useful life of components, enabling significant maintenance cost savings and increasing aircraft availability by reducing orextending maintenance beyond conservative periodic routines.

The Fortress HUMS solution has a scalable and compos-

able architecture that can accommodate up to 60 smart sensor channels (e.g., accelerometers, tachometers, communications interfaces, and auxiliary data acquisition modules).

The distributed sensor network acquires all data parameters required for HUMS and FDR functions. This includes vibration data for mechanical diagnostics, engine monitoring, and airframe monitoring; platform dynamics for rotor track and balance; analog and digital signals for usage monitoring, exceedance monitoring, and regime recognition; and ARINC 429, analog, and digital signals for flight data recording. Fortress HUMS can operate with a cockpit area microphone, HD color camera, Recorder Independent Power.

Supply, and ground replay software to provide a complete cockpit voice, video, and flight data recording capability.

Fortress HUMS is easy to reconfigure, allowing sensors to be repurposed, added to, removed, and reprogrammed without needing to remove hardware from the aircraft.

Blighter Achieves Record £25m Order Book Following Border Surveillance Smart Radar Contract Wins · Multiple orders received in the last 12 months for Blighter’s ground-based border surveillance radars (fixed and mobile applications) from customers in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, Central Europe, and the Five Eyes · Blighter’s reputation enhanced by the success of its deployment of over one hundred Blighter B400 series solid-state, non-rotating, low-power, and near-zero maintenance electronic-scanning radar units along the 250km Korean Demilitarised Zone Blighter has achieved a record £25 million in book orders in the last 12 months. This follows a series of contract wins from customers on three continents for its ground-based border surveillance radars for fixed and mobile surveillance applications.

In the Middle East and North Africa, Blighter secured contracts to deploy multiple long-range radars along extensive national borders. Two orders were for radars integrated into mobile surveillance vehicles, one in Southeast Asia and another to monitor a European Union land border. In addition, a Five Eyes customer ordered twenty-two ground surveillance radars for deployment on its armoured vehicles.

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James Long, CEO at Blighter, says, “It has been a record-breaking 12 months for the company, with orders totalling more than £25 million for our border surveillance radars. This growth is being driven in part by the increasing geopolitical tensions and border disputes globally as governments look to monitor and secure their boundaries effectively from illegal crossings, smuggling, people trafficking, and other security breaches.

“However, our success is also fuelled by governments and homeland security experts understanding the compelling business case for investing in COTS-based electronic-scanning radars for border surveillance. The Korean Army’s deployment of around one hundred of our radar units on the 250km Korean Demilitarised Zone over a decade ago is testament to this.”

The

Inside Track Blighter’s solid-state, non-rotating, low-power, and near-zero maintenance radars have been operational in South Korea since 2011. The radars provide a persistent surveillance capability along the DMZ in what is considered one of the world’s most mountainous countries. With environmental extremes of -30ºC in winter and a humid +40ºC in summer, they work 24 hours daily, 365 days a year, monitoring the four km-wide DMZ for any human, vehicle, or low-flying aircraft incursions.

“The DMZ has become an excellent reference site for the ultra-reliability and effectiveness of our ground movement radars,” says James Long. “We are confident that we can build on our sales success in the last 12 months by continuing to innovate and leveraging the growing number of reference sites - our radars are now operational in more than 40 countries.”

The Blighter B400 series radars are particularly well suited to national border surveillance applications with their longrange detection capability, 20º wide elevation beam, which provides simultaneous hill-top and valley coverage. The radars can detect tiny and slow targets such as a crawling person up to 6.4 km away, a walking person up to 15 km, and a vehicle at up to 32 km, even in cluttered environments.

Since introducing the world’s first non-rotating, solid-state,

electronic-scanning, micro-Doppler ground radar in 2003, Blighter has continued to lead this market with ITAR-free 2D, 3D, and 4D radars and advanced AI (artificial intelligence)- assisted software to detect, track, and classify small and slow-moving threats in complex environments.

Pattern of life analysis is now used to enhance situational analysis and the speed and efficiency of threat detection.

Blighter radars also feature Low-Probability-of-Intercept (LPI) waveforms and are designed for rugged operation at fixed and mobile locations and on the move. Blighter supports the local assembly of certain products to enable indigenous manufacture.

Blighter’s CEO, James Long, celebrates his company’s record order book of £25m following a series of smart radar contract wins in the last 12 months.

KD Celebrates ZF Implementing 10GBASE-AU Port with KD’s KD7251 Transceiver Optical Multigigabit Ethernet Enters Software-defined Vehicles KD, a fabless semiconductor company, proudly announced a technical collaboration with ZF Group, a Germany-based global technology company, to integrate their KD7251 transceiver into ZF’s ProAI ECU. The companies are working together to further enable ZF’s ProAI high-performance computer with optical multigigabit communications capabilities.

With the KD7251, KD provides the first optical transceiver to allow the transmission of data via automotive-grade optical fibers by the IEEE 802.3cz standard. Oliver Briemle, Head of Cross-Domain Computing at ZF, is convinced that optical multigigabit Ethernet offers considerable advantages for various vehicle classes: “At ZF, we’ve identified this ultra-fast transmission as a key technology for future vehicle electrical systems. The technology enables shortand long-distance transmissions of up to 40 meters for cars and commercial vehicles. Test results show that optical multigigabit Ethernet is

a versatile and future-proof solution for data communications.”

Solving Data Transmission Challenges in Vehicles Implementing KD’s high-speed connectivity over fiber optics by ZF Group is a significant milestone in converting the IEEE Std 802.3cz specifications into real products and applications. Carlos Pardo, CEO and Co-founder of KD, confirmed strongly: “At KD, we’re excited to contribute to this evolution with our automotive optical transceiver KD7251, which supports the IEEE Std 802.3cz standard and enables multigigabit communications with multi-mode glass optical fiber. This latest implementation in mainstream automotive networking further verifies our vision and path of utilizing fiber optics communications to solve connectivity challenges in harsh environments.”

