June 2022, Volume 24 – Number 6 • cotsjournalonline.com
The Journal of Military Electronics & Computing
JOURNAL
Accelerating Delivery of New Electronic Warfare Capabilities with COTS Software Defined Radios Precision Clocks used in Software Defined Radios (SDRs)
The Journal of Military Electronics & Computing 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.
JOURNAL
—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.
SPECIAL FEATURES 16
Accelerating Delivery of New Electronic Warfare Capabilities with COTS Software Defined Radios By Jeremy Twaits , Solutions Marketing Manager, NI’s Aerospace
SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT 20
DEPARTMENTS 6 8
Publisher’s Note Are you sure, really sure? In a world where artificial intelligence meets the human in charge. The Inside Track
Precision Clocks used in Software Defined Radios (SDRs) By Brendon McHugh, Per Vices
COT’S PICKS 24
Editor’s Choice for June
Cover Image Soldiers assigned to the 7th Infantry Regiment conduct live-fire exercises at the Grafenwoehr Training Area in Germany
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The Journal of Military Electronics & Computing
JOURNAL EDITORIAL
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PUBLISHER’S NOTE
John Reardon, Publisher
Are you sure, really sure?
In a world where artificial intelligence meets the human in charge. As the Pentagon pushes for a unified fabric that allows JADC2 to be implimented on a battlefield that has historically been incompatible, the future depends on employing tactical resources that establishes trust. From the variables in the board room to the heterogeneous make-up of the battlefield, the ability to have our warfighters believe in AI-based solutions will challenge the best of us. In the fog and friction of the battlefield, humans will naturally favor solutions that are comfortable. Although an abundance of data on the surface might create a false assurance that the actions directed are correct, the creep of human indecision will challenge the providence of the data received. The impracticality of connecting every sensor to every shooter leaves us with plan B. Driving mission-specific data to the tactical edge offers extensive benefits to the connected battlefield. The elegance of having the data managed at the edge allows the sensor array not to be encumbered by copious amounts of low-value data. Through focusing on the mission parameters you speed up the communication of actionable data and reduce security concerns. By narrowing the mission parameters, security breaches are more likely to be identified. 6
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The failure of the Russian Army to coordinate their attacks with precision has only been an example of what not to do. Although the barrage of weapons has incurred significant damage and death, it has also shown the world the weaknesses within their command structure. To address this and to learn by their example, the need to strike a balance between Ubering all data to a data center and waiting for a response or firing indiscriminating leads to an answer somewhere in the middle. Starting at the top, it is difficult to believe that the imagination of our leaders to incorporate a compendium of data in a single repository with arrays of high-performance computer solutions will deliver real-time solutions to our warfighters. This zero-trust environment would challenge security measures that classify data, possibly hoarding or stove piping data in ways that limit the overall understanding of the threat. In addition, the threat of having centralized data leads to a single point of failure with increased latency. This strategy would leave us vulnerable to the preverbal “silver bullet”. If you go to the bottom, the warfighters will require significant training and education to be capable of interfacing with modern systems. This challenges the
The failure of the Russian The Army Army is already to coordinate testingtheir and attacks with precision moving forward has onlywith beenwhat an example they refer of to as “Sensor-to-Shooter”. what not to do.
training methods currently employed when the firing range takes a back seat to the cybersecurity training. The speed and agility of our fighting forces should not be hindered by data analysis, but the more you do “open kimono” the more the warfighter will apply their interpretation of the data. This goes towards a complete cultural makeover of the military. The belief that the Chinese have that we are only able to overcome their superior numbers by using technology has created advanced cybersecurity techniques that focus on data as being at the core of our strength. This calculus of measuring the size of an army, the firepower of an army against sophistication, means that advances in communications will be the cornerstone of our national defense. The solution is an agile and fast communication mesh aligned with the mission. Not a centralized or
decentralized solution, but a diverse solution that connects mixed-signal environments that includes multigenerational elements and assets used by our allies. The solution is not boiling the entire ocean by connecting every sensor to every shooter, but rather by creating a mission-related thread that brings confidence to the data and offers a solution that instills confidence. That the “playbook” be replaced with an asymmetrical response that surprises our advisories in a way that creates a stammer in their command structure. It was not so many years ago that our military resorted to cell phone networks in Afghanistan to communicate when the aspirations of JTARS became to ambitious and collapsed under the load. (The application of technologies in a time of peace should not fail to comprehend the rigors of war). COTS Journal | June 2022
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Tech Mahindra and Anritsu Collaborate to Establish IoT Experience Lab in Fremont, California Tech Mahindra announces that it has collaborated with Anritsu, a global provider of test and measurement solutions for wireline and wireless technologies used in commercial, private, military/aerospace, government, and other markets, to launch an IoT (Internet of Things) Experience Lab. Located in Tech Mahindra’s Fremont, CA facility, it will provide efficient testing of 5G devices used in emerging IoT use cases. The lab aims to create a simple, cost-effective environment for 5G IoT device manufacturers to verify device performance to ensure greater product confidence during pre-commercialization. The IoT Experience Lab will be an incubator, as well as a research and development center, for IoT device manufacturers to validate their designs in the early development phase and to help launch best-in-class IoT products. The collaboration will leverage use cases developed by Tech Mahindra, and simple automated smart application software from Anritsu that automatically performs functional, performance, stress, and regression tests and provides user-friendly reports and logs to gauge device performance.
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Rohit Madhok, Global Head of Digital Engineering Services, Tech Mahindra, said, “The advances in 5G will aid the evolution of innovative use cases in IoT. While this creates new opportunities, the way the design and manufacturing engineers validate products and procedures must also keep pace with the newer capabilities. Tech Mahindra’s NXT.NOWTM strategy focuses on accelerating enterprises’ 5G adoption and this collaboration with Anritsu to start an IoT Experience Lab at our Fremont facility is a significant step in this direction by enabling IoT device manufacturers to deliver high-quality solutions with much less time to market.” The experience lab consists of the Anritsu Radio Communication Test Station MT8000A, Radio Communication Analyzer MT8821C, Signalling Tester MD8475B, and Wireless Connectivity Test Set (WLAN) MT8862A. Device OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) can access the lab to verify that their products are performing based on expected outcomes of applications in different verticals, including industrial IoT, telemedicine, autonomous vehicles, smart cities, and virtual reality (VR).
Robert E. Johnson, Anritsu Company General Manager, and Vice President said, “5G brings the advantages and efficiencies of wireless technology to applications that help define the 4th Industrial Revolution. Each use case creates unique operational challenges that require specific tests. Our collaboration with Tech Mahindra provides a resource for manufacturers to cost- and time-efficiently verify that their devices will operate according to specifications in the most challenging real-world environments.” By leveraging Tech Mahindra’s 5G engineering strength to develop IoT devices ready for commercialization and Anritsu’s support in multiple technologies, such as 5G Non-Standalone (NSA) and Standalone (SA), 4G LTE, and WLAN, this lab offers significant cost savings. It helps OEMs minimize the potential failures/returns when devices connect to commercial enterprise networks. As a forerunner in the 5G revolution, Tech Mahindra is committed to creating a human-centered, digitally connected, and integrated world by leveraging its NXT.NOWTM framework.
