Sponsored By Oxley Developments
www.oxleygroup.com
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10 Nov 22. The Open Group Future Airborne Capability Environment™ (FACE) Consortium Opens Membership to Organizations from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and United Kingdom. The Open Group FACETM Consortium today announced that organizations from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom will be eligible for membership of the aviation-focused professional and technical group. The move is a response to a growing demand from both businesses and the US and other governments as international cooperation grows in importance.
Membership will be open to any business or organization incorporated in or registered to do business in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, or United States. Organizations will be able to sign up for three levels of membership (Principal, Sponsor, or Associate), with unique benefits per level. Once an organization becomes a member of the FACE Consortium, all its employees are eligible to participate, provided they are persons of one of the five countries and complete the appropriate paperwork to become onboarded.
Alicia Taylor, The Open Group FACE Consortium Director said: “We are delighted that organizations from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the UK will be able to join the Consortium. As a membership-driven organization, opening up to organizations from outside the US will be essential for the next phase of the Consortium. We see the international expansion as an opportunity to learn about the unique needs and initiatives of each country, while maximizing the benefits to all members.”
Steve Nunn, CEO and President of The Open Group commented: “As a global organization, we are proud that with concurrence from the US Department of Commerce, organizations from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the UK will be able to join the Consortium. We believe that the membership expansion will bring new ideas and expertise, allowing current members to learn from new members and vice versa, and we are excited about the new synergies that this will create.”
Chip Downing, Senior Market Development Director, Aerospace & Defense at Real-Time Innovations (RTI) added: “Opening up The Open Group FACE Consortium membership to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom is a watershed event for our organization. We can now tap into the highly diversified expertise of these nations, and deliver joint solutions that accelerate more powerful and interoperable airborne capabilities to global militaries.”
The Open Group FACE Consortium collaborates on developing open software standards to innovate processes and practices, and accelerate FACE adoption. With 90+ government, industry, and academic member organizations, the FACE Consortium has business processes that promote competition and are equitable to both suppliers and end-users; technical practices that enhance and accelerate the development and integration of capabilities; and component-based software standards that define a layered architecture with standard interfaces and a way to describe what data crosses those interfaces.
The Consortium is also addressing all five principles of the US Department of Defense directive of Modular Open System Approach (MOSA), which are equally applicable to global markets. When applied, these principles, combined with the practices and processes described above, enable software portability, reusability, and interoperability.
10 Nov 22. Advantech Launches AIMB-522, an Industrial Micro-ATX Motherboard with AMD Ryzen™ Embedded 5000 for AI Image Processing. Advantech, a leading provider of embedded solutions, is proud to release AIMB-522, an industrial Micro-ATX motherboard for AI image processing in automation and surveillance. AIMB-522 leverages AMD’s first desktop processor, the Ryzen™ Embedded 5000, which provides 16 x high-performance Zen 3 cores. In addition, AIMB-522 features a suite of technologies that empower high computing performance efficiency — these include PCIe Gen 4 expandability, 4 x Gigabit Ethernet ports, and 8 x USB 3.2. This combination of features and functions produces an excellent solution for factory automation, smart logistics, and intelligent surveillance applications.
AMD Desktop Processor Ryzen™ Embedded 5000 Delivers Superior Performance
AIMB-522 features the AMD Ryzen™ Embedded 5000 processor with Zen 3 performance, delivering superior processing and power efficiency. The Instructions per Clock, 16 cores, and L3 cache provided by Zen 3 is excellent for latency-sensitive applications in smart manufacturing, automated visual inspection, and intelligent surveillance. These performance gains are delivered with no increase in power consumption or TDP. Indeed, the industry-leading 7nm process enables AMD Ryzen™ Embedded 5000 Series to deliver a 24% improvement in energy efficiency and 2.8-fold lead when compared to previous generation solutions and competing architectures respectively.
High-speed Interfaces for Camera-based Applications
Computer vision applications require the seamless integration of high-speed digital cameras. Consequently, AIMB-522 features 4 x Gigabit Ethernet ports and 8 x USB 3.2 10Gbps ports. These interfaces provide complete connectivity for high data throughput cameras with transfer bandwidths up to 350MB/s and/or 60 fps. These features make AIMB-522 capable of integrating more than 10 x high quality video cameras without additional peripherals cards. For extra connectivity, the onboard PCI-Express x4 slots offer the flexibility needed to support more camera devices or industrial controllers with add-on cards.
