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Aerospace

Using RF Technology to Form a Wireless Network Under Water

Consumers have shown that they are eager to be rid of cabling and wires connecting them to devices situated or worn near or on the body. From athletic monitoring devices to headphones,...

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Articles
Aerospace

Using Polyimide In 3D Thin Film Multilayer Circuitry

Today, the cost and complexity of all platforms and systems in military and defense technologies are being challenged by the need for high functionality in smaller but less expensive...

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Articles
Defense

Field Configurable MIL-DTL-55181 Power Distribution

The proliferation of scalable tactical equipment has driven the need for field configurable power-distribution systems. A stacking-interconnect technology has been developed that utilizes the...

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Articles
Software

MISRA C:2012

For C programmers working on safety-critical applications, following restrictions and guidelines to ensure safe-coding practices can be painful. Features of the language designed to make your work easier, more efficient, or provide...

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Application Briefs
Aerospace

F-16 Full Mission Trainers

L-3 Communications announced that its Link Simulation & Training (L-3 Link) division has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright- Patterson Air Force Base near...

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Articles
RF & Microwave Electronics

GaN in Plastic Enables Next-Generation Radar and Communication Systems

Future trends for military radar require multifunction systems that combine radar, communications, and electronic warfare. This higher level of functional integration...

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Articles
RF & Microwave Electronics

System Could Detect Concealed Person-Borne Bombs at a Distance

The recent tragic events at the Boston Marathon illustrate the growing and critical need for the detection of person-borne improvised explosive devices (PBIEDS). Such systems, in...

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Articles
Aerospace

Eyes In The Sky

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are critical to today’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions, supplying valuable aerial imagery to ground forces. Small UAV systems are a highly flexible ISR solution...

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Articles
Aerospace

Point-of-Load Power Management

The requirements for smaller size, lower weight, and reduced cost in space and defense systems are driving demands for improved power-management solutions. Integrated DCto- DC converters that are designed for...

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Articles
Aerospace

Phoning It In: Making Smartphones Secure Enough for Tactical Communications

You suddenly find yourself pinned down by enemy gunfire. What do you do? Whip out your smartphone and call for an airstrike? Yes, if the U.S. Marine Corps has its way.

Articles
Aerospace

Pursuing Agile Signals in a Crowded Spectral Environment

For the capable RF engineer, continuous- wave (CW) and predictably repeating signals are no great challenge. However, design and troubleshooting become difficult when dealing with agile...

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Articles
Photonics/Optics

Beam Irradiance on Target System (BITS)

The Beam Irradiance on Target System (BITS) is a high energy laser (HEL) sensor array that directly measures the beam irradiance profile of HEL weapons. The BITS is a sensor array composed of 105 sensors...

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Articles
Aerospace

From the Lab to the Frontlines Flexible Displays Get Real

In her opening remarks at the AUSA 2012 on October 23, 2012, Heidi Shyu, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology talked about a process she called...

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Articles
Aerospace

Designing Firearm Recoil Springs

Compression springs are a critical component of firearm performance and durability. Making a recoil compression spring perform properly in the extremely limited space available in most firearms, and ensuring it...

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Articles
Aerospace

Trends in Military System Thermal Management

There is no shortage of challenges facing thermal engineers in today’s military and aerospace applications, from the inherent problems caused by harsh environments to the challenges created by...

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Articles
Aerospace

Modeling and Simulation Techniques for Unmanned Vehicle Systems

Unmanned Autonomous Vehicle (UAV) systems have become possible in recent history thanks primarily to the effects of Moore’s Law — the doubling of processing power every 18...

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Articles
Test & Measurement

An Improved SDR FPGA Verification Methodology for Emerging OFDMA Waveforms

The rapid evolution of commercial technologies such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) is becoming more attractive for Software-Defined Radio (SDR) and public safety...

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Articles
Aerospace

Simulation Optimizes Safety and Performance When Integrating an Antenna Onto a Platform

Successful integration of an antenna onto a vehicle platform poses many challenges. Vehicle features impact antenna performance by blocking, reflecting, or...

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Articles
Aerospace

Solving the Power/Energy Paradox for High-Power Defense Applications

While often used interchangeably, power and energy are not the same. Energy is the capacity to perform and power is the rate at which that capacity is exercised — the rate...

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Articles
Aerospace

The Role of Engineering Simulation in the Evolution of Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Across all domains (land, sea, and air), the use of unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) has shown explosive growth and, as their value continues to be demonstrated,...

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Articles
Data Acquisition

Optimizing High Reliability Power Distribution System Designs

As the performance requirements of avionics, military, and space electronic systems increase, so do the demands on the power supplies for these systems. Successful system designs...

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Articles
RF & Microwave Electronics

Testing Modern Radios

Several techniques are now being employed to ensure efficient communications across the chaotic radio spectrum. Chief among them is Software Defined Radio (SDR), which uses software to dynamically control communications...

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Application Briefs
Aerospace

Vertical Take-Off and Landing UAV

The Air Force has announced that the MLB V-Bat Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) UAV from the MLB Company (Sunnyvale, CA) has been selected for a Phase II SBIR award. The military branch seeks a vehicle that...

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Articles
Aerospace

Airflow and Thermal Analysis of UAV De-Icing Systems

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has been increasing around the world as many countries have been rapidly adding UAVs to their arsenals during the past decade. One of the most...

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Articles
Aerospace

Designing A New Generation of Rugged Military Electronics

The military electronics industry is reinventing itself as DoD budget cuts are creating a need for rugged solutions that deliver long-term viability. Despite reduced resources, the DoD...

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Articles
Aerospace

System Interconnects for Today’s Military Vehicles

Continuous improvements in on-board systems are required for military vehicles, because the types of threats they face are always changing. Enemies keep adapting their high-tech...

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Articles
Unmanned Systems

UAV Applications Challenge the Limits of Embedded Computing Technologies

Unmanned Vehicles (UAV/UAS) have proven to be vital, strategic new weapons in the military’s arsenal by providing needed critical intelligence, surveillance and...

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Articles
Aerospace

Testing Ethernet Based Avionics in Aircraft

Since the 1970’s, military aircraft avionics systems have communicated via the MIL-STD-1553 bus. This has proven to be a very effective method, and is still in widespread use today. MIL-STD-1553 is...

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Articles
Aerospace

New Honing Technology Improves Aerospace Accuracy

Invented more than 70 years ago to de-glaze cylinder bores in early automobile engines, conventional honing today is meeting the most advanced aerospace requirements for ultra-precise machined...

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