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UAS Drone’s Subsidiary, Duke Robotics, to Move its Operations to a Science & Industry Park with Adjacent Drone Testing Zone
The new location is in proximity to Elbit Systems Land Ltd., which is commercializing Duke’s Sniper Drone, powered by Duke’s patented TIKAD, an advanced robotic system designed to serve the growing need for tech solutions in the combat field
Corp. “The transition to our new facility in the summer of 2022 will allow for increased operational flexibility and efficiency, and also benefits from proximity to Elbit Systems Land Ltd. with which we have a global development and commercialization agreement.” UAS Drone’s wholly-owned Israeli subsid-
iary, Duke Airborne Systems Ltd., and Elbit Systems Land Ltd. signed a Collaboration Agreement in 2021 for global marketing and sales, and production and further development of Duke’s Sniper Drone product. UAS Drone believes this collaboration represents a significant opportunity to expand its global business and product sales.
UAS Drone Corp a leader in robotics technology and drone solutions announced it has signed a lease for a new facility at the recently built Mevo Carmel Science and Industry Park complex near Yokneam, Israel, which has a large adjacent area for drone flying, takeoffs, and landings. “As we continue to evaluate additional applications for our technology, including for its use in the civil market, combined with increasing demand for remotely operated drone weapon systems in a time of military tension and conflicts, we are taking steps to meet these growing market needs,” said Yossef Balucka CEO of UAS Drone
a.i. solutions® Awarded $217 Million Prototype Operations I (POPS-I) Contract to Support U.S. Space Force a.i. solutions® announces that it has been awarded a Small Business Set-Aside Prime Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ)
contract with Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP), CostPlus-Award-Fee (CPAF) with a value of $217 million to provide on-console satellite operations support for the U.S. Space Force, Space Systems Command’s Innovation and Prototyping Delta (SSC/SZI). The Prototype Operations I (POPS-I) is a procurement for the research and development of satellite operations and support services for SSC/ SZI. The goal of the Innovation and Prototyping Delta is to accelerate mission design and integration, launch operations, and ground system test support to provide reliable, low-cost access to space.
The contract awarded under the Department of Defense, U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command has a performance period of five (5) years with two (2) additional one-year options. POPS-I will provide on-console and technical support for concept development, readiness, launch, on-orbit testing and evaluation, operations, and analysis activities for research and experimental satellites. “Winning this prime contract, our first with the Space Force, is a testament to the dedication and commitment of our team,” said Robert Sperling, a.i. solutions’ President and CEO. “We are excited to bring our 25 years’ experience of successfully supporting space missions to deliver satellite operations expertise and proven innovative technologies while ensuring uninterrupted, ongoing mission support.” The a.i. solutions team, which includes Actalent, Boecore, Parsons, KBR, and LinQuest, will perform the work at Kirtland Air Force Base, NM, and at Schriever Space Force Base, CO.
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INSIDE TRACK Mercury Systems receives a $7.9M order for high-performance processing systems Mercury Systems, Inc. announced it had received a $7.9 million order from a leading defense prime contractor for high-performance embedded processing systems for a ground-based radar application. The order was received in the Company’s fiscal 2022 third quarter and is expected to be shipped over the next several quarters. Mercury’s advanced, highly reliable signal processing systems are a critical element in ground-based radar programs that deliver high-resolution actionable data in the most hostile environments, protecting military forces from advanced air and missile threats. “This order underscores our customer’s confidence in Mercury to supply the proven purpose-built signal processing capabilities for the critical mission-defining radar that helps keep our nation and allies safe,” said Joe Plunkett, vice president, and general manager, Mercury Embedded. “As global security threats continue to grow, Mercury’s trusted, secure solutions, such as our powerful, high-performance processing systems, serve our customers’ mission and support those who serve us.” 10
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Contract Award: Cemtrol Inc. (Anaheim, California) – $10,854,371 Cemtrol Inc is awarded a $10,854,371 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for procurement, manufacturing, assembly, and delivery of materiel in support of the Littoral Combat Ship Mission Package Console. Work will be performed in Anaheim, California, and is expected to be completed by May 2027. Fiscal 2022 research, development, test, and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $24,650 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division, Port Hueneme, California, is the contracting activity (N6339422D0003).
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Spectra Group wins contract to supply the Royal Navy (Royal Marines) with Troposcatter
Spectra Group, the specialist provider of secure voice, data and satellite communications systems have announced a successful bid to supply the Troposcatter Compact Over-the horizon Mobile Expeditionary Terminal (COMET) system across NATO, including the UK Royal Navy for primary use by the Royal Marines. The contract has been placed through the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), so Troposcatter COMET is now available to all NATO countries for the next 3 years via the NATO catalog. Tropospheric scatter is a communications capability using the Troposphere (up to about 13km altitude) to provide communications. Specifically, the COMET system is small and lightweight with a maximum transmit power of 10 watts and utilizes a 1-meter dish, providing low latency (typically 9-20mS) and large data links (5-60Mbps) up to 60 kilometers, but in practice data transfer speeds can be much greater. The system is simple, intuitive, easy to set up, and does not require the use of vulnerable and expensive satellites. The system can also be established and operational within 15 minutes. The COMET system comes packed in two small cases that can be transported on civilian aircraft if required. Troposcatter is satellite independent and works in a GPS/GNSS denied environment, so is suitable for use in a Peer-on-Peer conflict/ Multi-Domain Integration. It has very low latency and can provide huge bandwidth, potential-
ly enabling analysis and manipulation of large data, which combined with its low operating cost makes it suitable for deployed battlegroups or even company headquarters. Unlike geostationary satellites, it is effective in polar regions and because it is directional, uses low power, and has complex waveforms it is difficult to detect and is highly suitable for many of the challenges UK Defence and NATO face today. Future developments with COMTECH, have the potential to address many of the problems encountered by Future Commando Forces when operating in the littoral region and trying to enable responsive Command and Control communications while remaining at a safe distance from the enemy’s area defense systems that render traditional tactical communication systems ineffective. A high bandwidth Troposcatter COMET system could provide the vital communication link to the bridgehead including Radio over IP (ROIP) to extend BOWMAN and MANET radios systems. Simon Davies, CEO of Spectra Group said: “We are delighted to have been awarded this contract to supply Troposcatter services through the NSPA catalog which will enable us, in addition to wider NATO forces, to supply and support the UK MoD and the Royal Marines - who have urgent operational requirements - and are likely to be the early adopters of this deployable long-range communication capability. We have participated in the British Army’s Warfighting Experiments in the past to better understand the challenges and requirements that future combat forces require and have been working hard with our partner COMTECH to deliver these essential capabilities.”
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VIPC and VISA Announce Proposals Selected for UxS Port Security and Emergency Response Opportunity
The Virginia Institute for Space Flight & Autonomy (VISA) and the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC) have selected ANRA Technologies and Alliance Solutions Group for their innovative proposals for the Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for Port Security and Emergency Response Unmanned Systems (UxS) Demonstration Projects. The AO requested UxS-enabled solutions to address the needs identified at the Public Safety and Emergency Response Workshop and Summit held in Norfolk, Virginia in the summer of 2021. Participants included emergency response officials, UxS users, operators, and the Port of Virginia. The group’s members identified opportunities for UxS technologies to improve and enhance safety, security, and operational effectiveness. They also defined the requirements for innovation testing, adoption, and success. After an outstanding response from UxS technologists, two Virginia companies were selected for their compelling technology solutions and strategies and will receive ini-
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tial VIPC funding of more than $100,000. The companies selected are ANRA Technologies for the development of a complete solution single software platform that connects all UxS for public safety and emergency response missions and Alliance Solutions Group for a comprehensive proposal to demonstrate the ArgusElite Hazmat UAS solution and decision-ready implementation plan. “The submissions we received certainly highlighted the innovation and capacity of Virginia companies to lead UxS industry solutions for Port Security and Emergency Response,” said Tracy Tynan, Director of the Virginia Unmanned Systems Center at VIPC. “These AO projects are the next step in providing opportunities to demonstrate system applications of UxS platforms, sensors, and data/information management that could solve the challenging problems the public safety and emergency response communities face daily.” “The companies selected for this project have offered UxS technology and applications that will heighten security and protection at
the Port of Virginia, which is a leading gateway for global trade on the East Coast, and the surrounding area in Hampton Roads,” said David Bowles, Executive Director of VISA. “These UxS systems will support first responders with mission-critical solutions for reacting more quickly and effectively to life-threatening situations that are often already difficult due to the region’s challenging coastal terrain and severe weather.” All submitted proposals were evaluated by a team of representatives from the Port of Virginia, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM), the local public safety community, and VIPC. Due to the outstanding response across industry and academia, there is a possibility that additional project funding will become available, and more project proposals will be considered.
