COTS Journal, September 2021

September 2021, Volume 23 – Number 9 • cotsjournalonline.com

The Journal of Military Electronics & Computing

JOURNAL

Advancing the Internet of Military Things (IoMT) with Software Defined Radio How Artificial Intelligence is Impacting Embedded Miltary Computing

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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 18

By Dan Mor, Director, Video & GPGPU Product Lines

SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT 22

DEPARTMENTS

How Artificial Intelligence is Impacting Embedded Miltary Computing 6

Publisher’s Note GPS Jamming and Spoofing Signals Creates Insecurities for Warfighters

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The Inside Track

Advancing the Internet of Military Things (IoMT) with

COT’S PICKS 28

Editor’s Choice for September

Cover Image POV of a Valiant Class ASD Harbor Tug guiding the Sea-Wolf Class fast attack submarine USS Connecticut (SSN 22) in for a scheduled port visit at Commander Fleet Activities, Yokosuka, Japan COTS Journal | September 2021

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The Journal of Military Electronics & Computing

JOURNAL EDITORIAL

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE

John Reardon, Publisher

GPS Jamming and Spoofing Signals Creates Insecurities for Warfighters

The ability to spoof or jam GPS signals continues to evolve and challenge our most advanced weapon systems. The ability to determine an exact position on the world’s surface is a modern marvel, but it has also challenged those that don’t wish to be located. For a

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modest sum of around $10.00, US truck drivers can jam their location being transmitted to their employer.

The ease and frequency that jamming and spoofing are occurring have led Spire, to develop techniques in detecting both the erroneous signal (the spoofing) or the

site of the transmitter that is jamming. They mention two examples where our most modern USAF F-35 Airplane flown from Israel experienced a jamming incident over Syrian airspace; and a NATO training exercise where tens of thousands of troops and dozens of member nations all fell prey to jamming.

C4ADS is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing data-driven analysis and evidence-based reporting in conflict areas involving transnational security issues.

In a recent report, they describe how the Automatic Identification Systems or AIS used universally as a maritime security tool was spoofed. The AIS system transmits vital data regarding a ship’s position, heading, and speed as well as owner and cargo information. What they found was that hundreds of ships were spoofed while navigating Chinese waters. Using a jam-thenspoof strategy in which a false signal is broadcast at a significantly higher power level with the counterfeit signal aligned with the true signal, and created mass confusion.

In this event, the GPS signals were congregated into large circles called Crop Circles that created confusion.

One solution is Spire’s constellation of CubeSats that carry flexible, Software-defined radios or SDRs that can be harnessed for geolocating signals of interest. The Spire

GNSS reflectometry (GNSS-R) instrument is a flexible SDR receiver mated with two high-gain nadir-oriented L-band antennas that can capture both raw recordings and make precise measurements of GNSS signals emanating from the Earth’s surface. This enables Spire to identify false signals and their point of origin with accuracy. Although significantly easier to use two or more satellites to identify an emitter, Dr. Patrick Ellis of Spire published a paper describing how it is possible to use a lower-cost, single satellite solution. By using a two-step RF emitter geolocation process chain that calculates Doppler and Doppler rates he can calculate these measurements to the location of an emitter. Spire was able to demonstrate its multi-satellite solution to the US government in the second quarter by correctly identifying the jamming signals from designated test locations.

As Artificial Intelligence and other mission-critical capabilities rely on GPS, the need for confidence between the warfighter and modern technology will increase. The ability to thwart any attempt to disrupt GPS will be key in obtaining the upper hand moving forward with JADC2.

Spire offers solutions and can be reviewed at https:// spire.com/

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Curtiss-Wright was Selected by X-Energy to Develop a Reactivity Control and Shutdown System for the XE-100 Generation IV Advanced Reactor Curtiss-Wright Corporation and X-energy jointly announced today that Curtiss-Wright has been selected to develop the Reactivity Control and Shutdown System for the X-energy Xe-100 Generation IV High-Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor. This effort will leverage Curtiss-Wright’s broad and diverse strengths in nuclear power generation technologies to develop an inclusive package of control rod drive mechanisms, control rods, and the associated power supply and control system.

control equipment supporting their next-generation, advanced reactor design,” said Lynn M. Bamford, President, and CEO of Curtiss-Wright Corporation. “This award is a prime example of Curtiss-Wright’s ability to leverage its unique capabilities and technologies across the enterprise to deliver critical solutions to its customers. Additionally, it continues our long-standing commitment to the future growth of the worldwide nuclear power market and the creation of clean, affordable energy.”

“Curtiss-Wright is one of the leading global suppliers of nuclear reactor technologies, and we are very pleased to announce that we are joining the X-energy team as the supplier of reactivity

The X-energy reactor technology was recently selected under the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOEs) Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) to receive initial funding as part

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of a $3.2 billion program to build two advanced nuclear reactors that can be operational within seven years.

X-energy will deliver a commercial fourunit nuclear power plant based on its Xe-100 reactor design. The Xe-100 is a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor that is ideally suited to provide flexible electricity output as well as process heat for a wide range of industrial heat applications, such as desalination and hydrogen production. It incorporates a range of design features that will not only enhance safety but make them affordable to construct and operate, paving the way for the United States to deploy highly competitive advanced reactors domestically and globally.

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U.S. Navy, Boeing Conduct First MQ-25 Refueling Mission with F-35

The U.S. Navy and Boeing [NYSE: BA] have used the MQ-25TM T1 test asset to refuel a U.S. Navy F-35C Lightning II fighter jet for the first time, once again demonstrating the aircraft’s ability to achieve its primary aerial refueling mission.

This was the third refueling mission for the Boeing-owned test asset in just over three months, advancing the test program for the Navy’s first operational carrier-based unmanned aircraft. T1 refueled a F/A-18 Super Hornet in June and an E-2D Hawkeye in August.

“Every test flight with another Type/ Model/Series aircraft gets us one step closer to rapidly delivering a fully mission-capable

MQ-25 to the fleet,” said Capt. Chad Reed, the Navy’s Unmanned Carrier Aviation program manager. “Stingray’s unmatched refueling capability is going to increase the Navy’s power projection and provide operational flexibility to the Carrier Strike Group commanders.”

During a test flight on Sept. 13, an F-35C test pilot from the Navy’s Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Two Three (VX-23) conducted a successful wake survey behind T1 to ensure performance and stability before making contact with T1’s aerial refueling drogue and receiving fuel.

“This flight was yet another physical demonstration of the maturity and stability of the MQ-25 aircraft design,” said Dave Bujold, Boeing’s MQ-25 program director.

“Thanks to this latest mission in our accelerated test program, we are confident the

MQ-25 aircraft we are building right now will meet the Navy’s primary requirement – delivering fuel safely to the carrier air wing.”

The T1 flight test program began in September 2019 with the aircraft’s first flight.

In the following two years, the test program completed more than 120 flight hours – gathering data on everything from aircraft performance to propulsion dynamics to structural loads and flutter testing for strength and stability.

MQ-25 is benefitting from the two years of early flight test data, which has been integrated back into its digital models to strengthen the digital thread connecting aircraft design to production to test to operations and sustainment. Boeing is currently manufacturing the first two MQ-25 test aircraft.

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C&K Enters into Agreement to Acquire E.I.S.

Newly Created C&K Aerospace Division to Focus on Delivering High-Reliability System Solutions

C&K has agreed to acquire E.I.S. Electronics, industry specialists in the design and manufacture of Electrical Wiring Interconnection Systems (EWIS) for avionics, defense, and aerospace applications.

In conjunction with this transaction, C&K announced the creation of a new division, C&K Aerospace, combining E.I.S Electronics EWIS capabilities with C&K’s avionics switch and ESCC, NASA and MIL certified space connector business. Lars Brickenkamp, CEO of C&K, stated, “The launch of C&K Aerospace signals another step toward C&K’s strategy of becoming a leading provider of systems solutions for our valued customers.”

C&K Aerospace will be headquartered in Dole, France, with operations in Europe and Asia.

According to Bruno Prevot, CEO of C&K Aerospace, “Combining C&K’s strength in high-reliability connectors designed to withstand the harshest, most unforgiving conditions with E.I.S.’s advanced EWIS design capabilities, we will be able to offer to the existing C&K customer portfolio complete systems solutions for their most complex connectivity design challenges.”

