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Aerospace

Evaluating the FPGA Selection Process in Military System Design

As technologies such as digital signal processors (DSPs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and general-purpose processors (GPPs) advance, product and feature differentiation...

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Photonics/Optics

Fiber Interferometry for Testing Military Avionics

Fiber-optic networks have benefited from nearly 20 years of continuous expansion (notwithstanding the brief, yet surprisingly quiet period from 2002 to 2005). For terrestrial networking, this...

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Articles
Aerospace

Electrically Driven General Systems for UAVs

General systems are defined as all of the flight safety critical systems of an aircraft, excluding the engine and flight control computing. Usually, the main subsystems in a general system include...

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Articles
Aerospace

Tactical Lab Trains Warfighters in Space Hardware and Software Control Tasks

A Training and Tactical ORS Operations (TATOO) Laboratory is being developed by Star Technologies Corp. under the direction of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)...

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Articles
Aerospace

Demodulating Over-the-Air Communications

Today, modern radio designs have made a predominant shift to the software-defined radio architecture. From cellular handsets to military communications devices, the flexibility to use multiple wireless...

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Articles
Aerospace

Middleware Offers Integration Framework for Dynamic UAV Applications

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) like the MQ-1 Predator have excelled in the theaters of war in which they have been deployed. However, the ability of those controlling the UAV...

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Articles
Aerospace

Interaction Methods for Virtual Reality Applications

The potential of Virtual Reality (VR) technology has not been fully realized because the user interfaces are not designed to effectively support the user. One of the most critical interface...

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Articles
Data Acquisition

2D Laser Profiling Scanner for Detecting Targets

The Radiometric Sensor Development and Applications Team of the Sensors and Electron Devices Directorate (SEDD) at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) has developed a 2D laser profiling...

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Articles
Aerospace

Active Thermal Management for Cooler Body Armor

The military places greater demands on its equipment — electronic and otherwise — than any other market segment. It is also true that it places its greatest thermal demands on the men and...

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Articles
Aerospace

Detecting Improvised Explosive Devices in Urban Areas

Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are rudimentary bombs that generally consist of commonly found non-military materials. Although common IED threats include roadside bombs, suicide bombers...

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Articles
Aerospace

Weapon and Armor System Power in Future Combat Vehicles

Future combat vehicles will require unconventional weapons and armor systems such as electromagnetic (EM) or electrothermal chemical (ETC) guns, electromagnetic (EM) armor, and directed-...

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Articles
Aerospace

Today’s Gigabit Ethernet Modules: Realizing the Netcentric Vision

To realize the Depart ment of Defense's (DoD) vision of a ubiquitous, netcentric battlefield — connecting the warfighter with critical data in real time — embedded...

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Articles
Sensors/Data Acquisition

Man-Wearable Control Units for Military Robotics

It is no secret that robots are rapidly asserting themselves in today's military applications. For the duration of the Iraq War, robots have roamed the streets of Baghdad, Fallujah, and other...

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Articles
Sensors/Data Acquisition

Digital Light Control Simplifies Focal Plane Array Testing and Image Sensor Production

Characterization of the performance of image sensors and image sensor systems is critical to success in many defense and security applications. From image...

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Articles
Sensors/Data Acquisition

Applying Reconfigurable Computing to Acoustic Sensors

There is growing interest in the U.S. Armed Forces in the development of microsensor systems that are easily deployed and that support reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition...

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Articles
Energy

On-Board Vehicle Power for Mobile Forces

Current threats on our military forces have created a tremendous requirement for mobility as it relates to mission specifications. The objectives of onboard vehicle power (OBVP) are to develop,...

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Articles
Propulsion

The Future of Space Propulsion

Significant challenges and advances in space propulsion have occurred over the past ten years. The end of the Cold War had significant impacts, both positive and negative. Operational systems now have to operate...

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Articles
Defense

Multi-Robot Operator Control Unit for Unmanned Systems

The U.S. military has incorporated many robotic systems into battlefield scenarios over the past several years, ranging from a single vehicle or unattended sensor to multiple vehicles and...

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Articles
Imaging

GigE Vision and Video Transmission in Military Vehicles

Video plays a crucial role in defense and security, and video streams are now used in armored vehicles for target acquisition, Local Situation Awareness, and other military applications....

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Articles
Electronics & Computers

Rugged Computing Power for Small Platforms

Sensor-based imaging systems generate invaluable information for modern warfare, but a serious challenge exists to the timely use of that information. Data links that provide the transmission backbone...

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Articles
Defense

Considerations for Thermal Management of Printed Wiring Boards

Remaining at the forefront of technological advancements in the printed wiring industry requires a proven combination of process methodology, state-of-the-art processing equipment,...

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Application Briefs
RF & Microwave Electronics

Portable Antenna Helps Hurricane Survivors Communicate

Victims of Hurricane Katrina found peace of mind in the aftermath thanks to an inflatable antenna that enabled emergency satellite communications for displaced Mississippians.

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Application Briefs
RF & Microwave Electronics

Microwave RF Amplifier Boosts Communications Power

When you watch TV or use a cell phone, amplifiers make the signal stronger or the voice clearer. A hybrid, high-powered microwave amplifier from Aria Microwave Systems of Teaneck, NJ enables...

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Articles
RF & Microwave Electronics

Role and Performance of the Global Precipitation Measurement Microwave Imager Instrument

The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission will initiate a new era in precipitation measurement in terms of its global extent and frequency of...

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Articles
Defense

Prototyping Advanced Military Radar Systems

Radar receiver design is seeing an increase in the number of digital tuning and digital signal processing (DSP) functions moved from back-end single-board computers into fixed front-end hardware...

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Articles
Software

Data-Based Paradigm for Rapid Development of Advanced Avionics Displays

The database concepts, tools, and runtime software described in this article provide a methodology for creating advanced avionics human-machine interfaces (HMIs), such as...

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Articles
Electronics & Computers

Thermal Trends and Improvements for Rugged COTS Cards

Thermal management of rugged COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) cards destined for defense applications has always been a challenge due to the high operating temperatures and other harsh...

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Articles
Defense

Network Keeps Line of Communication Open to Convoys

An airman riding as part of a convoy escort team in Iraq keys his radio microphone to check in with his base, and hears nothing but dead air. The U.S. Air Force is leading a joint...

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Articles
Defense

Micro Air Vehicles Serve as Eyes in the Sky for Ground Troops

Honeywell Aerospace has developed the Micro Air Vehicle (MAV), an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) based on ducted-fan technology that recently was deployed in Iraq to identify...

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