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Boeing Teams with Canadian Industry to Offer P-8A Poseidon
Boeing and several Canadian industry partners announced today their intent to collaborate to provide the capability and sustainability of the proven P-8A Poseidon for the Canadian Multi-Mission Aircraft (CMMA) requirement. Team Poseidon, consisting of CAE, GE Aviation Canada, IMP Aerospace & Defence, KF Aerospace, Honeywell Aerospace Canada, and Raytheon Canada, forms the cornerstone of a Canadian P-8 industrial footprint. The team builds on 81 Canadian suppliers to the platform and to more than 550 Canadian suppliers across all provinces contributing to Boeing’s annual CAD $5.3 billion in economic benefit to Canada, supporting more than 20,000 Canadian jobs. The Boeing P-8A is a proven military off-theshelf solution with nearly 150 aircraft delivered to five nations to date. The P-8 will improve Canada’s capability to defend its northern and maritime borders while ensuring interoperability with NORAD and NATO allies. As a leading platform for reducing the environmental impact of military aircraft, the P-8 can operate on a 50% blend of sustainable aviation fuel today with aspirations to move toward 100% with investment in new technology.
A starring moment for the F/A-18 Raytheon Technologies puts the power behind the plane in Top Gun: Maverick
Top Gun: Maverick is more than just a long-awaited sequel to a beloved action film. It’s also a study of the F/A-18 Super Hornet, the fighter jet that takes the place of the F-14 Tomcat featured so prominently in the original.
“As a dedicated partner of Canadian industry for more than a century, Boeing is proud to bring together a world-class team of companies in support of our P-8 offering to Canada,” said Heidi Grant, president, Business Development, Boeing Defense, Space & Security, and Government Services. “Together, we will bolster Canada’s aerospace and defense industry through a 100% Industrial and Technical Benefits commitment if awarded the CMMA contract.” The P-8A Poseidon offers advanced anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and search and rescue capability, and is the only in-service, in-production multi-mission aircraft that meets all CMMA requirements. The P-8 also has the added distinction of strengthening the connection between national security and environmental stewardship. “The P-8A Poseidon offers a unique opportunity for the Royal Canadian Air Force today in that all of the development costs have been paid by other P-8 customers,” said Sean Liedman, director of International Business Development for Mobility & Surveillance aircraft, Boeing Defense, Space & Security. “By its non-developmental nature, P-8 offers an
makes it exciting. You’re not always doing the same thing.” That could include air superiority, close air support, reconnaissance, fighter escort, strike, suppressing adversary air defenses, and forward air control. And it often means deploying from an aircraft carrier – something the F/A-18 was designed specifically to do. “As a multi-mission strike fighter aircraft,
affordable solution that will defend and protect Canadian security for future generations. With Canada at the forefront of cleaning and greening, it’s fitting that Team Poseidon is elevating long-term environmental sustainability as an integral part of national defense.” Having executed more than 450,000 collective mishap-free flight hours, the P-8A Poseidon has proven its capability to operate around the globe in the harshest flight regimes including extended operations in extreme cold weather and icing environments. Current Boeing P-8 customers include the US Navy, Indian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force, Royal Air Force, Royal Norwegian Air Force, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Republic of Korea Navy, and Germany Navy. Built on the proven 737 Next-Generation airframe, P-8’s 86% commonality with more than 4,000 in-service 737NGs delivers lower life-cycle sustainment costs due to large economies of scale.
the Super Hornet brings with it a mobility and capability that few tactical aircraft can provide,” said retired U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Roy “Trigger” Kelley, who flew the F/A-18 during his 35 years in the service. He now leads Washington operations for Naval Power Requirements and Capabilities at Raytheon Missiles & Defense, a Raytheon Technologies business. “You can move the technology – the advanced weapons and systems – of that airplane to just about anybody’s doorstep.”
Few companies know the F/A-18 as well as Raytheon Technologies, whose businesses provide it with precision weapons, radars, sensors, avionics, and other systems. And the company employs many former fighter pilots who know from experience what the aircraft can do. “The F/A-18 is an awesome multi-role aircraft that’s good at a lot of things. It’s a jack of all trades,” said Brooks “Finch” Cleveland, a former U.S. Navy F/A-18 pilot and a senior aviation adviser for Raytheon Intelligence & Space, a Raytheon Technologies business. “You have to focus on a lot of different missions, which COTS Journal | June 2022
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General Dynamics Mission Systems Receives NSA Contract for High Assurance Ethernet Encryptor
chitecture allows customers to right-size their encryption solution to meet specific needs through the application of user-swappable hardware components, crypto modules, and software upgrades.
General Dynamics Mission Systems announced that it has been awarded a contract from the National Security Agency (NSA) to design, develop, test and deliver a certifiable 400 Gbps high-assurance encryption solution that is compliant with the Ethernet Data Encryption Cryptographic Interoperability Specification (EDE-CIS).
“General Dynamics Mission Systems is known for providing the most widely deployed high assurance encryptors in the world. With the development of the ASP and TACLANE-ES400 cryptographic modules, we are continuing to advance our encryption portfolio to address our customers’ need for high-performance processing and speed with uncompromised data security and efficient power consumption,” said Brian Morrison, vice president of the Cyber Systems line of business with General Dynamics Mission Systems. “This win demonstrates our commitment to our customers who require the highest of speeds. It also validates our unique modular approach, fully aligned with NSA’s vision of Crypto as IT (CIT). We will deliver a future-proof TACLANE E-Series portfolio, which will ensure that our customers’ investments can be re-used as speeds increase.”
TACLANE Adaptable Security Platform (ASP) The winning solution includes the modular TACLANE E-Series Adaptable Security Platform (ASP) and the TACLANE-ES400 Cryptographic Module. Each module supports throughput ranging from 20 Gbps to 400 Gbps. When the TACLANE-ASP is fully populated with two ES400 modules, the solution supports aggregate speeds of 1.6 Tbps, more than eight times faster than any other certified encryptor today. The high-speed, fault-tolerant solution is engineered to efficiently scale power needs while maintaining performance. Its modular ar-
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The design of the TACLANE E-Series ASP reduc-
es the equipment footprint while balancing power and cooling needs. Its redundant design for power and failover eases maintenance and sustainability requirements, increasing operational availability and reducing downtime to keep mission-critical networks working. When bandwidth and security needs grow, the design of the TACLANE E-Series ASP allows end-users to add functionality and capability without infrastructure changes. As with all TACLANE products, the TACLANE ASP and the ES400 Crypto Module are supported by the GEM One Encryptor Manager with the new Key Management Infrastructure Delivery Only Client feature to simplify operations and facilitate easier management and configuration. In addition to this feature, GEM One provides the ability to rapidly assess overall network health and to quickly isolate and recover from failures, eliminating downtime.