Northrop Grumman’s LEO Satellite Payload for DARPA Revolutionizes Positioning, Navigation, and Timing

vanced, software-defined positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) payload, with options to build units destined for space flight.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Blackjack program has awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation a contract for Phase 2 development of an ad-

Northrop Grumman’s advanced, software-enabled positioning, navigation, and timing payload has been developed to keep forces on target in difficult environments against advanced threats – even if the avail-

Burkhard Muller, CEO of E.I.S. Electronics, said, “We are thrilled to become part of

C&K Aerospace, which will bring E.I.S. capabilities to new markets. It will enhance our product offering with the highest quality connector portfolio in the industry and will reinforce our ability to respond, adapt, and be flexible, from early project to deliveries to our customers.”

The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter following regulatory approvals.

ability of existing satellite navigation systems is degraded or denied.

The PNT payload work is led by Northrop Grumman’s Future PNT Systems Operating Unit in Woodland Hills. The team supports the DARPA Tactical Technology Office’s goal of achieving capable, resilient, and affordable national security space capabilities from low Earth orbit (LEO).

“Northrop Grumman’s software-defined Positioning, Navigation and Timing technology will offer military users an agile new signal from LEO that is not dependent on existing satellite navigation systems,” said Dr. Nicholas Paraskevopoulos, chief technology officer and sector vice president, emerging capabilities development, Northrop Grumman. “Warfighters depend on assured PNT for traditional missions like force projection and joint operations, but also for emerging autonomous and distributed missions.

The PNT payload features Northrop Grumman’s Software Enabled Reconfigurable Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Embedded Architecture for Navigation and Timing (SERGEANT) capability. The Phase 2 development effort is valued at $13.3 million if all options are exercised through emulation, critical design, and build.

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DIGISTOR and Cigent Form Technology Partnership to Advance Zero Trust Data Protection and Secure Data at Rest (DAR) Storage Solutions

DIGISTOR®, a leading provider of secure Data At Rest (DAR) storage solutions, and Cigent® Technology, Inc., a leader in embedded cybersecurity, announced a technology partnership to expand data security across the entire lifecycle of a storage drive from initial deployment to end-of-life for military, defense, and critical infrastructure applications.

gy to help military and defense customers address the ever-increasing and varied threats challenging nations’ security.”

The effort will combine Cigent’s Dynamic Data Defense Engine™ (D³E®) with DIGISTOR encrypted SSD storage products. By integrating Cigent’s zero-trust file access software and firmware-based cybersecurity technology into DIGISTOR FIPS 140-2 L2 firmware and Common Criteria (CC) certified SSD drives, the companies will deliver a suite of products that address evolving and potentially catastrophic security threats. In addition, bundling Cigent’s D³E security solutions and

services with the DIGISTOR line of commercial self-encrypting drives (SED) will increase storage security by protecting critical infrastructure at all times by combining software and hardware-based encryption with file-level multi-factor authentication.

“We are pleased to work with DIGISTOR and believe the combination of our expertise and technologies will provide a powerful range of Secure Storage solutions that will meet the diverse requirements and environments of today’s military and agency operations,” said Bradley Rowe, CEO at Cigent.

“We are excited to forge the partnership and believe that together we can offer a wider breadth of solutions for secure data storage,” said Robin Wessel, Executive Vice President, CDSG. “This partnership complements our recent Citadel™ preboot authentication news and is part of our strate-

DCS Awarded $164M Contract to Support USAF Fighters and Bombers Directorates

Directorate and Bombers Directorate. We are thrilled to deliver our technical expertise to the USAF and the Warfighter while expand-

ing the DCS footprint in Ohio, Oklahoma, Utah, and Missouri.”

DCS Corporation has been awarded a $164 million, 4-year prime contract to support the United States Air Force (USAF) Fighters and Advanced Aircraft Directorate (AFLCMC/WA) and USAF Bombers Directorate (AFLCMC/WB). DCS will support the acquisition, fielding, and sustainment for a large segment of the USAF fighter and bomber fleet, along with foreign military sales support to numerous partner nations.

Full contract performance will kick off in October 2021 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, and Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. DCS and its industry partners will provide program management, multidisciplinary engineering, cybersecurity, life-cycle logistics, and program security services to augment organic military and civilian staff. Aircraft supported will include the A-10, A-29, B-1, B-2, and B-52.

“DCS is proud to support the United States Air Force global power through this significant award,” stated Larry Egbert, Executive Vice President, and Air-Sea Forces Sector Manager. “We look forward to the opportunity for DCS to further support the mission of AFLCMC Fighters & Advanced Aircraft COTS Journal | September 2021

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DDC-I and LDRA Accelerate Compliance for Multicore Aerospace Systems The integration delivers powerful, efficient means of developing, verifying, and hosting production code in safety-critical cockpit environments requiring software verified to the guidance of DO178C/ED-12C

CDDC-I announced an enhanced integration between the Deos safety-critical RTOS and LDRA’s automated software verification, source code analysis, and unit testing tools for aerospace and defense applications.

The integrated solution enables avionic system manufacturers to quickly and cost-effectively develop, debug, test, and deploy software that can be readily verified to the most demanding guidance of DO-178C/ED12C Design Assurance Level (DAL A).

With the completion of this integration, the latest LDRA tool suite now supports the latest version of DDC-I’s Deos™ safety-critical real-time operating system (RTOS) with its SafeMC™ multicore technology. The LDRA tool suite provides enhancements for source code static analysis, software dynamic analysis (including MC/DC coverage on the host and target), and software unit testing on the host and target. Together, these enhancements improve code quality, safety, and security, as well as reduce testing time and cost. They also help developers manage and

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achieve compliance for increasingly complex safety-critical cockpit applications that utilize emerging technologies like modular avionics and multicore processors to build safer, more economical, more capable aircraft.

“The integration of Deos with the LDRA tool suite gives avionics developers the platform they need for rapid prototyping, testing, certification, and deployment of modular, reusable, safety-critical applications that comply with DO-178C and FACE,” said Greg Rose, vice president of marketing and product management at DDC-I. “The updated Deos and LDRA integration should prove especially attractive to developers who want

to utilize the latest multicore technology while addressing worst-case execution requirements as defined in the FAA’s CAST-32A position paper for Multi-core Processors.”

“Proving the avionics system is properly partitioned to avoid interference from competing cores is critical, yet it’s a nearly impossible challenge without the proper development and testing tools,” said Ian Hennell, Operations Director, LDRA. “Using the LDRA/DDC-I integration, developers can ensure the software is safe and meets the most demanding avionics standards such as DO-178C and the Future Airborne Capability Environment™ (FACE) Technical Standard.”

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Collins Aerospace Selects AdaCore’s QGen Code Generator to Streamline Model-Based Development

AdaCore’s QGen code generator for Simulink® / Stateflow ® models and new TQL-1 Enterprise Qualification Package can significantly reduce verification costs

AdaCore announces that Collins Aerospace has selected AdaCore’s QGen code generator for Simulink®/Stateflow® models, and the new TQL-1 Enterprise Qualification Package, to advance the development of their FAA-certifiable PerigonTM computer, which is designed to support the future flight control and vehicle management needs of commercial and military rotary/fixed-wing platforms. By using the TQL-1 release of QGen, PerigonTM software developers can save thousands of hours of testing, verification, and certification efforts, while providing additional safety guarantees to their customers. With the adoption of the QGen Enterprise Qualification Package, Collins is now able to streamline its model-based engineering practices.

QGen is the first qualifiable code generator for a safe subset of the Simulink®/Stateflow® modeling languages. QGen automatically generates C or Ada source code directly from the model while precisely preserving its functionality, eliminating the need for manual verification of the resulting source code. For systems requiring the highest assurance, such as commercial aerospace, medical device, and autonomous driving applications, the QGen code generator is being qualified by AdaCore

and its partner Verocel at DO-178C Tool Qualification Level 1 (TQL-1), which is the highest level of qualification recognized by the FAA. QGen with TQL-1 allows developers to use the generated code without any manual review, streamlining the critical-system development and verification process. In addition, QGen includes an interactive model-level debugger, displaying the model together with the generated source code to provide a uniquely productive bridge between control engineering and software engineering.

QGen is now available with an Enterprise Qualification Package. This package comes with flexible licensing so that projects of any size, company-wide, can take advantage of the use of a TQL-1 qualified auto code generator.

The package is based on a unique subscription approach, which provides an enhanced qualification kit every year. The same warranties are provided to all projects, including expert support for certification audits. Large organizations that perform many of their development and verification activities through model simulation can now dramatically reduce verification activities on the generated code, reducing costs while streamlining the overall certification process.

“AdaCore is excited to partner with Collins Aerospace to bring to market the first TQL-1 code generator for Simulink,” said JC Bernedo, AdaCore QGen team lead. “AdaCore has worked closely with Collins throughout the development of QGen to ensure it meets the development needs of their most critical aerospace software.”

