COTS Journal by RTC Media

March 2018, Volume 20 – Number 3 • cotsjournalonline.com

JOURNAL

The Journal of Military Electronics & Computing

Discrete vs Distributed: Taking a New Look at Training & Sim

COTS in space - a guide for managers Discrete vs Distributed: Taking a New Look at Training & Sim myOPALE™ Cable connection concept for Remote Embedded Modular Computers

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The Journal of Military Electronics & Computing JOURNAL

COTS (kots), n. 1. Commercial off-the-shelf. Terminology popularized in 1994 within U.S. DoD by SECDEF Wm. Perry’s “Perry Memo” that changed military industry purchasing and design guidelines, making Mil-Specs acceptable only by waiver. COTS is generally defined for technology, goods and services as: a) using commercial business practices and specifications, b) not developed under government funding, c) offered for sale to the general market, d) still must meet the program ORD. 2. Commercial business practices include the accepted practice of customer-paid minor modification to standard COTS products to meet the customer’s unique requirements. —Ant. When applied to the procurement of electronics for he U.S. Military, COTS is a procurement philosophy and does not imply commercial, office environment or any other durability grade. E.g., rad-hard components designed and offered for sale to the general market are COTS if they were developed by the company and not under government funding.

READER’S CHOICE 14

DEPARTMENTS

COTS in space - a guide for managers

06 Publisher’s Note

George Romaniuk, Director, Space Product Management, Aitech Defense Systems

Disruptive technologies and their unforeseen consequences

The Inside Track

SPECIAL FEATURE 18

Discrete vs Distributed: Taking a New Look at Training & Sim

Bare-Metal High Performance Computing in the Cloud

SYSTEM DEVLOPMENT 26

myOPALE™ Cable connection concept for Remote Embedded Modular Computers By Frederic Aupetit, Industrial PC’s Produc Manager at ECRIN Systems

COT’S PICKS 29

Editor’s Choice for March COTS Journal | March 2018

The Journal of Military Electronics & Computing

JOURNAL Editorial

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF John Koon, johnk@rtc-media.com EXECUTIVE EDITOR John Reardon, johnr@rtc-media.com MANAGING EDITOR Aaron Foellmi, aaronf@rtc-media.com

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COTS Journal | March 2018

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE

John Reardon, Publisher

Disruptive technologies and their unforeseen consequences Over the last few months, we have addressed many new technologies coming to market that are bound to change the military landscape. From phase array antennas that are so compact that they can be mounted in the smallest platforms, to the advancements in FPGA’s that are highly configurable with state-of-the-art performance. Applications are already counting on 5G communications speeds, GPU parallelism and Block Chain security. These advancements and so many more are being introduced at alarming rates, but do they really meet the demands of the military?

street; we have seen security issues stall major projects, we watch as the innovation of one company is included free by another. The Chinese proverb: “May you live in interesting times” seems so appropriate today. And we will continue our goal to aid industry leaders in charting the appropriate course for advancement in military systems.

If you go back a little further within COTS Journal, you will find we focused on 5 Nines and MTBF figures. (5 Nines refers to a high availability of service, less than 5.26 minutes of down time per year, MTBF is the calculated mean time between failures) We spoke of discrete systems and our dislike of porous networks. We addressed the appropriate protocols for dealing with removable media. There was simplicity to our tools and the tasks that they addressed. It gave us comfort that was similar to a hammer and a nail. This has changed with the growing belief in perfection. We have gone from the comfort of knowing that a computer would give us repeatable results to a world of Artificial Intelligence where we expect systems to grow and learn from experience. There is a sense that an asymptotic line occurs with big data will brings us closer and closer to perfection. We find dreamy potential in terms like “augmented reality” and “Quantum Computing” and in turn shy away from the pragmatism that was represented in the phrase: “Garbage in, garbage out”. There is an immense struggle within these pages to track the “real” from the “fiction”. To limit our excitement over what “could be” and more focus on what “should be”. We have witnessed product obsolesces before the publication has hit the

COTS Journal | March 2018

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INSIDE TRACK Abaco Wins Orders to Help Equip Medium Altitude Unmanned Vehicle • Demonstrates Abaco leadership in minimal size, weight and power (SWaP) • Pin-compatible technology insertion reduces time-to-deployment, development cost Abaco announced that it had won orders from a leading defense company delivering a range of solutions for electronic warfare, ISR, C4I, avionics, unmanned vehicles and cyber warfare. Abaco’s 3U VPX rugged SBC314 single board computer will be deployed on board a fleet of state of the art medium altitude unmanned vehicles, where it will be at the heart of the craft’s flight control and mission systems. The UAV is scheduled to go into service in 2019. The potential value of the program to Abaco is estimated to be close to $1 million. The program was originally designed to include the Abaco SBC310 3U VPX single board computer, but the SBC314 was a compelling alternative as it was a plug ‘n’ play, pin-compatible upgrade for the SBC310, meaning a substan-

tial saving in time and cost. “Unmanned vehicles that are designed to have extended operational time need their payload to be as small and lightweight as possible, and to consume minimal power – while delivering high performance processing” said John Muller, Chief Growth Officer, Abaco Systems. “That makes Abaco’s 3U VPX solution a compelling one. The fact that it represented a straightforward upgrade for the product originally specified made the decision even easier for the customer.” The SBC314 offers a choice of multicore Power Architecture™ QorIQ™ AMP (advanced multiprocessing) processor options to enable an optimum performance per watt solution to be deployed in applications such as mission computing and ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance). The version featuring the T1042 4-core e5500-based processor is designed for environments requiring minimal power consumption, while the board using the T2081 8-virtual core e6500 processor is designed to deliver maximum performance.

Raytheon awarded $83 million mine neutralizer contract

Abaco’s 3U VPX rugged SBC314 single board computer

Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) has been awarded an $83 million contract for the design, test and deployment of the Barracuda mine neutralization system. The Barracuda mine neutralization system is an expendable, autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle intended to identify and neutralize bottom, near surface and drifting sea mines. It will field a shallow water capability and be an expendable modular neutralizer consisting of a kill mechanism, propulsion, sensors, and communications buoy that enables wireless communication to the deployment platform. “We’ve applied our sonar expertise and our understanding of the complex undersea environment to Barracuda,” said Raytheon’s Paul Ferraro, vice president of Integrated Defense Systems’ Seapower Capability Systems business. “It’s an innovative solution for the Navy’s mine countermeasure mission and we are now one step closer to delivering.” This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $362,740,742.

Abaco’s 3U VPX rugged SBC314 single board computer

COTS Journal | March 2018

Work will be performed in Portsmouth, Rhode Island (96 percent); and DeLeon Springs, Florida (4 percent), and is expected to be completed by November 2022. Fiscal 2017 and 2018 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $11,392,392 will be obligated at time of award and $1,594,935 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

The

INSIDE TRACK

Lockheed Martin received a purchase order from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection for the acquisition of a new Sikorsky S-70 Black Hawk aircraft, to be modified into FIREHAWK® firefighting configuration. United Rotorcraft, a division of Air Methods, and Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, today received a purchase order from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) for the acquisition of a new Sikorsky S-70 Black Hawk aircraft, to be modified into FIREHAWK® firefighting configuration by United Rotorcraft. This aircraft will be the latest firefighting tool put into service with CAL FIRE to protect property and the citizens of California. The purchase order follows a decision by the California Assembly and Senate budget subcommittees approving the budget for up to 12 of the aircraft to replace the state’s aging UH1H fleet over the next five years. The Sikorsky manufactured S-70 is based on the legendary

SSTL Joins Viasat’s Real Time Earth Network Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) and Viasat (NASDAQ: VSAT), a global communications company, marked the start of operations of the new Viasat antenna system installed at SSTL’s Guildford headquarters with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The new antenna system forms part of the Viasat Real-Time Earth (RTE) network, a hybrid ground and space network, which has been designed to provide low-latency satellite data to users on-demand without the need to invest in a dedicated antenna system. Through this relationship, SSTL can now offer satellites with a full range of ground services to their customers, enabling quick delivery of data to customers’ processing centres on a subscription basis. The antenna system installed at SSTL is a full-motion, 5.4m system that can operate in both S and X bands and is fully-controlled from the Viasat Network Operation Centre in Colorado. The Guildford site joins other sites in the United States, Argentina, Australia and Sweden as part of Viasat’s roll-out of the RTE network.

Black Hawk military helicopter, and is uniquely equipped to endure the unrelenting physical stresses demanded of the aerial firefighting and utility missions. The FIREHAWK features next generation technology, which will provide substantial benefit to firefighting operators. Features include wide chord rotor blades for increased payload and maneuverability, a rugged airframe, digital glass cockpit with flight management system for improved situation awareness and precision hover capability using an enhanced global positioning system and an inertial navigation system. An Integrated Vehicle Health Management System monitors the aircraft’s operational health for preventive maintenance to detect anomalies for early maintenance. “Igor Sikorsky founded our company with the vision of saving lives,” said Jeanette Eaton, Sikorsky regional sales executive for the United States and Canada. “On a daily basis, the men and women of CAL FIRE put themselves in harm’s way to protect and save property, homes and lives. We are honored to have been selected as the best equipped aircraft to address Califor-

The new antenna system was installed in November 2017, and it has been successfully used to command and control SSTL satellites, thus fully testing out the network architecture. Seamless routing from the SSTL Satellite Operations Centre (SOC) in Guildford through the RTE network to the satellites has been achieved and final testing is now underway with expected completion by the end of January 2018.

FIREHAWK

nia’s firefighting needs and provide the overall best value. Even more so, we are humbled to play a role in their demanding mission and fulfilling Igor’s vision.” Once assembled, the aircraft are modified by United Rotorcraft with a 1,000-gallon (3,785-liter) water tank equipped with a unique snorkel system for 60-second tank refill, extended landing gear, single pilot cockpit layout and a medically equipped interior, all of which arm the aircraft for its role as a multi-mission firefighting tool.

Kent Leka, general manager, Antenna Systems, Viasat said, “Viasat and SSTL have worked closely together on the integration of SSTL specific uplink and downlink protocols into the RTE ground station equipment to achieve plug-n-play compatibility between the satellites and SSTL’s SOC. SSTL’s satellites will now be able to utilise any of the ground stations within Viasat’sRTE network seamlessly with no hardware changes needed.”