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M-Code GPS receiver enables precision strike capabilities in contested environments
At the Joint Navigation Conference in San Diego, BAE Systems unveiled its newest advanced M-Code GPS receiver for guided weapons and other small applications, enabling precise geolocation and strike capabilities in highly contested battlespaces. The Strategic Anti-jam Beamforming Receiver – M-Code (SABR-M) delivers accurate position, velocity, altitude, and timing data, as well as strong protection against GPS signal jamming and spoofing – critical capabilities for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), precision-guided munitions (PGMs), and missiles in threat environments. SABR-M integrates receiver technology with advanced antenna electronics in a small, hardened package designed to meet challenging performance requirements, such as weapons applications. It is the most capable integrated anti-jam GPS receiver and the first integrated M-Code receiver available for weapon systems. “We’re making our full portfolio of mil-
itary GPS solutions M-Code-compatible to meet warfighters’ need for reliable positioning, navigation, and timing data to achieve their missions,” said Doug Lloyd, director of weapon systems GPS at BAE Systems. “SABR-M enables small platforms with challenging environmental conditions to get where they’re going despite interference.” The compact (4.5 x 6 x 1 inch) SABR-M meets size, weight, power, cost (SWaP-C), and thermal requirements for space-constrained military applications. It uses advanced beamforming technology to improve GPS signal reception and counter-threat signals. SABR-M is form-compatible with previous generations of the field-proven SABR receiver, which are currently integrated into low-cost precision weapon systems and long-range cruise strike missiles. SABR-M will be fully qualified for production by the end of 2022. Production will take place at BAE Systems’ modern facility in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, which is in the final stages of construction. The purpose-built 278,000-square-foot factory and research center will be home to 700 military GPS experts in BAE Systems’ Navigation and Sensor Systems business.
GlobalFoundries and Motorola Solutions Announce Strategic Agreement for Chip Supply Global Foundries and Motorola Solutions GF Chip Technology Enables Interoperable, Clear Communication in Land Mobile Radios
GlobalFoundries Inc. (GF and Motorola Solutions (NYSE: MSI) today announced a long-term agreement to safeguard the supply of innovative chip solutions for Motorola Solutions’ radios, which are widely used by public safety, critical infrastructure, and enterprise organizations across the world. Motorola Solutions is a leading global provider of two-way radios for first responders, providing secure, flexible, and reliable emergency communications. Several critical chips the company designs for its public safety, professional and commercial radios are manufactured in Vermont by GF, a world leader in the manufacturing of silicon-germanium (SiGe) products, which are used in generations of wireless and wired networks. GF’s SiGe process technology enables the highly reliable, long-range, secure, and clear communications vital to police, fire, and other first responders. “Millions of first responders, utilities, infrastructure providers, and businesses rely on Motorola Solutions radios for everyday and emergency communications, and it is essential that we maintain a supply of these critical components,” said Scott Mottonen, senior vice president of products, Motorola Solutions. “Our long-term relationship with GF provides important capabilities, reliable U.S.-based manufacturing, and added assurance that we will continue to meet the safety and security needs of our customers across the globe.” “Our commitment to the development and manufacturing of mission-critical technologies that enable our customers to differentiate their products is in our DNA. Through long-term agreements, we provide an assured supply of highly reliable and vital chips used in millions of mission-critical products worldwide. A great example of this is our collaboration with Motorola Solutions on their twoway radios, which are relied upon by first responders everywhere,” said Dr. Bami Bastani, senior vice president and general manager, mobile and wireless infrastructure strategic business unit at GF. “We are gratified to serve the industry with feature-rich solutions but also the innovations in RF technology that delivers low noise and high power and efficiency to allow for clear and long-range communications in highly demanding situations.” COTS Journal | June 2022
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Accelerating Delivery of New Electronic Warfare Capabilities with COTS Software Defined Radios By Jeremy Twaits , Solutions Marketing Manager, NI’s Aerospace
Spectrum superiority has never been more critical to success on the battlefield. Amid an increasingly contested and congested electromagnetic spectrum, the ability to reliably operate communications and navigation systems while deceiving and disrupting the adversary creates a significant tactical advantage. Software defined radio (SDR) provides the ideal platform for developing and deploying electronic warfare systems and the flexibility to adapt to modern and constantly evolving threats.
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After a hiatus on travel, the recent Association of Old Crows’ (AOC) annual European summit in Montpellier, France, was the ideal spot for garnering insight into the most pervasive drivers in the development of novel EW (electronic warfare) capabilities. The AOC Europe conference proved a melting pot of old faces and new technologies. Immediately obvious was the value of rapid innovation inspired by COTS tools – from the influence of EW in ongoing conflict, to the rising tide of digital engineering, to the growing need for cognitive techniques. The Timeliness and Importance of EW A recurring theme at the AOC Europe conference was the conflict in Ukraine, highlighting the timely requirement for novel capabilities for both disrupting an adversary’s use of the electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) and protecting communications and other assets from being denied spectrum access. It is clear why advanced EM techniques are required as a protective measure against an ensuing threat. It has been widely reported that, in 2022, Ukrainian forces have operated more effectively in the electromagnetic spectrum battlefield than in Russian incursions into Eastern Ukraine in 2014 and 2015. This has been attributed in part to new, more jammingresistant, radios deployed by Ukrainian forces and has contributed to Ukraine avoiding the fog of war that Russia would surely have liked them to flounder within. Additionally, Ukraine has been successful at not only jamming Russian EM devices, but even capturing EW systems – providing vital intelligence on Russia’s capabilities. The game of electromagnetic cat-and-mouse continues relentlessly, and concluding definitive winners and losers in the EMS stands to be difficult or impossible. However, achieving domination of the electromagnetic spectrum is a key contributor to mission success, and forms the backbone to
the further trends discussed. If You’re Going to Fail, Fail Fast A key part of delivering new EW capabilities stems from flexibility to test new ideas quickly, and to fail fast. Spending time on mocking up boards or designing custom ASICs may be wasted if the concept under research does not yield improvements over existing algorithms, waveforms, or architectures. A key area of focus on new capabilities revolves around cognitive techniques, and questions on how to prototype and assess them. Cognitive radar and EW systems aim to minimize the load on human decision-making. Let’s take radar for example: Rather than an operator making decisions on operating frequencies, pulse widths, modulation types and so on, a knowledge-aided processer takes input from the receive chain and an environmental database and runs an algorithm to estimate the optimal pulse rate and modulation type for detecting and identifying objects in the radar field of view. The use of cognitive systems intends to drastically reduce the time needed to identify ideal operating parameters. Whether for cognitive jamming or artificial intelligence / machine learning based receivers, the ability to acquire RF data, process it and make decisions on a processing unit is key. Software defined radios can enable prototyping of cognitive techniques by utilising FPGAs onboard for real-time signal processing, and even offloading tasks to other computing units such as CPUs or GPUs. NI incorporates these processing options into a freely available, open-source reference architecture for rapidly developing a prototyping testbed for EM techniques. This Open Architecture for Radar and EW Research (OARER) is a validated design pattern with assembly instructions,
examples, and a code library. It handles data movement and synchronization across radios, saving researchers and systems engineers from having to build out that infrastructure themselves, removing time-consuming steps and helping them to succeed (or fail, iterate, and improve) faster. Digital Engineering Moves to the Fore Linking models from simulation to prototyping to testing (and vice versa) was another key theme explored at the AOC conference. Simulation tools provide a quick and low-cost way of quickly exploring a design space. However, EW transmitters and receivers, and the channel conditions within which they operate, designed in simulation cannot always be fully representative of real-world conditions. Moving signal processing from simulation to a hardware-based prototype has not always been straightforward, so NI and MathWorks have collaborated on improving the transition between tools. This includes the introduction of new software from MathWorks, named Wireless Testbench™. Wireless Testbench provides reference applications for high-speed data transmit, capture, and spectrum monitoring, when paired with COTS USRP software defined radios from NI. Another aspect of digital engineering coming to the fore is in high-fidelity scene generation
for validating new capabilities with flexible RF instrumentation. Taking new techniques straight out to the testing range is an expensive and time-consuming pursuit. It is essential to ensure appropriate test coverage for functionality that could be life-critical, and an open-air range may be an essential step on that path. However, a prudent first step is to assess techniques in a hardware-in-the-loop environment before embarking upon test stages that incur a greater cost. RF phenomenology tools, such as RFView® from Information System Laboratories, can be used for system analysis and algorithm assessment, creating what can be thought of as a digital twin – not for the system under test, but for the environment surrounding that system. This allows researchers or validation engineers to create a virtual world for their system to operate within, with realistic, high-fidelity representation of terrain and clutter.