JC Bernedo, AdaCore QGen team lead

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IST Shares $48M Award to Support the Air Force Research Laboratory

Infoscitex (IST), a DCS company, has been awarded a contract to provide research, discovery, and development support to the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) under the Redefining the Basic Analytical and Simulation Environment (REBASE) program. The multiple-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract has a shared cost ceiling of $48M over a 4-year period of performance.

IST and subcontractor personnel will support REBASE efforts on-site at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio as well as at IST facilities in Dayton and Columbus, Ohio and St. Louis, Missouri, and subcontractor facilities.

Redefining the Basic Analytical and Simulation Environment (REBASE) Under REBASE, AFRL will advance the Department of Defense’s modeling, simulation, and analysis capability by developing the Advanced Framework for Simulation, Integration, and Modeling (AFSIM) to address the growing need for accelerated research, discovery, and evalua-

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tion of weapon system performance across all warfighting domains.

IST has been involved with AFSIM from the start—supporting AFRL’s Aerospace Systems Directorate (AFRL/ RQ) through every phase of the framework’s development, deployment, and integration since it was acquired by the directorate in 2013 from the Boeing Corporation. As part of its ongoing support, IST has provided AFSIM training to hundreds of individuals and industry partners in support of the ever-growing AFSIM user community. Using its comprehensive insight into the complexities and challenges associated with managing multiple release pipelines and release variants, IST will continue to support AFRL/RQ in its mission to boldly pioneer transformative space and air capabilities to make the fight unfair, in support of the mission of the Department of the Air Force, through enhancing AFSIM’s capabilities.

“I am thrilled with the opportunity for Infoscitex to continue our significant contributions to the AFSIM framework development and expansion on REBASE,” stated Mike Gilkey, Vice President, Infoscitex Air, and Space Operations. “The growth of the user base is a testament to its utility for the analysis and evaluation of advanced weapon system concepts. We look forward to assisting our AFRL customers to meet the increasingly complex challenges of the user community.

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GA-ASI Demonstrates Airborne MUM-T using MQ-Avenger® Demo Flight Paired UAS with Surrogate Fighter Using Tactical Control Tablet

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems continues to advance new levels of autonomous control for unmanned aircraft, successfully completing an airborne Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) demonstration on Aug. 25, 2021, pairing a company-owned MQ-20 Avenger with a modified King Air 200 as a surrogate for 4th- and 5th-generation tactical fighters.

The flight demonstrated autonomous collaboration using command and control (C2) of the Avenger from a ruggedized tactical control tablet, integrated with Autonodyne’s RCU-1000 Advanced Human Machine Interface, to provide real-time situational awareness combined with complex behavior tasking. The airborne node utilized a GA-ASI-modified King Air 200, which allowed for rapid integration and test of the C2 hardware.

“GA-ASI continues to innovate by integrating state-of-the-art technology, providing

combatant commanders with tested solutions for persistent, affordable air sensing with challenging target sets,” said Mike Atwood, senior director of advanced concepts at GA-ASI. “This flight builds on the previous long-wave IR passive autonomous testing, and continues to validate that persistent Group 5 UAS aircraft can perform complex Air Moving Target Indication (AMTI).”

The Avenger flight originated from GAASI’s Desert Horizon facility in the Mojave Desert and the King Air took off from Montgomery Airport in San Diego. The demo lasted for approximately two hours. The successful test proves the ability for GA-ASI MUM-T to command airborne assets while autonomously executing behaviors and missions that provide increased awareness and effectiveness to the warfighter.

“Autonodyne was thrilled to work with GA-ASI to leverage our previous work in MUM-T C2 and apply it to such an impressive air vehicle,” said Autonodyne CEO Steve Jacobson. “Tactical control combined with powerful autonomy capabilities is critical to providing our warfighters the tools they need now.”

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Leonardo and UK industry team trial new high-tech protection for Armed Forces vehicles

Leonardo, leading a cross-UK team of science and technology experts, has successfully trialed a high-tech new protection system approach for Army vehicles such as tanks and armored personnel carriers. Called MIPS (Modular Integration Protection System), the new approach brings together layers of electronic and physical protection technologies to equip vehicle crews with a formidable defensive shield. The team included Abstract Solutions, CGI, Frazer-Nash, Lockheed Martin UK, RBSL, Roke, and Ultra Electronics.

The demonstration of the developmental MIPS architecture was a key milestone of Project Icarus, a Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) technology demonstrator program (TDP). DSTL launched the program in response to the increasing prevalence and rapidly evolving threat of battlefield weapon systems such as modern Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs) and Anti-Tank Guided Weapons (ATGWs).

crew members as new threats emerge on the battlefield.

As well as establishing, demonstrating and testing the MIPS solution, a through-life capability roadmap and initial approach for acquisition have been produced to help inform UK MOD as it looks to establish a way forward to mature the MIPS capability and bring it into operational service.

Following the successful conclusion of the TDP as originally scoped, contract amendments have been placed to extend the program to explore the potential application of MIPS to deliver counter-drone and counter-ISTAR capability solutions.

Through this additional work, the implications and modifications necessary concerning the MIPS architecture, system model and draft MIPS Standard to enable this outcome will be established.

During the trial, which took place at the MOD Shoeburyness range in Essex in July, representative weapons were fired from short range at MIPS. The developmental system integrated a combination of commercial off-the-shelf and surrogate sensors and countermeasures that were each adapted to integrate into MIPS. This trial provided a comprehensive test of the ability of the MIPS sense, control and reaction sequence to respond appropriately to threats within extremely short timeframes.

MIPS is based on open-systems and model-driven principles to form the basis of an architectural and infrastructure approach to ground vehicle protection that supports the modular integration, affordable acquisition & safe deployment of ‘best-of-breed sensors and countermeasures to deliver UK operational independence.

This includes sensors and ‘soft’ protection systems that focus on early threat detection and attempt to disrupt, decoy, or spoof the incoming threat and ‘hard’ countermeasure systems to intercept and physically defeat the incoming weapon system, known in military terminology as a ‘kinetic effect’.

The MIPS solution is specifically designed to enable the vehicle’s protection system to be rapidly tailored, evolved, and certified to protect COTS Journal | September 2021

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SPECIAL FEATURE

How Artificial Intelligence Is Impacting Embedded Military Computing

By Dan Mor, Director, Video & GPGPU Product Line Artificial intelligence (AI) has come a long way from merely carrying out automated tasks based on a data set. It is truly empowering embedded systems globally, providing ‘rational’ computer-based knowledge using data input. The intuitive processing capabilities of AI have served as the catalyst to propel modern systems into this new realm of high intensity computing using real time data.

AI itself has matured and expanded into a new

discipline called machine learning, where systems can learn from data inputs without being explicitly programmed. And taking it one step further is where we are today: deep learning...classified as a subset of machine learning. (Figure 1) AI Evolves into Deeper Learning Modeled after the brain’s neural networks, deep learning makes connections between multiple data networks and optimizes those connections to enable a system to make realistic assumptions

according to the data. Inferences across data paths can be generated, leading to systems taking actions not previously prescribed, but rather that have been acquired through training and application of knowledge. System intelligence increases, with more accurate, logic-based decisions made more quickly over time.

Leading the charge of this increased data input, processing and clarity is GPGPU (general purpose graphics processing unit) technology, which is in-

Figure 1: Artificial Intelligence is evolving into deep learning with more inferences that enable systems with more credible, decision-based capabilities.

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Figure 2: Up-to-date operational intelligence is paramount to the success and safety of modern defense initiatives.

strumental in managing the increased computational demands generated by this new paradigm of embedded processing. Nowhere is this more applicable than in mission-critical military operations.

Critical Applications Benefit from AI-based Systems Mission-critical systems that protect human life and require extreme precision and accuracy truly benefit from implementing an AI-based strategy, since up-to-date operational intelligence is paramount to the success and safety of modern defense initiatives.

Technological improvements aimed at greater precision in weapon systems and military operations are highly regarded to ensure safety as well as more humane outcomes. When human lives will be directly impacted, completing a mission with fewer weapons expended and with less collateral damage is optimal. In addition, the use of AI-enabled, GPGPU-based HPEC systems to remotely pilot vehicles can lessen the risk to military per-

sonnel by placing greater distance between them and danger. (Figure 2) Non-lethal defense-related activities can benefit from AI as well, including logistics, base operations, lifesaving battlefield medical assistance and casualty evacuation, navigation, communication, cyber-defense and intelligence analysis, to ensure military forces are safer and more effective.