Viasat RTE antenna at SSTL, Guildford

COTS Journal | March 2018

The

INSIDE TRACK LCR Embedded Systems Announces Rugged Shipboard Shock-Isolated Chassis for Bulkhead Mount VME/VPX/cPCI chassis offers exceptional EMI performance, a 30lb range of payload weight, and can support multiple shipboard applications LCR Embedded Systems is pleased to announce the general availability of its Rugged, Shock-Isolated Chassis (RSIC-08) for Shipboard Bulkhead Mount. The chassis features an innovative, customizable, multi-point isolation system designed and produced by LCR Embedded, and may be used on multiple deck levels and to support multiple applications. The chassis has passed the Deck Simulator Shock Machine (DSSM) test for compliance with MIL-S-901D as well as MIL-STD-167A (vibration) and has been designed to meet MIL-STD-461 (EMI/EMC). The chassis is cooled via forced air, with backplane and fan power isolated from one another. Close attention was paid to EMI performance, which was made possible by a welded, dip-brazed, gasketed construction with honeycomb air intake and exhaust. Its unloaded weight is approximately 75lb, and it is suitable for a range of payload weights from approximately 15 to 45lb. “This chassis was created in response to an urgent customer request after a previous supplier was unable to meet their extreme shock and vibration requirements,” said LCR Embedded Systems President David Pearson. “Our engineering team really stepped up and was able to create a universal chassis suitable for direct hull mounting on multiple deck levels and that could pass some of the most punishing shock and vibe tests ever imagined. Not only was our original customer thrilled with the results, but we’re equally thrilled to offer this design to all of our customers.”

U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center Launches DT Research Rugged Tablets DT311 High-Performance MIL Spec Rugged Tablets Deliver Performance and Security

DT Research, the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of purpose-built computing solutions for vertical markets, has announced that the U.S Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) has selected the DT Research DT311 Rugged Tablets for deployment to U.S. Navy personnel working at various shipyards across the country. The U.S. NSWC selected DT Research’s DT311 Rugged Tablets which meet their rigorous durability and security standards. The purpose-built tablets designed by Silicon Valley-based DT Research can be used for technical maintenance management, warehouse and fleet inventory control, field testing and training, and other field-office data operations. With seamless office-to-field workflow, productivity significantly improves, increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of personnel. “We understand the responsibility to deliver a technically superior mobile device that delivers unmatched performance, reliability, durability, and usability, while adhering to the highest level of security requirements.” said Daw Tsai Sc.D., president of DT Research. The DT311T Rugged Tablet is lightweight yet fully ruggedized, ideal for military field positions in demanding environments. With MILSTD 810G and 461F for vibration and shock

The chassis was initially created with a VME backplane, but VPX and CompactPCI backplanes are an option, as well as customizable shock isolation for variable weight payloads. While the current chassis supports 8 slots, the chassis capacity can be customized where needed. The DT311T Rugged Tablet 10

COTS Journal | March 2018

resistance and EMI and EMC tolerance, NIST compliance, HERO certification, and IP65 rating for water and dust resistance, the DT311 also offers reliable operations in extreme temperatures. The 11.6 inch touch screen has 800 NITS brightness for superior viewability in sunlight, Intel® 6th Generation Core™ i5 or i7 processor, Microsoft® Windows® 7 Professional or Windows® 10 IoT Enterprise, a 5 megapixel camera on the back with a lens security detail, and hot-swappable batteries (60w or 90w) for full-powered, continuous operations. DT Research combines the Windows 10 IoT Enterprise software security with its proprietary hardware security, including instant blackout, as well as automatic Bluetooth, RFID and Wi-Fi disable functions that can be pre-configured to turn off all radio capabilities under certain conditions. Microsoft’s Device Guard enterprise hardware and software security features allow the tablet to only run trusted applications with TPM 1.2 or 2.0 support. The DT311 rugged tablet also offers a fully integrated encrypted smart card/CAC reader for multiple level security control, and Lock Down features to protect against malicious users, which also provide a custom designed user experience and increase system reliability. DT311 Rugged Tablets are full-featured, high performance, and fan-less, delivering increased durability and productivity. This deal recognizes a 20-year engineering and design commitment to deliver purpose built Rugged Tablets with targeted, fully integrated features that impress even the most demanding users.

The

INSIDE TRACK

One Stop Systems Introduces Highest Bandwidth, 5th Generation NVMe Ion Accelerator Flash Storage Array

Offering bandwidth from a single storage box of 25GB/sec and latency well below 100 µs, Ion software is the ideal solution for delivering on the promise of NVMe flash performance in shared storage. Ion Accelerator has built-in data integrity in the software, with support for various RAID configurations, as well as a HA option that simultaneously accelerates performance for volumes across two systems.

One Stop Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: OSS), the leading provider of high performance computing GPU accelerators and NVMe flash arrays for a multitude of HPC applications, has introduced a new 2U Ion Accelerator™ Flash Storage Array. The new array offers flexible capacity while maintaining the high-bandwidth and low-latency pedigree of Ion Accelerator arrays deployed in hundreds of global installations. This OSS shared flash storage array boasts the latest Ion Accelerator 5.0 software, NVMe™ drives, networking options and dual Intel® Xeon® Scalable Processors to support the most demanding applications. Multiple high-speed networking options allow this array to fit seamlessly into Fibre Channel (up to 32 Gbps), iSCSI (up to 100 Gbps) or InfiniBand (up to 100 Gbps) deployments. The capacity of the Ion Accelerator can be expanded up to 153 terabytes with 24 2.5” NVMe drives. High Availability (HA) is achieved using two arrays in a mirrored setup.

Thales signs agreement with NASA for unmanned systems control technologies Thales has announced that it has reached formal agreement with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for a Space Act Agreement to support their unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) traffic management (UTM) activity. With the ongoing support of federal, state and local government officials, and economic development organizations, Thales will be creating jobs in New York through this agreement. This framework agreement allows Thales to engage with NASA on a technical and program level to continue to establish UTM in the United States, and allows Thales to leverage its global expertise in UTM. Thales will support NASA’s goal to develop a UTM concept that can be transferred to the FAA in 2019 for deployment in the national airspace system (NAS). Under this

2U Ion Accelerator™ Flash Storage Array

The new version 5.0 for the Ion Accelerator software from OSS provides a complete allflash storage solution that delivers cost-effective, near-native NVMe performance for data-intensive workloads. Ion Accelerator is designed to deliver consistent ultra-low latency and high bandwidth for the most performance-hungry applications used in information and financial services, healthcare, government, manufacturing, media and entertainment, and other major industries.

agreement, Thales will collaborate with NASA for the research, development, testing and evaluation of low-altitude airspace control of UAS operating at or below 400 feet. To support NASA’s milestones for developing UTM, Thales will engage with industry and government stakeholders to share expertise, concepts and perspectives on the integration of unmanned systems. The agreement also includes further cooperation with existing Technology Capability Level activities being conducted by NASA. Thales is already working with other NASA partners at the FAA’s New York Test Site at Griffiss International Airport in Rome, NY, and will be deploying technologies in support of NASA initiatives. Through existing agreements with Syracuse University, Griffiss International Airport, CenterState CEO, Empire State Development and the NUAIR Alliance, Thales is supporting the development of UTM in New York including integration and monitoring of the FAA’s System Wide Information Management (SWIM) capa-

“This newest release provides game-changing performance, density and fault tolerance,” said OSS Vice President of Engineering, Julia Elbert. “The low overhead with Ion Accelerator software allows systems to deliver near bare-metal performance from the latest NVMe technology flash drives, along with the reliability and data integrity required in mission-critical enterprise applications. With this fifth generation of Ion Accelerator software, existing appliance customers can also upgrade from legacy drives to modern NVMe with zero down time and no data migration costs using our Easy Migrate upgrade program.”

bilities. Thales also continues to work with the FAA on the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) program for small unmanned aerial system integration. Thales is a global leader in air traffic management solutions and is developing a secure and flexible UTM solution based on the ECOsystem digital aviation platform. ECOsystem leverages Thales capabilities in big data, cyber security, artificial intelligence and connectivity to provide decision support for air traffic management stakeholders for manned and unmanned operations. Thales intends to leverage this preexisting expertise of UTM throughout its engagement with NASA and its network of UTM partners. With a focus on digital transformation concepts across New York, Thales has brought many other innovative solutions to the state including innovative rail signaling, airport security, airline operations and passenger experience solutions.

COTS Journal | March 2018

The

INSIDE TRACK Renesas Electronics Ships Space Industry’s First Radiation-Hardened 100V and 200V GaN FET Power Supply Solutions ISL70040SEH Low Side GaN FET Driver Powers ISL7002xSEH GaN FETs in Launch Vehicle and Satellite Power Supplies Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE:6723), a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, today announced the space industry’s first radiation-hardened, low side Gallium Nitride (GaN) field effect transistor (FET) driver and GaN FETs that enable primary and secondary DC/DC converter power supplies in launch vehicles and satellites, as well as downhole drilling and high reliability industrial applications. These devices power ferrite switch drivers, motor control driver circuits, heater control modules, embedded command modules, 100V and 28V power conditioning, and redundancy switching systems. The ISL7023SEH 100V, 60A GaN FET and ISL70024SEH 200V, 7.5A GaN FET use the base die manufactured by Efficient Power Conversion Corporation (EPC). The GaN FETs provide up to 10 orders of magnitude better performance than silicon MOSFETs while reducing package size by 50 percent. They also reduce power supply weight and achieve higher power efficiency with less switching power loss. At 5m‡ (RDSON) and 14nC (QG), the ISL70023SEH enables the industry’s best figure of merit (FOM). Both GaN FETs require less heat sinking due to reduced parasitic elements, and their ability to operate at high frequencies allows the use of smaller output filters, which achieve excellent efficiencies in a compact solution size. Manufactured using a MIL-PRF-38535 Class V-like flow, the ISL70023SEH and ISL70024SEH offer guaranteed electrical specifications over the military temperature range and lot-by-lot radiation assurance

for high dose rate 100krad(Si) and low dose rate 75krad(Si). The ISL70040SEH low side GaN FET driver powers the ISL7002xSEH GaN FETs with a regulated 4.5V gate drive voltage and splits the outputs to adjust FET turn-on and turn-off speeds. Operating with a supply voltage of 4.5V to 13.2V, the FET driver provides high current source and sink capability for high frequency operation, while offering both inverting and non-inverting gate drive to provide flexibility in power supply designs. Its fail-safe protection on the logic inputs eliminates unintentional switching when they are not actively driven. The ISL70040SEH provides reliable performance when exposed to total ionizing dose (TID) or heavy ions, and is immune to destructive single event effects (SEE) up to 16.5V with linear energy transfer (LET) of 86MeV•cm2/mg. The GaN FET driver uses a MILPRF-38535 Class V manufacturing flow and wafer-by-wafer radiation assurance testing. “We are pleased to see Renesas Electronics continue Intersil’s six decades of spaceflight product development and leadership,” said Alex Lidow, EPC’s co-founder and CEO. “It is especially gratifying and exciting to see our innovative enhancement-mode gallium nitride-on-silicon (eGaN®) FET technology at work with Renesas’ new radiation-hardened GaN FET driver. These products demonstrate how eGaN technology increases the performance and reduces the cost for applications currently being served by MOSFETs.” “Size, weight and power efficiency mean everything to designers and manufactures of launch vehicles and satellites,” said Philip Chesley, Vice President of Industrial Analog and Power Business Division, Renesas Electronics Corporation. “The new ISL7002xSEH GaN FETs and ISL70040SEH GaN FET driver represent the most meaningful power management innovation we’ve seen in a long time for the spaceflight industry.”