Figure 1 - NI’s Open Architecture for Radar and EW Research is built on USRP N321 and N320 software defined radio devices and scales up to 32 x 32 channels.
Software Defined Radios in Deployed Applications The final evident trend was the movement towards deploying open systems in tactical and strategic scenarios. Again, the watchword is pace. One cannot afford to be outpaced by one’s adversary. The pace of equipping the warfighter with effective, novel techniques for electronic warfare is critical. COTS, reconfigurable platforms provide software-upgradable capability, which can be delivered to the field
Another aspect of digital engineering coming to the fore is in high-fidelity scene generation for validating new capabilities with flexible RF instrumentation.
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Sensor Open Systems Architecture™ (SOSA) and the US Army’s C5ISR Modular Open Suite of Standards (CMOSS) Technical Standards. Importantly, the module is compatible with the USRP Hardware Driver (UHD), allowing IP to be transported from the lab to rugged deployments without rewriting software. Where Next? Given our decades of experience in the Defense Market, we have compiled prominent concerns and misconceptions that technology companies have about entering this challenging arena.
Figure 2 - SkySafe’s rugged drone defense system contains a USRP X310 SDR from Ettus Research, an NI brand.
much faster than hardware revisions. And utilising COTS hardware that spans the lab and field removes much of the code refactoring that is required to move algorithms into mission hardware.
rugged, user-programmable SDR, with a design based on the Ettus Research E320. The module is aligned to The Open Group
The nature of EW dictates that there is mystery over precisely what threats will be encountered. Broadly, forces will need to continually enhance electronic protective and support measures, while improving their own ability to conduct targeted electronic attacks. This will drive radios to scale to wider bandwidths, higher frequencies, and larger channel counts, incorporating more powerful, heterogeneous processing options and streaming more data than ever before. COTS software defined radios offer the ideal flexibility for coping with uncertain threats, and for developing and deploying the capability that is needed both now and into the future.
Software defined radio devices have made their way into deployed systems in a variety of form factors. From pole-mounted, IP67-rated monitoring systems, to dronecarried, low-SWaP (size, weight, and power) radios, manpack deployments, fixed signals intelligence sensor sites, and perhaps most prominently, counter-drone systems. For example, SkySafe, a global leader in drone airspace management, elected to deploy their drone defense system upon NI COTS SDR technology. Combining these SDRs with open-source software, SkySafe can rapidly adapt to evolving threats by deploying new algorithms. Compared to implementing changes to mission hardware, this greatly reduces the time and cost to realise new capabilities. SkySafe’s CTO, Scott Torborg, stated that, “The NI Ettus Research USRP X310 is the only commercially available SDR with the openness and raw RF and DSP capabilities to meet the needs of this rapidly evolving drone threat.” Deployments on open architectures are increasingly popular for taking advantage of interoperability between modules and for the relative ease of technology refreshes as components are swapped in and out. Accordingly, Curtiss-Wright have built a COTS Journal | June 2022
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SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT
Precision Clocks used in Software Defined Radios (SDRs) By Brendon McHugh, Per Vices Introduction It is no secret that digital electronics dominates almost every aspect of modern technology, from logical computation to signal processing and radio frequency (RF) applications. In fact, most of the RF systems being developed today have already replaced most of the onboard analog functions with software-based elements, which provides much more flexibility, reconfigurability, and immunity to environmental conditions. The fundamental component of digital-based RF systems is the software-defined radio (SDR). SDRs are mostly based on digital electronics and therefore carries the burden of being completely dependent on a clock system to regulate timing, synchronicity, analog-to-digital conversion, and speed of digital functions. Robust clocking systems found on time boards in these SDRs are especially critical in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) applications, which have to deal with a huge amount of very fast data transmission. Oven-controlled crystal oscillators (OCXO) are the foundation of precise timing solutions, providing a very stable and accurate clock signal, using a temperature-controlled chamber to maintain the quartz temperature constant, thus preventing frequency drifts due to environmental conditions. In an SDR, the OCXO is responsible for defining the frequency of radio transmitters, base stations, test and measurement devices, and military applications with tremendous accuracy. In this article, we discuss how OCXOs are applied in high-end SDRs, providing up to 10 MHz clock signals, and how this clock is distributed over the many components of the SDR, including phase-locked loops (PLL), analog to digital convertor/digital to analog convertor (ADC/ DAC) JESD interfaces, frequency synthesizers, and the field programmable array (FPGA) in the digital domain. The OCXO signal can also be outputted for external synchronization with other instruments. We will discuss how the timing solutions are calibrated to ensure a known phase and deterministic behavior of the clock 20
COTS Journal | June 2022
signal, improving the performance of the SDR. We will conclude with an overview about how the precision clock allows the many functionalities of SDR, including up/down-conversion, MIMO synchronicity, and frequency tuning mechanisms. What is an SDR? The term SDR refers to any RF device that has most of its signal processing and managing system based on software. The motivation for using SDRs instead of conventional analog radios is flexibility; the flexibility of moving functionality into the software domain enabling easier implementation of digital signal processing (DSP) functions in software-based systems, such as PCs and FPGAs when compared to customized hardware. This allows for a commercial-off-theshelf (COTS) SDR to be utilized in a wide variety of applications because of the flexibility and re-
Figure 1 - SDRs with the time board
configurability of the digital board. SDRs come in different size, weight, and power (SWaP) configurations, ranging from small and portable low-power transceivers to immense high-power base stations. The basic architecture of an SDR consists of a radio front-end (RFE) and a digital backend (DBE). The RFE is responsible for both the receive (Rx) and transmit (Tx) functions, often providing more than one channel in MIMO SDRs. The channels operate with a very wide tuning range with very high bandwidths; the highest performance SDRs operate across a range from near DC to 18GHz with up to 3 GHz of instantaneous bandwidth and multiple channels, each one with a dedicated ADC/DAC interface. The digital backend consists of an FPGA, which reads the amplified and filtered received signals from the Rx RFE and can generate trans-
mission signals to the Tx channels of the RFE. The inclusion of high-end FPGAs allow SDRs to perform DSP functions, including modulation, demodulation, up/down-converting, filtering, and data packetization on board.