Enabling Multigigabit Communications in Automotive

COTS Journal | May 2025

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Inside Track Systems KD’s latest transceiver KD7251 implements the BASE-AU physical layers and complies with the IEEE Std 802.3cz™ standard specification for automotive multigigabit optical communications over glass optical fiber links.

It is a single-chip solution with the on-chip optical interface, supporting 2.5, 5, and 10 Gb/s. The transceiver includes bridging functionalities to enable the connectivity of MIPI sensors, as cameras and radar (CSI-2®), displays (DSI-2), or AI processors (PCIe®) in the vehicle.

The KD7251 reaches 40 meters with four inline connectors over standard duplex OM3 multi-mode glass optical fiber (MM-GOF) at 10 Gb/s in the whole temperature range. The same cables and connectors will be reused for higher bitrates (25, 50 Gb/s, and higher in the future).

With its integrated EMC shielding, the KD7251 transceiver guarantees the highest component-level EMC compliance without needing external additions. This translates into a port with a small PCB area and a reduced Bill of Materials (BOM), with no need for ESD protections, common mode chokes, EMI filters, or DC blocks.

As a native automotive part, the KD7251 supports MACsec, ASIL-B FuSa, TSN, Wake-up & Sleep, OAM, and dependability functions. Thus, the transceiver enables a broad range of use cases with optical technology, such as multigigabit Ethernet backbone, zonal gateway connectivity, smart antenna link, and connectivity for radars, cameras, lidar, displays, and high-performance computing units.

Royal Australian Air Force Links F-35 Simulators for First Time on Lockheed Martin Network The Australian Department of Defence, in partnership with Lockheed Martin, connected F-35 simulators at Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) bases Williamtown and Tindal via the F-35’s distributed mission training (DMT) network.

This establishes Australia as the first international F-35 customer to receive this capability, further enhancing global mission readiness and interoperability of the F-35 fleet.

“With distributed mission training, we’re not just connecting simulators – we’re connecting pilots and strengthening operations for 21st century security,” says Raashi Quattlebaum, vice president of F-35 Training and Logistics at Lockheed Martin. “F35 pilots can build the skills and confidence they need to dominate the skies and execute their missions by training together in a virtual environment.”

Lockheed Martin and the RAAF successfully connected the two sites over 2,800 km apart for distributed mission training (DMT). DMT connects F-35 simulators across borders, enabling seamless training exercises between F-35 pilots stationed worldwide. By providing large-force training capabilities, DMT allows pilots to practice complex scenarios and build the necessary skills for real-world missions.

Carlos Pardo is CEO and Co-founder of KD

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“Establishing a distributed mission training network between RAAF bases Williamtown and Tindal provides Australia with an advanced training capability that will enhance the readiness of

The

Inside Track Everfox Announces Strategic Partnership with Palantir to Enhance Joint Command and Control Capabilities

Collaboration provides enhanced cross-domain solutions for seamless connectivity and secure data sharing.

its pilots while reducing the sustainment costs of its 72 F-35As — the largest fleet of Joint Strike Fighters outside of the US,” says Rob Weitzman, Lockheed Martin Program Director for F-35 Australia. “Lockheed Martin has established our most significant F-35 sustainment presence outside the US in Australia, and we are proud to work with the Department of Defence and our local industry partners to deliver this record-breaking training capability milestone.”

Within the F-35 complete mission simulator, pilots can engage in realistic and immersive training exercises over a secure network. This option provides a safe and efficient learning environment to try new exercises and techniques. It also allows for more repetitions of an exercise in a single training session and reduces the aircraft’s sustainment costs.

Lockheed Martin is the sustainment lead for the RAAF’s F-35 fleet, partnering with local industry suppliers, including Milskil, to deliver pilot training solutions at RAAF bases Williamtown and Tindal. Over 75 Australian companies have shared over AUD$5 billion in contracts to support the F-35 program through advanced manufacturing, supply chain solutions, and sustainment services.

The Lockheed Martin team has trained over 2,915 F-35 pilots and 18,105 F-35 maintainers, operating from 30 customer bases worldwide. The F-35 complete mission simulator has proven to be a game changer in pilot training. By fully replicating the hardware and software of the actual aircraft, pilots can experience a seamless transition to real-world missions.

Everfox, a leader in cross-domain technology solutions, announced a strategic partnership with Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ: PLTR), a pioneer in data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI). The partnership aims to support customers operating software solutions in classified network environments, including software solutions for joint and integrated command and control.

Utilizing approved data transformation formats, this partnership, already tested and deployed with existing customers, will extend to additional clients with complex network and operational environment needs. By applying Everfox’s robust cross-domain solutions to Palantir’s AI capabilities, warfighters can rapidly process, decide, and react to real-time intelligence streamed from multiple sensors, platforms, and networks, providing a comprehensive and unified data environment across domains.

Everfox will also utilize Palantir’s Mission Manager with its cross-domain solutions. This empowers customers to efficiently field, manage, and maintain commercial, open source, and government off-the-shelf software (GOTS) baselines across complex classified networks. Built on commercial industry best practices and government standards, Mission Manager offers a secure and automated software infrastructure, delivering rapid fielding and continuous integration/ continuous delivery (CI/CD) support models to any tactical and classified network environment. This suite of capabilities heralds a new era of software agility and reliability, bringing commercial software best practices to customers operating within the most complex and secure classified network environments.

“Joint command and control are crucial for the U.S. to keep pace with the volume and complexity of data in modern warfare. Access to this data is often the difference between mission success and failure,” said Sean Berg, CEO of Everfox. “Working with Palantir Technologies, we can better support our customers through innovative and highly secure cross-domain technology solutions.”

“We’re proud to partner with Everfox to enhance the warfighter mission,” said

Akash Jain, President of Palantir USG. “Our combined efforts will provide our customers with transformative operational efficiency, ensuring they remain at the forefront of technological advancements in defense.”