AI’s role, and that of GPGPU technology, in these critical systems is to help protect people as well as prepare for and deter attacks.

The applications that benefit from GPU accelerated computing technology are numerous. In fact, any application involved with mathematical calculation will see benefits from this technology, including: • Image Processing: - Enemy Detection - Vehicle Detection - Missile Guidance - Obstacle Detection, etc.

• Radar • Sonar • Video Encoding and Decoding (NTSC/PAL to H.264) • Data Encryption/Decryption • Database Queries • Motion Detection • Video Stabilization Advanced Intelligence Through GPGPU Processing Real time response applications require “AI at the Edge” where processing happens at the sensors exponentially increasing computing requirements, especially for autonomous operations.

Using a GPU (graphics processing unit) with a parallel architecture instead of a CPU, which is serial, reduces development time and “squeezes” maximum performance per watt from the computation engine.

As data needs continue to increase, modern embedded systems are faced with some serious performance issues: continuing to only use a CPU as

Real time response applications require “AI at the Edge” where processing happens at the sensors exponentially increasing computing requirements, especially for autonomous operations.

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a main computing engine would eventually choke the system. Divesting the highly demanding data calculations to the GPU, while allowing the rest of the application to run on the CPU, helps balance system abilities and resources more effectively.

GPU accelerated computing runs compute intensive portions on the GPU to accelerate the compute capabilities of a system, using less power and delivering higher performance over a CPU. Through this increased power-to-performance ratio, GPU-based systems can meet the exorbitant calculation demands these applications now require.

Managing Significant Volumes of Data With the introduction of NVIDIA’s Volta architecture comes Tensor Cores, which amplify the matrix processing of large data sets, a critical function in AI environments, by enabling higher levels of computation with lower power consumption.

Volta is equipped with Tensor Cores, each performing 64 floating-point fused-multiply-add (FMA) operations per clock. A high number of TFLOPS for training and inference applications are then delivered, enabling deep learning training using a mixed precision of FP16 compute with FP32 accumulate, achieving both a 3x speedup over the previous generation and convergence to a network’s expected accuracy levels.

The Xavier NX SoM from the NVIDIA Jetson family implements a derivative of the Volta GPU with an emphasis on improving inference performance over training, making it ideal for deep learning. When the NVIDIA Jetson Xavier NX is coupled with Aitech’s rugged computing expertise, the result is an AI supercomputer like the A179 Lightning, which handles up to 21 TOPS

(trillion operations per second) to provide local processing of high volumes of data closest to the sensors, where it is needed. (Figure 3) Xavier NX-based systems offer some of the most powerful processing capabilities in an ultrasmall form factor (SFF) system. The A179 system, for example, features 384 CUDA cores and 48 of NVIDIA’s new Tensor Cores.

Using Open Source tools, developers can accomplish deep learning inference on the Xavier NX, using the two NVIDIA deep learning accelerator (NVDLA) engines incorporated into the A179 Lightning. This facilitates interoperability with modern deep learning networks and contributes to a unified growth of machine learning at scale.

The system also features pre-installed Linux OS, which includes the bootloader, Linux kernel, NVIDIA drivers, an Aitech BSP, flash programming utilities and example applications.

Rugged, Ready, Reliable All that advanced processing won’t mean a thing to a military and defense operation if the system isn’t able to withstand environmental factors and provide stable, long-term operation, so ruggedization plays a critical role in system development.

Since GPGPUs aren’t rugged at manufacture, the components must be ruggedized, which requires a unique expertise to ensure these GPU accelerated computing, advanced processing systems can reliably operate in remote, mobile and harsh environments. A deep understanding of how to design reliable systems for rugged environments becomes critical, including which techniques will best mitigate the effects of things like environmental hazards as well as ensure that systems meet specific application requirements.

At Aitech, for example, our AI GPGPU-based boards, AI HPEC (High Performance Embedded Computer) Systems and small form factor (SFF) AI systems are qualified for, and survive in, several avionics, naval, ground and mobile applications, thanks to the decades of expertise our team can apply to system development.

Balance Power and Performance Managing power consumption is always a factor in a system’s development, but because GPGPU boards process far more parallel data using hundreds or thousands of CUDA cores, it’s best to look at the positive impact of the power-to-performance ratio.

In addition, GPGPU boards are very efficient, with some boards matching the power consumption of CPU boards. So, systems obtain more processing for the same, or slightly less, power. But tradeoffs still exist between performance and power consumption. It’s just a fact that higher performance and faster throughputs require more power consumption.

But these are the same tradeoffs you find when using a CPU or any other processing unit. As an example, take the “NVIDIA Optimus Technology” that Aitech is using, which is a compute GPU switching technology where the discrete GPU is handling all the rendering and algorithmic duties. The final image output to the display is still handled by the CPU processor with its integrated graphics processor (IGP).

In effect, the CPU’s IGP is only being used as a simple display controller, resulting in a seamless, real time, flicker-free experience with no need to place the full burden of both image rendering and generation on the GPGPU or share CPU resources for image recognition across all of the CPUs. This load sharing or balancing is what makes these systems even more powerful.

When less critical or less demanding applications are running, the discrete GPU can be powered off and the Intel IGP handles both rendering and display calls to conserve power and provide the highest possible performance-to-power ratio.

Figure 3: The rugged A179 Lightning uses the NVIDIA Xavier NX SoM to handle up to 21 TOPS (trillion operations per second)

Next-level Computing So, with GPGPU-based processing, we are meeting the call for better intelligence, more intuitive computing capabilities and increased system performance. GPU accelerated computing has helped to elevate AI into new depths of learned intelligence, a world that can optimize complex, highly sophisticated computing across many industries by reliably managing higher data throughput and balancing system processing for more efficient computing operations.

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SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT

Advancing the Internet of Military Things (IoMT) with Software Defined Radio Discussed in this article are the many technologies involved in handling the vast amount of data generated by the IoMT/IoBT devices, including tactical edge servers and software defined radio (SDR). A great deal of challenges exist for these networks, including security, bandwidth, storage and processing limitations.

Figure 1 - Ground Soldier IoMT/IoBT capabilities 22

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Information on the battlefield is becoming more and more critical to the success of missions. Recognizing this, military’s around the world, and especially the US Military, are looking to the internet of military things (IoMT) or internet of battlefield things (IoBT). Broadly speaking, IoMT/IoBT is part of the persuasive/ubiquitous computing paradigm; a complex network of various sensors, actuators, and devices found on the ground, sea and in space which provide information technology for combat operations, reconnaissance, and even warfare capabilities.

Distributed IoMT technology includes those found on UAVs, drones, robots, human wearable devices, biometric devices, weaponry, armour and a host of smart technologies. With IoMT and the ability to connect ships, planes, tanks, drones, soldiers, and operating bases in a closeknit network, the military greatly benefits in increased situational awareness, risk assessment, and response time. The use of these devices is based on the idea that battles will be fought and won based on who has the most intelligence, cyber warfare capabilities and overall machine intelligence, which may even someday perform autonomously.

Types and Benefits of IoMT/IoBT Intelligence and Sensing There are various advantages, increased capabilities, and benefits accrued from these types of networks of sensors, including the following for ground, air, and sea military services: 1. Ground: • Sensing and computing devices can be worn by soldiers and embedded in their combat suits, helmets, weapons systems, goggles and other equipment • These wearable systems are capable of acquiring a variety of static and dynamic biometric data including facial expression, eye movement, fingerprints ( for instance, drone controller authorization), heart rate, gait and stance, and gestures.

• Soldiers are able to obtain fingerprints from a weapon or bomb and upload it to the network in order to identify an adversarial combatant instantly.

• Images or visuals of an adversary can be uploaded to a database to confirm the identity of a target.

• Soldiers exposed to toxic chemicals, injured in battle, etc. can receive medical assistance.

• One such example is the NSRDEC (Now

Figure 2 - Cloud computing connected network of various device and database nodes

CCDC) Connected Soldier program.

2. Air: • Drones, UAVs, fighter jets, helicopters, you name it; all can provide visual data on a suspected area harbouring adversaries.

• Information relayed from military air craft to ground troops can allow for safe entry into an area or recognize if this is an area needing aerial artillery support or other measures.

• Edge computing lets soldiers gain access to vehicles and weapons systems as well as monitor battlefield conditions through connected drones.

• Assessing pilots under abnormally high G-force conditions is also possible with sensor technology.

• One such program is the US Air Force’s Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS).

3. Sea: • Unmanned flotillas mapping or detecting enemy vessels, and other ocean situational awareness, to ensure safe passage of naval or commercial vessels.

