Military Embedded Systems

DDC-I Announces HeartOS DO-178B Real-time Operating System Support for ARM Processors

DDC-I, Inc. — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 07:08:23 -0700

Phoenix, AZ. March 18, 2010.DDC-I, a leading supplier of software and professional services for mission- and safety-critical applications, announced today that its safety-critical, DO-178B Level A certifiable, HeartOS real-time operating system and OpenArbor development tool suite is available for the ARM7™ and ARM9™ families of processors. The HeartOS running atop ARM® processors provides a scalable, low-power, high-performance computing platform for developing and hosting mission- and safety-critical applications for the avionics, transportation, industrial automation, and medical markets. HeartOS is particularly well suited for applications requiring DO-178B certification from the FAA and international aviation authorities.

HeartOS is a lightweight, deterministic kernel that utilizes POSIX profile 51 interfaces as well as profile 52 features such as socket communications. Currently undergoing certification to DO-178B Level A, the HeartOS kernel provides POSIX scheduling, threads, semaphores, mutexes, barriers, condition variables, message queues, clocks and timers. HeartOS is highly scalable and configurable, making it ideal for 16- and 32-bit microcontrollers and microprocessors. HeartOS also features a compact,lightweight deterministic TCP/IP stack for embedded networking and internet connectivity.

“HeartOS provides a scalable, compact, lightweight complement to our time- and space-partitioned Deos™ embedded OS, making it ideal for hosting small- to medium-sized safety-critical applications targeting ARM processors,” said Greg Rose, vice president of marketing at DDC-I. “HeartOS is certifiable to the most stringent FAA software standards and utilizes POSIX interfaces for maximum application portability. It also provides bounded networking support and complete development tool support.”

“The rising performance levels, product breadth and energy efficiency delivered by the ARM processor family is accelerating its adoption into a range of non-mobile embedded applications,” added Ian Johnson, third-party program manager at ARM. “We welcome the decision from DDC-I to support the ARM architecture, believing that the combination of HeartOS and ARM processor technology provides an excellent platform for developing, hosting, and certifying a broad range of safety-critical applications”

Development support for the HeartOS includes DDC-I’s Eclipse-based, mixed-language OpenArbor IDE, which features C and C++ optimizing compilers, a color-coded source editor, project management support, automated build utilities, and a mixed-language, multi-window, symbolic debugger.

About DDC-I, Inc. DDC-I, Inc. is a global supplier of real-time operating systems, software development tools, custom software development services, and legacy software system modernization solutions, with a primary focus on mission- and safety-critical applications. DDC-I's customer base is an impressive "who's who" in the commercial, military, aerospace, and safety-critical industries. DDC-I offers safety-critical real-time operating systems, compilers, integrated development environments and run-time systems for C, C++, Ada, Fortran and JOVIAL application development. For more information regarding DDC-I products, contact DDC-I at 1825 E. Northern Ave., Suite #125, Phoenix, Arizona 85020; phone (602) 275-7172; fax (602) 252-6054; e-mail sales@ddci.com or visit www.ddci.com/mktg.php?mc=pr1004.

Viking Modular Solutions(tm) and Shocking Technologies Deliver ESD Protected Solid State Solutions

Viking Modular Solutions — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 02:17:43 -0700

FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. – March 18, 2010 – Viking Modular Solutions™, a division of Sanmina-SCI Corporation (Nasdaq NM: SANM), and leading manufacturer of innovative memory and flash solutions, today announced availability of its first product featuring Shocking Technologies Xstatic™ Voltage Switchable Dielectric (VSD™) polymer material that protects electronic components from harmful electrostatic discharge (ESD).

“We are extremely proud of the work we have done with Shocking Technologies and look forward to delivering a family of ESD protected Viking Modular Solutions products,” stated Adrian Proctor, Vice President of Marketing for Viking Modular Solutions. “ESD is a major threat to any electronic product and we believe this technology will provide customers with a level of data security never seen before.”

The CompactFlash® card from Viking Modular Solutions can withstand 30KV per the IEC 61004-2 test required for CompactFlash cards. It then takes a further step by increasing direct pin contact discharge protection to 19KV HBM (level 4 semiconductor protection), eight times the level of a standard CompactFlash card. This Viking Modular Solutions ESD protected CompactFlash card is a product deriving from initial development work at Sanmina-SCI and incubation from Shocking Technologies.

“It’s exciting to see our technology being introduced to the world by our partner Sanmina-SCI and its Modular Solutions division,” said Lex Kosowsky, President and CEO of Shocking Technologies. “While this technology will proliferate through the industry, from solid state flash drives to cell phones, it is truly fitting that Viking Modular Solutions will be the first to lead the industry in bringing this new ESD technology to market.”

ESD is a serious issue in solid state electronics, whereby the semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) material can suffer permanent damage when subjected to high voltages. The most common and spectacular form of ESD is the “spark,” which occurs when a strong electric field creates and ionized conductive channel in the air. This occurrence causes a slight discomfort to people, but will cause severe damage to electronic equipment.

Viking Modular Solutions continues to advance its leadership role by proactively developing and delivering high technology products that optimize the value and performance of its customers’ applications in the Network Infrastructure, Embedded, Defense & Aerospace and Enterprise markets.

About Viking Modular Solutions

Headquartered in Foothill Ranch, California, Viking Modular Solutions is focused on developing and delivering high technology products that optimize the value and performance of our customers’ applications in the Network Infrastructure, Embedded, Defense & Aerospace and Enterprise markets. Founded in 1989, Viking Modular Solutions has been providing Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) with industry leading design, engineering, product support and customer service for more than 20 years. For more information, visit www.vikingmodular.com.

About Sanmina-SCI

Sanmina-SCI Corporation is a leading electronics contract manufacturer serving the fastest-growing segments of the global Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) market. Recognized as a technology leader, Sanmina-SCI provides end-to-end manufacturing solutions, delivering superior quality and support to OEMs primarily in the communications, defense and aerospace, industrial and medical instrumentation, multimedia, computing and storage, and automotive technology sectors. Sanmina-SCI has facilities strategically located in key regions throughout the world. More information regarding the company is available at www.sanmina-sci.com.

Sanmina-SCI Safe Harbor Statement

The foregoing, including the discussion regarding the Company's future prospects, contains certain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including uncertainties associated with economic conditions in the electronics industry, particularly in the principal industry sectors served by the Company, changes in customer requirements and in the volume of sales to principal customers, the ability of Sanmina-SCI to effectively assimilate acquired businesses and achieve the anticipated benefits of its acquisitions, and competition and technological change. The Company's actual results of operations may differ significantly from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements as a result of these and other factors, including factors set forth in the Company's fiscal year 2009 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the other reports, including quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K, that the Company files with the Securities Exchange Commission.

New 1U High Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) Allows 600 VA Uninterrupted Power Transfer Between Two AC Power Sources for Broadcast TV, and Digital Communications Applications

Digital Power — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:40:56 -0700

FREMONT, Calif., March 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Digital Power announces the release of its new Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS), a state-of-the-art power switching and management module that monitors, selects, and transfers up to 600 W of AC power between two independent AC power sources in less than 10 mS.

This device was developed for an industry-leading broadcast TV OEM's application in which AC power must be quickly transferred between a primary and a back-up source, typically within 7 mS, to prevent service downtime and loss of revenue for broadcast TV operators. The broadcast TV industry defines a maximum time limit for restoration of power upon a power outage, and this ATS allows broadcast operators to satisfy that requirement. This device also is suitable for a wide range of applications in telecommunications, Internet infrastructure, security & surveillance, and other areas that require a fast transfer to a back-up power source.

The ATS features a universal AC input range (85 to 264 VAC, 47 - 63 Hz with capability up to 440 Hz) and fully supports electronic switch mode power supply (SMPS) load types that incorporate active power factor correction. An on-board microcontroller provides real-time DSP monitoring and analysis of incoming AC line voltage, regardless of wave shape. Most functions and features can easily be defined by users to meet requirements of unique applications. For example: users can designate either of the two AC inputs as the primary source of power; users can program input voltage threshold detection and transfer limits; users can adjust the time delays for transfers; users can set specific operations of LED visual indicators (function/intensity/blink rate). In addition, a serial I2 C bus allows programmable serialization and part numbering data to be stored. With a power transfer efficiency of 99% and a MTBF reliability of >1.5 m hours per Bellcore 332 Issue 6 (30 degrees C), this ATS can significantly enhance the value of an end user's system.

The ATS features a building block design that allows easy modification and adjustment to support any product that requires alternate switchable AC source to maintain services. It measures just 1.5 x 4.25 x 8.50 inches and includes a printed circuit board with an edge-card connector for pluggable applications. The faceplate houses two panel-mounted AC power inlets (IEC-320 dual fused), one AC power outlet, and LED indicators for input power status. The AC model configuration allows up to a 6 A or approximately 600 VA power transfer capability into resistive, inductive or electronic loads. A metal faceplate with integrated locking hardware and an EMI gasket completes this pluggable device that can be put into a 1U, 2U, or 3U chassis.

The ATS can be configured quickly to meet customer-specific requirements for a best fit into unique applications. It supports customizations ranging from mechanical variations to faceplate silk-screening. For complete information about available DC input options, consult Digital Power.

All models are CE marked, certified to EN60950 and UL60950, and supports EN55022 class B emissions.

About Digital Power Corporation

Digital Power Corporation is a world-class solution-driven organization that designs, develops, manufactures, and sells cutting-edge high-grade power system solutions to military/defense, telecom/industrial and medical industries. Digital Power is a publicly traded corporation (NYSE Amex: DPW). The corporate office is located at 41324 Christy St., Fremont, California. 94538-3115. Tel 866-344-7697 website www.digipwr.com.

Kontron expands its industrial temperature Computer-on-Module By-Design product line with new ETXexpress(r)-PC-XT

Kontron — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 05:10:48 -0700

Poway, CA, March 17, 2010 – Re-engineered for proven functionality in extended temperature applications, Kontron today announced the expansion of its industrial temperature Computer-on-Module “by-design” product line with the new Kontron ETXexpress®-PC-XT. The new Basic form factor COM Express™ Type 2 module, which is a sister product to the commercial-grade Kontron ETXexpress®-PC module that features the 45 nm Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor and Intel® GS45 chipset, has been redesigned using only components that will be functional under industrial temperature E2 range requirements from -40 to +85 °C. The Kontron ETXexpress®-PC-XT meets growing customer demand for embedded computing solutions that provide high reliability in extreme environmental operating conditions that can range from very high to very low temperatures typically experienced in a military-aerospace, transportation and outdoor signage applications.

Enabling companies to reduce time-to-market with a COTS solution, this true industrial-grade “by design” module eliminates the risk of a failed system in the field and is an optimal alternative to screening commercial-grade products. Customers also alleviate the investment in 100% screening needed in commercial-grade modules with a “by design” product. For critical system applications that have constant or repeated exposure to extreme temperatures or temperature fluctuations, Kontron ensures that all ETXexpress®-PC-XT components are fully industrial temperature rated and are vendor-confirmed to withstand temperatures from -40°C to +85°C. In addition, the modules offer a high shock and vibration-resistant design with a soldered processor and chipset. As a further resource to its customers, Kontron has also qualified a number of memory and cooling products for a complete extended temperature solution.