boards of the RFE stage use mixers to upconvert and down-convert the signal, significantly facilitating the design of the filters. The core of the mixer is the local oscillator (LO), where the tuned frequency of the LO is defined by a signal
generated by the timing board, so the frequency stability of both Rx and Tx up/down converting functions are completely dependent on the timing board stability. Furthermore, the whole digital backend needs a precision clock for
Although the functional architecture of the SDR is divided between RFE and digital backend, the hardware itself is composed of five basic elements, commonly divided as separate circuit boards: the RFE Rx board, the RFE Tx board, the power board, the timing board, and the digital board. The RFE Rx and Tx boards are responsible for the analog processing operations, including amplification, filtering, mixing, and analog-to-digital or digital-to-analog conversion, terminating with SMA connections at the antenna. The digital board contains the FPGA with many interfaces, including optical links, such as qSFP+, for Ethernet communication to send and receive data from other digital equipment. Power is generated and distributed by the power board, which converts the input voltage ( from the AC line or batteries) to voltage levels that are acceptable to each board. Finally, the timing board, which is the focus of our article, generates and distributes all timing signals, including the Tx and Rx clocks and the digital board clock. To understand how important the clock is in an SDR, we need to take a closer look inside the RFE and the backend. Both the Tx and Rx
Figure 2 - A commercial OCXO, model Vectron OX-4022 (Microchip)
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proper operation, driving FPGA functions such as SERDES interface, CORDIC mixing, and Ethernet packaging. Finally, the timing board also provides the clock for external signals through SMA connectors, including PLL, OSC Out, SYSREF, and REFOUT. What are OCXOs? Oven Controlled Crystal Oscillators, or OCXOs, are crystal-based components capable of maintaining the quartz at a constant temperature, by heating the crystal inside the package in a closed-loop fashion. This approach is absolutely needed in applications that require a very high degree of frequency stability. Besides the crystal, the central part of the OCXO is the heating component, which typically requires a significant amount of power to operate. Both crystal and heater are enclosed in a package, which varies greatly with the manufacturer and specifications. The characteristics and performance of the OCXO are highly influenced by how the crystal is cut, with different trade-offs arising depending on the technique. The OCXOs used in Per Vices SDRs apply the stress compensated (SC) cut, which provides superior overall stability in terms of frequency, due to the thermal and mechanical robustness, and low phase noise. Like any other crystal-based device, the func-
Figure 3 - Piezo Electric Effect within Crystals 22
COTS Journal | June 2022
tionality of the OCXO relies on the piezoelectric effect of quartz. The OCXO is typically composed of a quartz crystal with electrodes coated on its surface. When a voltage is applied to the electrodes, the internal dipoles of the quartz are affected by the external voltage, which results in a deformation of the crystal in the direction of (or perpendicular to) the applied potential (Figure 3). Inside an electronic circuit, this piezoelectric crystal can act as a mechanical resonator, favoring a particular set of frequencies to be amplified, while rejecting the rest of the spectrum, allowing a single harmonic to be generated in the circuit. This harmonic depends on several characteristics of the crystal, including cut, material, and temperature. In the context of SDRs, there are several important parameters that are crucial for the right selection of the OCXO. Here we discuss some of the most important ones: - Operating Temperature Range: defines the range of temperatures that the OCXO can operate while yielding the performance levels described in the datasheet. - Frequency Stability: given in parts per million (ppm), it describes how stable is the output frequency of the crystal, that is, how much the first harmonic can change during normal operation.
- Frequency Tolerance: it is the maximum error related to the central frequency that is allowed by the model. The more precise the application, the lower the tolerance. - Aging: relates to the lifetime of the OCXO. The accuracy of the crystal drifts in time, due to the mechanical properties that define the resonance frequency. - Phase Noise: phase noise is a random variation in the phase of the oscillating signal, and can generate serious jitter problems in the clock system. Ultra-low noise devices are required in highly deterministic operation. OCXOs in SDRs In SDR applications, it is crucial that the device is able to recover the received signal without problems. In this context, high-end SDRs require low phase noise and high-stability OCXOs to operate properly, which offers a central frequency of 10 MHz (with a range between 5 and 20 MHz typically), temperature stability of 5 parts per billion (ppb), noise floor of -175 dBc/ Hz, and ± 50 ppb of tolerance. The aging drift is also important, as many SDRs are used in remote locations that prevent constant hardware replacement. Such high stability clocks also provide a ± 100 ppb of tolerance drift in the first year, and only ± 30 ppb over the following years
Figure 4 - Generalized PLL Model
of use, showing remarkable stability for longterm use. One of the main applications of OCXOs is for SDR synchronization. Although very stable, OCXOs often need to be synchronized by a signal with higher accuracy, especially in satellite applications (GPS for instance), where a single pulse per second is used to discipline the OCXO in a master/slave configuration. Master/slave systems have two types of operation modes: the synchronized state and the “hold over” state, which occurs between synchronizations. By disciplining the OCXO, the REFOUT signal of the SDR can be used to externally synchronize other equipment, including vector network analyzers, test and measurements instruments, and base station synchronization.
Conclusion Precision clock generation is a fundamental part of high-performance SDRs that cannot be take for granted. The timing board is one of the five main printed circuit boards (PCBs) in many SDR systems, responsible for controlling the operating frequency, the speed of DSP functions, and the synchronicity of the channels. At the core of the timing board is the OCXO, which uses a feedback thermal loop to maintain the crystal at a constant speed. This feature allows
the OCXO to provide a stable and reliable frequency to the whole SDR. There are several parameters that must be considered when selecting the right crystal for the SDR, including temperature range, frequency stability, aging, tolerance, and phase noise. OCXOs are applied in many parts of the SDR, generating the base clock for PLLs, mixers, JESD204 interfaces, and external triggers. Therefore, any high-end SDR relies on a high-performance clock system.