• Surveilling coastlines, while sending data to satellites in order to be relayed to other military branches or command and control (C2).

• Able to obtain ocean temperature and ocean state measurements and upload data to cloud based networks to warn of potentially threatening weather.

• One such example is the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Ocean of Things program.

Networking: How Information is Relayed to/from Command and Control (C2) and the Battlefield To gather intelligence and communicate with IoMT devices and the various military branches, a central C2 is necessary with network connections to various military branches and the various IoMT/IoBT devices and sensors. The end-to-end communication of a geographically dispersed set of information and radio capabilities for sensing, transmitting/receiving, collecting, processing, storing, disseminating and managing information on demand to military personnel, commanders, policy makers and others, is a great technical challenge.

Modern radio technologies used in IoMT/IoBT transmit/receive functionality is based on software-defined radio (SDR). This is a radio system where RF communication is done using software/ firmware, instead of hardware that traditional radios were based on. Importantly, signal processing tasks for modulating/demodulating and/or encoding/decoding C2 communications, video, images, audio, biometrics, and all IoMT/IoBT sensor and device data is sent using the SDR portion of IoMT/IoBT. SDRs also play a prevalent role for feeding data via a high throughput physical link to the servers which process, store, and connect all of C2 networks and subsidiary networks.

One such networking system widely used in IoMT/IoBT is cloud computing; used to offload immense amounts of data onto servers with far greater processing power than would otherwise be achievable on a local machine. This is only ef-

fective until you get to the tactical edge, i.e. on the battlefield, where mission requirements are dynamic and fast changing, and where the need for computing power and speed is great but network/ radio communications are challenging in transferring cloud data; specifically in regards to limited network bandwidth and high network latency.

A key element of IoBT/IoMT network infrastructure, then, is a strong edge computing architecture that uses data from biometric wearables, environmental sensors, video cameras, microphones, and other connected devices, and processes, sends, and receives data quickly, allowing military personnel to respond to potentially dangerous or life threatening situations on the battlefield. Tactical Edge servers or “cloudlets” are the backbone for data-generating clients and IoMT/IoBT devices on or near the battlefield, using the alluringly efficient, divide-and-conquer edge computing architecture.

This collection of real-time data and information dissemination rely on uninterrupted connectivity of the network, which is vital in allowing the IoMT/IoBT to maximize potential. This includes the ability for edge-based tactical networks to share data in real time between a dynamic network of impromptu nodes (IoMT/IoBT devices) that may come and go over time. One such communication standard for this real-time network edge computing scheme is data distribution service (DDS). An overview of the connectivity levels in shown in Figure 3 on next page: IoMT networks disseminate collected data over radio signals which establish and maintain COTS Journal | September 2021

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mobile and uninterrupted C2 communications between operational elements, including those in battle on the ground, air or sea, as well as higher central command headquarters (Figure

3). Radio devices are designed to provide interoperability with all services, various agencies and military of the U.S. Government, and allied coalition forces.

Often these networks of IoMT/IoBT devices create an overwhelming amount of data for the system. To prevent this overloading, often intelligent data filtering is used; allowing for data acquisition from IoMT/IoBT devices to not overwhelm the computational capacity of servers. Other methods to prevent overloading include using network function virtualization (NFV). NFV offers the operator the ability to configure the network infrastructure dynamically through a protocol management system. Hence, NFV empowers C2 to quickly configure data links for changing operational needs, and to manage device and data security throughout the system. This could include giving priority to certain radio/data channels coming from a battlefield’s IoMT/IoBT devices and sensors, if they are requiring immediate assistance or an emergency situation.

One such example of NFV is found with how drones can transmit video in rural areas with the support of a software defined network (SDN) enabled backbone with virtual network function (VNFs). By re-encoding the video transmission, the distributed NFV services can adapt the video quality based on bandwidth constraints, while service function chains (SFC) within the SDN can be routed to select the most appropriate network path.

Figure 3 - Overview of IoMT/IoBT network architecture

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Other networking includes device-to-device (D2D) and edge-to-edge, for which is more suitable for ground-based soldiers requiring the use of an IoMT/IoBT device. More options include

device-to-cloud, for such applications as verifying a target identity, or edge-to-cloud, for offloading data to the cloud network.

While IoMT/IoBT is a promising technology, the sheer amount of sensor and device data being acquired across all military branches, means that much of this data is not accessible by various military branches in real-time. To help solve this, the Department of Defense (DOD) created the Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) program, a multi-billion-dollar program to revitalize the military’s current C2 infrastructure by establishing a harmonious network of sensors, devices and warfighters that enables collective, real-time decision-making across the US Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Space Force branches. This will differ from how previous generations of networks for IoMT/IoBT have had their own tactical network which was largely incompatible with one another or required significant time delays when accessing data from diffuse networks. The JADC2 network will allow far more readily available and accessible information, such as reconnaissance and surveillance, from a variety of military forces networks. The idea is to provide greater collective situational awareness, or creating a common operating picture (COP) of an area of conflicts, thereby providing a means for much quicker decision making.

Other Challenges and Requirements for IoMT/IoBT Besides an overload of data, IoMT/IoBT network infrastructures are often limited by frequent

disconnections, network partitioning, and fluctuations of radio channel conditions in which the devices are transmitting/receiving data. This can lead to issues in sensor or device availability and constraints on the usage of such devices.

Moreover, there are many challenges with respect to how to manage, process and share the data in systems containing edge or cloud networks, limited computing resources, limited network bandwidth and where connectivity to C2 systems is not always guaranteed. Data filters, edge device regulation, and network upgrades can be used to combat these issues via increased maximum bandwidth, however, this is only part of the solution to a vast array of problems.

One other broad problem of IoMT/IoBT networks is security. The more devices on the network, the more exposed is the network to cyber attacks; an obvious fact of IoMT/IoBT networks.

Attacks include denial-of-service, spoofing (presenting false data from what is seen as a reliable source), and even exposing accelerometer sensors to fake movements using acoustic interference, bypassing authentication mechanisms in drones, and many other issues.

IoMT/IoMT devices themselves pose a challenge. The capabilities of the device/sensor nodes are also often limited by low battery life, low storage capacity and limited CPU power.

While battery technology has improved over the years, often the only way to allow for long duration missions requiring IoMT/IoBT is to use solar power generators or other forms of renewable energy. Of course, this also leads to another

issue: more equipment needing to be carried out on the battlefield.

The main challenges for IoMT/IoMT radio communications are due to wireless communication links being directly exposed when deployed in combat, resulting in various cyber or physical attacks threatening network connectivity. Therefore, the ability to maintain network connectivity under adversary attacks is a critical property for the IoBT and one that is not easily solved. Issues relating to jamming, and various electronic warfare (EW), make it particularly challenging yet necessary to mitigate attacks on these networks. Well-known attacks on radio devices are spoofing, eavesdropping, side-channel, jamming, and replay; all of which are based on exploiting the vulnerabilities present in radio devices and/or communication protocols. This creates serious disruptions to mission critical IoMT/IoBT devices.

Adversaries have become more advanced in their ability to know how electronic devices, used by the military, function at a very low level. Recognizing the threat of this, DARPA created the Trusted Integrated Circuits program resulting in the development of technologies that ensure reliability in the manufacturing process of electronic devices used in military systems. As well, DARPA’s Microsystem Technology Office (MTO) ensures the provenance, security, and reliability of electronic components driving the critical military capabilities of the coming decades.

Figure 4 - Per Vices Crimson and Cyan SDRs COTS Journal | September 2021

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SDRs for IoMT/IoBT SDR technology provides a more scalable and extensible radio system in comparison to a system composed of dedicated hardware. This is particularly important for IoMT/IoBT applications, as most updates are simply software upgrades— providing the capability to upgrade radio protocols or even introduce new functionality into an IoMT/IoBT device remotely. These systems are also able to be constructed in many form factors, and be deployed in the IoMT/IoBT devices themselves, as well as the radio portion before edge computing or cloud computer servers. In this configurable, they can provide necessary modulation/demodulation and encoding/ decoding required for radio communications to these devices.

Moreover, to prevent issues related to adversary EW, SDRs can constantly hop from one frequency to another to avoid congestion or, more importantly, to avoid enemy jamming. Other security measures include the ability of the onboard field-programmable-gate-array (FPGA) to encrypt/decrypt radio communications. SDRs are also able to provide EW and cyberattack capabilities against the adversary when needed. This can include providing a means to jam or spoof adversary equipment, such as a device

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relying on GPS/GNSS signals, to ensure military assets are protected.