The Kontron ETXexpress®-PC-XT Computer-on-Modules provide an extensive range of I/O features such as 8x USB 2.0 for external peripherals, 5x PCI Express® x1, PCI Express x16 Graphics, integrated graphic support for GEN4 technology, 4x Serial ATA with RAID functionality as well as Gigabit Ethernet and Intel® High Definition Audio. It also supports up to 8 GB DDR3 system memory and provides a stacked DDR3 SO-DIMM socket on top side of module for greater design scalability.

The Kontron ETXexpress®-PC-XT Computer-on-Module is available now in North America. It supports Linux, VxWorks as well as the Windows® OS family, including Windows Vista®, XP, 2000, XPe, CE and the new Windows 7®.

Further information on the new Kontron ETXexpress®-PC COM Express™ Computer-on-Modules at: us.kontron.com/products/computeronmodules/com+e[...]

Download PDF about the COM Express™ concept: www.kontron.com/com-concept

More information about Computer-on-Modules: www.kontron.com/COM

About Kontron

Kontron, the global leader of embedded computing technology, designs and manufactures embedded and communications standards-based, rugged COTS and custom solutions for OEMs, systems integrators, and application providers in a variety of markets. Kontron engineering and manufacturing facilities, located throughout Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific, work together with streamlined global sales and support services to help customers reduce their time-to-market and gain a competitive advantage. Kontron’s diverse product portfolio includes: boards & mezzanines, Computer-on-Modules, HMIs & displays, systems & platforms, and rugged & custom capabilities. Kontron is a Premier member of the Intel® Embedded Alliance and has been a VDC Platinum Vendor for Embedded Computer Boards 5 years running. Kontron is listed on the German TecDAX stock exchange under the symbol "KBC". For more information, please visit: www.kontron.com

Geotest and Pickering Interfaces Announce Strategic Alliance

Pickering Interfaces — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 04:02:07 -0700

Geotest- Marvin Test Systems, a global producer of PXI and PC-Based test equipment and test solutions, and Pickering Interfaces, a global market innovator in signal switching and conditioning, announced today that they are embarking on a Strategic Alliance program.

IRVINE, CA AND CLACTON-ON-SEA, ESSEX, ENGLAND, March 2010 -- In an effort to enhance customer's choices and options when designing PXI systems, Geotest- Marvin Test Systems, a global producer of PXI and PC-Based test equipment and test solutions, and Pickering Interfaces, a global market innovator in signal switching and conditioning, announced today that they are embarking on a Strategic Alliance program.

An initial element of this program has been the creation of a joint web site, www.PXI4test.com, designed to educate ATE users about the broad range of test products offered by both companies and to help users choose the best products for their application. The Alliance combines Geotest's expertise in Digital test, system integration and ATE software with the unmatched breadth of Pickering's catalog of PXI Switching and Signal Conditioning products.

Loofie Gutterman, President of Geotest-Marvin Test Systems said that "the Alliance will help customers achieve their goal of developing high-performance, cost-effective PXI systems by offering a complete range of industry-leading products from multiple vendors using a single web site" .

Keith Moore, Managing Director of Pickering Interfaces added "Our Alliance is all about simplifying our customer's research and providing a 'one-stop shopping experience'. PXI4test.com provides access to products, PXI-related web sites, and other tools to educate customers to the broad range of applications supported by PXI".

In addition to the website, Geotest and Pickering share common sales channels in much of the US, Asia, and Europe, simplifying the user's selection and procurement process for PXI products. Educational programs will also be available on the web and via regional seminars.

For more information, go to www.PXI4test.com or email info@PXI4test.com

About Geotest Marvin Test Systems

A subsidiary of the Marvin Group (Inglewood, CA) Geotest -Marvin Test Systems, Inc. is a global supplier of PXI and PC-based test products, systems, and solutions. Geotest's products and systems are used worldwide in thousands of aerospace, semiconductors, communications, medical, industrial, and military test applications.

About Pickering Interfaces

Pickering Interfaces is a global market innovator in signal switching and conditioning for a broad range of applications and architectures, with the largest range of switching cards in the industry for PXI, LXI, PCI, VXI and GPIB applications. Pickering Interfaces has provided solutions to both commercial and military applications. In addition, Pickering's range of instrumentation provides innovative test solutions to users and integrators of modular test systems

GE Brings Multicore PowerPC Computing to 3U CompactPCI Enabling Higher Performance From Low-Power, Small, Rugged Computers

GE Intelligent Platforms — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:06:25 -0700

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA March 17 2010 GE Intelligent Platforms today announced the IMP3A, a 3U CompactPCI single board computer featuring the latest dual core QorIQ™ processor technology from Freescale™. The IMP3A takes advantage of the QorIQ P2020 processor to deliver dual core performance in a single core power envelope: the P2020 offers superior power consumption/heat dissipation compared to previous generations of high performance Power Architecture™ processors, making it ideally suited to small form factors such as 3U CompactPCI.

By coupling the P2020 with an extensive range of memory resources and I/O features, and implementing new features such as SATA and NAND Flash memory, the IMP3A offers innovative technologies for programs committed to the 3U CompactPCI architecture as well as a highly cost-effective technology insertion opportunity for GE’s existing IMP1A/IMP2A customers. A typical application would see the IMP3A deployed as part of a control system onboard a tank, armored vehicle or helicopter.

“Historically, customers attempting to work within the tight thermal envelope required by the 3U CompactPCI architecture would have been limited to a single core solution capable of much less performance,” said Peter Cavill, General Manager, Military & Aerospace Products at GE Intelligent Platforms. “The IMP3A removes that restriction and allows those customers to benefit from innovative technology without exceeding their power budget, supporting the drive to maximize the performance available from a single slot and create a sustainable competitive advantage.”

3U CompactPCI has traditionally been a highly attractive architecture for military and aerospace customers because it allows for smaller systems without compromising backplane performance. Availability of the IMP3A will make it even more attractive, potentially allowing for 2x the performance from a single slot or allowing a slot to be freed up because two single board computers are no longer required: this reduces the cost of the system while increasing its reliability.

The IMP3A supports a choice of either the QorIQ P2010 single core processor or the QorIQ P2020 dual core processor, operating at up to 1.2GHz. Both symmetric and asymmetric processing are supported, enabling customers to scale performance through either thread-level or application-level parallelism. A PCI-X® PMC expansion capability enables customers to configure the IMP3A to their requirements without exceeding the capacity of a single CompactPCI slot. Up to 4GBytes of soldered DDR3 ECC memory is featured for maximum system throughput and reliability, while flexible connectivity is provided with two Gigabit Ethernet channels, up to 16 GPIO ports, two SATA channels, two COM ports and USB 2.0. The IMP3A is available in five build levels from office/benign to conduction-cooled with a maximum operating temperature of +85 degrees C, and support is planned for popular real time operating systems including VxWorks®, INTEGRITY™ and LynxOS®.

For more information: www.ge-ip.com/products/family/compactpci-powerp[...]

About GE Intelligent Platforms

GE Intelligent Platforms is an experienced high-performance technology company and a global provider of software, hardware, services, and expertise in automation and embedded computing. We offer a unique foundation of agile and reliable technology providing customers a sustainable advantage in the industries they serve, including energy, water, consumer packaged goods, government & defense, and telecommunications. GE Intelligent Platforms is headquartered in Charlottesville, VA. For more information, visit www.ge-ip.com.

NephSystem Bluetooth Enabled UHF Gen 2 RFID Handheld Device - Model Name: N310

NephSystem Technologies — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:53:15 -0700

NephSystem's N310 Handheld UHF Gen 2 RFID device provides the following features:

1. Portable & Handheld designed;

2. BlueTooth technology is used to provide real-time data transferring between Host PCs or PDAs and N310;

3. Stand alone operating system on the device makes it more secured, flexible and rugged;

4. Supporting Keyboard Wedge or Keyboard Emulation function. Tested data can be directly uploaded to any test editors on PC or PDA (e.g. Excel, Word, Notepad, Outlook, etc) via the Bluetooth interface in a real-time mode, no pre-programming work required;

5. Off-line working mode - data can be optionally stored onto the flash chip on the device and downloaded to host PC;

6. Free SDK provided.

Specifications:

Size : 145mm (H) x 63mm (W) x 36 mm (D) (approx.)

Weight: 150g (approx.)

Communication Interface: Bluetooth 2.0

Reading distance: Up to 1.5m - tags dependent

Frequency: Global 860 MHz to 960 MHz

Housing: Plastic

Antenna: Built-in 2dBi

Power Supply: Rechargeable battery (model : EL9-DC7.2V/1040mA)

Bluetooth Interface: Class 2 (typically 10m operation)

Operating temperature/storage: -10 to +65C

Transponder Compatibility: EPC UHF Gen 2, EPC C1G2, ISO18000-6C

Embedded Network Performance Improved with Enhancements to GE's A10200 Single Board Computer

GE Intelligent Platforms — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 07:06:18 -0700

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.--Tuesday, March 16, 2010-- GE Intelligent Platforms today announced that its recently-released A10200 AdvancedTCA® single board computer will now be offered with the option of the latest Intel® Xeon® processor 5600 series, formerly codenamed Westmere-EP and launched today by Intel. This innovative technology provides the dual processor A10200 with up to six cores and 12 Mbytes of L3 cache for each CPU, enabling a processing performance improvement of up to 50% compared with the dual Intel Xeon processor 5500-based version of the A10200, which continues to be available.

“From a performance perspective, telecom applications are among the most demanding in the world, and the A10200 offers the compelling price/performance advantage that meets that need,” said Juergen Eder, Director, Product Management, IPC & SBCs at GE Intelligent Platforms. “This newest version of the A10200 is an example of GE’s focus on early implementation of the latest advances in processors: bringing the newest, most innovative technologies to market as quickly as possible helps us be the trusted partner our customers are looking for to enable them to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage.”

A complement to GE’s extensive and growing family of AdvancedTCA products, the A10200 is designed for telecommunications networks where it will enable significantly faster network performance than that offered by the current generation of ATCA boards. Typical applications include Control Plane functions for WiMAX, and LTE (Long Term Evolution) and NGN (Next Generation Networks) networks.

“Moving the Intel Xeon processor to 32nm process technology gives the industry the ability to deliver more performance in the same power envelope,” said Frank Schapfel, Product Line Marketing Manager, Intel Performance Products Division. “Since the Intel Xeon processor 5600 series is socket compatible with the previous generation 5500 series, customers can easily upgrade to deliver more application performance, without a system redesign. And for sophisticated network and telecommunications applications, customers can cost-effectively implement application, control and packet processing on a single architecture.”

The A10200 is an ideal complement to the AT2-5800 packet processor blade. Together, these two products provide a complete Control Plane and Data Plane processing solution, ideal for applications such as Session Border Controllers (SBC). Within the ATCA chassis, both blades can communicate via high speed, redundant dual 10GbE and dual 1GbE networks, each of them handling the processing functions for which they are best suited and optimizing the performance of the complete system.

Key to the high performance of the A10200 is the size of its memory. The provision of 64 GBytes of memory allows storing larger routing tables in main memory: it reduces the number of time-consuming routing table swaps between main memory and the database because needed routing information is missing, and contributes to much increased system productivity.