The ISL7023SEH 100V, 60A GaN FET and ISL70024SEH 200V, 7.5A GaN FET 12

Mercury Systems Announces New Rugged High Density Server Form Factor

COTS Journal | March 2018

HDslim 4U chassis small enough to fit in commercial airline overhead bins

Mercury Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRCY) (www.mrcy.com) has announced HDslim, a new sub-rack form factor for its RES High Density (RESHD) server product line. Less than ten inches wide and twenty inches deep, the first 4U HDslim chassis is available this month – delivering high density computing, storage, and networking to mobile tactical environments. “The HDslim form factor addresses a growing market need for small and light enterprise class information technology,” stated Michael Schneider, Vice President of Mercury’s Trusted Mission Solutions group ( formerly Themis Computer). “It can accompany operators wherever they go and however they may travel.” HDslim 4U Highlights • Minimum Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP): Only 9.9” (25.1cm) wide, 20” (52.6 cm) deep, and 4U high (17.5 cm) high, the HDslim can be carried aboard commercial airliners, aircrafts, and vehicles with ease. The system can be powered by two 1200W AC, two 1100W 48V DC, or two 800W 28V DC power supplies. Typical system weight is 40lbs. • Rugged High Density Storage: The system can accommodate up to 264TB of storage with 24 direct attached HDD/SSD drives. With double the compute density, the HDslim enables a 50% savings in rack space and reduces system weight by 50%. • Composable Configuration: The HDslim accommodates existing and upcoming rear I/O RES-HD modules. With six processor, storage, high-speed switch, global fabric extension, and system management modules, users are able to configure and reconfigure the system according to application needs. • Maintenance made Simple: Rather than removing and opening up the entire server – simply “plug and pull” modules during technology maintenance or upgrades. Modules themselves can be mixed and matched – reducing costs associated with spares. • Enhanced Reliability: HDslim is designed to operate from 0°C to +50°C, with greater temperature extremes available for special configurations. Advanced thermal and mechanical design features deliver superior resilience to shock, vibration, dust, sand, and temperature extremes. The system meets MIL-STD-810G specifications.

READERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CHOICE In case you missed it: COTs presents our most popular articles from past issues.

Space Marvels and innovations in Space Systems

COTS in space -

a guide for managers The motivation (inspiration) to write this article came from recent discussions with traditional military and aerospace personnel and, to some extent, with commercial companies interested in flying commerciallyavailable hardware in space. Its purpose is to shed some light on the reasoning behind the selection of hardware for space application with emphasis on COTS. Although the basic question these companies asked centered on whether a military grade single board computer (SBC) could be used for space missions, it was asked in different ways. George Romaniuk, Director, Space Product Management, Aitech Defense Systems

COTS Journal | March 2018

READER’S CHOICE

What would it take to make my SBC space qualified? Let’s start with some clarification of commonly used phrases like “Space Grade” or “Space Qualified” hardware. It’s unfortunate that these phrases are oftentimes used universally, without thinking about all the issues and considerations associated with the application of hardware for a specific space mission. (Figure 1).

The electrical measurements are evaluated for parameter “drift” or changes that occurred when parts were subjected to screening. The parameter drift has to be limited,

an acceptable approach for certain missions willing to accept high risk, there are several critical parameters that can will be missed using board level screening.

Is the screening sufficient to use the part for my space mission? If the parts are determined to be free from infant mortality failures, but we still don’t know if they will meet the useful life expectations for a space mission, so we look to the qualification process by randomly select a small subset of parts and subjecting them to life tests. All parts must pass the life test. If one or more failure is encountered, the entire

Why are we talking about “Space Grade” parts to begin with? Sending hardware to space was— and is still—very Figure 1: The proper selection of electronics for space missions depends on strict criteria that is clearly expensive, so the ob- defined. (Elements of photo furnished by BASA) jective is to maximize the mission’s success and lifetime. In order to otherwise one may extrapolate the drift and lot is discarded. achieve this, we need to look at the reliabil- argue that the part will be out of specification NASA published a document titled “EEEity of the parts we would like to use for the within the expected lifetime. Parts with exINST-002: Instructions for EEE Parts Selection, mission. (Note, we do not address the effects cessive drift are declared failing. of radiation here, as it’s addressed later in the article.) There is a limit on the number of parts from The traditional approach to obtain Elec- the same lot trical, Electronic and Electromechanical that may fail the (EEE) parts with desired reliability was based screening. If this on parts that were well-designed both elec- limit is exceeded, trically and mechanically as well as manufac- the entire lot is distured using the same process and materials carded because this in quality controlled production lots. These points to something havparts were later subject to a screening pro- ing clearly gone wrong during cess intended to identify and remove those the manufacturing process. The few parts that exhibited infant mortality fail- screening is not intended to find the ures. few good parts, but to verify lot integrity An important aspect of the screening and remove a few bad parts (typically we process is the electrical test performed at should see 1% to 2% failure rate). three point temperatures (minimum, ambient, maximum), since COTS parts are not It’s often asked if the board can be typically tested at these three temperatures. screened, instead of the parts, but it is then Part failure is declared when, after exposure impossible to perform parametric measure- Figure 2: Space-qualified boards include parts that to temperature cycling and dynamic burnin, ments of parts at the board level and calcu- have been screened and tested for operation at altithe electrical parameters exceed the range late the drift. The testing at a board level can’t tudes greater than 100 km above the Earth’s surface. published in the data sheet. be compared to testing at the component level. Although board level testing may be COTS Journal | March 2018

Screening, Qualification, and Derating” that classifies parts into three levels, based on their reliability: • Level 1 for missions 5 years or longer • Level 2 for missions 1 to 5 years • Level 3 (high risk parts) for programs less than 1 year to 2 years.

excessive increase in mass, so a more detailed radiation analysis will be required to provide new guidance for the parts placement, which may be in conflict with the optimal electrical or thermal placement.

This classification requires additional screening of military parts manufactured according to the MIL-STD-883 to meet even the requirements of Level 3. Therefore, some companies refer to Level 1, 2 or 3 parts as “Space Grade,” but it is evident these parts have different reliability bounds as well as preferred area of applications. It will be very risky to use Level 3 parts for an 18-year mission.

There are three broad classes of radiation effects to consider in evaluating the applicability of COTS for a space mission.

When radiation effects are added to this mix of complexities, it’s clear why parts should be evaluated for each space mission rather than indiscriminately called Space Grade parts and use for every mission.

Can we talk about COTS for space? Sure, COTS is truly amazing as far as the computational performance and functionality is concerned, and these parts are typically small and inexpensive. The reliability of COTS parts is getting better and better, mainly driven by automotive applications, so why aren’t they used in space? The big problem with using COTS EEE parts in space is that manufacturers don’t characterize parts sensitivities to radiation effects. First, let’s take a look at the big picture: an electronic system design for commercial, military and space applications. These are the “dimensions” of our activity: Table 1. The design activities for the COTS missions are practically independent, but this is not the case for a space system design, where radiation effects and mitigation of these effects form a common thread between all of the design activities. This common thread requires a good teamwork and agility in order to accommodate feedback from other members related to mitigation of radiation effects. A typical example is an increase in the wall thickness of the system chassis/enclosure to accommodate EEE part(s) with a lower total ionizing dose (TID). This, in itself, may cause an

COTS Journal | March 2018

What are radiation effects?

1. Total Ionizing Dose (TID) is related to damage of the device resulting from long-term exposure to protons, electrons and heavy ions. Some devices, like bipolar transistors, are very sensitive to ionizing radiation applied at a low dose rate (as is typically the case for most of space missions). The use of aluminum or other metals shield the EEE parts from the TID to a large degree. All EEE parts suffer from TID, but the smaller the device geometry, the higher the TID tolerance that should be expected, except for FLASH storage devices. 2. Displacement Damage (DD) is related to the disruption in the crystal lattice structure of the semiconductor device. It is a non-ionizing damage. The DD mainly affects bipolar transistors, solar cells, LEDs, laser diodes and optocouplers. 3. Single Event Effects (SEEs) are related to direct or indirect ionization of a sensitive area of the semiconductor circuit. There is a long list of specific SEEs, but the most common to note are: a. Single Event Latch-up (SEL) causing high current flowing through the device b. Single Event Upset (SEU) causing aa change of state in flip-flop or memory cell c. Single Event Transient (SET) occurring both in analog and digital circuits. The typical design process with COTS EEE parts should start with a parallel evaluation of the parts’ reliability as well as checking for the presence of forbidden substances within a part and, last but not least, radiation testing of a candidate part. Radiation testing should characterize the part for sensitivity to TID, protons and heavy ions.

