Engineers at General Dynamics C4 Systems in Scottsdale, Ariz., needed processors for the U.S. Department of Defense’s Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) Cluster 5 design. They found a solution with the Cyclone II and MAX II programmable logic devices (PLDs) from Altera, San Jose, Calif.
General Dynamics will use the COTS devices in handheld, manpack, and other small form-factor radios specified under the JTRS Cluster 5 program, according to the DOD’s $295 million System Development and Demonstration contract awarded in July 2004.
Altera’s versatile Nios II processors and the high-performance digital signal processing (DSP) capabilities of its FPGAs are designed to shorten development time, reduce costs, and meet JTRS Cluster 5’s stringent power consumption requirements, the company says. For further information, visit www.altera.com.
Using programmable logic will enable General Dynamics to integrate a high degree of functionality into a small physical space, which reduces weight, form factor, and power consumption. In addition, the flexibility of Altera’s programmable solutions enables rapid engineering of advanced functions in shorter time than alternatives like DSP processors and application specific integrated circuits (ASICs).
The JTRS program plans to replace the traditional hardware radios currently deployed with devices that can emulate any radio’s capabilities by simply changing software. Cluster 5 of the JTRS program will provide communication flexibility and adaptability to fighting forces by delivering three different device types-power-efficient manpack, handheld and small-form-factor applications. As many as 14 applications or form factors could be called for under the contract, each driven by an advanced radio core the size of a credit card.
“Working closely with our customer, we have met all program milestones to date and Cluster 5 is well on its way to meeting the performance and functionality requirements-including the ability to run the networking waveform (Soldier Radio Waveform)-for missions with fewer network nodes, lower data rates and lower power requirements,” says Chris Brady, vice president of assured communications for General Dynamics C4 Systems.