Everfox and Palantir Technologies underscore a shared commitment to advancing national security through innovation. By combining their respective strengths, the two companies will deliver transformative solutions that will empower the warfighters with the necessary tools to maintain a strategic advantage on the battlefield.

COTS Journal | May 2025

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SPECIAL FEATURE

How SoC FPAA Technology is Bringing Analog Computing to the Frontlines of Defense Systems

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COTS Journal | May 2025

By John Reardon, Editor-in-Chief, COTS Journal In an increasingly digital world, the whisper of analog computation might seem like a relic of a bygone era. Yet, beneath the sleek facades of our smartphones, satellites and autonomous vehicles lies a quietly powerful movement: field programmable analog arrays (FPAAs). Today, with the recent acquisition of Anadign by OKIKA Semiconductor, we stand at the threshold of a new age in mixedsignal, systemonchip (SoC) design—one where analog circuits are as reconfigurable as their digital cousins, and the line between physics and code blurs in service of ultra efficient, realworld needs.

From Silicon Labs to the Physics Lab Bench Professor Jennifer Hasler, a pioneer in “physical computing,” recounts the moment she realized the potential of large-scale analog reconfiguration. While exploring neuromorphic architectures in the early 2010s, she and her students discovered that analog circuits—long dismissed as unforgiving and inflexible—could be tamed with modern calibration, compact standardcell libraries and floatinggate memory elements. By 2016, her team had demonstrated a 1,000× reduction in energy per operation compared to digital equivalents—a landmark achievement that would set the stage for today’s SoC FPAA renaissance.

Yet, until recently, designers faced a dizzying toolchain: custom layout, painstaking tuning, and a lack of system level support kept analog squarely in the realm of specialists. That is, until OKIKA’s engineers and Anadign’s analog designers joined forces.

OKIKA + Anadign: Forging the Future of MixedSignal SoCs

When OKIKA Semiconductor announced its acquisition of Anadign last year, the industry took notice. Anadign’s configurable analog blocks (CABS) and highdensity floatinggate SRAM IP—once available only to bleedingedge—became part of OKIKA’s venerable SoC portfolio. The result: a family of SoC FPAAs that pair digital processing cores, power management and RF front ends with reprogrammable analog cells, all under a unified toolchain.

At the heart of the new OKIKA SoC FPAA lies a grid of precisiontunable conductors and capacitors, arranged in a compact fabric that fits within a 20 nm process node. Each analog “tile” supports continuous time filters, oscillators and nonlinear functions, while reconfigurable interconnect ensures seamless routing between analog, digital and RF domains. Beneath the surface, a lightweight SRAM bank stores both analog configuration words and code, allowing dynamic reprogramming in the field.

OKIKA’s vision is clear: deliver an “analog GPU” on a single chip—capable of performing tens of teraMACs per second in RF signal processing or sensor fusion, with power envelopes measured in milliwatts.

COTS Journal | May 2025

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Why Choose an SoC FPAA? Beyond the FPGA vs. GPU Debate For decades, system designers have relied on field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and GPUs to accelerate compute intensive tasks. Yet both architectures share a digital lineage that carries intrinsic inefficiencies when interfacing with the analog world. Converting real world signals to bits, processing them, then converting back consumes precious power and adds latency.

Enter the SoC FPAA: by computing directly on voltage and current, these devices circumvent the power-hungry analog to digital converters and digital signal processors. In OKIKA’s latest devices, a programmed filter or classifier runs at 1,000× energy efficiency compared to a comparable digital design, and occupies just one eighth the die area of a GPU or FPGA implementation at 20 nm. With up to 10–100 million analog “gates” available, designers can map entire sensor-processing pipelines—feature extraction, classification and control loops—entirely in the analog domain.

Take, for example, an auditory classifier embedded in a wireless sensor node. Traditional DSP approaches require digitizing audio, running compute heavy spectral transforms on a microcontroller or GPU, then classifying the result. OKIKA’s SoC FPAA, by contrast, tunes a bank of analog filters and threshold detectors to extract pitch, loudness and temporal features—all in real time, at a handful of microwatts. The result: a battery powered node that can monitor environmental noise for weeks on a coincell battery.

Building Real Systems: Tools, Workflows and Ecosystems In military parlance, the goal today is Joint All-Domain CA common refrain among analog skeptics: “Sure, it works on a lab bench, but can I actually build a product?” OKIKA’s answer is a resounding “yes.” Alongside the SoC FPAA, the company provides a comprehensive tool suite—OKIAnalog

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COTS Journal | May 2025

Studio—that offers schematic capture, corneraware simulation, and auto-generated calibration routines for process, voltage and temperature variations.

Under the hood, the toolchain leverages a mixed mode simulator codeveloped with Professor Hasler’s group, integrating analog behavioral models with register transfer level (RTL) descriptions of onchip digital accelerators. Once a design is verified, the same environment deploys configuration bitstreams to hardware via JTAG or even over the air firmware updates.

OKIAnalog Studio’s drag and drop blocks include auditory front ends, matched filters, finitestate machines, floating gate neural cells and power management controllers—each parameterized for area, speed and power. For rapid prototyping, designers can spin up evaluation boards featuring the SoC FPAA, an FPGA for glue logic and a microcontroller for high level orchestration. The result is a real system in days, not months.

Field Programmable Analog Arrays (FPAAs) are enabling new levels of adaptability in harsh signal environments, particularly underwater imaging. In these systems—used in everything from fish finders to advanced naval sonar— conditions such as temperature gradients and suspended sediments make clear imaging a challenge. Anadigm FPAAs allow real-time, dynamic reconfiguration of sonar filters, enabling the system to adjust to changing acoustic conditions without hardware modifications. This flexibility continues to represent the cutting edge in reconfigurable analog signal processing.

