Battelle: research spending to see modest increases
Total research and development spending in the United States should increase about 2.5 percent from the $238.8 billion spent in 2003 to nearly $291 billion in 2004, say experts from Battelle in Columbus, Ohio. Government funding of scientific research and development will see the largest increase, while industry support of research will increase only slightly in 2004, according to the Battelle R&D Magazine annual funding forecast. Federal research spending is expected to be $84.9 billion in 2004, an increase of 4.8 percent over last year. In this sector, defense and homeland security will be the major drivers in the increase in federal research spending, with the primary focus on developing tools for the war on terrorism and products and systems for soldiers, Battelle analysts say.
DSP market study highlights big growth in embedded applications
The embedded market for digital signal processors (DSPs) is nearly twice that of the general-purpose DSP market, according to a study by Forward Concepts in Tempe, Ariz. The market for embedded digital signal processor (DSP) chips reached $10.4 billion in 2003, and should grow by 25 percent in 2004, the study says. Meanwhile, the market for general-purpose DSPs reached $6 billion in 2003, up 24 percent over the previous year, and should grow by 25 percent in 2004. The 325-page study is entitled DSP Strategies: The Embedded Chip Imperative. "There is a fundamental technological shift taking place in the electronics industry," says Forward Concepts President and Principal Analyst, Will Strauss. "It is moving from the personal computer era to a new era driven by connectivity and multimedia. And digital signal processing technology is central to both multimedia implementation and those connections —both wired and wireless." For more information on the study contact Forward Concepts online at www.fwdconcepts.com/Pages/DSPembed.htm.
Vista Controls set to upgrade Global Hawk sensor-management unit
Engineers at Vista Controls in Santa Clarita, Calif., won a $5.8 million contract from Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems in San Diego to improve the Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle sensor management unit, which Vista developed under contract. The new capabilities will provide data collection and data processing in support of the U.S. Air Force and Navy versions of Global Hawk, an unmanned long-range surveillance aircraft. The sensor management unit subsystem has enhanced digital signal processing, a solid-state hard drive, and Fibre Channel data networking between sensors and the satellite and ground communications system. The unit also interfaces with the aircraft's dual-redundant integrated mission management computer.
Lockheed Martin teams with DRS to build advanced Navy display system
Systems integrators from Lockheed Martin Corp. and DRS Technologies Inc. are joining forces to research and develop a new generation of advanced naval displays. The consortium will pursue the U.S. Navy's Naval Display Systems contract — a follow up to the AN/UYQ-70 Navy display that Lockheed Martin has held since 1994. A request for proposals has been released, and responses are due this month. The contract should be awarded later this year. The consortium consists of the Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems and Sensors Tactical Systems group in Eagan, Minn., and the DRS Electronic Systems Group in Gaithersburg, Md.