What do we expect from the proton test? Proton testing offers an easy way to look

into device degradation as a function of TID, and evaluate the SEE in a limited range of ionizing energies. There are very good NASA and JPL guidelines for testing EEE parts with protons [1], [2]. Access to a proton beam is less cumbersome than access to a heavy ion beam, therefore it’s used as a first step in parts evaluation for space missions. We should expect parts failing the radiation test and bring few similar parts to the test and select the best one. The proton test may demonstrate several surprising results, including: • your favorite switching power supply fails destructively after few seconds of exposure to high energy protons • a newer microcontroller with a rich set of peripherals loses functionality after <400rads • an older microprocessor passes 100krads with minimal degradation. For the EEE part that survived the test without destruction or significant degradation, the vital statistics are the sensitivities (cross-sections) calculated as the number of observed SEE divided by the fluence of protons (typically 1E10 or 10 billion per square centimeter). The cross-section calculated from this experiment used to be fairly representative of the part sensitivity, but with smaller geometries, we‘re hitting lower and lower percentages of transistors with 1E10 protons/cm2. The detailed analysis of this underlying phenomenology is presented in [4].

What we do with proton testing results? Hopefully after the proton test, we have parts that didn’t suffer from SEL and survived the expected TID within a reasonable margin. The testing with protons gives us visibility to the device sensitivity in a narrow range of the Linear Energy Transfer (LET) spectrum, which defines the amount of energy an ionizing particle transfers to the material traversed per unit distance. The LET encountered in testing with 200MeV protons does not exceed the 15MeV*cm2/mg, but the mission may need characterization to LET of 35MeV*cm2/mg (the typical value for LEO missions) or higher. To perform such characterization, one needs to perform testing with heavy ions, which is more

READERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CHOICE

complicated than proton testing, mainly due to very low ranges of the ions in silicon. The proton test will most likely uncover SEFI (Single Event Functional Interrupt) in the candidate parts and, with well-designed test boards, ways of mitigating them (reset, power cycle) will be determined. Electrical designers use this information to design the circuits and, in the reliability analysis, to predict system availability values or upset rates.

Activity

Considerations

Mission Type COTS

MIL

SPACE

Mechanical Design Size and mass Shock and vibration Heat transfer

Shielding from energetic particles

Materials and out-gassing

Mechanical Design Functionality and performance

Radiation effects and mitigation

FPGA Design Performance

Radiation effects and mitigation

The SEU sensitivity allows upset rate calculations for the mission and establish the proper mitigation, such as memory scrubbing, ECC (Error Check & Correct), TMR (Triple Module Redundancy), etc.

Are these radiation tested parts good for my space flight?

X X

Software Development Required functionality

Radiation effects and mitigation

X X

System Reliability Assessment Classic reliability assessment (MTBF)

Total dose effects Single effect functional interrupts Other SEE

The radiation test and X - Mandatory: always performed the analysis will determine O - Optional: not always required or performed the TID as well as find if the part is free from SEL in the LET range specified for the Table 1: Typical design considerations for different types of missions. mission and will establish All these tests and evaluations take some modes and frequencies of SEE and SEFI. The information about SEE and time. Once you are satisfied with the results and SEFI will be used by the electrical and software ready to purchase parts for screening, you need design teams to find mitigation means. Some to recognize and address some other design SEFI modes may prevent the part from being issues, like making sure the radiation tested designed-in and the same applies to SEE, but to parts are the same as parts procure for screena lesser extent, particularly to SETs on the out- ing. Manufacturers tend to perform die shrink, which changes the radiation performance of puts of the voltage regulators. parts. Some manufacturers fabricate the part The part has to be approved by the reliabil- in a few locations around the world, with each ity team for its expected failure rates. This as- location using a slightly different process. So, sessment is based on the available qualification parts from multiple locations are packaged in data from the manufacturer (not all parts have one facility and marked the same way, but most this information available) and on the construc- likely, will have different radiation performance. tion analysis (also known as Destructive Part During the screening process parts are Analysis).

subject to electrical test. The data sheet for simpler parts may not even show an equivalent electrical circuit, only a block diagram, yet the part typically has lot more functionality than what is depicted. (Figure 2). For example, some memory ICs have built-in ECC not mentioned in the data sheet or redundant circuits inserted to improve the yield. These circuits may mask the degradation of the device during the screening. It is good to inform the component manufacturer of your intentions and ask for suggestions; you may learn a lot from them.

When would you use COTS for space missions?

As we have shown, getting COTS EEE parts to level 1 or 2 is quite expenX X sive, time consuming and X still risky (candidates may fail). The best use of COTS X in space is if components X offer a performance level or functionality not available from the existing portfolio of high-reliability, radiation characterized parts. No matter how the question is asked, the proper use of COTS requires a critical look at the mission itself, and how the parts are expected to perform.

1. Proton Single Event Effects (SEE) Guideline, Kenneth LaBel 2009 2. Proton Test Guideline Development â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Lessons Learned, NEPP 2002 3. Guideline for Ground Radiation Testing of Microprocessors in the Space Radiation Environment, Farokh Irom JPL 2008 4. Proton Testing: Opportunities, Pitfalls and Puzzles, Ray Ladbury, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

COTS Journal | March 2018

SPECIAL FEATURE

Discrete vs Distributed: Taking a New Look at Training & Sim ‘Training as a Service’ Meets Users at Point-of-Need via a Single Synthetic Environment

The U.S. Army’s Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training, and Instrumentation (PEO STRI) is asking for some creativity in how its OEM partners think about training and sim. Calling for ‘leap ahead and disruptive technologies,’ PEO STRI is raising the bar for solving interoperability and connectivity in systems that deliver complex, evolving training scenarios to end-users. No more backing into solutions and working around limitations; instead, today’s training systems must look ahead to where the industry and military training demands are heading. The result is embracing training as a service – a major transformation for global military forces preparing for increasingly diverse threats and missions. As a concept, training as a service means developers must transition away from discrete systems and toward more distributed training environments, capable of delivering point-ofneed training via a single Synthetic Training Environment (STE). In terms of design, system developers must offer increasingly agile solutions for customized training on demand, while reducing intrinsic reliance on individual hardware components. It’s a remarkable shift in thinking, requiring incremental system efficiencies where they offer performance and value.

distributed training. An incremental approach adds significant value to the effort – and can be demonstrated by distributed options for storage and image rendering, and their impact on mobile training applications. For example, rethinking the role of storage means viewing it as a content hub for live, virtual, constructive (LVC) training rather than as a piece of hardware. The result is a more global approach that ensures easy adaptability as systems evolve – including integration, interoperability, and composability as the three primary pillars of LVC. To succeed, designers must create a foundation capable of supporting these requirements across the spectrum of training; this ranges from desktop or instructor-led training all the way up to immersive, full-mission simulation. Software-defined storage is one design option, allowing designers to focus on adaptable, workload-optimized performance instead of specific hardware.

Centralizing technology Centralized technology allows mobile sys

Understanding the shift To move incrementally toward a distributed environment, elements such as storage, compute processing, image rendering, display, and network architectures should be considered as building blocks. Each building block must be critically evaluated against needs for mobility, content delivery, and security, aligning design Figure 1: TS Distributed Infrastructure. vision with the new realities of 18

COTS Journal | March 2018

Solving the power challenges of SWaP-C requirements for Avionics Computers

n High temperature operation

Key Challenges

n Weight, size and performance n Redundant output from different

input voltage sources

Advantages of a Vicor Solution

Power components that power share, even when operating from different input sources

Low weight increases payload available

To see more defense and aerospace application examples that meet SWaP-C requirements visit www.vicorpower.com/defense-aero

High efficiency simplifies cooling

High power density and low profile reduces size of power supply, more space for other electronics

tems to capitalize more fully on AR/VR applications, which may be limited by discrete systems. This may seem counter-intuitive – centralized storage is in one place and therefore not mobile. However, system performance does not require data from multiple locations and users can instead access pointof-need training from a single source; training instructors can make application changes and improvements in real time, simply by accessing the same centralized infrastructure. These kinds of distributed systems can power full mission simulators capable of blending virtual reality with synthetic environments. The result is point-of-need training that is

more immersive for users in multiple locations. The mobile potential of augmented reality is on the rise as well, tapping into fully networked, architected systems that train users via an actual real-world device. Soldiers being trained to handle aircraft inspections can have a more effective training experience, pairing a head-mounted display (HMD) with real-world data such as the last time the aircraft was serviced, schematics, flight logs, and step-by-step instructions on how to perform a specific service.

Embracing training as a service PEO STRI’s vision is that training applications must be modular, composable, scalable, and service-oriented, with a focus on automation to reduce tech support. And the overall goal of the STE is to use connected technologies to more effectively reach the point of need. For OEMs to deliver, their systems must create impact now – and remain poised for continued evolution over the next several decades.

Elma’s Open VPX CMOSS Backplane Supporting the DoD C4ISR Modular Open Suite of Standards for hardware convergence

With you at every stage! Elma Electronic Inc., USA elma.com

Figure 2: In the software-defined model, storage systems are virtualized, pooled, aggregated, and delivered to users as a software service; this model offers longer life cycle and lowers operating expense and total cost of ownership over time.. 20

COTS Journal | March 2018

SPECIAL FEATURE

Bare-Metal High Performance Computing in the Cloud On June 8, 2018, the world’s fastest supercomputer, the IBM/NVIDIA Summit, began final testing at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. Peak performance is over 200 petaflops (2 x 1017 64-bit floating point calculations) and 3.3 exaflops (3.3 x 1018) for tensor operations. Previously untouchable problems will include deep learning for patterns in human proteins, analysis of the entire U.S. cancer population, supernova models running more than 100 times faster than previously, and materials simulations increasing from tens of atoms to hundreds using first-principles calculations at subatomic levels.1

Cloud Computing Cloud computing generally means accessing computing servers, storage, and applications as a service over a public network—the Internet cloud. With traditional computing over a private network, an organization purchases its own IT equipment, pays employees to operate it, and pays network providers for external

Summit is bare-metal high performance computing (HPC) in the cloud. The US Department of Ener® ® gy owns Summit, access will gen- Figure 1: NVIDIA Tesla V100 Accelerator erally be remote, and applications will run directly on the entire “bare metal” ma- communications. With cloud computing, a chine under Linux (not on a virtual machine).2 cloud service provider purchases and operates the equipment, manages the computing Summit cost $200 million to build and has an resources, and provisions the resources on reestimated operating cost of over $20 million/ quest from customers, generally using a “pay year. 2018 is fully booked. Applications to use as you go” pricing model. The customer appliSummit in 2019 close the end of June 2018. To try cation often runs on virtual machines, and the for 2020, apply to the US Department of Energy customer usually doesn’t know what or where in 2019, be one of a few dozen projects selected the actual equipment is. for all DOE HPC machines—awarded mostly to universities and the US Government, and wait. Vendors also offer on premise private clouds that are located at a customer site but are Using the same NVIDIA technology as Sum- owned and operated by the vendor who guarmit, SkyScale makes bare-metal affordable antees a level of service; and also offer equipcommercial extreme performance computing ment and operations located at a vendor site in the cloud available now. but dedicated to a customer; and offer hybrids that combine public and private clouds to enThis article introduces different types of able data and applications to use combined cloud computing, presents benefits and dis- resources owned and operated by both cloud advantages and shows how “bare metal cloud” vendor and customer. A hybrid might be used mitigates the disadvantages, and describes to add resource flexibility by extending a priSkyScale’s Accelerated Cloud Solutions. vate cloud, or to increase security by storing sensitive data on only the private part. 22