Spotlight on Capabilities: From State Machines to Analog GPUs

What gives Everfox such an edge in this space is its roots in commercial cybersecurity. Long before this partnership, Everfox was battling advanced persistent threats (APTs) in

sectors like finance, energy, and healthcare—environments where the stakes are high, and the adversaries are relentless.

These hard-won lessons in the private sector now feed directly into the military domain. Every attempted breach, every novel exploit, every AI-powered probe adds to a growing library of knowledge. And with Palantir’s AI integrating that knowledge into adaptive learning models, the joint solution doesn’t just resist attacks—it evolves with them.

Looking Ahead: The Future of AI in Defense

The versatility of the SoC FPAA shines through in its range of “IPMAC” capabilities (analog multiply accumulate per second). OKIKA’s flagship device boasts 10 TMAC/s in a single chip module—an analog GPU designed for RF signal chain tasks such as beamforming, chirp detection and spectral scanning. Paired with onchip ADCs and DACs, the FPAA can perform realtime modulationdomain filtering, adaptive equalization and even dynamic poweramplifier linearization without offchip support.

On the simpler end of the spectrum, designers can implement robust finitestate machines entirely in analog blocks.

Imagine an ultralowpower sensor that wakes only when a sequence of temperature and vibration thresholds fire in a particular order—no microcontroller needed. The analog FG (floatinggate) programming technology, pioneered

by Hasler’s team, ensures nonvolatile state retention across power cycles, with energy costs measured in nanojoules per write.

The Road Ahead: Scaling to Millions of Gates As with any semiconductor technology, scaling is key.

OKIKA and Anadign’s combined IP roadmap targets 7 nm

and below, with projections of 100 million analog gates on demand by 2026—an order of magnitude increase over today’s offerings. At those densities, entire neural network accelerators and adaptive control systems will fit alongside digital cores on the same die, pushing analog computing into the mainstream of edgeAI and 5G/6G RF domains.

Looking further out, there’s talk of cryogenic FPAA fabrics for quantum-control electronics—leveraging the ultra low temperature performance of floatinggate CMOS circuits to orchestrate qubit arrays. If realized, such devices could dissolve the hardware barrier to practical quantum computers, embedding control loops directly at millikelvin temperatures.

When You Grow Up: The AnalogDigital Convergence

Ask any SoC architect where the next wave of innovation will come from, and the consensus is clear: convergence.

The dichotomy between analog and digital is giving way to a continuum of computation across the electrical spectrum.

OKIKA’s SoC FPAA, born of a union with Anadign and guided by the vision of Jennifer Hasler, embodies that convergence—offering system designers the best of both worlds: the precision and reconfigurability of digital logic, married to the power efficiency and real world intimacy of analog.

In the coming years, expect to see FPAApowered sensor nodes that last for decades on energy harvesting, RF frontends that adapt in real time to spectrum conditions, and autonomous robots whose senseandrespond loops operate entirely in the analog domain. The analog revolution that Professor Hasler foresaw is now at our doorstep—and with FPAASoCs from OKIKA, we have the tools to step boldly into that future.

Okika OTC2902K SoC FPAA Development Board

Shown here is the OTC2902K SoC FPAA development board from Okika, designed for seamless integration with the company’s development software toolset.

The board combines the FPAA and interface components into a single, self-contained system that connects via a standard USB port. This configuration allows the board to function as a typical USB peripheral, offering a fully programmable and configurable platform for system prototyping and deployment.

COTS Journal | May 2025

19

SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT

Rethinking the DIY Approach to Automated Test Equipment Design

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COTS Journal | May 2025

By Joe Engler, President at Intepro Systems Developing in-house Automated Test Equipment (ATE) is costly and complex, diverting resources from core innovation. To address this, many companies outsource some or all ATE system design and development to third-party specialists.

In an industrial setting, developing Automated Test Equipment (ATE) in-house is often approached as a DIY (Do-It-Yourself) project involving the ambitious task of constructing a critical support system using internal engineering resources.

Automated Test Equipment (ATE) systems ensure that electronic devices operate according to specifications in the field. The aerospace and defense sectors make substantial investments in ATE due to the criticality of lifesaving electronics utilized in military equipment such as aircraft, naval vessels, and ground vehicles, as well as various systems like weapons, radar, and wireless communication.

Automated Test Systems (ATS) are widely utilized for testing automotive electronics, batteries, and electronic drive systems in the EV market. ATEs are also used to optimize the performance of telecom infrastructure, analyze and improve the efficiency of renewable energy systems, and validate consumer electronics.

However, a common misconception is that designing and building ATE systems is straightforward, merely requiring identifying test requirements and assembling

the necessary components. Effective test system development demands expertise in test system architecture, component selection, software integration, and regulatory compliance, making in-house development a significant challenge for most organizations.

While some enterprises attempt to develop ATE systems in-house, the complexity and cost often outweigh the benefits, diverting focus from core technological advancements. For some companies, there can be advantages to turning to specialized providers that can provide all or parts of ATE systems.

“Many companies are reevaluating in-house design strategies and choosing to outsource all or significant portions of their automated test systems to specialized providers,” says Andrew Engler of Intepro Systems, a leading supplier of high-power electronic testing systems. “This approach ensures access to advanced testing capabilities and allows internal engineering teams to concentrate on core innovations rather than system validation.”

Engler says companies prefer to keep testing and development in-house for various reasons.

“Most companies’ first instinct is to allocate internal engineering resources. This approach ensures direct control over the project but introduces inefficiencies,” he says.

For some companies there can be advantages to turning to specialized providers that can provide all, or parts, of ATE systems.

COTS Journal | May 2025

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Engineers, whose expertise lies in other areas, must take on responsibilities outside their core competencies, requiring them to assemble a solution without in-depth knowledge of testing system design, component sourcing, or software integration. This diverts their focus from primary tasks and may lead to suboptimal solutions and increased project timelines. Intepro creates the documentation, including user manual, drawings, and schematics for the system, which can be extensive and is extremely time-consuming. The company also troubleshoots errors that may arise in the system to avoid having customers pull engineering resources away from their tasks.