The reference clock generated by the OCXO has a significant impact on the Rx channel, and errors in this stage can be significantly amplified by the LO. In SDRs, the LO is typically implemented by a PLL, which can increment the clock frequency by several orders of magnitude using a feedback loop (see Figure 4). The higher frequency obtained by the PLL is then used in mixers for upconverting and down-converting, and the most important parameters in these modules are the phase noise, the spurious levels, and the lock time. Moreover, PLLs are also responsible for generating the high-frequency clocks necessary to drive ADCs and DACs. In these cases, low jitter is mandatory for high-performance signal conversion. To drive multiple ADCs and DACs in a synchronous way, high-end SDRs implement the JESD204B interface, which requires the device clock and the SYSREF signal to be phase-locked with each other. This highlights the importance of a precision clock in MIMO operations, as synchronization cannot be guaranteed if the clock source lacks determinism and stability. COTS Journal | June 2022
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June 2022
COT’S PICKS New 12-slot, 3U Development Platform from Elma Aligned to SOSA 1.0 and CMOSS Initiatives Industry gains further resources to quickly develop and deploy interoperable, open standards-based connected systems for military applications Elma Electronic Inc. has released a 12-slot, 3U Development Platform aligned to SOSA 1.0 and CMOSS. The new platform features highspeed RF and optical I/O connectivity on several key SOSA profiles and supports both IO-intensive and compute-intensive processor slots, two switch slots, and one PNT slot as part of the test solution. Before its official release, the development platform served as the heart of a successful interoperability demonstration involving three additional SOSA member companies at the
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Tri-Service Open Architecture Interoperability Demonstration (TSOA-ID) held in March of this year. It was the first TSOA-ID event since the SOSA Technical Standard was officially released in September of 2021. Ken Grob, director of embedded computing at Elma Electronic Inc., noted, “Now that SOSA 1.0 has been released, streamlining development time of SOSA aligned systems is critical, so that we can speed time to market and shorten deployment of these open standards-based systems. Elma’s new 12-slot development platform provides a complete test environment to support application development for both SOSA and CMOSS initiatives.” In addition to the 12 payload slots, the new platform also provides two VITA 62 power slots. The unit is built on an Elma Type 39 84HP-wide E-Frame chassis that provides open access for testing and troubleshooting, further facilitating
rapid application development. Dual high wattage VITA 62 3U VPX pluggable power supply modules, a network timing card with radial support for IEEE 1588 precision timing and synchronization, and a 4590a 1/10/40GigE Ethernet switch with copper and fiber ports from Interface Concept round out the options available with the new development platform. Also featured are conduction-cooled slot inserts, front and rear fan trays with 12 VDC fans, and AC operation using a power cord. The platform includes a front panel on/off switch, reset switch, voltage LEDs, and test points for easy operation and status acknowledgments via visual confirmations. Elma Electronic Inc. www.elma.com
June 2022
COT’S PICKS Avnet Launches Custom Heatsink Solution for AMD-Xilinx Kria K26 SOM
Avnet’s new heatsink for the AMD-Xilinx Kria K26 adaptive system on modules (SOMs) is the only off-the-shelf solution specifically designed for these SOMs and it is available now. Avnet’s heatsink mounts directly to the heat spreader plate that comes standard on the K26 SOM. This solution is “turnkey” as it includes the mounting hardware as well as the interface “gap” material preinstalled on the heat sink. “The AMD-Xilinx K26 SOM simplifies the power and thermal design for advanced SPC applications allowing for quicker and easier deployment,” said Brian Philofsky, Principal Engineer Power/Thermal at AMD. “With the K26 SOM plug and play support with the Avnet heatsink solution, thermal design can be completed in minutes, compared to weeks or even months with more traditional design, allowing greater focus on the application development.”
ADLINK Launches PCIe-ACC100 to Accelerate 5G Virtualized Radio Access Network (vRAN) Applications ADLINK Technology Inc. announced its 5G, forward error correction (FEC) accelerator adapter, the PCIe-ACC100. Based on the Intel® vRAN Dedicated Accelerator ACC100, the PCIe-ACC100 is suitable for both 4G and 5G network applications that emphasize high throughput and low
The Avnet heatsink for Kria K26 is designed to provide passive relief for designs up to 10W at room temperature (approximately 26C) applications. It was designed with flexibility in mind, providing mounting holes in the heat sink that enable the addition of a standard 50x50mm fan. Adding a fan to the heatsink solution dramatically drives down the thermal impedance to less than 1.5 C/W. “Everything in engineering is a tradeoff, we wanted to provide a way for customers to work with a completely passive solution with a migration path to a more efficient solution if needed. There is a lot to like about a fully passive solution that doesn’t introduce audible noise and potential mechanical reliability issues,” said Chris Ammann, Global Technical Marketing program manager, Avnet. “With our design, engineers can evaluate their power dissipation and environmental constraints and decide for themselves if they feel a fan is required. If they need to add one, they can easily do so without
latency. Supporting both 4G Turbo encoding and 5G low-density parity-check (LDPC), the PCIeACC100 does not require PCIe card auxiliary power and supports -5°C to +55°C operating temperature, which is in line with NEBS (Network Equipment-Building System) specifications. In 5G applications, the most compute-intensive workload is FEC processing on the physical layer (L1) of the RAN architecture. Its main function is to correct information errors caused by noise or interference during the transmission of communication signals, help improve network performance and reduce network costs. FEC is also a general function and can be implemented across different software vRAN vendors. In addition, FEC accelerated processing does not include cell state information, allowing it to be easily virtualized, providing the benefits of resource sharing and simplifying base station migration.
having to make radical changes to their design.” Avnet www.avnet.com
ADLINK’s PCIe-ACC100 is a PCIe interface accelerator adapter developed based on Intel’s vRAN Dedicated Accelerator ACC100 eASIC chip. It supports 4G and 5G codec acceleration, checksum rate matching, onboard 4G ECC memory, and hybrid automatic repeat request technology (HARQ). The PCIe form factor HHHL (half-height, half-length) can meet the needs of most application scenarios. “In contrast to traditional FPGA accelerator solutions, the PCIe-ACC100 uses the Intel® vRAN Dedicated Accelerator ACC100, enabling 4G and 5G encoding and decoding high throughput. Power consumption and cost are greatly reduced, helping to reduce customer CAPEX and OPEX. The PCIe-ACC100 also supports Intel’s FlexRAN™ reference architecture and is fully compatible with the FlexRAN reference software API interface of Intel FPGAs, providing convenience for development and software migration. It is also compatible with ADLINK’s full range of MECS platforms and servers with x86 architecture.” says Julian Ye, Director of Networking and Communications Group, ADLINK. ADLINK Technology Inc. www.adlinktech.com
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June 2022
COT’S PICKS Industrial specification TFT displays provide excellent cost performance
display modules that are suitable for use in a broad range of industry sectors, applications, and operating environments.
Display solutions and embedded systems provider, Review Display Systems (RDS) has announced the availability of a comprehensive range of industrial specification 10.1-inch TFT
Available in a range of resolutions including 800 x 600 pixels (SVGA), 1024 x 600 pixels (WSVGA), and 1280 x 800 pixels (WXGA), the line-up of
10.1-inch display modules features traditional 4:3 and widescreen 16:9 aspect ratios. In-plane switching (IPS) enables exceptional optical performance, wide viewing angles and highly consistent color reproduction is also available on selected 10.1-inch TFT displays. Brightness specifications of 300cd/m² up to high luminance 1000cd/m² versions are supported with long-lifetime LED backlights. For extreme operating environments, an extended operating temperature range of -30°C to +85°C is also available. Justin Coleman, display business manager, RDS said, “Review Display Systems can now design-in, support, and supply, a wide range of cost-effective 10.1-inch TFT display modules with a variety of onboard features and value-add options. The product range enables engineers to enhance, upgrade and add new features to their products without the need to redesign their mechanical fixtures and fittings or change the electronics driving the display. The widescreen 10.1-inch TFT display module continues to be an increasingly popular choice for many industrial-based, user interface applications and provides excellent cost performance.” A choice of data interfaces includes 24-bit RGB, 6-bit and 8-bit LVDS, and MIPI (Mobile Industry Processor Interface) which enable support for a color palette of up to 16.7 million colors. Interconnect options include ZIF (zero insertion force) and FFC ( flat flexible cable) and connectors. Review Display Systems https://review-displays.co.uk/
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June 2022
COT’S PICKS Netomnia and STL to collaborate for testing of programmable FTTx in live networks
STL announced that it will test its programmable FTTx (pFTTx) software solution with Netomnia for their live networks in the UK. With experience in optical connectivity for more than 25 years, STL is bringing software-defined networking to large-scale fiber to the home, cell sites, and business networks through pFTTx. The company recently announced general availability for pFTTx, a software-defined, open, and disaggregated Passive Optical Network (“PON”) solution that is intended to make fiber networks intelligent and agile. pFTTx offers core benefits like scalability, enhanced and detailed Telemetry reports, open community alignment (ONF/BBF/ITU-T), onboarding of third party Quality of Experience (QoE) appli-
cations, and providing a better customer experience along with faster time-to-market and reduced total cost of ownership. This software stack, being cloud-native (Kubernetes microservices-based), can run on any Cloud-native Computing Foundation (CNCF)-based telco Edge Cloud platform. The solution currently supports both XGS-PON and GPON technologies and is upgradeable to 25G. Also, STL’s pFTTx solution is certified and listed on the VMware Marketplace. The UK is rolling out advanced full-fiber broadband and new-age players such as Netomnia are taking this intent forward. STL and Netomnia have recently partnered for optical fiber deployment and are now collaborating to incorporate programmability into large-scale FTTx networks. Once concluded, this trial will pave the way for the adoption of advanced software-defined architectures for FTTx in the UK.
