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High-Reliability Electronics

Next-generation rad-hard space microprocessor to be defined by Air Force and NASA

KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M., 4 March 2013. U.S. Air Force and NASA radiation-hardened microprocessor experts are kicking off a program to define a next-generation rad-hard microprocessor for space applications based on anticipated space computer needs from 2020 to 2030.

Army looks to iRobot for lightweight throwable robots for battlefield situational awareness

WARREN, Mich., 4 March 2013. U.S. Army officials are ordering a five-pound throwable unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) to provide infantrymen with hasty situational awareness, persistent observation, and the ability to investigate confined spaces on the battlefield.

Boeing gets order for more than 1,000 laser guidance kits for JDAM smart munition

PATUXENT RIVER NAS, Md., 4 March 2013. The U.S. Navy is ordering more than a thousand laser guidance kits to enable the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) to destroy moving targets under terms of an $11.4 million contract announced late last week from the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md.

Embedded computing enclosure for extended-temperature applications introduced by ADL

SAN DIEGO, 4 March 2013. ADL Embedded Solutions Inc. in San Diego is introducing the ADLMES-8200 high IP configurable, modular electronics enclosure for rugged or extended-temperature applications in a variety of industries.

High-voltage power switch that operates in temperatures to 225 C introduced by CISSOID

MONT-SAINT-GUIBERT, Belgium, 3 March 2013. 2013: CISSOID in Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium, is introducing the CHT-NEPTUNE high-voltage power switch in TO-257 package for power converters and motor drives that must operate in temperatures as hot as 225 degrees Celsius.

DATA STORAGE: Slim SATA rugged, solid-state drives introduced by STEC

STEC Inc. in Santa Ana, Calif., is introducing the s230 series slim SATA solid-state drives for embedded computing systems.

RUGGED TABLETS: Rugged tablet for military personnel in the field introduced by MilDef

MilDef CReTE Inc. in Helsingborg, Sweden, is introducing the Panther DT6 rugged tablet computer designed to provide military personnel with a rugged, easy-to-use device for use in the field.

ENCLOSURES AND CHASSIS: Recessed-subrack enclosures by Pixus to protect cards from shock and EMI

Pixus Technologies in Waterloo, Ontario, is introducing rugged enclosures with the subrack recessed within the enclosure frame for additional protection, including electro-magnetic compatibility (EMC) considerations.

BACKUP POWER: Rugged UPS to provide AC or DC power introduced by Acumentrics

Acumentrics Rugged-UPS in Westwood, Mass., is introducing the ACG3000 rugged uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to provide clean AC or DC power to protect military communications and surveillance equipment from shutdowns or data loss.

BOARD CONNECTORS: Narrow-pitch rugged connector for high-vibration applications introduced by Hirose

Hirose Electric USA Inc. in Simi Valley, Calif., is introducing the narrow 1-millimeter pitch, board-to-wire DF50 series rugged connector for high-vibration applications, such as notebook PCs and liquid crystal displays (LCDs).

MEZZANINE BOARDS: Analog I/O XMC for military radar and image processing introduced by Curtiss-Wright

Curtiss-Wright Controls Defense Solutions in High Wycombe, England, is introducing the XF07-516 analog I/O Express Mezzanine Card (XMC) based on the Xilinx Kintex-7 field-programmable gate array (FPGA) for high-end defense and aerospace applications like radar and imaging processing.

BOARD CONNECTORS: High-vibration OpenVPX embedded computing board connector introduced by TE Connectivity

TE Connectivity (TE) in Harrisburg, Pa., is introducing the MULTIGIG RT 2-R rugged, lightweight and high-speed board-to-board OpenVPX connector for use in aerospace and defense applications that are subject to extreme vibration.

PRESSURE SENSORS: Rugged pressure sensor introduced by Honeywell for use with high-pressure hydraulic fluids

Honeywell Inc. in Minneapolis is introducing the HPS series pressure sensor switches for use in rugged industrial and transportation applications that require the making or breaking of an electrical connection in response to a pressure change.

TABLET PROTECTION: Rugged tabletop enclosure introduced for iPad by Extron Electronics

Extron Electronics in Anaheim, Calif., is introducing the TLM 100T tabletop enclosure for use with 2nd, 3rd, and nth generation iPad tablet computers for professional audio-visual (AV) applications.

Navy asks AAI to upgrade electronic warfare test systems for F/A-18 jet fighter-bomber

RIDGECREST, Calif., 1 March 2013. U.S. Navy Avionics test experts are asking AAI Corp. in Hunt Valley, Md., to upgrade the Electronic Warfare Systems Integration Test Environment (EW SITE) for all variants of the Navy's F/A-18 Hornet carrier-based jet fighter-bomber.

Rugged embedded computer that combines CPU and GPU processing introduced by MEN Micro

AMBLER, Pa., 1 March 2013. MEN Micro Inc. in Ambler, Pa., is introducing the BC50I rugged modular box computer based on the AMC Embedded G-Series microprocessor for applications in demanding environments such as surveillance, robotics, machine control, and commercial vehicles.

Army eyes mast-mounted infrared sensors able to detect and track humans and aerial drones

FORT BELVOIR, Va., 28 Feb. 2013. U.S. Army researchers are surveying industry to find companies able to build ground-based wide-area infrared search and track (IRST) sensors that can track unmanned aerial drones, as well as humans on foot, art ranges as far as several kilometers.

German military chooses long-range cooled thermal imagers for surveillance from Thales

STUTTGART, Germany, 28 Feb. 2013. Infrared imaging experts in the German military's Office of Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support in Stuttgart, Germany, needed long-range cooled thermal imagers for surveillance, target acquisition, and identification. They found their solution from Thales Group in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France.

Curtiss-Wright offers event analysis tool to embedded systems software development suite

ASHBURN, Va., 28 Feb. 2013. Curtiss-Wright Controls Defense Solutions in Ashburn, Va., is adding an event analysis tool to the company's CHAMP-AV8 Continuum Insights 5.1 suite of software design and development tools.

Air Force places urgent order for VarTech 20.1-inch displays for F-15 avionics test bench

ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga., 27 Feb. 2013. U.S. Air Force officials are placing an urgent order to VarTech Systems Inc. in Baton, Rouge, La., for 27 of the company's VT201R 20.1-inch rack-mount liquid crystal display (LCD) panels for an upgrade to avionics test benches for the Boeing F-15 jet fighter aircraft.