Also contributing to the A10200’s leading edge performance is its support for multiple Gigabit Ethernet and 10 Gigabit Ethernet interfaces, making it easy and cost-effective to integrate within a network. A Gigabit Ethernet maintenance port is also provided for fast, reliable, cost-effective remote management and trouble-shooting. The A10200 benefits from its use of the new Intel 82599 10 Gigabit Ethernet Controller, which includes a new 40 Gigabits/second PCI Express™ interface and the ability to deliver up to a 250% improvement in network throughput. Furthermore, this Intel Ethernet controller has sophisticated load sharing features allowing it to direct incoming Ethernet packets to a specific core within a specific processor based on hashed packet header values, optimizing system performance. This feature enables much higher data throughput due to parallel processing and is very valuable for systems using virtualization.

Further connectivity is provided by four USB 2.0 ports, a COM port and an IPMC console port, making the A10200 exceptionally flexible and easy to configure. An accompanying TMS102 rear transitional module (RTM) provides rear access two 10/100/1000Base-T Ethernet interfaces, two USB 2.0 interfaces, eight general purpose I/O ports and two on-board SAS hard disk drives. The SAS controller implements RAID features, further offloading the processor cores from mundane processing and making an important contribution to overall system throughput.

The A10200 is defined for deployment in NEBS office environments. It is PICMG® 3.1 and PICMG 3.0 compliant.

The software package provided with the A10200 includes standard BIOS, device driver, and the hardware initialization resources required to support Linux® environments. An optional run-time BIT (Built-In Test) application package will also be available.

For more information: www.ge-ip.com/products/family/ATCA

About GE Intelligent Platforms

RTD Embedded Technologies, Inc. Becomes AS9100 Registered

RTD Embedded Technologies, Inc. — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 06:26:17 -0700

State College, PA, March 16, 2010 - As part of our commitment to a total quality and zero defects policy, RTD Embedded Technologies, Inc. is proud to announce its achievement of certification to the AS9100 Aerospace Quality Management System Standard. AS9100, established by the International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG), includes and is similar to the ISO 9001 standard, but contains over 75 additional requirements designed to meet the stringent, complex and unique demands of defense and commercial aerospace industries. Certification and registration requires more rigorous auditing and periodic surveillance performed by accredited registrars.

Over 1,000,000 ISO 9001 certificates have been issued to companies worldwide compared to just over 10,000 for AS9100 certificates. AS9100 registration is a prestigious and distinctive certification in terms of providing the most comprehensive quality management system recognized on a global basis.

As a long time supplier to the defense and aerospace industries, RTD’s continued focus is to assure the highest degree of excellence and customer satisfaction. Our AS9100 registration exemplifies our commitment to deliver superior products with unsurpassed attention to quality, safety, and reliability.

AS9100 registration was granted by Perry Johnson Registrars, Inc., an ANAB accredited organization. Listing of the registration can be viewed by visiting the IAQG OASIS database (www.IAQG.org).

About Rtd

RTD Embedded Technologies, Inc. (www.rtd.com), is a high-tech business dedicated to creating highly-reliable, innovative, and rugged CPUs, Digital Signal Processors (DSP), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA), data acquisition designs, controllers, telematics modules, and rugged modular systems for military, aerospace, transportation, and industrial applications. RTD offers expert, in-house, technical design, manufacturing, and customer support in the global market space. As a co-founder and Chair of the PC/104 Consortium (www.pc104.org), RTD leads next generation development and standardization of industry specifications.

Extreme Engineering Solutions, Inc. (X-ES) Announces XPort6102: Rugged XMC Solid State Drive Solution (SSD) with Added Data Encryption and Decryption

Extreme Engineering Solutions, Inc. (X-ES) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 02:26:32 -0700

Middleton, WI – March 16, 2010 – Extreme Engineering Solutions, Inc. (X-ES) is shipping XPort6102, a ruggedized XMC storage solution with up to 160 GB capacity, now available with the option to provide 256-bit AES encryption. This Solid State Drive (SSD) is capable of operating within the demanding environments of MIL-STD-810F, including harsh temperatures and rigorous shock and vibration conditions.

XPort6102 features:

• XMC PCI Express x1 interface

• Conduction- or air-cooled

• Five internal SATA controllers

• Optional 256-bit AES encryption

• Reliable SLC NAND flash technology

• Configurable RAID 0 and RAID 1 support

• 100,000 program/erase cycles

• Operating temperature: -40 ºC to 85 ºC

• Guaranteed 4-hour technical response to all questions

The encryption chip used on XPort6102 is NIST and CSE certified. The encryption hardware is designed to encrypt/decrypt the entire card without any performance degradation. It also supports multiple key loads and key rotation without the drive having to be taken offline.

“We are seeing more applications that have data encryption requirements,” stated Bob Senko, director of sales, X-ES. “With its new capabilities, the XPort6102 fits very well into secure ruggedized storage applications.”

Pricing and Availability. XPort6102 is shipping today. Pricing starts at $2,335 and may vary based on storage capacity, encryption capability, and ruggedization level. Volume discounts are available.

About Extreme Engineering Solutions, Inc.

Extreme Engineering Solutions, Inc. (X-ES) designs and builds chassis, single-board computers, I/O, power, backplane, and system-level products within the embedded computer industry. X-ES offers cutting-edge performance and flexibility in design plus an unparalleled level of customer support and service. For further information on X-ES products or services, please visit our website at www.xes-inc.com or call (608) 833-1155.

XPort6102 Data Sheet: xes-inc.com/Products/XPort6102/XPort6102.html

XPort6102 Press Photo: xes-inc.com/images/product/XPort6102_photo_larg[...]

All trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Avnet Electronics Marketing and Freescale Celebrate 50-Year Milestone

Avnet Electronics Marketing — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 01:55:40 -0700

The Avnet Electronics Marketing operating group of Avnet, Inc. (NYSE: AVT) and Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. are celebrating their 50-year alliance.

When the clock ticked to 12:01 a.m., Jan. 1, 1960, America was a nation full of promise. That year, the Civil Rights Act of 1960 was passed, the first planar Integrated Circuit was fabricated and President Dwight D. Eisenhower predicted 1960 would be the most prosperous year in U.S. history. It was also the year that Hamilton Electro Sales and Motorola Corp. signed a regional semiconductor distribution agreement that set the groundwork for one of the industry’s most enduring and prolific supply and design chain partnerships.

Despite the mergers and spin-offs that transformed Hamilton and Motorola’s semiconductor division into the entities known today as Avnet Electronics Marketing and Freescale Semiconductor, the two companies have remained committed to bringing state-of-the-art technology and solutions to market.

Today, Avnet and Freescale collaborate to bring one of the largest selections of power management solutions, microprocessors, microcontrollers, sensors, radio frequency semiconductors, analog and mixed signal circuits, and software technologies to customers worldwide. With more than 18 billion semiconductors sold, Freescale products have infiltrated most aspects of everyday life, from automobiles and media players to washers, dryers and networking infrastructures.

“From the first silicon-based transistors in the 1960s and the introduction of the world’s first communications processor in 1989 to today’s embedded devices and industry-leading i.MX515 multimedia applications processors, Freescale and its predecessors have been central to the advancement of semiconductor technology,” said Ed Smith, president of Avnet Electronics Marketing Americas. “Being a part of this journey has been an amazing experience, and I fully expect the next half century will be just as exciting and rewarding.”

“Freescale is immensely proud to be part of Avnet’s rich 50-year history. Essential to Avnet’s longevity - and its continued future success - is the company’s ability to embrace an entrepreneurial spirit while remaining true to its core values. Freescale shares Avnet’s passion for enabling our mutual customers’ success by delivering innovative technology and service,” said Henri Richard, Freescale senior vice president, chief sales and marketing officer. “Together, we continue to shape and lead markets to benefit our customers and grow our companies.”

Advantech 10GbE OEM-Ready Appliance Ships with Dual Intel(r) Xeon(r) Processor 5600 Series

Advantech Co. Ltd — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 23:18:36 -0700

The FWA-6500 features dual processor computing performance for high-speed modular I/O processing of multiple GbE and 10GbE links. Purpose built for high-end network security and packet processing applications, the system takes advantage of the Intel® AES New Instructions (Intel® AES-NI) which freesup valuable processor cycles for more virtualization and processing. Intel® AES-NI adds new instructions which provide robust encryption without needing additional appliances or increased performance overhead.

In addition, Intel® Trusted Execution Technology (Intel® TXT) performs SHA-1 hash measurements for RSA decryption key exchanges as part of the code authentication process. This means greater security in network transactions without loss in processing power.

The Intel® Xeon® processor 5600 series is manufactured on Intel's latest 32nm process technology and is pin-compatible with the Intel® Xeon® processor 5500 series allowing OEM's to add higher performance platforms to their offering or migrate their production to the new 6-core processors. The drop-in compatible 6-core processor allows a smooth upgrade path to the deployed base with minimal to no impact on application software.

The new processor series bringssignificant improvements in core density, performance and power consumption as well as the new instructions to accelerate encryption and reinforce security. With up to 6-core operation (up to 12 threads per socket with Intel® Hyper Threading Technology), 50% L3 cache increase to 12 MB, and support for lower voltage DDR3L DIMMs, the capabilities of the new processors will facilitate further platform consolidation whilst decreasing power budget.

Network connectivity is fast and flexible with up to 16 front accessible GbE ports supported by 4 quad Gigabit Ethernet modules based on the Intel® 82576EB Gigabit Ethernet Controller or with multiple dual 10GbE modules based on the Intel 82599EB 10 Gigabit Ethernet Controller supporting the latest platform offloading and virtualization technologies introduced by Intel recently. The modules plug intoa 32-way PCI Express (PCIe) gen2 mid-plane providing the high speed interconnects to the I/O controller hub which makes the system fly. RJ45 and SFP/SFP+ based modules are supported and can be mixed and matched as required. Copper modules come with optional LAN bypass capabilities.

“Networking customers are looking for off-the-shelf platforms where the processor cores get fed with maximum I/O subsystem bandwidth and benefit from modular and innovative I/O connectivity with controlled thermal performance. The FWA-6500 gives them just that. Once they have successfully benchmarked and tuned the software, Advantech begins the system branding or customization process with OEM packaging and global logistics support. We are there to accelerate and facilitate global deployment” explained Eddie Lai, Director of Business Development at Advantech Networks and TelecomGroup.

Two further PCIe x4 slots are available internally for standard add-in cards for offload purposes or Network Processor–based co-processing. The combination of the latest Intel® processors, chipset and Ethernet controllers in one platform provide acceleration and off-loading features which give customers the ultimate in x86 processing performance and access to all the I/O scalability they need.

“The Intel® AES New Instructions in the Intel® Xeon® processor 5600 series are designed to accelerate tasks such as whole disk encryption/decryption, internet security, VoIP,” said Frank Schapfel, Product Line Marketing Manager, Intel Performance Products Division. “Accelerated hardware cryptography in processors is becoming more mainstream across multiple applications and market segments.”

“The modular IOconcept is the backbone of our high end and mid-to-high end network application andserver platforms to be consistently supported on our next generation designs. This approach gives customers the opportunity to upgrade to next generation motherboards and/or next generation IOs without the hassle of designing/qualifying a completely new system. This also applies to ODM customers with unique IO and system requirements: once a customized IO board and enclosure design is done, customers can enjoy free technology upgrades on the motherboard driven by Advantech's standard roadmap. Our membership in the Intel® Embedded Alliance enables us to deliver our latest platform technologies coincident with Intel's product releases” added Rover Chen, Director of x86 appliance products at Advantech Networks and Telecom Group.