In some cases, security and proprietary concerns dictate the decision. Government contracts, for example, may explicitly restrict information sharing, requiring all work to be conducted internally to comply with security protocols. This is common in aerospace, defense, and other industries where confidentiality is critical.

Cost perception is another major factor. Many companies assume that outsourcing is more expensive because they are already paying their engineers and should

maximize their utilization. However, this overlooks the hidden costs of time spent researching, troubleshooting, and developing automated test systems from scratch—efforts that an experienced external provider could streamline with proven solutions.

“In reality, the cost of a DIY approach can be higher than expected. Engineers are valuable, and their salaries reflect it. When factoring in the hours spent sourcing, vetting, and troubleshooting components, the cost difference between handling it inhouse and outsourcing to professional ATE system developers is negligible,” says Engler.

Numerous custom ATE providers offer fully integrated automated solutions or, when required, specific hardware and software components to meet unique testing needs.

A typical automated test solution comprises hardware, software, test instruments, signal sources, and test probes or handlers. Software also plays a critical role in test development and data collection, storage, reporting, and analysis management. These components are

Effective test system development demands expertise in test system architecture, component selection, software integration, and regulatory compliance, making in-house development a significant challenge for most organizations.

Automated Test Equipment (ATE) systems serve the critical purpose of ensuring that electronic devices operate according to specifications in the field.

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COTS Journal | May 2025

Automated Test Systems (ATS) are widely utilized for testing automotive electronics, batteries, and electronic drive systems in the EV market.

usually consolidated into all-in-one test stations, which vary greatly in size and portability, from small, compact test stations on wheels to large stationary test towers.

According to Engler, even when manufacturers seek to maintain control over the design of their Automated Test Equipment (ATE), they often turn to a hybrid approach that still involves bringing in outside experts.

Security concerns, compliance regulations, and supplier reliability must all be evaluated before making a selection. This requires an additional vetting process to ensure components meet both performance and regulatory standards.

The software can even be purchased as a standalone product if needed. Every system requires test program software, which plays a critical role in test development and the management of data collection, “A few of our customers manage their storage, reporting, and analysis. test stations using internal resources while relying on us for specific components and “If they prefer to handle hardware selecsoftware. This allows them to maintain tion and system development internally, control over the design while integrating we can provide the software and train the proven, high-quality elements into their customer how to use it.” systems,” says Engler.

Intepro’s offering, PowerStar, proA company like Intepro, which vides simplified drag-and-drop test specializes in power electronics test- routines designed to dramaticaling, can offer many products used in ly reduce the development of test test stations, including AC and DC programs, from single instrument power sources, AC loads, and other functional control to complete test standalone equipment. procedures with easy-to-use paramIntepro’s test systems use off-the- eter entries. Engineers can customshelf equipment, so engineers can ize their programs without writing independently search for and pur- code or assembling graphical comchase these components. However, ponents. the sourcing process can be overThe software solution allows for whelming, particularly when faced modifications when project requirewith an extensive selection. A simple ments shift, as they often do. Over request, such as finding a 30-volt, time, the system’s hardware compo5-amp power supply, can quickly nents deteriorate or become outdatlead to sifting through hundreds of ed. Alterations in test projects and thousands of options. changes of scope parameters ensue.

Companies like Intepro have a list Government contracts may not be of pre-vetted suppliers, eliminating renewed or could be entirely termiguesswork in selecting reliable com- nated. Test specifications undergo ponents and reducing sourcing time. modifications, sometimes necessiBeyond technical specifications, tating a complete reconfiguration sourcing requirements add another of the test. Faced with these types layer of complexity, particularly in of challenges, more easily adaptable industries like aerospace. A compo- software like PowerStar eliminates nent’s country of origin matters, and the need to rewrite entire programs while sourcing from overseas suppli- from scratch. This can significantly ers is not an automatic disqualifier, it reduce timelines and decrease costs. does raise additional considerations.

While designing an Automated

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www.rtc-media.com Test Equipment (ATE) system inhouse is technically feasible, the process is complex, costly, and time-intensive. Experienced ATE providers offer the necessary expertise, enabling companies to bypass the steep learning curve, accelerate development, and optimize resource allocation.

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COTS Journal | May 2025

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May 2025

COT’S PICKS

Cubic DTECH Announces the Launch of DTECH Fusion Trust, Powered by HyperSphereProviding post-quantum encryption to the tactical edge.

Cubic DTECH is launching DTECH Fusion Trust, powered by HyperSphere (the leader in quantum-resistant cybersecurity). The solution can scale from body-worn compute platforms to mobile data centers operating within Denied, Disrupted, Intermittent, and Limited (DDIL) environments, and, where available, onto scalable cloud-native platforms to deliver quantum-resistant encryption.

“Our solution ensures the confidentiality and integrity of the original payload, even before the data is written to storage,” said Anthony Verna, SVP and GM, Cubic DTECH Mission Solutions.

“This marks a pivotal moment showcasing our commitment to providing advanced cybersecurity solutions, representing a significant advancement in safeguarding mission-critical data.”

“With attackers constantly evolving their tactics using AI-driven attacks and with the threat of quantum computers on the horizon, we believe data protection must always stay several steps ahead of the adversary,” said James DeCesare, CEO of HyperSphere. Together with DTECH, we are proud to fulfill that mission successfully.

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COTS Journal | May 2025

Key features of DTECH Fusion Trust include: •Preemptive Cyber Defense: Safeguard mission-critical data from classic largescale computing, AI, or quantum computers-down to the frame level, before the data is even written to storage, all with confidentiality and integrity of the original payload •Resilient Data Security: Seamlessly restore any compromised or deleted data using DoD and NIST security requirements at less than 1% overhead •Automated Moving Target Defense: Automatically create a different encryption key per frame for every object and hide each key in fourth-dimensional space to eliminate key vulnerabilities

May 2025

COT’S PICKS XChange3031 - 3U VPX 40/10 Gigabit Ethernet Switch with Layer 2 Switching and Optional Layer 3 Routing The XChange3031 is a conduction-cooled 3U VPX Ethernet switch module. The XChange3031 provides one backplane 40GBASE-KR4 Ethernet port, six backplane 10GBASE-KR Ethernet ports, four backplane 10GBASE-T Ethernet ports, and up to eight backplane 1000BASE-T Ethernet ports.