COTS Journal | March 2018

Cloud Benefits Key benefits to a simple public cloud are trading off up-front capital cost to buy equipment and operating cost to run and keep it up-to-date and secure versus longer-term services cost; resource flexibility—large cloud companies can provide resources in minutes; for global customers, access to resources when and where needed; service reliability—downtime of an hour or less per year is common and downtime of a few minutes per year or better is available at higher cost; and business continuity, with cloud providers having high assurance of backup and recovery from geographically-dispersed locations. Security is mixed—public cloud service providers are attractive targets for attack, and in a typical multitenant architecture with multiple users on the same resources, there is potential for cross-user attack and leakage; however, IT security is a huge, ever increasing challenge, and the personnel and capital resources a large cloud service provider devotes to security are far greater than that of a typical cloud service customer. Cloud Downsides The key disadvantage of standard cloud computing for high performance computing users is that HPC resources are generally not available in the cloud! Cloud service providers are most proficient at offering resources for typical business and high-volume transaction applications, and specialized HPC resources are of limited availability. Other disadvantages to standard cloud computing, whether with larger cloud service providers or smaller vendors (there are dozens), include issues due to other users on the same hardware, limited control and flexibility—the vendor may not permit installation of particular software or desired configuration of hard-

ed Cloud Platforms. The heart of the system is the same multi-core Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) accelerators used in the Summit supercomputer, the NVIDIA Tesla V100 pictured in Figure 1. Originally developed for graphics processing in 3D game rendering, GPUs, with their high-density, many-core, single-instruction multiple-data architecture (SIMD, extended to SIMT: Single Instruction Multiple Thread by NVIDIA) were found to be highly suitable for other problems subject to massive parallelism. With multiple GPUs, high-bandwidth efficient GPU-GPU and GPU-CPU interconnect is critical to performance for some problems. SkyScale platforms use one of two options: traditional PCIe or NVIDIA’s new NVLink highspeed interconnect, with up to six NVLink links and total bandwidth of 300 GB/sec in a V100. Figure 2: Core-collapse supernova image run on a SkyScale Volta™ V10016xP 16-GPU node. (Described at https://developer.nvidia.com/index.)

ware or operating system; unexpected startup cost—moving your applications to a particular provider may be expensive because the environment may be different than the prior environment; lock-in after taking advantage of a vendor’s features may make it expensive to switch; unexpected operating cost as processor, storage, or data transfer needs increase; uneven support quality, especially for large cloud service providers who necessarily have a range of support personnel, and even when available, the exceptional support required by high-performance computing users may require frequent time-consuming escalation. Finally, the claimed benefits may not match reality.

Bare-Metal Cloud Dedicated, bare-metal cloud computing with the right provider mitigates many of the disadvantages above. With a bare-metal public cloud, the customer “rents” remote computing resources that are purchased, managed, and provisioned by the cloud service provider. There is no virtualized environment, no concern for multiple tenants on the same hardware fighting for resources and causing excessive latency or inconsistent performance (runtimes that double are reported), reducing communications bandwidth, or compromising security. Depending on the provider and needs of the application, data may reside permanently on storage equipment at the provider or may be loaded over the network to begin execution and unloaded when complete. Because the cloud service provider is not concerned about the impact of one customer

on another, the provider can offer the customer direct access to the hardware and ability to make operating system changes and install software, enabling customers to maintain their existing work flows. Lastly, bare-metal cloud service providers are generally highly focused on the needs of their particular customers and the exact resources and configurations those customers require, and can offer high levels of support consistent with that customer focus.

For customers requiring more than a single 16-GPU node, SkyScale can interconnect nodes in a cluster using InfiniBand® and Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) Ethernet technology. Results The performance of the SkyScale V10016xP exceeds everything else available commercially. Figure 4 graphs images per second processed by a TensorFlow™ application against number of GPUs. The top line shows the SkyScale Volta system with PCIe interconnect at 8, 12, and 16 GPUs. The bottom line shows the lower performance of a comparable system from a major cloud service provider at 8 GPUs; the plot for

SkyScale High Performance Computing in the Cloud Many bare-metal providers offer just that—access to generic bare-metal CPUs and storage with an unmanaged, complicated interface for setup and operation. SkyScale offers high-performance computing equipment, Linux or Windows-based operating environment for easy remote access, extensive HPC software libraries (see Software Support next page), and support from experienced engineers to help its customers succeed. Figure 3 shows the main elements of the most pow- Figure 3: SkyScale NVIDIA Volta V10016xP 16-GPU Accelerated Cloud erful of SkyScale’s Accelerat- Platform specification COTS Journal | March 2018

mote customers for data in transit and for data at rest on provider resources, and customers must be able to trust the physical security of provider data centers while their applications and data are resident there. SkyScale’s deploys enterprise-grade intrusion prevention, detection, and recovery systems and monitors them 24x7. Its datacenters have manned security 24x7, with biometric identity verification and HD camera coverage. SkyScale Partners SkyScale partners expand its usefulness to its customers.

Figure 4: SkyScale V10016xP execution compared to a major cloud services provider

12 and 16 CPUs is “Not/Available”—no other HPC cloud service provider offers more than 8 GPUs on a node, giving SkyScale the fastest machine learning performance available in a single node in the cloud. Figure 2 is a screen grab of an image of a core-collapse supernova rendered by the NVIDIA IndeX™ visualization application running on a SkyScale V10016xP 16-GPU node. Moving the “timestep” slider in the application regenerates the image continuously on the SkyScale node. The figure shows performance of 22 frames-per-second and the subjective impression is that there is no perceptible delay.

Why SkyScale The bare-metal cloud market is growing rapidly. From under $1B in 2016, it is forecast to approach $5B by 2021.3 For most users, the reasons are need for flexible control over equipment, operating environment, and workflow; performance issues with multi-tenant virtualized environments (CPU and bandwidth consistency); concerns about privacy and security; and—for those requiring high performance computing, the lack of HPC equipment in the cloud and effective support. In mid 2018, the system described in Figure 3 is available only from SkyScale. Major cloud providers are beginning to consider or offer the ability to run HPC workloads, but none offer this level of performance, based on 16 NVIDIA Tesla V100 accelerators with a total of 81,920 cores ready for immediate use, and none offer the experienced deep support that flows from SkyScale’s exclusive commitment to HPC.

COTS Journal | March 2018

Software Support High performance computing applications on many-core system require parallel programming, a discipline new to many engineers. SkyScale supports both new and experienced HPC developers and users with machine learning framework options such as Caffe, TensorFlow, Theano, and Torche, plus preinstalled machine learning libraries that include MLPython, cuDNN™, DIGITS, Caffe on Spark and more. With the V100, NVIDIA has released Volta-optimized versions of GPU accelerated libraries such as cuDNN, cuBLAS™, and TensorRT™ that leverage the new architecture to deliver higher performance for both deep learning training and HPC applications, and the NVIDIA CUDA® Toolkit version 9.0 includes new APIs and support for Volta features to provide even easier programmability. NVIDIA’s GPU-Accelerated Applications Catalog includes over five hundred applications across nearly two-dozen industries. Many are available at no cost. Search by industry, category, and keyword or download the full 48 page catalog.4 Customer Support SkyScale “bare metal” does not mean customers are on their own. SkyScale includes, at no additional cost, direct support from engineers, both pre and post-sale, including help with configuration and with tuning to maximize performance. SkyScale’s goal is to reduce the complexity of HPC so that customers succeed. SkyScale Security Security—cyber and physical—must be a core competence for a cloud service provider. Cybersecurity is an absolute requirement of re-

• One Stop Systems develops the computing and flash storage systems that SkyScale deploys to its customers through the cloud. • Rescale has incorporated SkyScale Accelerated Cloud Platforms into its massive cloud-based simulation platform. This enables SkyScale/Rescale customers to access SkyScale systems by the hour. Easy to Use, Flexible Provisioning SkyScale requires no complex setup, no challenging configuration across multiple locations—log in and go—by the hour (with a SkyScale partner), week, month, or year.

Try SkyScale Now at No Cost The Summit supercomputer is extraordinary—but will be available to very few. For users who want to experience the flexibility, customizability, performance, and affordability of 16 NVIDIA Tesla V100 GPUs, with 81,920 cores delivering 224 teraflops of 32-bit floating-point, 40,960 cores at 112 teraflops of 64bit floating point, and 10,240 Tensor cores at 1.8 petaflops now, SkyScale offers a no-cost trial with engineering support. For information, contact http://www.skyscale.com/contact/#freetrial. 1. Oak Ridge National Laboratory. “ORNL Launches Summit Supercomputer.” ORNL News Desk. June 8, 2018. For more on Summit, see the NVIDIA infographic at https://images.nvidia.com/content/pdf/worlds-fastest-supercomputer-summit-infographic.pdf. 2. Wright, Chris. “How Red Hat helped to build Summit, America’s top science supercomputer.” Red Hat Blog. June 8, 2018. 3. Patrizio, Andy. “Why a bare-metal cloud provider might be just what you need.” Network World. March 8, 2018. 4. Search at https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/data-center/gpu-accelerated-applications/catalog/ and download at https://www.nvidia.com/content/gpu-applications/ PDF/gpu-applications-catalog.pdf.

SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT

myOPALE Cable Connection Concept for Remote Embedded Modular Computers ™

Frederic Aupetit, Industrial PC’s Produc Manager at ECRIN Systems

myOPALE offers disruptive technology to multiply capabiities of your next Embedded Computers in a simaller foot print thanks to PCI Express® over Cable interconnect, standard 5.25” building blocks with mini-SAS HD connectors.