For more information, visit Advantech networks and telecom at www.advantech.com/NCor E-mail to NCG@advantech.com.

Ouest Ventures invests in Geensoft

Geensoft — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 21:33:42 -0700

Brest, France – March 16,2010. Geensoft, the specialist independent provider of software design tools and associated professional services for embedded systems development, has announced that Ouest Ventures, the highly respected venture capital company based in Rennes (France), has made a significant investment in the company.

Launched at the recent Embedded World exhibition in Nuremberg (Germany), Geensoft was created by a management buy-out (MBO) of the former embedded design tools business of Geensys. The funds raised from Ouest Ventures, the amount of which is undisclosed, will be used as working capital for the ongoing development of the company and its products on an international level. The investment gives Ouest Ventures a 25% stake in Geensoft. The controlling 75% stake in the company remains with the management and employees of Geensoft.

The MBO creating Geensoft was led by former Geensys executives Eliane Fourgeau, Thierry Gueguen and Marc Frouin. Headquartered in Brest (France), Geensoft operates on a global basis with R&D and sales offices in France (Paris, Brest and Nancy) along with sales offices in Germany (Munich) and Japan (Yokohama) supported by a network of distributors, value-added integrators and OEMs throughout Europe, North America and Asia. Geensoft’s extremely experienced executive management team includes Thierry Gueguen as CTO, Michel Hagege as VP of Worldwide Sales and Eliane Fourgeau as CEO.

Internationally recognised, Ouest Ventures specialises in funding companies based in the western regions of France where it has invested in over 25 companies including several technology businesses. The Ouest Ventures investment team provides active support for the companies in which it invests, helping to drive value creation and international expansion. Eric Cozanet, founder of Ouest Ventures, will join the Geensoft Supervisory Board which is headed by Marc Frouin, Geensys’ former President and one of the principal players in the MBO.

Geensoft’s product portfolio includes the award-winning Reqtify, ControlBuild and AUTOSAR Builder tool suites as well as the RT-Builder system simulation tool. Highly successful in satisfying the embedded systems and software development needs of a broad range of industries over the past five years, Geensoft intends to accelerate its worldwide growth potential by capitalising on its existing and demonstrable success, industry-proven track record and respective market-leadership.

“The completion of the MBO has enabled us to focus more clearly and completely on accelerating the market penetration and future growth potential of our portfolio of software tools for embedded systems,” said Eliane Fourgeau. “Ouest Ventures’ funding support will help us to harness this development and achieve further international growth”.

# # #

About Geensoft

Geensoft delivers industry-proven, best-in-class embedded systems development tools and professional services that help engineering teams in the aerospace, automotive, defence, energy, industrial automation, medical and transportation industries to more efficiently manage their engineering processes as well as design, verify and validate their model-based embedded systems applications. Privately owned with 60+ employees and headquartered in France, Geensoft has sales offices in Europe and Japan supported by a network of distributors and value-added integrators worldwide. Geensoft’s products include the award-winning Reqtify, ControlBuild and AUTOSAR Builder as well as RT-Builder tool suites. Reqtify provides automated management of embedded systems and software requirements capture, traceability and impact analysis throughout the entire development lifecycle. AUTOSAR Builder enables ARTOP-based design, development, verification and validation of AUTOSAR-compliant automotive electronic systems. ControlBuild is a front-to-back environment for the design, development, validation, deployment and maintenance of control and automation systems and applications. RT-Builder facilitates the modelling, simulation and validation of distributed real-time architectures for multi-processor and multi-bus systems. For further information, visit: www.geensoft.com.

Enhance Technology Rolls Out Innovative Storage Products at NAB Show 2010

Enhance Technology, Inc. — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 04:28:41 -0700

Las Vegas, NV, March 15, 2010 - Enhance Technology, Inc. (ETI), the industry leader and pioneer in the design and implementation of Enterprise and hybrid I/O storage technology for digital content, post production, broadcasting, video surveillance, medical imaging and IT market places, will present its exciting new products to attendees at the 2010 NAB Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center April. 12 – 15th, 2010.

This year, Enhance Technology will showcase four (4) new storage products with great features such as dual active controller RAID array, the new 16-disk Enterprise SAS Expander storage array and the next generation EnhanceRAID E400 FR cable-less desktop RAID storage solutions designed for SMBs, media library, desktop publishing and A/V post production.

Below are some highlighted products for the 2010 NAB Show:

UltraStor™ ES3160 FS

The UltraStor™ ES3160 FS is a 3U 16-drive rackmount storage system with available dual active RAID controller(s) for maximum data protection and data transfer speed in a Fibre Channel network topology. UltraStor™ ES3160 FS is the first dual active-active intelligent RAID system introduced to the award-winning UltraStor Enterprise RAID Storage Series designed for use with 3Gbps/ 6Gbps SATA or SAS disks. UltraStor™ ES3160 FS provides features such as dual active controller(s), high data bandwidth, cache mirroring, multiple target nodes, load-balancing and user-friendly WebGUI all in one 3U rackmount system.

EnhanceRACK™ TS3160 SE

The TS3160 SE is a 3U 16-bay high-performance SAS expander system supporting up to 16 SAS or SATA HDD per unit. It is also capable of expansion using a daisy-chain cable making it a viable option for high performance and cost effective RAID storage system. EnhanceRACK TS3160 SE provides a maximum performance of 1200MB with SATA HDDs along with high efficiency cooling fans and redundant power supplies to provide a secure and safe data storage platform.

EnhanceRAID™ TS800 SS

The EnhanceRAID™ TS800 SS is a compact SAS RAID storage system with a slick T shaped tray design, built-in next generation hardware RAID controller, and supports a standard 300 watts 80+ green power supply, developed for VAR and professional storage solution providers offering a cost-effective, high performance and high energy efficient storage to SMBs, organizations, education facilities and government agencies, etc.

EnhanceRAID™ E400 FR

The next generation EnhanceRAID E400 FR is the ultimate desktop storage solution for digital content creation applications including animation, special effects and non-linear video editing. With enterprise grade cable-less design, field replaceable controller, and hot-swappable components, EnhanceRAID E400 FR desktop RAID system provides hardware RAID-5 data protection, high performance and flexibility with built-in multiple host interface connectivity including eSATA, USB, FireWire 800 and FireWire 400.

About Enhance Technology

Founded in 1997, Enhance Technology designs and manufactures high performance storage systems and products for the digital content creation, medical imaging, security surveillance, data archive applications, and IT market spaces. Headquartered in Santa Fe Springs, California with Asia branch office in Taipei, Taiwan and Germany branch office in Neu-Ulm, Enhance Technology has become a world leader in hybrid I/O storage design and development. For more information about Enhance Technology, please visit www.enhance-tech.com or contact your local dealer.

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Media Contact:

Mary Huang

12221 Florence Ave.

Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670

Tel: 562-777-3488 ext. 107

Fax: 562-777-3499

Email: pr@enhance-tech.com

Contour Energy Systems Unveils Go-to-market Strategy, Launches New Web Site and Announces Name Change

Contour Energy Systems — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 04:20:09 -0700

AZUSA, CA – March 15, 2010 – Contour Energy Systems, an innovative portable power company commercializing next-generation battery systems, is coming out of stealth mode to unveil its breakthrough advancements in new fluorine-based battery chemistries, nanomaterials science and manufacturing processes that will reshape portable power above and beyond competing lithium-ion systems. Formerly CFX Battery, the company is also announcing a name change and launch of its new web site.

A spinoff of the collaboration between CalTech and CNRS, the French National Center for Scientific Research, Contour Energy Systems is commercializing and licensing portions of its fast-growing IP portfolio. Contour’s technology targets a wide range of portable power applications spanning the transportation, government and defense, medical, industrial, portable electronics and specialty application markets. Amassing a portfolio of over 60 patented and patent-pending technologies, the company is commercializing advanced primary and next-generation rechargeable battery systems in multiple form factors. The battery cells and battery packs being designed with Contour’s innovative technology will achieve unprecedented levels of performance with higher power and energy densities, extended service life, and uninterrupted operation under extreme temperature conditions.

“Contour Energy’s focus on and expertise in fluorine electrochemistry really distinguishes the company from other battery companies,” said Sara Bradford, principal consultant, energy & power systems with Frost & Sullivan. “Because fluorine has huge potential as an energy carrier when placed in an electrochemical system, Contour is in a unique position to dramatically increase the price/performance characteristics of new advanced primary and next-generation rechargeable batteries where it matters most: power and energy density, longevity, durability and service life.”

NASA Technology Transfer Contracts

In recognition of Contour Energy’s advancements in lithium carbon fluoride battery technology and nanomaterials science, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has awarded the company two technology transfer contracts. With the first contract, NASA is engaging Contour Energy to develop high-energy primary batteries with advanced safety features capable of performing under a wide temperature range for manned space missions. To meet this goal, Contour Energy will characterize and establish the technological feasibility of a new Li/SF-CFx-based high capacity lithium primary battery that offers higher rate capabilities and enhanced safety characteristics compared to conventional Li/CFx primary systems.

Potential NASA commercial applications resulting from Contour Energy’s technology transfer contract include advanced primary lithium carbon fluoride battery systems that can be used for exploratory missions including power to support outposts, habitats, and science packages. The high specific energy will greatly reduce the mass of the batteries used onboard in long distance space missions.

The second NASA technology transfer contract engages Contour Energy to pursue the chemical conversion of micron-sized, nano-structured templates available from renewable resources into functional electrode materials. The objective is to establish that electrodes fabricated from these nanostructures are innovative materials providing improved electrochemical performance compared to traditional electrodes. By achieving this goal, Contour Energy will be positioned to address the significant increases in energy capacity, power capability and cycling stability necessary to meet the NASA requirements for advanced Li-ion battery technology. Key NASA applications that can take advantage of such innovative rechargeable cell chemistries and advanced electrode materials include power sources for Landers, Rovers and extravehicular activities.

The Contour Energy Difference

Contour’s unique carbon fluoride battery chemistry will be applied initially to advanced primary batteries in coin cell, cylindrical, thin film and prismatic form factors. These battery systems will deliver superior price/performance across a wide range of diverse applications, including tire pressure monitoring systems, automated internal and external defibrillators, unmanned aerial vehicles, military radios, water and gas meters, bone growth stimulators, and more. A unique characteristic of Contour Energy’s carbon fluoride battery technology is a proprietary process for introducing fluorine into the nano-carbon material that provides a fundamentally different atomic structure than traditional carbon fluoride materials. This new structure, coupled with the use of new nanomaterials, affords significant advantages over all existing battery types, including substantial increases in energy and power densities, reliable operation under extreme conditions, an extended shelf life and avoidance of overheating, any of which can be optimized for specific applications.

Contour Energy’s carbon fluoride chemistry can be customized during key steps in the manufacturing process to alter the cathode’s physical structure at the atomic level. This Tunable Cathode™ also plays a pivotal role in providing customers with batteries featuring an optimal combination of higher energy and/or power densities, and discharge rates. This affords Contour Energy a significant competitive advantage because every application has unique operating needs that cannot be satisfied fully by off-the-shelf batteries.