Extra Expandability for Integration in Industrial Applications
The Advantech AIMB-522 supports 1 x PCI-Express x16 Gen4 bus standard for graphics demanding applications. In addition, its 2 x PCI-Express x4 slots offer the expandability needed for robotic controller card integration, while the onboard M.2 M-Key socket supports high-speed SSD for Real-time OS operations. This expandability for industrial peripherals enables AIMB-522 to empower controller and factory automation upgrades, and facilitates AI-enabled imaging processing.
Key Features
- AMD Ryzen™ Embedded 5000 Series in high-performance Zen 3 architecture
- High speed connectivity — 4 x Gigabit Ethernet & 8 x USB 3.2
- High expandability — 1 x PCI-Express x16, 2 x PCI-Express x4, 1 x M.2 M-key (PCI-Express x 4 and SATA III)
- Diverse I/O for industrial application — 1 x M.2 E-Key (PCI-Express x 1 and USB 2.0), 4 x RS232, and 2 x RS232/422/485
08 Nov 22. Mercury introduces radiation-tolerant 8GB DDR4 memory component to power enhanced edge processing for space missions. Mercury Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRCY, www.mrcy.com), a leader in trusted, secure mission-critical technologies for aerospace and defense, today introduced a new radiation-tolerant version of its proven 8GB DDR4 memory component that sets a new bar for performance in data-intensive processing applications in space.
Why It Matters
Space systems play an outsized role in modern life and require ever-increasing amounts of processing power to enable sophisticated in-space applications and manage exploding volumes of data. Military satellites enable critical national security missions such as missile warning, communications, and Earth observation. Commercial satellites provide in-flight wi-fi connectivity, direct-to-home television and radio services, and global infrastructure and asset monitoring. Crewed and uncrewed civil government spacecraft are expanding our understanding of our own world and everything beyond it.
As space systems become more complex, new capabilities and requirements necessitate high-density memory capabilities to complement greater processing power. And as space systems are increasingly developed with smaller form factors, Mercury’s 8GB DDR4 components offer 75% space savings compared to alternative memory options.
“Mercury memory modules are designed to operate in the most demanding environments and are employed on critical missions in the air, land, and sea domains,” said Tom Smelker, Mercury’s Vice President and General Manager of Custom Microelectronics Solutions. “With our newest radiation-tolerant 8GB DDR4 modules, we are expanding our space product portfolio to unlock even more capability and performance for next-generation government and commercial space missions.”
Mercury’s 8GB DDR4 memory components feature:
- Data transfer speed up to 2,666 Mb/s
- -55 to +125°C operating temperature
- 13 x 20 x ≤2.36 mm form factor
- Eutectic solder balls for superior board-level reliability
- 100% burn-in and electrical test for the highest quality assurance
- Manufactured in a DMEA-trusted facility
08 Nov 22. General Atomics Completes DRACO Nuclear Thermal Propulsion System Design and Test Milestone. General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) announced today that it has completed major milestones for the Track A, Phase 1 Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) program. Under contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), GA-EMS delivered a baseline design of a DRACO Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) reactor and engine and successfully tested key components of the nuclear reactor, including the vitally important high-temperature fuel elements in prototypic conditions at the NASA Nuclear Thermal Element Environmental Simulator (NTREES). The NTP system is intended to allow a nuclear thermal rocket to operate in cislunar space, the region between the Earth and the Moon.
“We have leveraged our expertise in nuclear and space system technologies to design an NTP system and test the vital components of that system to confirm they will withstand the relevant design conditions,” stated Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS. “Unlike electric and chemical propulsion technologies in use today, NTP propulsive capabilities can achieve two to three times the propellant mass efficiency, which is critically important for cislunar missions.”
“The cislunar space domain is essential to our national defense, modern commerce, and scientific discovery. As opportunities in cislunar space continue to expand, more innovative propulsion technologies to access space are increasingly necessary,” said Dr. Christina Back, vice president of Nuclear Technologies and Materials at GA-EMS. (Source: ASD Network)
08 Nov 22. China-US: Tech curb will coerce chipmakers based in states allied with US to redesign chips for China. On 7 November, the US microchip company Nvidia Corporation confirmed that it has begun to supply China with a new chip that complies with Washington DC’s new export control regulations. These pertain to the transfer of advanced technology in semiconductors. The new graphic processing unit (GPU), known as A800, is redesigned specifically for the Chinese market; its capabilities are slightly inferior to the comparable A100 chip. Nvidia’s move reflects the steps US tech companies must now take to continue doing business with China amid the Biden administration’s tightening restrictions on advanced semiconductor technology, manufacturing equipment and related human resources. Against this backdrop, other foreign firms in the sector, especially those from US allies like Taiwan, Japan, and the Netherlands, will be under increasing pressure from Washington DC to follow its lead. More chipmakers will possibly need to design an alternative product suite for China. (Source: Sibylline)
