Curtiss-Wright gets nod to provide embedded computing components for Army UH-60V helicopter avionics

ASHBURN, Va., 30 Oct. 2014.Helicopter avionics experts at Northrop Grumman Corp. needed rugged commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) embedded computing components for a project to install glass cockpits in Army UH-60 utility helicopters. They found their solution from the Curtiss-Wright Corp. Defense Solutions division in Ashburn, Va.

Curtiss-Wright has received a contract from the Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems segment in Woodland Hills, Calif., to provide rugged COTS single-board computers, network switches, and graphics display modules for the Army's UH-60V program.

The UH-60V program seeks to change out the analog cockpit gauges in between 700 and 900 UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters to digital instruments. The program seeks to replicate the same pilot vehicle interface that pilots would experience in the modern UH-60M helicopter conversion.

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The upgrade replaces the UH-60L cockpit with a scalable, integrated mission equipment package. Curtiss-Wright will provide Northrop Grumman with its DMV-186 computer board, SMS-652 network switch, and XMC-715 graphics and video display products. Shipments are scheduled to begin in 2014.

Curtiss-Wright's DMV-186 is a rugged COTS VME computer board based on the Freescale Power Architecture QorIQ P4080 SOC multicore processor. The Company's SMS-652 rugged network switch module provides gigabit Ethernet switching functionality to connect various systems over the helicopter's high-speed Ethernet network. The XMC-715 Graphics Controller mezzanine card supports dual independent graphics outputs.

The UH-60V's next generation avionics system is aligned with the Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE) standard and supports integration of off-the-shelf software and hardware.

Supported with a safety certifiable operating system and graphics driver, the DMV-186 and XMC-715 host Candidate FACE software applications and operating systems to develop, integrate and test future portable FACE avionics software components.

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Curtiss-Wright will build the embedded computing hardware components in Ottawa and ship them to Northrop Grumman in Woodland Hills, Calif., and Salt Lake City.

For more information contact Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions online at www.cwcdefense.com, or Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems at www.northropgrumman.com.