Ruggedized SDRs can be paired with ruggedized edge server systems for battlefield processing of IoMT/IoBT data. The high throughput of data ( from 10 - 100 GBps) made possible with high performance SDRs, such as Per Vices SDRs (Figure 4), provides a means to connect all the many devices in the battlefield. Moreover, the multiple-input multiple-output system allows for receiving and transmitting signals across multiple carrier frequencies, and thus allowing for one device to control a host of radio communication for IoMT/IoBT devices.

Conclusion IoMT/IoBT is an ongoing development which can provide immense capabilities but also requires addressing a number of issues outlined in this article. One promising technology used extensively in this field is SDR. The benefits of these systems are numerous and will continue to push the frontiers of IoMT/IoBT system development.

The key takeaway message is that SDR for IoMT/ IoBT will stand the test of time as new functionality is required on the battlefield.

References • https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ PMC5087432/ • https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sri-international-leading-security-research-for-us-army-research-lab-initiative-to-develop-and-secure-the-internet-of-battlefield-things-iobt-300601689.html • https://www.computer.org/publications/tech-news/research/internet-of-military-battlefield-things-iomt-iobt • https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327709145_ Combat_Cloud-Fog_Network_Architecture_for_Internet_of_Battlefield_Things_and_Load_Balancing_Technology • https://www.japcc.org/wp-content/uploads/Read_ Ahead_2020_Screen.pdf • https://www.trentonsystems.com/blog/tactical-edge-servers-helping-the-military • https://www.trentonsystems.com/blog/what-is-jadc2 • https://www.omg.org/news/whitepapers/DDS-Tactical-Edge-Whitepaper.pdf • https://www.darpa.mil/program/ocean-of-things • https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/ S1319157821000896 • https://www.mdpi.com/1999-5903/10/9/88/pdf • https://www.microwavejournal.com/articles/34577sdr-in-military-and-aerospace---beyond-tactical-radios • https://militaryembedded.com/radar-ew/signal-processing/expanding-software-defined-radio-versatility-for-the-digital-battlefield • https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ hbe2.231

September 2021

COT’S PICKS Abaco Systems Announce New 16-Port Serial Controller and XMC Carrier Card to Protect from Obsolescence

Abaco Systems announced the PMC523 16port serial controller and the SPR518 PCI Express ® XMC carrier card. Both provide innovative upgrade paths to protect our customers from obsolescence. The SPR518 and the PMC523 each deliver a necessary and beneficial technology refresh

which continues Abaco’s ongoing commitment to innovation at every turn.

The PMC523 is a flexible solution and a technology insertion that integrates multiple serial I/O channels onto single-board computers (SBCs) with PCI Mezzanine Card (PMC) sites. Its efficient design packages 16 serial channels onto a single PMC. Additionally, this serial controller utilizes dual octal UARTs to increase overall performance through the reduction of programmed I/O operations. This provides an evolutionary path for enhanced software and ultimately protects customers who have already designed systems utilizing the previous generation PMC423.

The SPR518 provides an upgrade path for customers by offering a replacement for the existing SPR418A. This card is a short form factor PCI Express (PCIe®) carrier for XMC mod-

Rugged AI Data Processing Hits New Performance Heights with Aitech’s A179 Ultra-SFF Supercomputer SWaP-optimized, GPGPU-based system enables exceptional computing performance, low power consumption at-the-edge Aitech has expanded its GPGPU-based product offerings with the A179 Lightning, a rugged, fanless AI supercomputer that delivers more performance than any other rugged system on the market in a similar form factor.

With an ultra-compact footprint, roughly the size of a cell phone, the new SWaP-optimized A179 is powered by the NVIDIA Jetson Xavier NX platform based on the Volta GPU, which packs up to 384 CUDA cores and 48 Tensor cores. The incredibly high-performance, low-power unit reaches 21 TOPS INT8 at a remarkable level of energy efficiency.

Adding to the applications already employing AI-based supercomputers, such as situation awareness systems, EW systems, and drones, the new A179 helps bring this powerful computing to even more military applications, including a smart soldier and man-portable systems, augmented reality, and an even broader set of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles).

Dan Mor, Director, Video & GPGPU Product Line for Aitech, noted, “Rugged AI performance 28

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is the leading-edge advantage in military intelligence. Being able to use GPGPU-based systems in the harshest environments gives system engineers the ability to forge new ground in rugged embedded computing. Aitech is focused on delivering this exceptional technology to our military and defense customers to use in their applications worldwide.”

ules which allows for use with traditional PCs. The PCIe interface provides for unimpeded data transfers at the full rate supported by the mezzanine card and is enhanced by a PCIe Gen3 Redriver. This enhancement allows for the safe operation of XMC modules on PCIe mainboards, where previously the SPR418A could only support Gen2.

Pete Thompson, VP of Product Management for Abaco said, “Abaco’s commitment to our customers expands beyond the life cycle of one product, and innovation doesn’t stop after it hits the market. Our team listens to our customers’ needs to develop solutions that will outpace current products and provide an upgrade path to avoid obsolescence in the long run. Both the PMC523 and SPR518 are evidence of that commitment, as they each deliver a clear upgrade path with solutions that will enable our customers to succeed.”

Abaco Systems www.abaco.com

neously. These include SDI (SD/HD), four FPD-Link™ III (to MIPI CSI) camera inputs, and eight composites (NTSC/PAL) channels.

In addition to the 21 TOPS (Tera Operations Per Second, INT8) that the A179 Lightning provides, it offers 1050 GOPS/W INT8, the best available performance per watt as well as an H.264/H.265 hardware encoder/decoder.

Standard I/O ports, such as Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.0 & 2.0, DVI/HDMI out, CANbus, UART Serial, and a number for discrete, offer flexibility in data management. The system also accommodates up to two optional expansion modules (via factory configuration), such as additional I/O expansion modules or an optional NVMe SSD. The system allows for a removable Micro SD card and features 8 GB of LPDDR4x.

Video capture is made easy with several input types that enable multiple video streams simulta-

Aitech https://aitechsystems.com/

September 2021

COT’S PICKS TTTech Aerospace’s highperformance radiation-hardened TTEthernet® network controllers for space entering series production

TTTech Aerospace’s TTEthernet® Systems on Chip (SoCs) network controllers (TTESwitch Controller HiRel and TTEEnd System Controller HiRel) have successfully been qualified by STMicroelectronics to be used for space flights.

These are the world’s first radiation-hardened TTEthernet® SoCs space controllers to enter series production.

The fully deterministic TTEthernet® network controllers uniquely support standard Ethernet, rate-constrained, and time-triggered traffic.

High Gigabit/second bandwidths allow for high data payload and control data transfers on a single network.

Two launcher programs and one robotic program have already implemented avionics systems based on these TTEthernet® SoCs network controllers.

TTTech Aerospace and its semiconductor partner STMicroelectronics have completed the development, industrialization, and qualification of highly integrated, radiation-hardened TTEthernet® Systems on Chip (SoCs) network controllers.

They are used in deterministic, fault-tolerant, Ethernet-based networks for space applications. The successfully qualified TTESwitch Controller HiRel and TTEEnd System Controller HiRel are already being used in the avionics systems of two major launcher programs and on one robotic program.

Electronic components used in a spacecraft need to fulfill very high quality and production standards and work reliably in extremely harsh environments. With the qualification completed, TTESwitch Controller HiRel and TTEEnd System

Controller HiRel are now available as series products, ready for use in a broad variety of space flight applications, such as launch vehicles, satellites, or robotic applications.

TTTech Aerospace’s TTEthernet® network controllers (TTEEnd System Controller HiRel and TTESwitch Controller HiRel) uniquely act as Systems on Chip (SoCs). They support three traffic classes: standard Ethernet (IEEE802.3), rate constrained, and time-triggered traffic (SAE AS6802) for a wide variety of networking applications. Thanks to their high Gigabit/second bandwidths, the network controllers are ideal for real-time transfer of high data payloads (e.g. high-resolution images and videos) and hard real-time transmission of safety-critical control data with short latency over one single network. A wide range of interfaces allows for high flexibility in connecting to electronics hardware for easy integration.

“Our TTEthernet® SoCs network controllers are the first of their kind worldwide to enter series production. They act as a ‘central nervous system’ connecting all systems in the spacecraft. Their modular and deterministic nature supports design optimization and a significant reduction in software complexity and equipment size. This reduces system integration as well as verification and validation effort, enabling faster development of more capable, lower cost, fault-tolerant computing platforms for avionics and control applications,” explains Christian Fidi, Senior Vice President Business Unit Aerospace, TTTech.