For three decades, industrial PCs have used two types of internal architecture, motherboards and passive backplanes : ATX motherboards with slots for ISA, PCI and PCIe I/O extensions connected perpendicularly to the motherboard or smaller form factors like EBX/ miniITX variants for 1U chassis and, since 1994, PICMG 1.0 and 1.3 passive backplanes, where a single board computer and its I/O cards are connected vertically to offer more I/O sites and better MTTR for industrial and test bench systems. The major evolution during the last 25 years has essentially concerned the housing, which has shrunk from standard 4U/2U 19’’ rackmounts to Box PC’s, so-called fanless PCs. In all cases, the SBC and its I/O cards have remained physically and mechanically connected through Peripheral Component Interconnect direct linear connectors, nowadays

Figure 1: Concept of myOPALE 26

COTS Journal | March 2018

PCI Express, a standard local bus developed by Intel Corporation in 2004 and now promoted by PCI-SIG® community. The PCI Special Interest Group is responsible for specifying the PCI, PCI-X and PCIe computer buses since 1992. This standard PC backplane interface is not optimal in many cases. In 1U/19’’ chassis, only two I/O cards can be installed, while mechanical fixing and cards exchange are complex in 1U and 2U chassis due to riser or butterfly backplane interconnects. Reliability of the contacts is not secure and NRC customization will be necessary in most appliances. Furthermore, connectors of all I/O boards and SBC’s are located at the same side of the chassis, usually at the rear panel. If specific connectors are needed (BNC, XLR, 2 SMA, RJ-FTV, MIL-DTL-38999...), all I/O cards and computer board have to be moved, as an entire block, inside the housing, and chassis depth will therefore increase drastically.

concept integrates ty with new NVM Express storage media and most advantages networks, availability of standard adapter caof PCI Express over ble from Mini-SAS HD (SFF-8643) to U.2 (SFFCable inside the 8639) is ensured. Availability of M.2 and PCIe rack. In this con- x4 form factor boards to Mini-SAS HD will cept the PCIe back- allow to integrate myOPALE-IO modules into plane bus is con- standard desktop or tower PC’s. ceptually stretched to operate over a Mechanically, ECRIN Systems has adopted cable from CPU the SNIA SFF-8500 specification that defines to secondary I/O the configuration characteristics associated backplanes, phys- with 5.25” drive bay for the following reasons: ically located any- ideal format for 1U/19’’ rack mount (41.3mm where in the chas- x 146.1mm), well adapted to full-height PCIe sis. Thus, it offers I/O cards, compliant form factor with custom many advantages COM Express carrier board easy integration Figure 2: Configuration based on one myOPLE-CPU driving three myOPALE-IO, allow- in a small footprint into rack, desktop or tower chassis. The set of 1U/19’’ rackmount, specifications includes external dimensions, ing to integrate up to five I/O cards in 1U/19” rackmount. but also very inter- connectors, connector placement, mounting esting capabilities holes and interface pinouts to assist manufacThere is also no universal method to dissi- for other integration formats beyond the limits turers for system integration. pate waste heat from hot spots, and in most of of the previous IPC generation. The CPU module incorporates all features the cases, chassis customization will generate The choice of the Mini-SAS HD (SFF-8643) of Embedded Computer into an SFF 5.25’’ site NRC and extra cost for systems. Customized appliances will usually require a complete me- connector for PCIe over Cable was also elec- with 200mm depth only. These are: 6th or 7th trically the best solution thanks to its multi- Gen Intel Core, Intel Xeon E3-1500 series; up chanical and electronic redesign. source and price/quality ratio. It is COTS ready to 32GB Dual Channel DDR4 with ECC for InECRIN’s myOPALE concept is based on four and able to use standard cables from 30cm to tel Xeon SKUs; I/O on front panel with 2 Dismajor principles. It breaks the mechanical link 1m and lockable connectors to protect against playPort, 1 GbE, 4 USB 3.0; legacy I/O on rear between the computer mainboard and its I/O shock and vibration in harsh environments. panel with 2 SATA3 and 3 USB 2.0 (on Micro-Fit cards thanks to PCI Express over Cable inter- The high bandwidth of 12Gbps for PCI Express 24-pin connector). Internal site for one 2.5” connection. It uses building blocks in a stan- Gen3 protocol and 8 differential pairs for x4 SSD SATA3, 12VDC power supply (+5Vstb for dard half-height 5.25’’ form factor. The re-use PCIe Gen3 lanes enable high data throughput. ATX mode) and the most disruptive technolof universal deployed interconnect standards Eight Sideband signals for the control plane ogy point with 24 PCIe Gen3 lanes through six from SNIA (Storage Networking Industry As- between myOPALE-CPU and myOPALE-IO Mini-SAS HD connectors (4x PCIe lanes per sociation) that encompass cables, connectors, building blocks are available. Compatibili- Mini-SAS HD connector) that offer lot of bene form factor sizes and housing dimensions, is possible. These specifications enable multisource products and solutions. And finally, it includes the cooling system into the building block. PCI Express was introduced by Intel in 2004 as the new Peripheral Component Interconnect serial bus. Today, PCIe is very popular as the standard PC backplane interface, but it is still less known as a high-speed cabling interface. The serial technology and embedded clocking within each differential signal pair allow PCIe protocol to be used at full speed across a motherboard or over a cable with the benefits of high performance, low power and reduced costs. The cabled version of PCIe features the same high-speed differential line pairs as one that transfers data on PCB’s, as well as a number of additional signals – known as Sideband signals. One PCIe lane consists of two pairs of cables individually shielded for EMI protection – one transmit-pair and one receive-pair. Sideband signals provide addi- Figure 3: myOPALE-CPU building block in half-height 5.25” form factor with its own monitored cooling system tional 3 functionalities, but are not directly in- mixing conduction colled and push-pull airflow technologies. volved in the PCIe data transfer. The myOPALE COTS Journal | March 2018

A19_COTSJour_2_25x9_875.qxp_A19.qxd 1/23/18

speed are monitored by the Embedded CPU. Sideband control signals selected from MiniSAS HD cable allow myOPALE-CPU to manage and monitor each myOPALE-IO without extra cabling. Power and Reset buttons, storage activity and default LED’s are available on the front panel and simultaneously on a rear Micro-Fit 24-pin connector for remote control. The myOPALE-IO module can integrate up to two full-height I/O cards in a standard 5.25’’ drive bay with 200mm depth.

OUNT M E C S U R FdA t h r u - h o l e ) s (an rmer o f s n Tr a d u c t o r s & In

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Figure 4: Just by intergrating one COTS PCIe or M.2 adaptor to miniSAS-HD card, you can add myOPALE-I/O on the front panel of your PC for audio, broadcast, counication extensions.

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The design is based on COM Express Type 6 that integrates Embedded Low Power SKU’s with 10 years life support. In Skylake and Kaby Lake versions, Intel Core i7 or Xeon E31500 CPU with Chipset platforms are selected, which directly drive 24 PCIe Gen3 lanes as their expansion bus. They can be grouped by 8/8/4/4 or 8/4/4/4/4 which allows to drive up to five I/O cards per processor. PCIe cable adapter on the carrier card is quite simple by routing to the connector, and provides some signal conditioning to guarantee the signal integrity is met at the other end of the cable. Because these adapters are simple, they are inexpensive. Because they don’t convert the PCIe protocol into anything else, they provide higher performance and don’t require any software drivers (as do such others as thunderbolt, InfiniBand, firewire, USB, Fiber channel…). Throughput and latency, offered by PCIe over Cable in myOPALE system, are the best of any other protocol or I/O adapter. Power supply may be used in AT or ATXmode. In AT-mode, 12V input is fine. +5VStb is generated internally to support Wake-onLAN function and AMT Remote Power-on. In ATX-mode, +5VStb signal input is provided via a 6-pin power connector to myOPALE-CPU which monitors PS-ON to drive the power supply unit. The cooling system is based on an aluminum mono-block composed of two areas: one conduction-cooled cold plate that takes away heat from its CPU hot spot up to fins cooled by a forced air-flow system (2x 40mm fans in push-pull mode). Temperature and fan

Delivery - Stock to one week

COTS Journal | March 2018

Half-length I/O cards will be completely enclosed in the housing, while full-length cards can protrude from the back without any inconvenience. A retaining bracket system for card lock will protect low profile and full-height I/O modules against shocks and vibrations stress. Two versions of myOPALE-IO exist with different passive backplanes: two PCIe Gen3 x4 I/O sites and one PCIe Gen3 x8 I/O site. For both versions, PCIe connectors are mechanically in PCIe x16 format to accept all types of I/O boards in PCI Express (x1, x4, x8 and x16) formats. The myOPALE-IO backplane converts Mini-SAS HD connectors to standard PCIe direct linear connectors, ready to accept any type of COTS or Custom PCIe I/O cards. ECRIN Systems integrates also two other functions: a DC/DC converter from 12VDC to 3.3VDC and an automatic 2-fan control system from a Look Up table. Sideband control signals from MiniSAS HD connector allow the control of the power supply, and monitor local temperature and fan speeds. The ability to run PCIe over Cable at full performance with software transparency opens up a range of new applications for CPU and I/O system re-positioning in a rack. myOPALE extends the PCIe bus structure to dedicated PCIe I/O hardware. PCIe over Cable provides a simple method for extending applications that need more I/O boards than could be fitted in a standard Industrial PC based on legacy backplanes. Designing compatible end-points is straightforward because the PCIe interface is available as a gate array library. Having backplane performance available over a cable expands the myOPALE usage model to encompass many high-end monoand multi-chassis applications including more I/O expansion with different system integration capabilities, disk array subsystems based on NVMe interface, high speed video and audio editing equipment, quick trading with many pairs of CPU/FPGA in one system, medical imaging systems, etc.

March 2018

COT’S PICKS

Newly released two 10” Fully-Rugged Tablets

Green Hills Software’s INTEGRITY-178 tuMP Multicore Operating System Becomes the First Operating System Certified as Conforming to the FACE Technical Standard for Intel Multicore Processors The Global Leader of Flight-Critical and Secure Operating System Solutions Completes All FACE Conformance Activities for 64-Bit Intel Architectures.