“Our goal of ‘reshaping portable power’ is right on track,” said Joe Fisher, CEO of Contour Energy Systems. “We’ve assembled a formidable, world-class management and R&D team second to none with a substantial and fast-growing IP portfolio that will fundamentally change the price/performance characteristics of next generation primary and rechargeable batteries.”

About Contour Energy Systems

Contour Energy Systems is an innovative portable power company commercializing customizable battery technologies for a wide range of cross-industry applications. Contour’s next-generation battery systems are designed to deliver unprecedented improvements in energy and power density, and are capable of performing in extreme operating conditions at significantly improved costs. Founded through the collaboration of CalTech and CNRS, the French National Center for Scientific Research, the company combines expertise in nano-materials science, patented Fluorine-based battery chemistries and manufacturing processes to significantly advance the state of portable power. Headquartered in Azusa, California, Contour Energy is managed by a world-class team of battery industry leaders from CalTech, Energizer, Duracell, ConocoPhillips, Hewlett-Packard and Ultralife. The company is privately held with funding from CMEA Capital, Harris and Harris, Schlumberger and US Venture Partners.

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Magma Announces Agenda for MUSIC China Users Conference

Magma Design Automation — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:59:42 -0700

Magma(R) Design Automation Inc. (Nasdaq:LAVA), a provider of chip design software, today announced the final agenda for the MUSIC China users conference in Shanghai on March 23. The program will feature technical presentations and a tutorial given by Magma users, design industry experts and Magma's staff. Magma CEO Rajeev Madhavan will deliver a keynote address entitled "The Electronic Ocean."

MUSIC Agenda Focuses on Meeting Today's Analog and Digital Design Challenges

MUSIC provides an open forum for users to gain expertise using Magma's chip design software, and to exchange ideas about and solutions for the challenges of analog and integrated circuit and system-on-chip (SoC) designs.

Over the years MUSIC has become a leading venue for Magma users to gather, share and learn best practices and solutions. This year's program covers a range of Magma software capabilities including synthesis, placement and routing, floorplanning, clock tree synthesis (CTS), analog design and circuit simulation. Users will share useful tips on how to leverage Magma software to improve results, reduce power, minimize costs and increase productivity.

User presentations will include:

•A Fast Macro Placement Methodology Based on the Logic Group

•Implementing a System on Chip (SoC) using Talus(R)

•A Simulation Strategy for NAND Flash Memory using FineSim(TM)

•Timing Closure Techniques for Challenging Partitions in a Deep Submicron Process

•Accelerating Analog IP Design with Parallel SPICE Tools: The Design of a Wideband PLL with a Single Power Supply

•Handling Big Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) at the Post-Optimization Stage

•A Symmetrical Power Structure for the Repeated Blocks of a Hierarchical Design

•Several Ways to Solve Congestion Issues on Two Large, 65-nanometer (nm) Designs with Magma

•Dealing with Timing Closure Challenges on a 65-nm Design

•Clock Design and Analysis for a 40-nm, 500 MHz DSP Core

•How to Implement 32 LPCAMs in One Chip using Magma

•Complex Clock Tree Generation using Magma's CTS Solution

Magma will present a tutorial entitled:

•Solving Design Challenges Visually with the Talus(R) Visual Volcano(TM)

For the complete MUSIC agenda and to register for the conference visit the Magma website at www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/ctr?d=186578&l=7[...] or www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/ctr?d=186578&l=7[...].

About MUSIC

MUSIC -- Magma Users Summit on Integrated Circuits -- provides a forum for Magma users to exchange ideas, discuss common problems and explore solutions related to the design and manufacturing of integrated circuits, as well as offering users an opportunity to meet with Magma staff and product experts. The MUSIC program covers the key elements of semiconductor design, from system-level design to tapeout, for systems on chips, ASICs and ASSPs. Magma users can register to attend the conference via the Magma website at www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/ctr?d=186578&l=9[...] or www.magma-da.com/MUSIC.

Marinette Marine Facility Expansion to Enhance Lockheed Martin's Littoral Combat Ship Program

Lockheed Martin — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 02:35:38 -0700

MARINETTE, Wis., March 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Marinette Marine Corporation, a member of the Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT)-led Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) industry team, recently broke ground for an expansion to nearly double the size of its main indoor ship construction building -- an investment to support the construction of the U.S. Navy's LCS.

The expansion will provide enough indoor space to simultaneously house two complete LCS hulls and parts for two additional ships. The building enhancements also allow greater use of Marinette Marine's proven modular construction process, which will enable the Lockheed Martin team to construct LCS more cost effectively.

The ground-breaking is the latest in a recent series of investments made by the shipyard's parent company, Fincantieri, as part of its five-year, $100 million plan to modernize its U.S. shipbuilding operations and support the LCS program. In 2009, Marinette Marine installed higher-capacity overhead cranes, plasma-cutting tables and pipe-bending machines to increase efficiency and capacity. In 2008, Lockheed Martin also became a minority partner in the shipyard, while continuing to share its project management and lean manufacturing techniques to meet the LCS program's cost and schedule goals.

"This is a terrific investment by Fincantieri and represents the commitment they're willing to make to continue quality shipbuilding at Marinette Marine," said Senator Herb Kohl of Wisconsin. "It's an investment in the men and women employed there, in the community that is so supportive of this company, and in their ability to give the Navy a well-built LCS at a competitive price."

"This groundbreaking represents a significant milestone in the transformation of Marinette Marine to the premier mid-tier shipyard in the United States," said Giuseppe Bono, Fincantieri's chief executive officer. "The building expansion will allow us to fully complete a large ship such as LCS completely indoors at an even higher degree of completion and quality."

Marinette Marine constructed and launched the nation's first LCS, USS Freedom. Commissioned by the U.S. Navy in 2008, USS Freedom was deployed two years ahead of schedule and recently completed three successful drug interdictions. The shipyard is also constructing the Navy's third LCS, Fort Worth (LCS 3).

"Fort Worth is on cost and on schedule, with 90 percent of its modules under construction and more than 30 percent of the ship complete," said Dan Schultz, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin's Ship and Aviation Systems business. "The improvements underway at Marinette Marine increase the team's capacity in meeting the U.S. Navy's need for an affordable, survivable LCS. We've already seen a 30 percent reduction in labor cost from our first ship."

"With investments from Fincantieri and a strong partnership with the state, Marinette Marine continues to move forward as a world leader in high-quality ship building," said Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle. "The recent launch of the USS Freedom is a testament to the hard work and ingenuity of the Marinette Marine Corporation workforce. With this groundbreaking Marinette Marine will become even more competitive, and create more jobs in this community."

Designed to operate in littoral waters, the Lockheed Martin-led team's LCS features semi-planing steel monohull that provides the Navy with a survivable, fast, and agile shallow-draft warship that maximizes mission flexibility and accessibility. With a proven open architecture networked, combat-management system common to other surface combatants in U.S. and international navies, the Lockheed Martin team's LCS provides unprecedented levels of reliability and interoperability with global maritime forces.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation reported 2009 sales of $45.2 billion.

For additional information about Lockheed Martin, visit: www.lockheedmartin.com and www.lmlcsteam.com

Aitech's New Customizable 3U CPCI Enclosure Combines Flexible Electronic Configurations with Rugged, Reliable Operation

Aitech Defense Systems Inc — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 02:18:48 -0700

Chatsworth, Calif. March 2010 – Aitech Defense Systems Inc., the world’s first and largest independent manufacturer of open architecture electronic boards and subsystem level products for harsh, environmentally-demanding defense and aerospace applications, now offers a customizable 2-slot 3U CompactPCI (CPCI) enclosure that provides flexible electronic configurations as well as exceptionally reliable operation.

The machined aluminum side, top and bottom walls in the new cold-plate-cooled E902 provides increased thermal and heat transfer performance as well as radiation and heavy ion shielding, making the new enclosure ideal for harsh mechanical environments with severe climactic stresses typically found in manned or unmanned spacecraft environments. Designed for spacecraft duty, the enclosure is typically able to dissipate more than 28 Watts at 71°C ambient free air with a cold-plate temperature of 55°C. Given these operating conditions, the internal temperature is held to a maximum of 85°C at the card’s thermal interfaces and edges.

The new E902 weighs less than 11 lbs with two 3U 0.8” pitch ANSI/VITA 30.1-2002 conduction-cooled CompactPCI boards and has external dimensions of only 3.63” W x 8.52” D x 4.80” H, which is only slightly larger than the 3U boards contained within the chassis. The new E902 is both lightweight and compact, saving significant size, weight and power (SWaP) as well as costs in space flight-related applications.

In addition to its bonded and fastened construction using CNC-machined aluminum, the new E902 is environmentally-sealed and EMI/RF-protected to withstand extreme altitude, temperature, moisture, shock, vibration, EMI and chemical exposure. The removable panel threaded holes feature self-locking stainless steel Heli-Coils for added protection against shock and vibration.

The enclosure features an external epoxy paint or chemical conversion coated finish for excellent corrosion resistance, both available in standard military colors with others available upon request. Internal surfaces are chemical conversion coated.

The internal CompactPCI backplane includes J1 and J2 connectors in all slots. DC input power is routed to a removable and modular 3U conduction-cooled power supply, such as the Aitech P230 or P217, via a separate screened harness to prevent radiated or conducted EMI. The power supply holds up the output power rails for a minimum of 4 milliseconds when input drops below 18 VDC to ensure memory retention. The two DC-to-DC converters, which contact the base plate directly, provide four isolated outputs protected against short circuit and over-voltage. For the radiation tolerant or hardened versions, two non-redundant power supply modules are installed for additional radiation hardness in long-duration space applications.

The E902’s customizable front panel features a power input connector with integrated EMI shielding and user-defined D-Sub connectors for spacecraft applications as well as harsh rugged and military applications.

For more information please call 888-Aitech-8 (888-248-3248), visit rugged.com/e902.htm, or e-mail sales@rugged.com.

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UPCOMING TRADESHOWS: Avionics Europe; Booth # C25; March 24-25, 2010; Amsterdam, The Netherlands

About Aitech:

Established in 1983, Aitech offers military and space-qualified, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) embedded computing products for rugged defense, aerospace and astronautics (space) applications as well as provides radiation tolerant and full MIL-SPEC solutions. The company provides industry-standard, open architecture VMEbus, CompactPCI and high speed serial fabric-based boards, power subsystems, mass memory, enclosures and hardware subsystem integration along with logistics, configuration control, component obsolescence and earned-value management services.

Having pioneered the development of true military VMEbus products for use in mainstream defense and aerospace applications, Aitech utilizes its broad base of off-the-shelf products and technologies to also develop customer-specific solutions, deliver superior cost-performance and reliability, and expedite time to market. Applications for its products range from mission processors, fire control, mission control and autonomous robotic subsystems for ground vehicles as well as surface and subsurface naval platforms to tactical and strategic fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, and low- to high-earth orbit and deep space vehicles.

Avnet Shines a Spotlight on Microcontroller Solutions

Avnet Electronics Marketing — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 02:07:04 -0700

The Avnet Electronics Marketing Americas (EMA) business region of Avnet, Inc. (NYSE: AVT), announces the release of its Microcontroller Technology Spotlight series of multimedia instructional videos available for download on Avnet Electronics Marketing’s Online Technical Training website. The videos provide design engineers with on-demand access to technology overviews and demonstrations featuring some of today’s most innovative microcontroller technology solutions.