It delivers full wire-speed across all ports and supports jumbo frames up to 10 kB. It also supports IPv6 and a comprehensive set of IETF RFCs and IEEE protocols.

The XChange3031 delivers full wire-speed across all ports and supports jumbo frames up to 10 kB. It also

supports IPv6 and a comprehensive set of IETF RFCs and IEEE protocols.

As a fully managed Layer 2 switch, the XChange3031 supports features such as VLANs (IEEE 802.1Q), LACP, STP, RSTP, PVRST, MSTP, SNMP, flow control, port mirroring, port authentication (IEEE 802.1x), Quality of Service (QoS), ACL, IGMP, and LLDP. The XChange3031 can also optionally host an XChange6300 Cisco IOS-XE® Gigabit Ethernet Embedded Services Router.

MIL Certified, Modified COTS Designed to protect vital electronics in any rugged environment.

nVent.com/SCHROFF/varistar-cp-mil COTS Journal | May 2025

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May 2025

COT’S PICKS Samsung Introduces Galaxy Tab Active5 Tactical Edition: New Tablet Delivers Greater Functionality and Security for Precision Military Operations Samsung’s Tactical Edition portfolio expands with its first-ever mission-ready tablet to deliver greater situational awareness and decision-making capabilities.

Samsung Electronics America announced the expansion of its Tactical Edition lineup with the new Galaxy Tab Active5 Tactical Edition. The latest in the evolution of Samsung’s tactical mobile technology, the new tablet delivers military-grade1 security and compatibility with a range of mission-ready software applications that special operations teams use.

“Samsung’s Tactical Edition solutions combine the power of our proven commercial, off-the-shelf devices with highly customized software and features to meet the demands of military personnel operating in high-stakes environments,” said Tyler Gipson, GM, Head of B2B at Samsung Electronics America. “With the Galaxy Tab Active5 Tactical Edition, we are introducing our most powerful purpose-built tactical solution yet – in a larger format to enhance precision Situational Awareness capabilities in the field.”

Samsung’s Tactical Edition mobile solutions stem from the company’s longstanding collaboration with the US Department of Defense and are actively deployed across all US military branches. They are also ideal solutions for first responders. The Galaxy Tab Active5 Tactical Edition retains all key features from previous Tactical Edition generations – including tactical radio interoperability and mission-ready software support – while introducing new hardware enhancements that support the safe and secure transmission of classified information.

Built for seamless integration, the Galaxy Tab Active5 Tactical Edition connects with most tactical radios, drone systems, laser range finders, external GPS, and more.

It supports persistent communication in

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multi-domain environments and provides a complete view of missions. It also supports all conventional cellular capabilities, including 5G2, LTE, CBRS, Wi-Fi 6E, and is AT&T FirstNet Ready.

With 5G band-locking mode, the tablet can connect exclusively to certified 5G networks, preventing any other network connections that could pose security threats.

Military personnel can also leverage Stealth Mode for off-grid communications, disabling LTE and e-911, and muting all radio frequency broadcasting. Covert Lock goes deeper than Stealth Mode for even greater mission security and de-energizes baseband communications modems and GPS, fully securing the device from emitting an RF signature.

Galaxy AI The Galaxy Tab Active5 Tactical Edition features advanced situational awareness tools that enhance tactical teams’ decision-making capabilities, helping them stay alert in the field. Night Vision mode supports viewing through night vision optic devices. The device is also optimized for mission-ready applications, including Android Team Awareness Kit3 (ATAK) and the Battlefield Assisted Trauma Distributed Observation Kit4 (BATDOK).

The Galaxy Tab Active5 Tactical Edition is secured by Samsung Knox security5, a defense-grade security platform built into Samsung devices to safeguard sensitive data from the chipset up. Like all Tactical Edition solutions, the tablet meets rigorous industry regulations, including NSA’s Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) Components List, enabling active-duty and civilian military personnel to access classified information securely. In addition, Knox Dual Data at Rest (DualDAR) protects classified data up to Top Secret to be stored on the devices with two layers of encryption, even when they are powered off

COTS Journal | May 2025

or in an unauthenticated state.

As a secure solution for classified missions, the tablet leverages Hypervisor Device Manager (HDM), one of the strongest layers of in-depth defense to prevent hacking. HDM enforces LTE and GPS connectivity restrictions, enhancing control and safeguarding.

Designed to tolerate extreme conditions, the Galaxy Tab Active5 Tactical Edition can endure drops up to 1.5 meters and is IP68-rated for dust and water resistance6.

It is also MIL-STD-810H7 compliant to withstand extreme altitudes, temperatures, vibration, and humidity. The device also features a long-lasting, replaceable battery8, providing extended power for the unpredictable demands of field work, and a sensitive touchscreen for use when wet, wearing gloves, or using the included rugged S-Pen9.

The Galaxy Tab Active5 Tactical Edition solution supports a variety of use cases for military personnel. It delivers powerful and efficient computing capabilities with the Exynos 1380, a 5nm Octa-core processor, and features an immersive, 8-inch premium resolution display. The tablet is also equipped with an S Pen to annotate on the screen more precisely and a front 5 MP and rear 13 MP camera for taking and sharing images and videos from the field.

May 2025

COT’S PICKS Pickering Interfaces Launches High-Speed PXI Resolver Simulation Modules for Aerospace and Automotive Applications Pickering Interfaces has announced the expansion of its 41-670 (PXI) and 43-670 (PXIe) LVDT, RVDT, and resolver simulator modules to include highspeed resolver simulation up to 130kRPM rotation. This addresses the growing need for precise and reliable testing of advanced servo systems in critical industries such as automotive, aerospace, and defense.