Commenting on this collaboration, Jeremy Chelot, CEO, Netomnia, said, “The promise of full-fiber broadband will be realized when service providers implement advanced architectures that software - is the fiber networks. We are excited about the possibilities that STL’s pFTTx solution presents. This trial with STL will be significant as we will jointly demonstrate pFTTx in a live scenario.” Commenting on the announcement, Chris Rice, CEO, of Access Solutions, STL, said, “pFTTx is a cloud-based access network solution that elevates the network service providers’ business model. We are excited to collaborate with Netomnia for their Ultrafast full-fiber broadband program. Our solution is intended to help them achieve accelerated network rollout with faster deployment, provisioning, and enhanced network performance.” STL www.stl.tech
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June 2022
COT’S PICKS
Siemens’ SynthAI revolutionizes machine vision training with artificial intelligence SynthAI automatically generates thousands of randomized annotated synthetic images from 3D CAD data within minutes without the specialist knowledge typically required. Siemens Digital Industries Software’s SynthAI™ service is delivering the power of machine learning and artificial intelligence to solve the challenge of training machine vision systems. “We were looking for a quick and easy solution that will enable us to detect wire terminals in a robotic electric cabinet assembly station. With SynthAI our control engineers were able to achieve great results within just a few hours,” said Omer Einav, CEO, of Polygon Technologies. “The tedious task of annotating a large set of training images to train the model was shortened significantly. The results show great promise for many additional use cases we plan to handle with SynthAI.”
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Machine learning is used for a variety of vision-based automation use cases such as robotic bin picking, sorting, palletizing, quality inspection, and more. While usage of machine learning for vision-based automation is growing, many industries face challenges and struggle to implement it within their computer vision applications. This is due to the need to collect many images of the parts in question and the challenges associated with accurately annotating the different products within those images – particularly before production or manufacturing begins. To solve this challenge, synthetic data is used to speed up the data collection and training process. However, utilizing synthetic data for vision use cases requires expertise in synthetic image generation and can be complex, time-consuming, and expensive. This is where Siemens’ SynthAI changes the game. Rather than waiting for preproduction parts to be ready or using complex processes to generate synthetic data, machine vision specialists only need to provide 3D CAD data of the parts. SynthAI will then automatically generate thousands of randomized annotated synthetic images within minutes without the
specialist knowledge typically required. SynthAI will also automatically train a machine learning model that could be used to detect your product in real life. Once the training is done, the trained model can be downloaded, tested, and deployed offline – using no more than a little Python coding. If organizations prefer to handle training of their own systems, complete synthetic image datasets together with the annotations are also available. “The market for Artificial Intelligence for Machine Vision is expected to reach $25B by 2023, but there are many challenges facing those looking to take advantage of its benefits,” said Zvi Feuer, Senior Vice President, and General Manager of Digital Manufacturing at Siemens Digital Industries Software. “SynthAI demonstrates how Siemens is taking its depth of knowledge in both product engineering systems as well as production preparation and planning and finding room for innovations that allow our customers to take advantage of tomorrow’s technology, today.” Siemens www.siemens.com
June 2022
COT’S PICKS DDC-I and CoreAVI Provide Integrated, DO-178C RTOS/Graphics Platform for Fast-Growing SoC Multicore Avionics Market
EDDC-I announced that it has teamed with CoreAVI to provide an integrated avionics RTOS/graphics platform for high-performance multicore SoCs equipped with on-board graphical processing units (GPUs), including the NXP i.MX 8 and 11th Generation Intel Core i7 ( formerly Tiger Lake). Combining DDC-I’s DO-178C, FACE-conformant Deos™ RTOS with CoreAVI’s Vulkan-based VkCore®SC graphics and compute driver portfolio, the platform greatly accelerates the development, certification, and deployment of compute- and graphics-intensive avionics applications requiring data fusion, sense/detect, synthetic vision, graphics, and other advanced control functionality. “CPU designs with dedicated GPUs and array processors are giving way to low-power, inexpensive multicore SoCs with integrated GPUs like the Core i7 and i.MX8,” said Greg Rose, vice president of marketing and product management at DDC-I. “We’re excited to be working with CoreAVI to provide a safety-critical operating environment with integrated graphics support that accelerates the development, deployment, and certification of safety-critical applications for these high-performance SoCs.” “CoreAVI is pleased to support DDC-I’s safety-critical Deos RTOS with our safety certifiable Vulkan driver suite,” said Neil Stroud, VP of Marketing and Business Development at CoreAVI. “Avionics developers targeting emerging
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COTS Journal | June 2022
SoCs like the i.MX8 and Intel’s 11th Gen Core i7 now have a versatile, high-performance GPU acceleration platform to develop highly converged mission and avionics processing solutions with an accelerated, low-risk path to flight safety certification.” Vulkan is a new-generation graphics and compute API that provides high-efficiency, cross-platform access to modern GPUs. CoreAVI’s new VkCore SC Vulkan-based graphics and compute driver portfolio, as well as its VkCoreGL™ SC1 OpenGL® SC 1.0.1 and VkCoreGL SC2 OpenGL SC 2.0 application libraries, enable the implementation of a full safe software stack on i.MX8 and Intel’s 11th Gen Core i7 application processors. Vulkan provides unprecedented access to GPU compute and graphics resources while employing advanced acceleration technology that promotes balanced CPU/GPU usage, thereby boosting performance by better distributing work across multiple cores. Drivers for avionics applications are available with DO178C safety certification evidence to DAL A. Deos, first certified to DO-178 DAL A in 1998, provides FACE™ Conformant Safety Base and Safety Extended Profiles and features hard real-time response, time-space partitioning, slack scheduling, and both ARINC-653 and POSIX interfaces. These capabilities enable Deos to scale well in the gamut of avionics applications, from highly deterministic deeply embedded FADECs (Full Authority Digital Engine Control) and flight controls to complex high-throughput displays and mission computers. DDC-I www.ddci.com
COTS COTS
Index
ADVERTISERS Company Page # Annapolis Micro Systems ........................................ 10
Website ......................................... www.annapmicro.com
Behlman Electronics .............................................
BC
.............................................. www.behlman.com
Diamond Systems ...................................................
30
................................. www.diamondsystems.com
Great River Technology ...........................................
IBC
...................................... www.greatrivertech.com
Holo Industries ......................................................
5
................................................ www.holoind.com
Interface Concept .................................................
19
................................. www.interfaceconcept.com
New Wave DV .........................................................
26
......................................... www.newwavedv.com
Pentek ..................................................................
18
................................................. www.pentek.com
Per Vices Corporation ............................................
29
............................................... www.pervices.com
PICO Electronics, Inc .............................................
11
.................................... www.picoelectronics.com
Pixus Technologies .................................................
23
................................ www.pixustechnologies.com
Sealevel .................................................................
12
................................................ www.sealevel.com
SECO ......................................................................
14
..................................................... www.seco.com
Wolf Advanced Tehcnology ....................................... IFC
........................................................ www.wolf.ca
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