07 Nov 22. DISA’s Plea to Industry: Bring Us Battlefield-Ready Tech.
The Pentagon’s IT agency also wants help wringing more performance out of its existing gear.
The Pentagon’s lead IT agency wants to do more buying and less making, a key leader says.
“We want to communicate with our industry partners as much as possible because we will rely on them to deliver capability that the warfighter needs today and we don’t want to necessarily have to develop it,” said Don Means, who leads the Defense Information Systems Agency’s Operations and Infrastructure Center. “We really want to adopt and evolve existing capabilities as much as possible.”
Means talked with Defense One ahead of the agency’s annual Forecast to Industry event held on Monday in Baltimore, Md.
He stressed that such capabilities must integrate cybersecurity and supply chain risk management. And besides seeking new tech at the industry day, the goal is to get feedback on how to best maximize what DISA has already bought “so I can take the capability that I purchased and use the maximum effect.”
The agency did some major reorganizing last year, creating new centers such as the Hosting and Compute Center and Means’ own Operations and Infrastructure Center.
Over the past six months, Means’ center has been looking for best practices from commercial partners, including how to better share cyber best practices to cyber information. But it has also worked to improve connectivity in the Pacific and support efforts in Ukraine.
Global connectivity and the Pacific
The center has been helping U.S. Indo-Pacific Command improve its ability to communicate across its vast region and especially in the event of a confrontation with China, Means said.
Those challenges also drive DISA’s desire to buy commercially-ready tech, Means said.
The agency “is relying on industry as a critical partner to deliver solutions,” he said. “We don’t want to have to develop them when the industry is already doing them” because that means capabilities can be delivered faster.
DISA’s operations center got busier than expected after Russia invaded Ukraine in February, coordinating and delivering cybersecurity personnel and tools to Europe while keeping up its Pacific work.
“The fight in cyber is global,” Means said. “If it rings, dings, or chimes, it is supported by Operations in some way, shape, or form. Hundreds of millions of cyber attacks [are] defended per day.”
Then he said: “You can’t take your eye off the ball in any area of operation. And then you have to be willing to pivot to support no matter what’s going on in the world. The next crisis might be somewhere in SOUTHCOM, it might be in INDOPACOM, but we have to be prepared and flexible.”
For the past year, DISA’s operations center has worked to make its capabilities more resilient, secure, and flexible, while leaning on industry partners. For the year ahead, Means said, the goal is to “continue to perfect operations. We’ve done a lot but there’s still a lot to do.”
$15bn in contracts—and counting
DISA’s operations center has had a number of major contracts and shifts.
Leidos won the $11.5bn Defense Enclave Services contract, which helps with network modernization for other defense agencies and field activities called the Fourth Estate, in February. Since then, Means said, DISA has been able to “raise the bar for security, standardize the campus environment across all the defense agencies and field activities” and “provide a more mobile portable environment” as part of the agency’s Fourth Estate Network Optimization Plan.
The contract was key because it helps consolidate contracts into a single vehicle for IT-service-desk needs. “It’s narrowing it down to one contract, one secret environment, one unclassified environment, a unified global Help Desk to provide high-quality support across the board with the security that we need across the entire Fourth Estate,” Means said.
So far, DISA has finished network optimization for the Defense Technical Information Center and the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. Up next: the Defense Contract Management Agency, Defense Manpower Data Center, and the Defense Media Activity.
Last year, DISA began moving users to the $4.4bn Defense Enterprise Office Solutions, or DEOS, program, which offers cloud-based productivity tools like email and messaging. Since then, it’s been figuring out how to use the capability beyond offices and on the battlefield where connectivity may be lacking or spotty.
“It’s broader than just an office and boardroom capability,” Means said. “It facilitates decision making, command and control, collaboration—and even though a Marine may not have a mobile device on the battlefield to get into DEOS, certainly they’re supported by this.”
The Marine Corps requested the capability earlier this year. And DISA is working to make sure users can share across the department.