Narrated by Avnet’s microcontroller technology specialist Jim Carver, the dynamic training videos give users a programmer’s perspective on the features and benefits of the technologies available. These compelling technical videos combine expert narrative with graphic visuals and easy-to-follow sample project builds. In less than 20 minutes, busy engineers can get a complete run-down of product specifications, technical advice and insider tips for faster programming.

The first three videos in the Microcontroller Technology Spotlight series focus on practical real-world design examples implementing the Freescale Semiconductor Tower system, Texas Instruments Stellaris microcontrollers, and the mbed rapid prototyping microcontroller platform from NXP Semiconductors.

“Today’s engineers are under tremendous pressure to innovate on tighter budgets within more compressed time-to-market windows,” said Dayna Badhorn, director, centralized technical support, Avnet Electronics Marketing. “These videos can help meet these challenges by providing designers with unbiased technical instruction in a format that is user friendly, technologically substantive and readily accessible any time, anywhere there is Internet access.”

To access the Spotlight instructional videos, please visit Avnet Electronics Marketing Online Training Web site. The new Spotlight video series for microcontroller engineers is another component of Avnet Electronics Marketing Americas’ comprehensive Centralized Technical Support strategy, which also includes online technical forums, Avnet OnDemand product videos and an industry-leading team of technical support experts.

Aitech's New Customizable 3U CPCI Enclosure Combines Flexible Electronic Configurations with Rugged, Reliable Operation

Aitech Defense Systems Inc — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 01:58:57 -0700

For more information please call 888-Aitech-8 (888-248-3248), visit rugged.com/e902.htm, or e-mail sales@rugged.com.

For an electronic copy, please visit www.simongroup.com/PressRoom/WordDocs/ait/AIT-A[...]

For high res photo, please visit

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UPCOMING TRADESHOWS: Avionics Europe; Booth # C25; March 24-25, 2010; Amsterdam, The Netherlands

About Aitech:

SIE Computing Solutions Introduces New 3U VPX Portable Benchtop Enclosure

SIE Computing Solutions — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 23:50:02 -0700

Lightweight Aluminum Enclosure Ideal for VPX Product Development and Testing

Brockton, MA., March 15, 2010 – SIE Computing Solutions, Inc., a provider of rugged electronic packaging solutions for mission-critical embedded computing platforms deployed in harsh environments, today announced its new 3U 5-slot portable lightweight aluminum enclosure. The newest addition to the SIE 585 Series, the enclosure is ideal for VPX product development and testing.

The new 585 3U 5-slot portable enclosure from SIE Computing Solutions allows for the development of VPX systems in a simpler and more cost-effective manner. The air cooled open-design comes with a 5-slot full mesh backplane with two additional I/O slots and is easily accessible from front and back to enable efficient testing for multiple systems. Designed for development and manufacturing teams working on VPX applications, it allows for software component and card testing in-unit at a significantly lower cost than traditional VPX enclosure systems.

“As mission-critical applications increasingly call for advanced embedded computing capabilities in a compact size, there is a tremendous amount of VPX development being done to support the industry,” said Jessica Isquith, vice president of marketing at SIE Computing Solutions. “This new portable enclosure enables software developers, board designers and manufacturers a development-friendly environment that is portable and efficient for testing applications within a full system.”

The 3U 5-slot VPX portable enclosure is readily available. A one-year limited warranty is standard with the product, and an extended warranty is also available.

About SIE Computing Solutions

SIE Computing Solutions, Inc. specializes in rugged electronic packaging solutions for mission-critical embedded computing platforms deployed in harsh environments. With deep engineering expertise addressing the challenges in thermal design, signal integrity, complex interconnection and power management technologies, SIE provides enclosures, backplanes, system integration and custom engineering solutions for VME, VPX, CompactPCI, xTCA, small form factors and more. As a preferred vendor to the world’s largest defense and industrial companies, SIE customers leverage best-in-class processes from initial concepts, design and development, prototypes, certifications and production.

Founded in 1971, SIE Computing Solutions’ organization is vertically integrated and serves the military, transportation, oil & gas exploration, medical, telecommunications and other industrial/emerging markets. SIE Computing Solutions’ facilities are ISO 9001/2008 and ISO14001/2004 certified to ensure the delivery of consistently high quality products. Based in Brockton, Massachusetts, SIE Computing Solutions is a wholly-owned subsidiary of S.I.E. AG, a privately-held embedded computing company. For more information on SIE Computing Solutions, visit www.sie-computing.com, call 1.800.926.8722, or email pr@sie-cs.com.

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For additional information, contact:

Jill Colna or Kaycee Roberts

SVM Public Relations

401-490-9700

jill.colna@svmpr.com

kaycee.roberts@svmpr.com

APRO launches BON Series ruggedised PATA SSDs with Fast Erase

APRO Co. Ltd. — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:42:53 -0700

APRO, Taiwan’s leading manufacturer of industrial-grade NAND Flash storage devices, has extended its BON Series Solid State Drives (SSDs) with the addition of a range of Parallel ATA (PATA) SSDs.

The new BON Series PATA SSDs utilise SLC (single level cell) NAND Flash technology and are available in a 2.5 inch form factor, rugged, metal-encased package in data capacities of 8, 16, 32, 64 and 128 GBytes. All of the drives support the Fast Erase of media data that can either be hardware triggered or by software defined by ATA vendor code. Secure Erase is also available as a custom option.

The new BON Series PATA SSDs support both PIO-4 and UDMA-6 transfer modes delivering a maximum sequential read performance of 105 MBytes/sec with an average access time of 0.2 ms and a maximum sequential write performance of 100 MBytes/sec. The drives also provide compatibility with IDE and ATA/ATAPI-7 legacy specifications.

Ruggedised for use in harsh environments and ideally suited to embedded industrial, military and aerospace applications, the BON Series PATA drives support an extended operating temperature range of -40ºC to +85ºC, vibration, shock and humidity compliance to MIL-STD-810F environmental specifications and are capable of operating up to an altitude of 70,000 feet. In addition, they provide a mean time between failure (MTBF) in excess of 3 million hours, endurance performance greater than 2 million cycles with data retention of 10 years or more. The drives measure 69.9mm by 99.7mm by 9.5mm and weigh just 115g.

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About APRO

Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Taipei County, Taiwan, APRO has become the leading Taiwanese manufacturer of NAND flash storage products for industrial applications, supplying the global market through an extensive network of distribution partners. With extensive investment in R&D and customer service expertise, APRO continually exceeds expectations in terms of the product quality, performance and application of its industrial flash storage technology. APRO is renowned for delivering optimal, rugged and reliable solutions. For further information visit: www.apro-tw.com.

Evatronix Optimizes its I2S Audio Interface Controller by Adding TDM Support and Single Channel Operation

Evatronix SA — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 21:54:32 -0700

Bielsko-Biala/Poland, March 15th, 2010 - The silicon intellectual property (IP) provider, Evatronix SA, announced today the introduction of the I2S-SC controller IP. It is compatible with the Philips I2S specification and all its modes; however, it reduces the number of supported channels from eight to one and introduces the Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) mechanism for more efficient multi-channel handling.

“Most consumer devices are able to send or receive data from one audio channel at a time, and the ability to process 8 channels simultaneously was often excessive,” said Pawel Duc, I2S engineer at Evatronix. “With the introduction of the TDM we’re extending this one stereophonic channel into an orchestra of 16 channels, capable of delivering 192 kHz samples each. This is the equivalent of the state-of-the-art Dolby® TrueHD technology that is hitting the shelves on BluRay discs.”

The I2S-SC controller features over a dozen configurable parameters that let the user further adjust the IP to his application needs. The most significant options are: serial clock and word select polarities, audio channel width, data delay, the size of external FIFO and the sample bits order.

For easy implementation into a variety of system bus interfaces, the I2S-SC features the universal OCP socket and a set of wrappers for the most common bus architectures – AHB, OPB and PLB.

About Evatronix

Evatronix SA, founded in 1991 in Poland, develops electronic virtual components (IP cores) along with complementary software and supporting development environments. The company also provides electronic design services. Product lines cover a multitude of solutions from interface controllers and microprocessors to integrated System-on-Chip development platforms.

Evatronix IP cores are available directly or through the sales network of its strategic distribution partner, CAST, Inc.

Evatronix is headquartered in Bielsko-Biala, Poland, and employs over 75 engineers.

GE Takes CUDA Beyond Graphics to New Classes of Application with First Rugged Single Board Computer to Feature Integrated GPGPU Technology

GE Intelligent Platforms — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:14:30 -0800

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va March 11, 2010 In the first of a series of planned announcements, GE Intelligent Platforms today announced the IPN250 Rugged 6U OpenVPX Single Board Computer (SBC), the first rugged SBC to feature an integrated GPGPU (general purpose computing on a graphics processing unit) capability. The IPN250 delivers unprecedented levels of computing performance for size, weight and power (SWaP) constrained platforms at lower cost, creating new application opportunities that were previously unthinkable. It enables system integrators to deploy a single COTS module where previously multiple disparate modules would have been required – undertaking, for example, front end processing of sensor-acquired data, digital signal processing, backend processing and graphics/video processing, and delivering high resolution mission critical data more rapidly than has previously been possible.

The IPN250 is the second product from GE to feature NVIDIA®’s CUDA technology: the CUDA-enabled GRA111 3U graphics board was announced in November 2009. CUDA is becoming increasingly attractive to systems integrators in military and aerospace since it has been demonstrated to be capable of enabling performance gains of up to 100x in a range of applications: its innovative technology and openness create the opportunity for improved productivity and sustainable competitive advantage. It is increasingly mandated by some Department of Defense (DoD) program offices because it offers increased flexibility and reduced cost of ownership when compared with previous FPGA-centric solutions.

“The IPN250 allows customers to easily deploy sophisticated applications developed on NVIDIA-enabled PCs directly onto a rugged GPGPU platform, reducing risk to schedules and shortening time to deployment,” said Peter Cavill, General Manager, Military & Aerospace Products at GE Intelligent Platforms. “It reduces cost by leveraging the growing ecosystem of software programmers creating high performance computing applications in standard development environments such as CUDA, OpenCL, OpenGL and MATLAB, to support long term code portability across multiple generations of COTS hardware platforms.”

The IPN250 combines NVIDIA’s latest GT240 96-core GPU with an Intel® Core™2 Duo processor operating at 2.26GHz and 8 GBytes of DDR3 SDRAM to deliver up to 390 GFLOPS of performance per card slot, depending on the application. It is designed from the ground up to be compliant with the OpenVPX standard, ensuring interoperability with a broad range of other OpenVPX boards. Providing a computationally-dense platform, the IPN250 is ideal for demanding applications that are constrained in terms of size, weight and power (SWaP). It is also VITA48/REDI-compliant, allowing it to be deployed in the harshest environments: build options for air-, spray- and conduction cooling are available.

The IPN250 feature set includes two primary data plane, 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports supporting multi-board switched fabric OpenVPX architectures. A 16-lane PCI Express® gen2 interface on the P2 expansion plane provides high speed interconnect for multi-board GPGPU clusters as well as system I/O to PCI Express-enabled sensor modules such as GE’s family of Xilinx® Virtex5 and Virtex6 mezzanine cards. Two 1000Base-T and two 1000Base-Bx control plane ports are available, together with additional PCI Express, USB 2.0 , SATA, COM ports, GPIO , audio and TV input. Video and multimedia is supported via the dual link DVI, HDMI and VGA ports directly into the NVIDIA GT240 device to cater for a wide range of interfaces.

