Featured White Papers

COTS Enabled Rapid Development to Deployment

In military, aerospace and first responder applications, System Integrators targeting highly rugged applications often utilize conduction cooled modules because of their superior performance in harsh environments.

Other Curtiss-Wright Controls Defense Solutions white papers:

• COTS Continuum for Defense Systems
• Eliminating Design Risk from the System Integration Equation
• Understanding HPEC Computing: The Ten Axioms
• Case Study: The Use of Virtualization in Embedded Systems

Best Practices for Making the Most Accurate Radar Pulse Measurements

Fast and accurate radar pulse measurements are critical when designing or manufacturing radar components. Knowing how to optimize power measurement tools will help engineers meet stringent market demands.

Get tips on how to make the fastest and most accurate radar pulse measurements by reading this application note. This article also includes real-world scenarios that demonstrate how to put these tips into practice with Agilent power meters and sensors. 



This White Paper brought to you by Agilent Technologies Inc.

Tackling the Thermal Design Challenges of Smaller, Lighter, and More Efficient Avionics

With every Kelvin increase in temperature, the risk of avionic component failure increases. For civil and military applications, the thermal characteristics of avionic components directly influence overall thermal management. They dictate the size, weight, and power (SWaP) of the cooling and therefore the overall system and can decide between function and failure.

Commercial off-the-shelf components for avionic systems may cost less, but the lower price has to be weighed against SWaP and reliability to ensure the whole cooling system is viable.

Single/Multi-Channel and Extended Distance Power Measurement with USB Power Sensors

Many of today’s power measurement applications require multiple power measurements to be made simultaneously. This is further complicated in remote applications such as base station testing, where measurements need to be obtained from places where access is inconvenient.

This application note details the advantages of using a USB power sensor solution, and also covers the setup for multi-channel power measurement and methodology for lengthening the USB power sensor connection for single-channel power measurement.

How to Measure 5 ns Rise/Fall Time on an RF Pulsed Power Amplifier Using the 8990B Peak Power Analyzer

Rise/fall time is one of the key measurement parameters when designing, manufacturing or maintaining pulsed radar power amplifier systems, especially for wideband pulse power amplifiers. Learn how to achieve 5 nanosecond rise/fall time RF pulse measurement with the 8990B peak power analyzer by reading this application note.

This article also includes tips on how to consistently obtain accurate rise/fall time measurement results.

Shock and Vibration Testing of the SA.45s Chip Scale Atomic Clock (CSAC)Validation Build Units

The Symmetricom^® SA.45s Chip Scale Atomic Clock (CSAC) is designed for field applications where atomic clocks typically have not been deployed before. It is smaller, lighter and uses less power than any previous atomic clock and is engineered to withstand higher levels of shock and vibration.

This paper summarizes a series of mechanical shock and vibration tests to confirm the CSAC’s hardware environmental performance.

The Importance of Designing Out Manufacturing Defects in Minimizing Field Failures

The cost associated with a field failure of a high value, mission critical product or subassembly typically far exceeds the actual unit cost, since it may disable a higher cost system or result in mission or project failure. Designing in reliability is the ultimate responsibility of the product’s original equipment manufacturer (OEM).

Determination of Capacitor as a Function of Operating Voltage & Temperature Life

Potentiostatically charged Hybrid capacitors age predictably by a mechanism involving electrochemical reactions that reduce the efficiency of the cathode and consume electrolyte. One of these reactions results in the formation of hydrogen at the cathode which reacts irreversibly with the tantalum foil substrate.

High Performance Embedded Computing and Its Impact on Mil/Aero Applications

High Performance Embedded Computing (HPEC) combines the latest processor and interconnect technologies with infrastructures such as OpenVPX and standard software components to allow military programs to pack more computing power into smaller size, weight and power (SWaP) for SIGINT, radar, EW, and many other applications.

The drive toward Modular Open Systems Architectures (MOSA) is at the heart of GE’s selection of technologies, and this paper examines how this can positively impact programs.

Solving the Five Challenges that Make Complex Electromechanical Projects Difficult to Outsource

Many original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have complex electromechanical projects they’d like to outsource, often because they just don’t fit their production model. However, many times the issues that make production inefficient to keep in-house also make it difficult to outsource. Or worse, the product has been outsourced, but the contract manufacturer is unable to support it.

Other Federal Electronics white papers:

• Assessing the Right Fit for Low Volume, Complex Military/Aerospace Projects

Innovations in Thermal Management

Hey! It’s getting HOT in here!

As you look to leverage the latest in high-performance processors, you also are looking at significantly higher heat loads. There are several ways to manage these thermal loads but some add expense, others increase size and weight, and some cause maintenance headaches. As a result, board-level and chassis heat dissipation is a real challenge for the military embedded system designer.

This whitepaper examines several of the cooling techniques that people are implementing and highlights the pluses and minuses of each. It also lays out some new innovations that help you manage thermal loads at both the board and chassis level.

Avoid Hidden Contract Manufacturing Costs — Read our White Paper

In the electronics industry, contract manufacturing has long been a strategy for reducing time to market and simplifying project oversight. With today's complex production environment, you need to ensure the intricacies of your project are addressed — without adding extra cost. And that means doing your homework.

In our white paper, "Contract Manufacturing Pitfalls: What the Wrong Production Process Could Really Cost You," we uncover eight hidden cost centers — and show you how to avoid them. Read our white paper now!