DISA aims to enable DEOS users to collaborate on classified information sometime next year, Means said. (Source: Defense One)
09 Nov 22. NI Announces Industry-Leading PXI VST. First VST to Offer 2GHz Bandwidth and Continuous Frequency Coverage.
Want the best-in-class RF performance? Look no further.
NI today announced the most versatile and capable Vector Signal Transceiver (VST), the 3rd generation PXIe-5842 VST. It is the only VST to offer continuous frequency coverage from 50MHz all the way up to 23 GHz, doubles the available instantaneous bandwidth from 1GHz, on the previous generation, to 2 GHz and provides best-in-class RF performance on key metrics such as Error Vector Magnitude (EVM) and Average Noise Density.
Rapidly changing wireless technologies present new risks and challenges for the industry. The increased complexity of technologies, standards and frequencies, coupled with pressures for faster time to market, have created a demand for NI’s products to cover all bands in a single instrument. The PXIe-5842 is the highest-performing PXI VST instrument available. EVM performance has been improved by 3dB for key Wi-Fi 7 and 5GNR waveforms. The PXIe-5842’s low cost, scalable approach is now the only PXI product that can offer a single instrument that can be configured to 8 GHz for sub-8 cellular and Wi-Fi applications, 12 GHz for cellular and connectivity applications, and 23 GHz for applications that require the ultimate flexibility on frequency spectrum ranging from VHF to Ku for applications such as Radar target simulation and spectrum monitoring in electronic warfare and satellite communications.
“NI is excited to bring this revolutionary product to the wireless industry,” said Chen Chang, Strategic Business Development Director, NI. “The PXIe-5842 can be configured to offer 23 Gigahertz, two times the coverage of competitor’s models. And at 2 Gigahertz bandwidth, the PXIe-5842 provides a 67% increase in bandwidth over currently available models, giving our customers the competitive advantage.”
Traditional RF box instrumentation can be bulky, expensive, and lacking versatility. The PXIe-5842 offers excellent measurement accuracy and can measure 802.11be Error Vector Magnitude (EVM) performance of more than –49 dB, for standard compliant test cases. Its scalability and simplified test benches offer customers one instrument and one connection.
Additional Key Features Include:
- Continuous frequency coverage from 50 MHz up to 23 GHz
- 2 GHz instantaneous bandwidth
- Direct RF path below 1.75 GHz
- Baseband conditioning modes optimized for Wide Bandwidth or High Dynamic Range
- MGT connectors for streaming at full data rate (Q1 ’23)
- Increasing test coverage capability with best-in-class VST performance
- Combine multiple VSTs in one integrated PXIe system for MIMO applications, allowing for up to 4×4 MIMO configuration into one 18-slot chassis
- Common software tools to PXIe-583x and PXIe-5841 for a seamless upgrade experience
07 Nov 22. US Navy ship USS Bataan receives first metal 3D printer. Officials coordinate the on load of a 3D printer aboard Wasp-class ship USS Bataan (LHD 5). Credit: Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Darren Newell/Naval Sea Systems Command. The US Navy’s Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) has been installed with the first permanent metal three-dimensional (3D) printer.
The installation is a joint initiative of the US Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Technology Office and Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic.
The equipment installed aboard Bataan includes a Phillips Additive Hybrid system, which comprises a laser metal wire deposition head, called Meltio3D, integrated with a Haas TM-1 computer numerical control mill.
Together, Meltio3D and Haas TM-1 deliver subtractive and additive manufacturing (AM) capabilities within one system to help increase efficiency and reduce waste, compared to conventional machining.
NAVSEA chief engineer rear admiral Jason Lloyd said: “These printers have the ability to help the Navy overcome both obsolescence issues for ships and systems that have service lives measured in decades and directly contribute to enhanced operational availability of our systems and ships.”
The new system can print 316L stainless steel, which is a prevalent material in ship systems.
It will further provide cost-effective industrial-level manufacturing capabilities to the sailors to print systems’ specific parts.
Apart from the 3D printer, NAVSEA engineers have also installed a second 3D printer onboard the Wasp-class vessel to produce polymer (plastic) components.
The second printer will allow crewmembers to print any of the 300 NAVSEA-developed AM technical data packages to support the manufacturing of the ship’s part.
Naval Surface Force Atlantic commander rear admiral Brendan McLane said: “The introduction of AM into naval operations supports readiness and self-sufficiency.”