The TTEEnd System Controller HiRel and TTESwitch Controller HiRel are equipped with an integrated LEON2 CPU for system management and diagnostics that ensure automatic time synchronization of the application to the network. The chip is based on a radiation-hardened design process and packaged in a cost-efficient plastic package. This ensures reliability in harsh environments requiring high radiation tolerance for applications like launch vehicles and low earth orbit (LEO) satellites.

TTTech Aerospace’s www.tttech.com

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September 2021

COT’S PICKS WIN Enterprises Announces HighPerformance 1U IoT Server with up to 40 Processing Cores and 1TB Storage

WIN Enterprises, Inc. announces the PL-50270, a 1U rackmount server for intensive IoT applications.

The platform supports the Intel® Ice Lake-SP processor and features DDR4 RDIMM storage up to 1TB. Features • Supports 3rd Gen Intel Xeon Scalable Processor (Ice Lake-SP), Socket P+, LGA 4189 • Supports Max 1TB DDR4 2933/3200MHz & Intel Optane DC Persistent Memory • Max support for 8x PCIe Gen4 x8 slots for Network Expansion Modules • Supports BMC/IPMI & hardware Bypass function

Lewisburg). The new generation platform provides a high-performance CPU with up to 40 processing cores, 3 Ultra Path Interconnect (UPI) links up to 11.2 GT/s.

The PL-50270 supports 8x channels DDR4 registered ECC RDIMM (up to 3200 MHz) and a maximum memory capacity of up to 1TB with 64 PCI Express lanes per CPU. The PL-50270 supports up to 8x Network Expansion Modules; and supports multiple Ethernet modules to enable flexible port configurations, such as 1/10/40/100 Gigabit Fiber with or without BYPASS

function. The maximum Ethernet bandwidth capacity is up to 1,000 GbE. The strong IO elements of PL-50270 include two management ports (one for management; another for optional IPMI function), a console port, USB ports, LEDs for power/ HDD/ 2x GPIO. In addition, the PL-50270 supports one front panel hot-swappable 2.5” SATA HDDs/SSDs and onboard Compact Flash™/m-SATA/mini PCIe, and M.2 slot for network storage applications.

WIN Enterprises www.win-ent.com

The PL-50270 is a 1U Rackmount hardware networking system. The device supports Intel® Whitley/ Ice Lake-SP and Intel® C621A PCH (code-named

Infineon launches industry’s first radiation-tolerant, QML-V qualified NOR Flash memory for space-grade FPGAs Space-grade field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) require reliable, high-density non-volatile memories that contain their boot configurations. To address the growing need for high-reliability memories, Infineon Technologies LLC, an Infineon Technologies AG (FSE: IFX / OTCQX: IFNNY) company, today announced the industry’s first high-density radiation-toler-

ant (RadTol) NOR Flash memory products qualified to MIL-PRF-38535’s QML-V flow (QML-V Equivalent). The QML-V flow is the highest quality and reliability standard certification for aerospace-grade ICs. Infineon’s 256 Mb and 512 Mb RadTol NOR Flash non-volatile memories deliver superior, low-pin count, single-chip solutions for applications such as FPGA configuration, image storage, microcontroller data, and boot code storage. When used at higher clock rates, the data transfer supported by the devices matches or exceeds traditional parallel asynchronous NOR Flash memories while dramatically reducing pin count. The devices are radiation-tolerant up to 30 krad (Si) biased and 125 krad (Si) unbiased. At 125°C, the devices support 1,000 Program/Erase cycles and 30 years of data retention, and at 85°C 10k Program/Erase cycles with 250 years of data retention.

As a leader in space-grade memory products, Infineon leveraged the 65 nm floating gate Flash process technology to develop the RadTol 256 Mb quad-SPI (QSPI) and 512 Mb

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dual Quad-SPI NOR Flash. Both are featuring 133 MHz SDR interface speed. The 512 Mb device comprises two independent 256 Mb die that fit side by side in a single package solution. This provides flexibility for designers to operate the device in dual QSPI or single QSPI mode on either die independently, offering an option to use the second die as a backup solution. Infineon is collaborating closely with leading FPGA ecosystem companies such as Xilinx on space-grade applications.

“Our radiation-tolerant dual QSPI non-volatile memories are fully supported by the latest space-grade FPGAs. They enable a superior, low pin count, single-chip select solution to configure processors and FPGAs,” said Helmut Puchner, VP Fellow of Aerospace and Defense at Infineon Technologies LLC. “The entire image for the Xilinx Kintex ® UltraScale™ XQRKU060, for example, can be loaded in about 0.2 seconds in dual-quad mode.”

The NOR Flash devices can be programmed in-system through the FPGA or a standalone programmer, offered in the same 36-lead ceramic flat package. Infineon’s development kit and software further enable easy design implementation.

Infineon www.infineon.com

September 2021

COT’S PICKS New 220mm Deep Version of Pixus’ RiCool Chassis Platforms for OpenVPX Pixus Technologies, a provider of embedded computing and enclosure solutions, has announced a new chassis for extra deep OpenVPX 6U boards.

The RiCool chassis platform allows up to 16 slots of 220mm boards at a 1.0” pitch or 14 slots at a 1.2” pitch. The enclosure also facilitates an optional mix of various slot pitches as well as card guides for either air or conduction-cooled boards. Versions for extra deep 3U OpenVPX boards are available upon request.

Pixus’ modular power supply options allow a versatile range of up to 6 voltage output options. Military-grade ruggedized enclosures for 220mm OpenVPX boards and/or SpaceVPX are also available. The company also has a wide range of chassis options for the standard OpenVPX 160mm depth boards.

Pixus Technologies https://pixustechnologies.com/

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September 2021

COT’S PICKS First Aerospace-qualified Baseless Power Module Family Improves Aircraft Electrical System Efficiency Microchip’s BL1, BL2, and BL3 family, developed with the Clean Sky consortium, is qualified to stringent aerospace standards for AC-to-DC and DC-to-AC power conversion In the race to reduce aircraft emissions, developers increasingly are moving toward more efficient designs including electrical systems that replace today’s pneumatics and hydraulics powering everything from onboard alternators to actuators and Auxiliary Power Units (APUs). To enable next-generation aircraft electrical systems, new power conversion technology is required. Microchip Technology Inc. (Nasdaq: MCHP) today announced its development with Clean Sky, a joint European Commission (EC) and industry consortium, of the first aerospace-qualified baseless power modules enabling higher-efficiency, lighter, and more compact power conversion and motor drive systems.

Partnering with Clean Sky to support aerospace industry goals set by the EC for stricter emission standards that result in climate-neutral aviation by 2050, Microchip’s BL1, BL2 and BL3 family of baseless power modules provides greater efficiency in AC-toDC and DC-to-AC power conversion and generation through the integration of its silicon carbide power semiconductor technology. Forty-percent lighter

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than others due to the modified substrate, the innovative design also produces an approximate 10% cost savings over standard power modules that incorporate metal baseplates. Microchip’s BL1, BL2, and BL3 devices meet all mechanical and environmental compliance guidelines outlined in RTCA DO-160G, the “Environmental Conditions and Test Procedures for Airborne Equipment,” Version G (August 2010). RTCA is the industry consortium that develops consensus on critical aviation modernization issues.

The modules are available in low-profile, low-inductance packaging with power and signal connectors that designers can solder directly on printed circuit boards, helping to speed development and increase reliability. And, the same height between the modules in the family enables them to be paralleled or connected in a three-phase bridge and other topologies to achieve higher-performing power converters and inverters. ”Microchip’s powerful new modules will help to drive innovation in aircraft electrification and, ultimately, progress toward a future of lower emissions,” said Leon Gross, vice president of Microchip’s discrete products business unit. “This is an enabling technology for the systems ushering in a new era of flight.”

The family incorporates silicon carbide MOSFETs and Schottky Barrier Diodes (SBDs) to maximize system efficiency. In packages delivering 100W to more than 10 KW of power, the BL1, BL2, and BL3

family are available in numerous topology options including phase leg, full-bridge, asymmetric bridge, boost, buck, and dual common source. These high-reliability power modules are available in voltage ranges from 600V to 1200V in silicon carbide MOSFETs and IGBTs to 1600V for rectifier diodes.

Microchip’s power module technology as well as its ISO 9000- and AS9100-certified fabrication facilities provide high-quality units through flexible manufacturing alternatives.

While introducing innovations the company also teams with system manufacturers and integrators on obsolescence management, supporting customers’ efforts to minimize redesign work and lengthen life cycles, thereby reducing overall system costs.