Rugged relay designed for harsh inductive loads offers higher resistive load rating TE Connectivity launches new CII relay for military, aerospace and defense applications that outperforms most other relays for resistive loads TE Connectivity (TE) announced the release of its new CII FC-335 series relay. Designed to manage harsh inductive, motor and lamp loads, this high-performance relay offers a rugged means of power switching in a range of aerospace, defense and marine applications. TE’s new relays are built to handle higher capacity loads than most comparable mid-range relays on the market, offering a 35 Amps/28Vdc resistive load rating. “What sets this relay apart from other similar

Newly released two 10” Fully-Rugged Tablets featuring Intel’s Powerful Kaby Lake Architecture – Both tablets, released earlier this year, feature MIL-STD-810G rugged designs, IP65 waterproofing, and special tools key for their targeted groups. Now, however, both tablets are available with a powerful, feature-packed Intel Kaby Lake processor at their cores. The Kaby Lake models, specified MRK-100 and MDK-100, will offer support for specialized hardware and software that the entry-level Apollo Lake processors aren’t equipped to handle. Both Apollo Lake and Kaby Lake models of each tablet will continue to be available to suit specific customers’ needs based on price, efficiency, and capability. As with the Apollo Lake models, the MR-100 is our most rugged tablet design, specialized for industrial and field-work. The tablet

has endured MIL-STD-810G testing to verify its IP65 water-proofing, 5ft drop rating, electrostatic discharge protection, and much more. The LCD is equipped with Optical Bonding, to offer superior impact scratch and crack resistance, and it is available in 800NIT brightness, perfect for reading even outdoors in full, direct sunlight. The tablet is available with Core i5 or i7 low power processors – either the i5-7Y54 up to 3.2GHz Turbo, or the i77Y75, up to 3.6GHz Turbo. These processors support of to 16GB of LPDDR3-1866 memory, and include Intel HD Graphics 615, perfect for full screen HD video support and demanding CAD rendering programs.

Green Hills Software announced that it has successfully completed the FACE™ verification process for the Intel version of its INTEGRITY®-178 Time-Variant Unified Multi Processing (tuMP™) operating system. CERTON, a Cyient Company and independent FACE Consortium approved Verification Authority, has officially verified conformance with the Technical Standard for Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE) edition 2.1.1, making Green Hills Software the only supplier with a FACE-conformant operating system for Intel architectures. The FACE Registry’s inclusion of a UoC for the Intel version of INTEGRITY-178

tuMP demonstrates full completion of the FACE conformance activities for this Green Hills Software product. Green Hills Software has now completed the FACE 2.1.1 conformance requirements for its INTEGRITY-178 tuMP operating system for three different multicore architectures, or Units of Conformance (UoC): Armv8, PowerPC/QorIQ and now Intel. In addition, each INTEGRITY-178 tuMP UoC has been verified against both the Safety Base and Security Profiles with each profile including verification for C, C++ and Ada support.

devices on the market is its 35 Amp resistive rating for both 28 VDC and 115 VAC loads. Until TE released this product, the highest current rating

available in this configuration was 25 Amps,” said Randy Biddix, product manager for CII relays at TE Connectivity. “This gives customers additional current switching headroom in their applications.”

Estone www.estonetech.com

Green Hills Software www.ghs.com

TE’s CII FC-335 series relays are built in accordance with MIL-PRF-6106 to ensure they meet rigorous military standards for use in power distribution, fuel pumps, guidance and navigation systems, weapons systems, and ground support equipment. The relays are designed with double make contacts that share the load across two contact sets, which helps minimize wear and tear, prolong relay life and provide more stable performance. The all-welded construction also offers a more reliable alternative to similar solder-sealed relays. TE Connectivity Ltd. www.te.com/connectors

COTS Journal | March 2018

March 2018

COT’S PICKS

Army Awards Contract for Locator Beacons to Find Missing Soldiers The U.S. Army recently awarded a $34 million contract to McMurdo Inc. for personnel recovery devices that can be used to pinpoint a missing soldier’s location.

functionality, even in remote locations,” said Mark Cianciolo, general manager of McMurdo’s aerospace, defense and government programs, in a 2016 press release.

This PRD is a dual-mode personal locator beacon built to military specifications that will be integrated into the Army’s Personnel Recovery Support System, or PRSS.

Commercially made personal locator beacons have become extremely popular with mountain climbers and other adventurers, who depend on them to send a signal to rescuers in the event they become injured in remote locations.

“The PRD will be capable of transmitting both open and secure signals (training/combat dual mode) to alert and notify that a soldier has become isolated, missing, detained or captured,” according to an April 11 press release from Orolia, McMurdo’s parent company. McMurdo was awarded a contract in 2016 to develop working prototypes of the PRD that could coordinate with the service’s PRSS. “The Army recognized a need to complement its PRSS with a dual-mode, easy-to-use distress beacon to provide initial report/locate

McMurdo’s positioning device has been designed to meet military standards and has improved accuracy. It also has decreased size, weight and power requirements, the release states. “We are extremely proud and honored to have been selected by the U.S. Army as the provider of this critical positioning device for the safety of U.S. warfighters,” Jean-Yves Courtois, chief executive officer of Orolia, said in the April 11 press release. The PRD is based on Orolia’s new rugged and small positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) platform, but the release did not specify the exact model being produced for the Army. The Coast Guard awarded McMurdo a $3 million contract in 2016 for 16,000 FastFind 220 personal locator beacons.

The McMurdo Inc. FastFind 220 personal locator beacon used by the Coast Guard. The U.S. Army awarded McMurdo a $34 million contract for similar personal recovery devices to be used for locating missing soldiers. Photo: McMurdo Group. Military.com 26 Apr 2018 By Matthew Cox

The handheld FastFind 220 is used to notify emergency personnel during an air, land or water emergency in remote or highrisk environments. It uses a 406MHz frequency and transmits a distress signal containing unique beacon identification information and location data through the international search-andrescue satellite system operated by Cospas-Sarsat, according to an Aug. 17, 2016, post on Intelligent Aerospace. Estone www.estonetech.com

Microsemi Announces New Chip Scale Atomic Clock for Space Combining Cost-Effective Performance with Low Size, Weight and Power Microsemi Corporation announced the launch of its SA.45s Commercial Space Chip Scale Atomic Clock (CSAC), the industry’s first commercially available radiation-tolerant CSAC. Ideally suited for low Earth orbit (LEO) applications, the device provides the accuracy and stability of atomic clock technology while achieving significant breakthroughs in reduced size, weight and power (SWaP) consumption. As the newest member of Microsemi’s CSAC product family, the Commercial Space CSAC provides excellent drift performance and built-in 1 pulse per second (PPS) input for GPS disciplining, making the device well-suited for holdover applications. It is targeted at several other commercial space and space research applications, including: • satellite timing and frequency control; • satellite cross linking; • assured position, navigation and timing; and • Earth observation. With many spacecraft manufacturers turning to commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) parts to meet performance, schedule and cost requirements, the Commercial Space CSAC offers a solution for many satellite missions. “With the introduction of the Commercial Space CSAC, we now offer a space-deployable atomic precision clock reference with radiation tolerance in support of the space market’s desire to reduce mission costs and design times using COTS devices,” said Peter Cash, director of the clock business unit at Microsemi. “As the first atomic reference clock with low SWaP available for space, our new device is well-suited to applications requiring precise clock synchronization, including a variety of existing and emerging LEO applications.” Microsemi www.microsemi.com

COTS Journal | March 2018

March 2018

COT’S PICKS Kontron announces new DARC™ VPX108, SWaP-optimized multicore server-class mission computer for rugged, space-constrained applications

candidate for use both in vehicles and outdoor applications.

DARC™ VPX108 is a VPX-based, small form factor, fanless computer offering secured multicore processing power and high connectivity in an ultra-rugged enclosure, making it ideal for numerous defense applications in the harshest environments.

ing, surveillance, virtual machine hypervisor, datacenter server processing, and network functional virtualization (NFV) applications.

Augsburg, Germany / Toulon, France, June 6, 2018 - Kontron, a leading global provider of IoT/Embedded Computing Technology (ECT), announces the new Kontron high performance, rugged mission computer DARC VPX108. It features powerful eight core Intel® Xeon®-class floating-point processing and two 10GbE optical ports. The DARC VPX108 combination of SWaP-optimization, data-center server-class processing, network capabilities and I/O flexibility makes it ideal for C4ISR command and control, image process-

Designed for use in military platforms requiring compliance to MIL-STD-810, MILSTD-461, and MIL-STD-1275, the unit’s passive natural convection-cooled chassis enables fanless operation over extended temperature ranges with no active cooling or cold plate accessories required. Moreover, its ultra-rugged, sealed enclosure protects the integrity of the equipment against all climatic elements such as dust, salt fog, sand, rain, ice, hail, solar radiation, fungi, or even wind, making the DARC VPX108 a perfect

VME/VPX chassis offers exceptional EMI performance, a 30lb range of payload weight, and can support multiple shipboard applications

The DARC VPX108 is a competitive mission computer delivering server-class performance, in particular thanks to its use of Intel 64-bit SoC, DDR4 memory, standards-based VPX, XMC, and M.2 module technologies. To ensure superior signal integrity of its two optical ten Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.0, and other interfaces, the unit features MIL-grade high speed connectors which provide a high-bandwidth I/O interconnect packaged in a rugged MIL-38999 circular connector format. The DARC VPX108 high compute power platform can be further expanded with an open architecture GPU co-processor (such as Kontron XMC-GPU91) and/or I/O modules, thanks to its on-board XMC (VITA42) and M.2 expansion slots. Add-on cards can be integrated to support demanding mission requirements, such as MILSTD-1553, ARINC 429, or CANbus. Kontron www.kontron.com

for compliance with MIL-S-901D as well as MILSTD-167A (vibration) and has been designed to meet MIL-STD-461 (EMI/EMC). The chassis is cooled via forced air, with backplane and fan power isolated from one another. Close attention was paid to EMI performance, which was made possible by a welded, dip-brazed, gasketed construction with honeycomb air intake and exhaust. Its unloaded weight is approximately 75lb, and it is suitable for a range of payload weights from approximately 15 to 45lb.

LCR Embedded Systems is pleased to announce the general availability of its Rugged, Shock-Isolated Chassis (RSIC-08) for Shipboard Bulkhead Mount. The chassis features an innovative, customizable, multi-point isolation system designed and produced by LCR Embedded, and may be used on multiple deck levels and to support multiple applications. The chassis has passed the Deck Simulator Shock Machine (DSSM) test

LCR Embedded Systems www.lcrembeddedsystems.com

The widest selection of VPX power supplies, without the high cost of full-customization Most manufacturers offer just a few VPX power supplies off the shelf. The Behlman VPXtra® series offers 20 diverse COTS DC to DC, AC to DC and hold-up units that can be configured for a wide range of high-end industrial and military airborne, shipboard, ground and mobile applications – without the cost of full-custom development.