GE Intelligent Platforms’ AXISLib advanced multiprocessor software development VSIPL, DSP and math libraries for CUDA and INTEL SSE4 facilitate application development and code portability for the IPN250 and future GPGPU platforms. In addition to NVIDIA’s CUDA environment, supported software includes Linux®, Windows®, Microsoft DirectX, OpenCL, OpenGL and MATLAB®, together with NVIDIA’s PureVideo® Technology and PhysX™.

For more information: www.ge-ip.com/gpgpu

About GE Intelligent Platforms

A high resolution image to illustrate this release can be found at:

www.genewscenter.com/imagelibrary/detail.asp?Me[...]

Contact:

Ian McMurray, GE Intelligent Platforms

+44 (0) 1327 322821

ian.mcmurray@ge.com

Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Linux is the registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. MATLAB is a registered trademark of The MathWorks. Xilinx is a registered trademark, and Virtex is a trademark, of Xilinx Inc. PCI Express is a registered trademark of PCI-SIG. Intel is a registered trademark, and Core is a trademark, of Intel Corporation. NVIDIA and PureVideo are registered trademarks, and PhysX is a trademark, of NVIDIA Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Evatronix invites SoC developers to its free technical 8051 and USB seminars in Beijing,China and Hsinchu, Taiwan.

Evatronix — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:46:16 -0800

Bielsko-Biala/Poland, March 10th, 2010 - The silicon intellectual property (IP) provider, Evatronix SA, today announced a series of free technical seminars on two of the most popular IP technologies – 8051 and USB – taking place in the very hearts of Chinese and Taiwanese SoC development centers – Beijing (March 25th) and Hsinchu (March 30th), respectively.

“We are excited about this opportunity to share the 13 years of our IP design and integration experience with every engineer involved in the SoC development process,” said Michal Jedrak, Technical Marketing Manager at Evatronix. “Our seminars offer an excellent chance to discuss the hottest ASIC and FPGA design topics and get immediate answers to key questions.”

Register here

Dates and locations:

March 25th, Park Plaza Science Park Hotel, Beijing, People's Republic of China

March 30th, Kingdom Hotel, Hsinchu, Taiwan

Seminar topics:

10.00-12.00 AM: Even Better than the Perfect 8051 - Introducing the 16-bit 80251 Architecture

Speaker: Maciej Pyka, Microcontrollers Product Line Manager at Evatronix

Our main 8051 engineer will keep you focused on the 8051 microcontroller architecture by discussing some myths and comparing them to the undisputed facts. Later on Maciej will satisfy your curiosity about the performance of our latest kid on the block, the 80251 series microcontroller, and show you how it is able to meet future application challenges. Find out how to make the affordable 8051/80251 architecture skyrocket your SoC design!

1.00-3.00 PM: USB 3.0 - Going Superspeed with the Technology You Know

Speaker: Pawel Eichler, USB 3.0 Design Specialist at Evatronix

Over the years the USB protocol has become the truly universal communication standard among various devices. Right now, when multimedia applications are setting the required bandwidth bar higher than ever before, the expectations from the USB 3.0 spec are great. In this session you will learn about the hottest issues regarding the recently most discussed technology.

Register here

Evatronix IP cores are available directly or through the sales network of its strategic distribution partner, CAST, Inc. (www.cast-inc.com).

Evatronix is headquartered in Bielsko-Biala, Poland, and employs over 75 engineers.

For more information about the company please visit the company’s web site at www.evatronix-ip.com or contact Jacek Duda at +48322311171 ext. 22 or jacek.duda(at)evatronix-ip.com

ScanWorks enhanced with comprehensive validation tools for high-speed I/O on future Intel platforms

ASSET InterTech — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:12:18 -0800

ScanWorks platform for embedded instrumentation remains the only toolset for Intel®’s Interconnect Built-In Self Test (IBIST)

Richardson, TX (March 11, 2010) – ASSET® InterTech (www.asset-intertech.com), the leading supplier of open tools for embedded instrumentation, has enhanced its validation and testing tools for Intel®’s future platforms. In this arrangement, ASSET’s ScanWorks® platform for embedded instruments will continue to support Intel®’s Interconnect Built-In Self Test (IBIST) technology which is embedded in the chip company’s processors and chip sets, and ScanWorks will provide a comprehensive validation solution for high-speed input/output (I/O) on Intel platforms.

“For six years we’ve been the industry’s only provider of IBIST tools. During that time, we’ve gained a great deal of trust from Intel®. Both ASSET and Intel® have benefited from the relationship,” said Tim Caffee, ASSET’s vice president of design validation. “We look forward to continuing this support with future Intel® platforms. Additionally, the ScanWorks platform’s I/O instrumentation tools are expanding beyond Intel®’s QuickPath Interconnect (QPI) high-speed serial bus to provide manufacturers with an expanded high-speed I/O validation solution.”

The ScanWorks validation tools for Intel® IBIST include functionality to perform bit error rate testing (BERT) as well as margining tests. In validation applications, these types of tests can be employed to validate that the high-speed serial I/O buses on a circuit board design will perform as expected before the design moves into high-volume manufacturing. According to Caffee, ScanWorks’s next-generation tools will support all major high-speed I/O buses, including QPI, PCI Express (PCIe), Direct Memory Interface (DMI), and Double Data Rate 3rd Generation (DDR3).

“With increasing signaling rates in modern platform designs, IBIST tools such as the ASSET ScanWorks platform have become necessary for the verification of those interfaces,” said Gene Pitts, Data Center Platform Application Engineering (DCPAE) Director at Intel. “More effective solutions for the verification of complex design challenges allow the industry to focus on other value-add aspects of their platform designs without risking design robustness.”

ScanWorks® – The Embedded Instrumentation Platform

ASSET, through its ScanWorks platform, is applying the experience it has gained from two decades as a leading supplier of IEEE 1149.1 boundary-scan (JTAG) test tools to the development of open embedded instrumentation tools. The boundary-scan infrastructure that is embedded into chips and circuit boards is one of several technologies which can form the basis for an embedded instrumentation toolset. In recent years, ASSET has significantly enhanced ScanWorks beyond boundary-scan test with the addition of other embedded instrumentation technologies, including processor-controlled test (PCT) and tools for Intel® IBIST (Interconnect Built-In Self Test), an embedded instrumentation technology that Intel® and other companies are embedding into next-generation chips and chipsets.

About ASSET InterTech

ASSET InterTech is the leading supplier of open tools for embedded instrumentation for design validation, test and debug. The ScanWorks platform provides automation, access and analysis tools in one environment. Users can quickly and easily validate and test semiconductors, circuit boards or entire systems during every phase of a product's life, including design, manufacturing/repair and field maintenance. ASSET InterTech is located at 2201 North Central Expressway, Suite 105, Richardson, TX 75080.

For product information, call 888-694-6250, fax 972-437-2826, e-mail ai-info@asset-intertech.com or visit www.asset-intertech.com.

EVE to Exhibit at Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Heads Association Conference March 15

EVE — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:20:19 -0800

EVE, the leader in hardware/software co-verification and developer of a scalable and affordable emulation system known as ZeBu-Server, will exhibit at the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Heads Association (ECEDHA) Conference March 15 in Clearwater Beach, Fla.

ECEDHA participants will learn about EVE’s unEVErsity Connections Program that offers universities access to its advanced verification technologies and methodologies for course curriculum. EVE’s ZeBu (Zero Bugs) emulation platforms are used for system-on-chip (SoC) hardware verification and software development to shorten time to tapeout, improve product quality and eliminate costly respins.

For more information on EVE and its hardware/software co-verification tools, visit: cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=htt[...]. Information about the unEVErsity Connections Program is available at: university.eve-team.com.

Details on ECEDHA can be found at: www.ecedha.org/

About EVE

EVE is the worldwide leader in hardware/software co-verification solutions, including hardware description language (HDL) acceleration and extremely fast emulation, with installations at nine of the top 10 semiconductor companies. EVE products significantly shorten the overall verification cycle of complex integrated circuits and electronic systems designs. Its products work in conjunction with popular Verilog, SystemVerilog and VHDL-based software simulators from Cadence Design Systems, Mentor Graphics and Synopsys. EVE is a member of Power.org and ARM, CoWare, Mentor Graphics, Real Intent, Springsoft and Synopsys Partner programs. Follow EVE on Twitter at cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=htt[...]. Its United States headquarters are in San Jose, Calif. Telephone: (408) 457-3200. Facsimile: (408) 457-3299. Corporate headquarters are in Palaiseau, France. Telephone: (33) 1 64.53.27.30. Fax: (33) 1 64.53.27.40. Email: info@eve-team.com. Website: cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=htt[...].

Raima's Embedded Database on the iPhone

Raima.com — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:21:50 -0800

Raima, a Birdstep Technology Company (OSE: BIRD), which offers state-of-the-art embedded database technologies; today announced the release of an iPhone application based on its RDM Embedded Database. The application provides direct flight information in real-time and is available on the iTunes site for free.

“The AirportSearch application is a demonstration of the RDM Embedded database engine running on the iPhone. This provides an excellent alternative to using SQLite™ on the iPhone. RDM Embedded is a proven, high performance database system built specifically for resource limited environments, such as the iPhone,” said Thomas DeLeon, Raima Engineer and developer of the AirportSearch application.

The application is a front end to data to a RDM Embedded database called OpenFlights. The application allows users to search over 5,000 airports, over 9,000 airlines, and over the 50,000 routes connecting them. What is truly unique is not the app itself, but rather the database underneath.

Historically, for a native database on the iPhone platform, developers used SQLite™. This application, on the other hand, uses the RDM Embedded database engine for its data storage and access. In fact, there are no SQL statements used at all in the AirportSearch application, everything is done through RDM Embedded’s native d_ API which is a navigation API utilizing the network database model. This allows the use of sets and direct pointers to database records resulting in very fast and efficient data access.

More information about the application can be found on Raima.com at www.raima.com/iphone. A discussion forum has also been set up on the Raima.com Forums. You can view the Raima Forums at www.raima.com/forums.

About The Raima Database Manager Family

Raima released the first version of the Raima embedded database in 1984. Since then the family has grown into two successful embedded database products. RDM Embedded pioneered the embedded market space under the name dbVista. Building on the success of RDM Embedded, Raima released the product in a client/server configuration under the name Velocis, now called RDM Server. Please find free SDK downloads of the RDM Products at www.raima.com/downloads.

About Raima

Raima, a wholly owned subsidiary of Birdstep Technology ASA, is a leading provider of high-performance embedded database solutions known as the Raima Database Manager product-line. Since 1984, the company has been focused on solving data management problems in a wide variety of verticals such as Aerospace & Defense, Telecom, Financial, Consumer Electronics, Medical, Industrial Automation, Business Automation and more. With over 20,000 application developers, resulting in over 20,000,000 deployments, Birdstep continues to lead in the worldwide demand for embedded database technology.