The company’s baseless power modules complement its aerospace portfolio of motor drive controllers, storage integrated circuits, Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), microcontrollers (MCUs), microprocessors (MPUs), timing products, semiconductors, and point-of-load regulators – providing designers with total system solutions for a wide variety of aerospace and defense applications.

Microchip also provides a full portfolio of silicon carbide technology solutions for aerospace, automotive, and industrial applications.

Microchip Technology Inc. www.microchip.com

COTS Journal | September 2021

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September 2021

COT’S PICKS Leading-edge, in more than just bandwidth

congatec introduces 20 new Computeron-Modules following the launch of Intel’s 11th generation Core processor for IoT. Featuring 11th Gen Intel Core vPro, Intel Xeon W-11000E, and Intel Celeron processors, the new modules target the most demanding IoT gateway and edge computing applications.

Built on Intel’s 10nm SuperFin technology in a two-package design with dedicated CPU and platform controller hub (PCH) the new flagship COM-HPC Client and COM Express Type 6 modules impress with a new bandwidth benchmark of up to 20 PCIe Gen 4.0 lanes for massive connected real-time IIoT gateway and intelligent edge computing workloads.

To process such massive workloads, the new modules boast up to 128 GB DDR4 SO‑DIMM RAM, integrated AI accelerators, and up to 8 high-performance CPU cores that achieve up to 65% gain [1] in multi-thread performance and up to 32% gain [2] in single-thread performance. Moreover, visualization, auditory, and graphics-intensive workloads are enabled with a boost of up to 70% compared to predecessors [3], enhancing performance for these immersive experiences even more.

Flagship applications that directly benefit from these GPU enhancements can be found in surgery, medical imaging, and e-health edge applications as congatec’s new platform supports 8K HDR videos for optimum diagnostics. Combined with the platform’s AI capabilities and the comprehensive Intel OpenVINO toolkit, doctors can gain easy access and insights into deep learning-based diagnostic data. But this is just one benefit of the integrated Intel UHD graphics, which also supports up to four 4K displays in parallel.

In addition, it can process and analyze up to 40 HD 1080p/30fps video streams in parallel for 360-degree

views in all directions. These AI-infused massive vision capabilities are also important for many other markets, including factory automation, machine vision for quality inspection in manufacturing, safe spaces & cities, as well as collaborative robotics and autonomous vehicles in logistics, agriculture, construction, and public transport, to name just a few.

AI and deep learning inference algorithms can seamlessly run either massively parallel on the integrated GPU, or on the CPU with built-in Intel Deep Learning Boost that combines three instructions into one, accelerating inference processing and situational awareness.

The new COM-HPC Client and COM Express Type 6 platforms have integrated safety functions that are important for the fail-safe operation of many mobile vehicles and robots, as well as stationary machinery. As real-time support is mandatory for such applications, the congatec modules can run RTOSes such as RealTime Linux and Wind River VxWorks, and provide native support from Real-Time Systems’ hypervisor technology, which is also officially supported by Intel.

The result for customers is a truly rounded ecosystem package with the most comprehensive support possible. Further real-time capabilities include Intel Time Coordinated Computing (Intel TCC) and TimeSensitive Networking (TSN) for real-time connected IIoT/industry 4.0 gateways and edge computing devices. Enhanced security features that help to protect systems against attacks make these platforms ideal candidates for all types of critical customer applications in factories and utilities.

The feature set in detail The conga-HPC/cTLH COM-HPC Client Size B modules (120mm x 120mm), as well as the congaTS570 COM Express Basic Type 6 modules (125mm x 95mm), will be available with new scalable 11th Gen Intel Core, Xeon, and Celeron processors, with selected

variants even for extreme temperatures ranging from -40 to +85°C. Both form factors support up to 128 GB DDR4 SO-DIMM memory with 3200 MT/s and optional ECC. To connect peripherals with massive bandwidth the COM-HPC modules support 20 PCIe Gen 4 lanes (x16 and x4), and the COM Express versions support 16 PCIe lanes. In addition, designers can leverage 20 PCIe Gen 3 lanes with COM-HPC, and 8 PCIe Gen 3 lanes on COM Express.

To support ultra-fast NVMe SSD, the COM-HPC module provides a 1x PCIe x4 interface to the carrier board. The COM Express board has NVMe SSD even onboard for optimum utilization of all native Gen 4 lanes supported by the new processor. Further storage media can be connected via 2x SATA Gen 3 on COMHPC, and 4x SATA on COM Express.

Where the COM-HPC module offers the latest 2x USB 4.0, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2, and 8x USB 2.0, the COM Express module offers 4x USB 3.2 Gen 2 and 8x USB 2.0 in compliance to the PICMG specification. For networking, the COM-HPC module offers 2x 2.5 GbE, whereas the COM Express module executes 1x GbE, with both supporting TSN. Sound is provided via I2S and SoundWire in the COM-HPC version and HDA on the COM Express modules. Comprehensive board support packages are provided for all leading RTOSes, including hypervisor support from Real-Time Systems as well as Linux, Windows, and Android. congatec www.congatec.com

COTS Journal | September 2021

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September 2021

COT’S PICKS New OnLogic Fanless Computers for the IoT and Edge are Powered by New Intel Processors

The OnLogic Helix 300 Series incorporates the latest Intel Celeron and Pentium CPUs, formerly known as “Elkhart Lake”, in fanless devices built for reliability in challenging environments.

Global industrial computer hardware manufacturer and IoT solution provider, OnLogic (www.onlogic.com), has announced the immediate availability of two new fanless computing platforms powered by the Intel® Celeron® N and Pentium® J series processors, formerly known as “Elkhart Lake”. The new Helix 310 and Helix 330 are highly customizable, fanless devices specifically engineered for Industry 4.0, Edge Computing, and Industrial IoT applications.

“The Helix 300 Series hits that sweet spot of power, performance, efficiency, and value that so many developers, integrators, and OEMs are looking

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for,” says Mike Walsh, OnLogic Industrial Line Product Manager. “Intel’s Elkhart Lake processors provide the perfect complement to our industrial chassis because they were also built specifically for IoT applications.”

Helix 300 Series Specifications With support for triple independent 4K displays, a 0°C to 50°C operating temperature range, and a wealth of configuration options, the Helix 310 and Helix 330 were engineered with versatility in mind.

Features and specifications include: • Dual-Core Celeron N6211 or Quad-Core Pentium J6425 CPU • 3 USB 3.2 & 3 USB 2.0 ports • 2 COM • 3 DisplayPort • 1 Gb LAN port (2 Gb LAN available with Pentium CPU) • 12-24 V power input • Up to 32 GB memory • Optional features:

• DIO • 2 additional COM • CAN Bus • 3 additional antennas The Helix 330 comes equipped with 2 additional Gb LAN ports standard.

Configurable for Specialized Solutions IoT-specific features of the Helix 300 Series include the Intel Programmable Services Engine (Intel PSE). The Intel PSE is a dedicated offload engine for IoT workloads powered by an ARM Cortex-M7 microcontroller, which enables enhanced real-time computing. The Helix 300 Series also features OnLogic’s unique ModBay expansion technology, which allows users to customize systems with additional connectivity options via available M.2 and mPCIe slots.

OnLogic www.onlogic.com

COTS COTS

Index

ADVERTISERS

Company Page # Website Annapolis Micro Systems ........................................ 31 ........................................ www.annapmicro.com Broadcom .............................................................. . 27 ............................................ www.broadcom.com Diamond Systems .................................................... 15/29 ................................. www.diamondsystems.com GET Engineering .................................................... . IFC ............................................... www.getntds.com Great River Technology ........................................... 4 ..................................... www.greatrivertech.com Holo Industries ...................................................... 20 ................................................ www.holoind.com Kingston Technology ............................................. . IBC ............................................. www.kingston.com MPL ...................................................................... 31 ..................................................... www.mpl.com New Wave DV ......................................................... 33 ......................................... www.newwavedv.com OSS ........................................................................ 5 .................................. www.onestopsystems.com Pentek .................................................................. B/C ................................................. www.pentek.com Per Vices Corporation ............................................ 16 ................................................ www.pervices.com PICO Electronics, Inc ............................................. 13 ..................................... www.picoelectronics.com Pixus Technologies ................................................. 17 ................................ www.pixustechnologies.com Sealevel ................................................................. 14 ................................................ www.sealevel.com SECO ...................................................................... 36 ..................................................... www.seco.com U-Reach ................................................................. 12 ........................................ www.ureach-usa.com Versalogic .............................................................. IBC ............................................. www.versalogic.com COTS Journal (ISSN#1526-4653) is published monthly at; 3180 Sitio Sendero, Carlsbad, CA. 92009.

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