Higher speed resolver simulation has become increasingly important as modern control systems used in automotive, aircraft, and defense systems use high-speed resolvers with excitation frequencies up to 80 kHz to improve signal bandwidth, reduce noise susceptibility, and enhance dynamic response. Testing embedded software with lower speed resolver simulations can result in lower fidelity and missed software bugs.

The updated module enables the simulation of multiple resolver pole pairs.

While most electromechanical resolvers have a maximum rotational speed of 20kRPM when simulating—for instance—four pole pairs, the corresponding x4 factor means this becomes 80kRPM electrical cycles to simulate.

“Rather than rely on FPGA approximations, our updated family of resolver simulators uses actual transformers on board,” said Stephen Jenkins, Simulation Product Manager at Pickering Interfaces. “Our modules deliver precise, real-world analog signals with high-resolution angle simulation, ensuring reliable performance even at the highest speeds.”

The 41-670 (PXI) and 43-670 (PXIe) range is ideal for simulating variable differential transformers (VDT), both linear (LVDT) and rotary (RVDT) types, as well as resolvers with high-speed simulation up to 130kRPM rotation. They have two (41/43-670-303) or four (41/43-670-301) banks, each capable of simulating the output of a single 5- or 6-wire VDT or resolver, or dual 4-wire utilizing a shared excitation signal. This allows the module to simulate up to 4 channels of 5- or 6-wire or eight-wire.

PXI’s high channel density enables the testing of multiple resolver channels in a compact footprint. With the addition of built-in relays, the 41/43-670 can also provide short or open circuits for each channel’s inputs and outputs, reducing the need for external switching for fault insertion requirements. The programmable phase delay can also be used for simulating imperfect sensors and cabling, artificially offsetting single or multiple outputs.

New High-Performance SOSA Aligned ATR Enclosures From Pixus Save Space Pixus Technologies, a provider of embedded computing and enclosure solutions, has developed new SOSA-aligned ATR enclosures utilizing the 3U OpenVPX form factor. The various chassis platforms typically support 100GbE or higher speeds.

The new ARINC 404 5/8 size ATRs from Pixus feature customized I/O options and various SOSA slot profile options, including RF and optical interfaces through the backplane.

For chassis management, the ATR can implement Pixus’s SOSA-aligned Tier 3 mezzanine-based solution behind the backplane. This saves a lot of space while acting as a health monitor and control module for the system.

Pixus also offers an Ethernet Converter board that fits behind the I/O board to convert 10GBASE-KR to 10GBASE-T, saving a space slot. Various chassis configurations include a “top hat” or “bottom tub” design for extra space above or below the plugin cards for other devices, etc.

Pixus provides OpenVPX backplane/chassis systems in commercial, development, and MIL rugged formats. The company also offers IEEE and Eurocard components for the embedded computer market.

COTS Journal | May 2025

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May 2025

COT’S PICKS Abaco Systems Unveils SOSA™ Aligned Rugged GRA117S 3U VPX Video Graphics & GPGPU Card to Support AI & Deep Learning Programs AMETEK Abaco Systems is excited to introduce the GRA117S, a SOSA-aligned Open VPX 3U video graphics and GPGPU card.

It’s powered by the NVIDIA RTX™ GPU with 16 GB GDDR6 ECC memory and is designed to support AI and deep learning capabilities.

Designed for extreme environments and mission-critical applications, the GRA117S offers a wide range of advanced features, including: •NVIDIA RTX™ 5000 GPU (Ada Lovelace Architecture)

•16 GB of GDD56 advanced graphics memory with error correction code (ECC) •PCI Express Gen 4 connectivity support offering flexibility and ultra-fast data transfer speeds SOSA slot profile 14.6.11 and 14.6.13 compatibility:

“The new GRA117S ultra-fast data transfer speeds ensure unmatched efficiency and responsiveness for data-intensive tasks for applications utilizing AI and deep learning functionality,” said Simon Collins, Director of Product Management at Abaco Systems. “This new OpenVPX video graphics card further reinforces Abaco’s commitment to high-performance, SOSA-aligned, military embedded computing products.”

The GRA117S is an ideal solution for defense system platforms, including UAV detection systems, built to deliver exceptional performance in air, land, and maritime applications. This SOSA-compliant solution guarantees scalability and seamless integration, ensuring adaptability to future defense architectures.

Elma’s AI Optimized CompacFrame Speeds Development of Rugged GPU-focused Applications New SOSA-aligned 7-slot test and development chassis supports up to 100GBASE-KR4 and PCIe Gen4.

Elma Electronic has expanded its SOSA-aligned CompacFrame development chassis to include an AI-optimized 7-slot version.

Equipped with six 3U payload slots and one VITA 62 power supply slot, the new 3U VPX/OpenVPX test and development platform allows SBC and GPU coupling and direct distribution through the backplane.

The CompacFrame was designed to meet the complex needs of AI-based processing when testing and developing rugged embedded applications. Typical applications include those in which one GPU/SBC pair runs an inference model and another supports signal processing of RF data or drives a high-definition display.

The portable unit is ideal for comput-intensive processing of electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) and radio frequency (RF) using AI, machine learning (ML), or traditional digital signal processing (DSP) algorithms. Applications include radar beamforming, synthetic aperture radar (SAR), ground moving target indicator (GMTI) radar, autonomous navigation, threat detection and identification, target tracking and display, sensor fusion, surveillance, and situational awareness.

Because the slot profiles are aligned with SOSA and CMOSS, the AI-optimized CompacFrame is ideal for modern military applications that will adhere to the Modular Open Systems Approach

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COTS Journal | May 2025

(MOSA), an interoperability initiative driven by the Department of Defense. A fully SOSA-aligned VITA 46.11 chassis manager is accessible from a connector on the rear of the unit.

