CHELMSFORD, Mass., 31 Jan. 2009. Mercury Computer Systems Inc., a provider of high-performance, embedded computing solutions for image, sensor, and signal processing applications, announced the OpenVPX Industry Working Group, an independent association being formed through the alliance of more than 10 defense prime contractors and COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) systems developers. Group members s triveto solve the interoperability issues of VPX system architectures.

Recognizing the VPX interoperability and system management challenges,Mercury initiated the OpenVPX Industry Working Group, whose charter is to publish a comprehensive System Design Guide that will improve interoperability of COTS 3U and 6U VPX-based systems achieved in part by implementation of predefined system profiles, says a representative.

"The OpenVPX system-level approach will enable prime contractors to greatly reduce the time required to create integrated COTS solutions in 3U and 6U form factors," says Didier Thibaud, senior vice president and general manager of Advanced Computing Solutions at Mercury. "It will also lower the risk of adoption, and expand the addressable market for VPX solutions, while accelerating deployment into real-world applications."

"One of the great strengths of the VME community has been the ability to combine technologies from many contributors into high-performance systems," says Ray Alderman, executive director of the VITA Standards Organization. "That worked in VME, because we had an open standard that was mature and unambiguous. In moving to a new generation of standards, like VPX, we've lost some of that interoperability. I'm very glad to see a proven systems company like Mercury take the lead in defining a practical approach to restoring that level of design maturity."

Mercury will act as steward of the OpenVPX Industry Working Group during its formation. The key outcome of this group, a completed System Design Guide, will be contributed to the VITA Standards Organization.