White PaperDefense
A Generational Leap in Edge Computing with the Versal® ACAP
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Victory on the twenty-first century battlefield now requires processing vast quantities of information in real time. More detailed imagery is needed to enable better decision-making in tactical command centers, radar tracking must be able to monitor more targets across expanded distances and EW systems will need to deal with an increasingly complex range of waveforms generated by clever adversaries. These advanced applications, and others, are driving sensor and processing innovations.
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Overview
This white paper from Mercury Systems details a generational leap in edge computing enabled by the Xilinx Versal® Adaptive Compute Acceleration Platform (ACAP), focusing on its transformative impact on defense and aerospace applications. As sensor data volumes explode and latency requirements shrink, traditional processing architectures can no longer meet the demanding size, weight, and power (SWaP) constraints of edge platforms like UAVs, aircraft, and armored vehicles. Versal ACAP addresses these challenges through its heterogeneous, highly flexible architecture that combines Scalar Engines (Arm Cortex CPUs), Programmable Logic (FPGA-like adaptable engines), and Intelligent Engines (including DSP and AI vector processors) interconnected via a high-bandwidth, programmable Network-on-Chip (NoC).
This integration enables parallel, low-latency processing of complex multi-stage algorithms that typically required multiple specialized boards, effectively consolidating them into a single chip with significantly reduced latency and enhanced power efficiency. The ACAP’s advanced memory hierarchy—including on-chip block RAM, UltraRAM, and accelerator RAM—supports large datasets and AI workloads, critical for real-time applications like cognitive electronic warfare, image recognition, autonomous vehicle navigation, and sensor fusion.
Mercury Systems leverages its aerospace and defense expertise to ruggedize and SWaP-optimize ACAP-based modules, like the SCFE6931—a dual Versal AI Core ACAP OpenVPX module designed for harsh environments, with features including conduction cooling, extensive memory, high-speed I/O, and compliance with defense standards and modular open system architecture (MOSA) protocols. Complementing these hardware innovations are versatile software development tools enabling embedded and AI developers to deploy applications using familiar languages and ML frameworks without needing traditional hardware design skills.
Security and safety are foundational in the ACAP design, with built-in capabilities such as hardware root of trust, cryptography, tamper detection, and run-time protection. Mercury augments these with its BuiltSECURE™ suite of physical and cyber protections, meeting stringent certification and operational logistics requirements.
Overall, this document positions the Versal ACAP as a powerful, flexible, and compact processing solution poised to revolutionize edge computing within the defense sector by enabling smarter, faster, AI-enhanced systems right at the tactical edge, where immediate, reliable intelligence is mission-critical.