For maximum throughput and speed, the 6+1 backplane (six VITA 65 payload slots, one VITA 62 power supply slot) supports a dual domain Ethernet switch up to 100GBASE-KR4, and the expansion plane link supports PCI Express (PCIe) Gen4. With 16 lanes of PCIe between a host SBC and a GPU, including meshed GPUs between slots 5 and 6, the backplane can handle multiple AI-based use cases.

Designed for flexible test and development, the new CompacFrame provides several easy-to-use features. Both air-cooled and conduction-cooled payload boards can be inserted. The angled card cage provides easy access to plug-in cards, and the front panel includes reset and power switches as well as voltage-monitoring LEDs and test points. The rear of the unit contains an Ethernet port, serial port, chassis manager, USB port aggregator, and LED indicators for power, fan, and over-temperature.

May 2025

COT’S PICKS Two New Miniature Absolute Encoders Join US Digital’s Lineup MAE4 and MA4 Absolute Encoders US Digital announced the launch of two new miniature absolute encoders: the MAE4 and the MA4. The MAE4 is a kit-style encoder designed to mount directly to existing shafts, while the MA4 is a shafted version. Both models deliver 12-bit resolution and offer a choice of analog or PWM outputs.

For quick assembly, the MAE4 Magnetic Absolute Encoder Kit features US Digital’s push-on magnetic hub, which supports seven shaft diameters: four metric (3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm, 6 mm) and three imperial (0.125”, 0.188”, 0.250”) and two shaft lengths (0.220”, 0.500”). It mounts to bolt circles of 0.750”, 1.280”, and 1.812”, making it easy to integrate into existing or space-limited applications.

Concerning the MA4 Shafted Miniature Absolute Encod-

Cage Code 57861

er, US Digital’s COO Neal Donowitz commented, “The MA4’s rugged glass-filled polymer makes it a great candidate for medical applications to meet their sterilization requirements.” The MA4’s shaft torque is also designed to provide the tactile feel of a potentiometer, ideal for manual front-panel interfaces.

Jim Stevens, US Digital’s VP of Business Development, pointed out that “several of these upgrades are a direct result of customer feedback.”

The MAE4 and MA4 feature increased vibration and shock ratings and a latching connector to combine for a robust package and to be a dependable solution for industrial, medical, and other motion control applications.

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COTS Journal | May 2025

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29

May 2025

COT’S PICKS nVent SCHROFF Enhances RatiopacPRO Style 19” Desktop Cases with New Protective Packaging nVent Electric announced new sustainable packaging for its nVent SCHROFF RatiopacPRO Style portfolio, a modular collection of 19” desktop cases. Designed with environmental responsibility, the new packaging is made from recycled materials and minimizes plastic use, reducing waste while maintaining durability and protection. This eco-friendly upgrade aligns with nVent’s commitment to sustainability, helping ensure that customers receive high-quality enclosures with packaging that supports greener practices. The RatiopacPRO Style portfolio offers robust protection for electronic components and customization options, allowing companies to showcase their brand identity while prioritizing functionality and environmental stewardship.

The RatiopacPRO Style is ideal for desktop enclosures, offering a wide range of standard configuration options to meet the diverse needs of industries and applications. The platform can quickly and cost-effectively meet both design and protection requirements, offering a high-quality and individualized solution for electrical engineers and designers, automation engineers, and product and infrastructure managers looking to stand out in the market.

Key Features and Benefits: Aesthetic and Functional Design: The RatiopacPRO Style offers a seamless blend of form and function, designed to meet the demands of end users and their work environments. Whether it’s providing additional protection for sensitive electronics, offering RF shielding, or ensur-

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COTS Journal | May 2025

ing easy stacking capability, this modular system delivers various features for various customer needs.

Modular Flexibility: The platform offers a variety of sizes ranging from 2U to 6U (33 – 255.5– 415.5 mm), with customizable front panel fixing options, RF shielding, perforation choices, and component mounting options, allowing for versatility in design.

Design Elements: Tailor the enclosure to your brand’s aesthetic with a choice of 19 colors for the frame, 15 for the top and bottom covers, 15 for the side covers, and 2 for the rubber strip color options. Custom colors are available upon request, giving customers endless possibilities to create the perfect look.

High-Quality Printing: RatiopacPRO Style enclosures support complex graphics with intricate details, using a UV printing process that ensures high scratch and UV resistance. The inclusion of white ink allows for realistic rendering of light colors, perfect for detailed branding.

“Whether you need a quick, simple solution or a completely customized desktop enclosure that embodies your brand’s identity, the RatiopacPRO Style portfolio has the flexibility and performance to meet your needs,” said Lorena Lopez, nVent SCHROFF Global Vertical Marketing Manager, Test and Measurement at nVent.

“We’ve redefined the desktop case, offering a versatile platform that allows businesses to create an enclosure that perfectly fits their application and cost requirements.”

Choose from thousands of options to modify the look and feel of a standard desktop case or opt for a fully bespoke solution to reflect your vision or brand identity. With the RatiopacPRO Style, customization has never been easier or more effective.

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COTS

ADVERTISERS

Company

Page #

Certified to AS9100D ISO 9001:2015

Website

Annapolis Micro Systems. . . . . IBC . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .www.annapmicro.com Behlman Electronics. . . . . . . . . IFC/BC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.behlman.com Dolphin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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. . . . . . . . . . . . .www.dolphinics.com/COTS

Mercury Systems. . . . . . . . . . . .

5

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.mrcy.com

nVent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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. . www.nVent.com/schroff/varistar-cp-mil

ODU. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.odu-aerospace.com

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.otekcorp.com

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

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

Index

OTEK. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

COTS Journal (ISSN#1526-4653) is published monthly at; 110 S Rancho Santa Fe, Virgin UT 84779. Periodicals Class postage paid at San Clemente and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to COTS Journal, 110 S Rancho Santa Fe PO 790039, Virgin UT 84779.

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