• Xtra-reliable design, Xtra-rugged construction • State-of-the-art engineering standard • Both 3U and 6U, VITA 62, OpenVPX compliant Insist on the leader. Not just VPX, VPXtra®

ORBIT POWER GROUP Behlman Electronics www.behlman.com • 631-435-0410 • sales@behlman.com COTS Journal | March 2018

March 2018

COT’S PICKS

Lynx first to deliver 2nd Generation IMA development platform for Avionic System Integrators, launches the LynxSecure Safety Bundle for Intel Multi-core Processors redefining system development flexibility for Integrated Modular Avionics

Lynx Software Technologies UK Limited, the world leader in open, mixed criticality and MILS system development, today announces the LynxSecure Safety Bundle for Intel multi-core processors. The LynxSecure Safety Bundle is an open system architecture solution that unlocks the potential of multi-core to deliver 2nd generation IMA*. The LynxSecure Safety Bundle (LSB) integrates the complete range of system development services for platform suppliers to build, deploy and sustain their IMA platform. It enables system integrators to leverage modern multi-core hardware to significantly reduce SWaP (size weight and power) by con-

solidating multiple Line Replaceable Units (LRUs) onto a single platform. Importantly, it enables an open development capability in which any bare metal, Linux or other RTOS or OS-based system module or application can reside in a single multicore time and space partitioned system safely and securely. It thus provides system integrators with maximum flexibility to create competitive supply chains that don’t impose the unnecessary cost burden of safe system integration when that functionality is not required. This solution securely integrates four key capabilities: LynxSecure, the world’s only truly secure-by-design separation kernel hypervisor; LynxOS-178, to run safety critical application workloads; a fully supported version of Embedded Linux based on the Buildroot technology for non-critical application workloads; and Luminosity, an Eclipse based Integrated Development Environment. This includes the ability to develop fully separated ‘bare-metal’, OS independent system functions or secure applications using developer tools of choice,

thereby meeting the demands for high assurance module development in an open systems development framework. LynxOS-178 is the only commercial RTOS which has been approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as a Reusable Software Component (RSC). Up to 80% of the OS certification costs that developers would normally have to bear to achieve DO-178B/C is removed, even as they move to the latest generation of Intel multi-core processors. LynxSecure assured separation means that only software in the LynxOS-178 partition needs to go through certification even though it resides on the same processor as non-critical applications with no safety requirements. The LynxOS-178 RTOS has been certified to Design Assurance Level (DAL) A, and provides native POSIX API’s, ARINC 653 services, and FACE compatibility. Lynx Software Technologies (UK) Ltd www..lynx.com

World’s first COTS fully integrated T2080 SBC, TTE, ARINC 664 Part 7 (AFDX) and ARINC 429/575 certifiable solution DO-178C & DO-254 DAL A certifiable 3U PowerPC T2080 OpenVPX SBC with Time Triggered Ethernet, ARINC 664 Part 7 (AFDX), IEEE 802.3 and ARINC 429/575 support North Atlantic Industries, Inc. (NAI), a leading independent supplier of COTS and Modified COTS embedded electronic solutions worldwide, announces the availability of the 68PPC2 PowerPC Single Board Computer with SAE AS6802 Time Triggered Ethernet, ARINC 664 Part 7 (AFDX), IEEE 802.3 and ARINC 429/575 support. The 68PPC2-TE1AR1 provides a safety certifiable solution for: Vehicle Management Systems, Flight Control Computers, Remote Data Concentrators, Remote Interface Units, Actuator Interface Units and Autonomous Navigation Systems as well as many others where Safety Critical and time sensitive Ethernet communication is required. It is ideally suited for rugged defense, industrial, and commercial applications. Ethernet TCP/IP and UDP are the network communications backbone interface protocols and are supported on all NAI products, from boards to systems. Integrating TTEthernet and

COTS Journal | March 2018

ARINC 664 Part 7 (AFDX) protocol support into NAI’s COSA® architecture offers customers additional adaptability, flexibility and future expansion capabilities in support of smaller, smarter and less power-hungry systems. ARINC 429/575 are universal communications standards used for data transmission in multiple platforms. Available DO-178C DAL A operating system support includes Wind River VxWorks 653 3.x and DDC-I Deos.

this, is the need for scalable, flexible long-term requirements to support future architectures and capabilities, while reducing size, weight, power and cost (SWaP-C). NAI has integrated these functions onto an SBC that dramatically reduces SWaP while still providing, high reliability, flexibility and scalability not currently found in legacy technologies. It also provides a low-risk, cost-effective migration path from best effort IEEE 802.3 to Deterministic Ethernet.”

The 68PPC2 also supports continuous background Built-in-Test (BIT), up to 8 GB DDR3 SDRAM, up to 32 GB SATA II NAND Flash storage, two 10/100/1000 Base-T or 2x 1000 Base–KX Ethernet ports, and two USB 3.0 ports.

North Atlantic Industries, Inc. www.lnaii.com

“Integrating full support for deterministic Ethernet and ARINC-429/575 offers customers huge advantages in support of time and space-partitioned applications in commercial, military, and aerospace applications,” states Lino Massafra, VP of Sales and Marketing. “Aerospace and Defense Companies are demanding more robust and reliable processing and Ethernet capabilities for flight and mission-critical systems. Coupled with

March 2018

COT’S PICKS 16-bit A/D channelizer for military and government software radio receiver introduced by Pentek Pentek Inc. introduced the 2-channel Jade model 71865 200 MHz 16-bit A/D channelizer for commercial, military and government high-channel count software radio receiveapplications. The Jade 71865 high-speed data converter Switched Mezzanine Card (XMC) field-programmable gate array (FPGA) module has 762 narrowband digital down converters (DDCs), four wideband DDCs, and is based on the Xilinx Kintex UltraScale FPGA. The model 71865 functions include two A/D acquisition IP modules for simplifying data capture and transfer. Each acquisition IP module has a controller for all data clocking, triggering, and synchronization functions.

New M-Module with four serial interfaces The M-Module M77N has been developed according to the ANSI Mezzanine standard and extends the carrier board by four electrically isolated serial interfaces, which can be adapted to the respective requirements by software. M77N Data Sheet Photo 300 dpi Neues M-Modul mit vier seriellen Schnittstellen • 4 high-performance UARTs, compatible to 16550 UART

Pentek Announces Talon Rugged Small Form Factor Recorder Family with Serial Interfaces • 40Gb Ethernet, Serial FPDP and LVDS digital input options • Real-time aggregate recording rates up to 4 GB/s • SSD RAID storage capacity up to 30.6 TB using NTFS files • Small form factor 17 pound chassis

From each of the two acquisition modules, A/D sample data flows into identical IP modules consisting of banks of wideband and narrowband DDCs. Finally, data is delivered to four direct memory access (DMA) controllers linked to the PCI Express Gen.3 x8 interface for transfer to a signal processor. Users can set the four wideband DDCs for decimation values between eight and 128 in steps of four, providing usable output bandwidths from 1.25 MHz to 20 MHz. The wideband DDCs can help locate signals of interest.

• FIFO buffer • Serial data rate up to 2 Mbit/s • Full and half duplex on 4 channels • 500 V AC optical isolation • -40°C to +85°C with qualified components Robust and reliable system extension to the ANSI standard The M-Module M77N supports four high-performance UARTs with RS232 or RS422 / 485 interfaces - implemented in the FPGA. These are accessible via a D-Sub connector at the front and can be connected to the carrier card, and thus to the backplane of the system via a 24-pin onboard connection if required. The interface mode of the

Pentek, Inc., announced the Talon RTR 255x series, a new high performance small form factor (SFF) recorder product line for serial data streams. Optimized for SWaP (size, weight and power), the Pentek Talon RTR SFF product line provides the performance and storage capacity previously only possible in much larger rack-mountable products. Measuring 5.25” H x 8.5” W x 14” D and weighing only 17 pounds, this small package is capable of sustained real-time recording speeds up to 4 GB/s and can hold up to 30.7 TB of removable SSD storage. Power consumption has been greatly reduced with most systems drawing less than 120W at full operation.

Pentek www.pentek.com

M-Module can be changed by the software. The serial lines have been optically isolated, which is essential for use in automotive or industrial applications as well as in mobile environments, for example, to protect the control system from external disturbances such as high voltage pulses. All components of the M77N are firmly soldered against shock and vibration, and are approved for a temperature range of -40°C to +85°C. MEN Microsystems www.menmicro.com

The Talon RTR 255x series implements Pentek’s extensive line of digital serial modules including 40Gb Ethernet, serial Front Panel Data Port (sFPDP) and Low Voltage Differential Signaling (LVDS). All are capable of both receiving and transmitting data for recording and playback of data streams. The digital serial interfaces provide popular options for remote connection of the recorder to data sources. Pentek www.pentek.com

COTS Journal | March 2018

COTS COTS

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Company Page# Website Alrenne Intergrated Solutions ..................... 4 ............................. www.atrenne.com Behlman Electronics ............................ IFC & 31 .............................. www.behlman.com Chassis Plans ......................................... 13 ........................ www.chassisplans.com

Elma Electronics .................................... 20 ..................................... www.elma.com

• VME boards with SATA, USB or SCSI interface

North Alantic Industries ........................... 5 ........................................ www.nail.com

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Phoenix International ................................ 34 ............................. www.phoenixint.com

Index

PICO Electronics, Inc ................................ 28 ..................... www.picoelectronics.com Red Rock Technologies, Inc ...................... 34 ........................... www.redrocktech.com Supermicro ............................................... 25 .......................... www.supermicrot.com

• P2 adapters available

Red Rock Technologies, Inc. info@redrocktech.com www.redrocktech.com (480) 483-3777

SynQor ...................................................... 21 .................................. www.SynQor.com

COTS Journal (ISSN#1526-4653) is published monthly at; 905 Calle Amanecer, Suite 150, San Clemente, CA 92673.

Trident infosol .......................................... IBC ............................ www.trident-sff.com

Periodicals Class postage paid at San Clemente and additional mailing offices.

Vicor Cororation........................................ 19 ....... www.vicorpower.com/defense-aero

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COTS Journal | March 2018