The process of 3D printing or AM allows the joining of different materials to make parts from 3D model data available layer on layer. It is different from the subtractive and formative manufacturing methodologies. (Source: naval-technology.com)
04 Nov 22. DoD’s Microelectronics Commons Takes Shape. The United States is a world leader in microelectronics design, but is responsible for only about 12% of microelectronics production globally, with most production now in Asia. American production capacity along with the ability to prototype and test new technology at scale is also lacking. And the Department of Defense is working to change that.
Thanks to funding provided by the CHIPS and Science Act, DoD is about to bring the Microelectronics Commons to life. This key network of microelectronics infrastructure investments, facilities, companies, and manufacturers is designed to empower commercial leaders to guide the DoD’s efforts in microelectronics development. With the creation of regional technology hubs, each focusing on key technology areas, the Microelectronics Commons will close the gap between research ideas and realization of those ideas. The consortium manager for the Naval Surface Warfare Center – Crane’s S2MARTS Other Transaction Authority (OTA) vehicle, the National Security Technology Accelerator, or NSTXL, will host a Microelectronics Commons Awareness Day webinar that will explain the Commons and how industry can participate on Nov. 9, 2022. Details are on their site at https://us.nstxl.org/microelectronics-commons-s2marts/. There will also be an Industry Day in early December.
“The effort to establish the Microelectronics Commons is the culmination of years of effort at DoD,” said David Honey, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. “The funding provided by the CHIPS Act will put us on a path to faster lab-to-fab production and strengthen American microelectronics development and production capacity. But it’s enabled by the tremendous partnership our office has with NSWC Crane. Their vision and hard work in establishing the extremely flexible S2MARTS OTA vehicle will make the Commons work. This vision could not be realized without them.”
The Commons is designed to enable sustained partnerships between emerging technology sources, manufacturing facilities, and interagency partners. It will also work to develop a pipeline of talent to bolster local semiconductor economies and contribute more broadly to the growth of a domestic semiconductor workforce. Learn more about DoD’s involvement in the Microelectronics Commons at our new landing page: https://www.cto.mil/ct/microelectronics/commons/
About USD(R&E)
The Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (USD(R&E) is the Chief Technology Officer of the Department of Defense. The USD(R&E) champions research, science, technology, engineering, and innovation to maintain the United States military’s technological advantage. Learn more at www.cto.mil, follow us on Twitter @DoDCTO, or visit us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/ousdre. (Source: US DoD)
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Oxley Group Ltd
Oxley offer a range of Military Marine NVG friendly LED lighting that includes navigation lights and controls, flight deck landing lights and interior compartment lighting. Our lighting products are used by Navies around the world including our own Royal Navy on UK Aircraft Carriers, Canadian Frigates, Swedish Submarines, Australian Surface vessels and Submarines, on board French Naval Carriers and in Naval Gun Turrets.
https://oxleydevelopments.cmail20.com/t/t-l-cdhkulk-yujhutkljd-r/
The technology is extremely energy efficient and built robustly, with proven long life. The lighting is NVG friendly, dimmable and programmable to allow for operations with aircraft pilots using military night vision goggles. They offer superior design giving high reliability for the most demanding environments with high sealing and the ability to meet the most stringent EMC standards.
https://oxleydevelopments.cmail20.com/t/t-l-cdhkulk-yujhutkljd-y/
Oxley are proud to say that we are working in partnership with SeaKing to enable a control panel to be offered with our LED Navigation Lighting. All of Oxley navigation lights have been specifically developed for vessels over 50 metres.
Contact Marcus Goad on 07850 917 263 for more information or to arrange samples.
Oxley specialises in the design and manufacture of advanced electronic and electro-optic components and systems for air, land and sea applications within the military sector. Established in 1942, Oxley has manufacturing facilities in the UK and USA and enjoys representation worldwide. The company’s products include night vision and LED lighting, data capture systems and electronic components. Oxley has pioneered the development of night vision compatible lighting. It offers a total package incorporating optical filters, equipment modification, cockpit and external lighting along with fleet wide upgrade services including engineering, installation, support, maintenance and training. The company’s long experience of manufacturing night vision lighting and LED indicators, coupled with advances in LED technology, has enabled it to develop LED solutions to replace incandescent and fluorescent lighting in existing applications as well as becoming the lighting option of choice in new applications such as portable military hospitals, UAV control stations and communication shelters.
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