Eight New FMC Boards Offer Up to 5 Gig Samples/Sec

4DSP, LLC — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 06:51:05 -0800

Reno Nevada, USA – The release of eight new analog-to-digital / digital-to-analog boards based on the FPGA mezzanine card standard (FMC) has been announced by 4DSP, LLC.

These latest 4DSP FMC boards are based on the new open industry standard developed by a consortium of companies working through the ANSI/VITA organizations, as defined in the ANSI/VITA 57.1 2008 specification. FMC modules are designed to connect to FMC compliant carrier cards in the CompactPCI, VPX or PCI express form factors.

“Xilinx played a leading role in the creation of the VITA-57 standard and has adopted it in the development boards shipping in our Virtex-6 and Spartan-6 FPGA development kits,” commented Raj Seelam, senior manager, Xilinx Platform Solutions. “We believe the FMC standard makes it much easier for customers to create prototyping or production systems leveraging the FPGA’s inherent flexibility and expandability. We are gratified to see that our Alliance Program member, 4DSP, has enthusiastically adopted the FMC standard to make these cards part of their product line. Their design expertise for high performance DSP systems is of great value to users or Xilinx FPGAs,” added Raj.

The 4DSP FMC Series cards provide a large range of bit-width and sample rates. Unique features include a user selectable option to have data sampled by an internal clock source (optionally locked to an external reference) or use an externally supplied sample clock. A trigger input for customized sampling control is also available. I/O connections are on the front panel as per VITA 57.1. Cascading multiple FMC boards for synchronized high channel count is possible.

Equipped with power supply and temperature monitoring the 4DSP Series FMC cards have several power-down modes to switch off unused functions to reduce system level power and heat. These features are well suited for software defined radio (SDR) and similar applications where battery or other low-power sources are required. The 4DSP Series of FMC cards are ideal for man-pack, ground mobile vehicles, UAVs and other airborne applications where limited power sources effect mission range and on-station mission time. The boards are also available with Mil-I-46058c compliant conformal coating for hostile environmental applications.

The following products make up the new range of eight 4DSP analog-to-digital / digital-to-analog boards based on the FPGA Mezzanine Card Standard:

• Model No. FMC103 = 4-Channel 210 Msps @ 12-bit FMC-LPC A/D Converter Board

• Model No. FMC104 = 4-Channel 250 Msps @ 14-bit FMC-LPC A/D Converter Board

• Model No. FMC107 = 8-Channel 65 Msps @ 12-bit FMC-LPC A/D Converter Board

• Model No. FMC108 = 8-Channel 250 Msps @ 14-bit FMC-HPC A/D Converter Board

• Model No. FMC110 = 2 Channel 1 Gsps @ 12-bit A/D and 2 Channel 1 Gsps @ 16-bit D/A FMC-LPC Converter Board

• Model No. FMC122 = 1-Channel 2.50 Gsps @ 8-bit and 2-Channel 1.25 Gsps @ 8-bit FMC-HPC Converter Board

• Model No. FMC125 = Quad Channel Tri-Mode 8-bit A/D: 1.25 Gsps - 2.5 Gsps - 5.0 Gsps FMC-HPC Converter Board

• Model No. FMC126 = Quad Channel Tri-Mode 10-bit A/D: 1.25 Gsps / 2.5 Gsps / 5.0 Gsps FMC-HPC Converter Board

More technical information about the FMC VITA 57.1 Standard can be found at www.vita.com/fmc.html.

Information on Xilinx Evaluation Kits is available from www.xilinx.com/products/boards_kits/fmc.htm.

For more specific technical information about 4DSP’s FMC Series of products go to the following web link: www.4dsp.com/fmc_list.php

About 4DSP, LLC

4DSP is an innovative hardware, software and VHDL IP Core manufacturer specializing in low-power, low-weight and compact FPGA based signal and image processing systems. Headquartered in Reno Nevada, USA with offices in the Netherlands, 4DSP is a developer of VHDL arithmetic based reconfigurable computers (FPGAs) of advanced architecture which offer customers maximum flexibility and scalability. 4DSP offers customer build-to-spec hardware and VHDL systems that deliver unmatched performance for a broad range of advanced digital signal processing (DSP) applications for video image processing, software defined radio (SDR), RADAR and many more real-time embedded applications.

Portwell Designs New 1U Rackmount Appliance with Multiple Front Access for Communications Security Applications

American Portwell Technology, Inc. — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:53:23 -0800

FREMONT, CALIF. —March 10, 2010—Medium businesses that need a reliable network security appliance with a compact 1U rackmount form factor for multiple front access and versatile configurations should take a look at CAR-3005, CAR-3006 and CAR-3007, the latest offerings from American Portwell Technology, Inc. (www.portwell.com). The new CAR-3005/6/7 series is already regulatory certified for FCC/CE and UL as well as being RoHS/WEEE Compliant and is designed with a riser card option to support both standard PCI-E x8 add-on cards and Portwell ABN/NIP Ethernet modules.

American Portwell’s CAR-3005/6/7 series of compact 1U rackmount network servers is based on Intel® G41 Express chipset (up to 1333 MHz FSB) and supports all LGA-775-based CPUs from Intel Celeron® 440 to the cost-effective, high performance Q9400 Core™ 2 Quad and Core 2 Duo E7400/E6400 processor. The CAR-3005/6/7 series also features: support for dual-channel DDR3 1333/1066 up to 4GB; one 3.5˝ or two 2.5˝ SATA HDD or SSD; six GbE RJ45 ports on board with software-controlled two bypass segments—Fail Open or Fail Close; Riser card option to support both standard PCI-E x8 add-on card such as RAID controller, third party network security acceleration card, and Portwell ABN/NIP Ethernet modules; LCD display module options that include EZIO-300 (2 to 16 characters), EZIO-G400 (128x32 graphical) or EZIO-G500 (128x64 graphical) with 7 buttons; VGA pin-header available for software/application development. The CAR-3005/6/7 series is ready for dual-port 10Gbps Ethernet solutions, including SFP+ and Copper. In addition, the series features a range of power supply options: CAR-3005 with a 275W redundant power supply; CAR-3006 with a 200W AC power supply; and CAR-3007 with a 48V DC power supply.

Designed with OEM branding, American Portwell’s CAR-3005/6/7 series of 1U rackmount network appliances can help medium businesses achieve a cost-effective, high performance network communications solution for applications in Network Security (such as IDS/IPS, Firewall, VPN, Anti-Spam, Anti-Virus and UTM); Network Management (such as Routers, RAS Gateways, QoS, Server-Load Balance, Wireless LAN Controller and Video Streaming); plus Medical DICOM and PACS applications, and Industrial Automation control via Ethernet TCP/IP.

Multiple Front Access Ethernet Ports

According to Mark Huang, American Portwell Technology’s product marketing manager, the CAR-3005/6/7 series provides flexible Ethernet module options including 4 GbE RJ45, 2 GbE SFP ports, 4 GbE SFP ports or 8 GbE SFP ports. “Designed with multiple front access Ethernet ports, the compact 1U devices are perfect for communications security appliances and applications in medium business markets,” Huang states. “The 1U form factor supports the latest dual-port 10Gbps Ethernet controller from Intel as well as Portwell offerings such as ABN-522 (Intel 82598) and NIP-53020 (Intel 82599ES, PCI-E Gen2), plus, it supports SFP+ transceivers, NIP-54020 (Intel 82599EB, PCI-E Gen2) 10G-BaseT Copper,” Huang confirms.

Long Product Lifecycle Support

“Portwell also plans to introduce a PCI-E Gen2 module that utilizes the Intel 82580 Quad MAC/PHY controller,” announces Frank Shen, American Portwell’s product marketing director. “As it stands now, the CAR-3005/6/7 series is ready for the 10Gbps Ethernet solution to meet the needs of today’s most advanced data centers. And as always,” Shen adds, “our customers not only benefit from the most up-to-date technology and features, but they also gain peace of mind from the long life cycle support (7+ years) inherent with every Portwell product.”

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Product details: www.portwell.com/products/detail.asp?CUSTCHAR1=[...]

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About American Portwell

American Portwell Technology, Inc., is a world-leading innovator in the Network Security market and a member of the Intel® Embedded Alliance. American Portwell Technology designs, manufactures and markets a complete range of communications appliances, embedded computer boards and systems and rackmount systems for both OEMs and ODMs. American Portwell is both an ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 13485:2003 certified company. The company is located in Fremont, California. For more information about American Portwell’s extensive turnkey and private-label branding solutions, call 1-877-APT-8899, email info@portwell.com or visit us at www.portwell.com.

All products and company names referred to herein may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies or mark holders.

# # #

Product Contact:

Mark Huang

American Portwell Technology, Inc.

510-403-3314

mark@portwell.com

Media Contact:

Susan Wei

American Portwell Technology, Inc.

510-403-3354

susanw@portwell.com

Asute Networks and RadiSys Announce Partnership to Address Demanding Communications and Mil/Aero Applications

RadiSys Corporation — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:32:02 -0800

SAN DIEGO, CA and HILLSBORO, OR— March 9, 2010 — Astute Networks, Inc., a leading provider of bladed storage solutions optimized for the most demanding applications on the edge of the network, and RadiSys Corp. (NASDAQ: RSYS), a leading global provider of application-ready software and hardware platforms, today announced that the two companies have entered into an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) agreement to supply cutting-edge Advanced Telecommunications Computing Architecture (ATCA) solutions to communications and mil/aero customers worldwide.

Under the partnership, the companies will provide integrated solutions based on RadiSys' Promentum® ATCA chassis and server blade products and Astute Networks' edge storage blades, bundled with application-specific software. The combination of RadiSys' systems and product expertise, and Astute Networks' Caspian Edge Storage Blades, will provide an innovative product offering for demanding mission-critical network environments. The companies will market these combined solutions in the communications and mil/aero marketplaces.

"Astute Networks' experience in designing world-class storage products for the communications and mil/aero markets was the basis for entering into this mutually beneficial OEM agreement, and we are pleased to welcome them as a new member of our RadiSys Alliance Partner Program," said Anthony Ambrose, vice president and general manager of communications networks, RadiSys. "This partnership will enable our customers to select from an even broader range of integrated platform solutions that provide the choice, flexibility and time-to-market advantages required by the communications and mil/aero industries."

"RadiSys has defined itself as a leading global provider of application-ready software and hardware platforms for use in the communications, multi-media, mil/aero and medical markets, and we look forward to bringing cutting-edge solutions to market, together," stated Clark Masters, president and chief executive officer, Astute Networks, Inc. "End-users are driving the demand for integrated vendor solutions and are looking for partners with proficiency in designing and implementing these solutions. We believe the RadiSys/Astute Networks partnership will benefit our mutual customer base by providing a wide array of technology options."

Telecommunications customers such as TynTec Ltd. have already welcomed the partnership.

"To provide new capabilities to our carrier customers, we need innovative platforms that will deliver more compute and storage capabilities with ever-decreasing total cost of ownership," said Thorsten Trapp, chief technology officer, TynTec Ltd. "The RadiSys/Astute Networks OEM agreement provides telecommunications equipment manufacturers with all of these advantages in a package that decreases power, space and weight as well."

Mil/aero customers will also benefit from the synergies that the RadiSys/Astute Networks partnership offers. The companies have demonstrated abilities in developing innovative solutions for the ATCA platform which has become an integral computing architecture in the mil/aero sector. ATCA is ideal for mission-critical applications because of its inherent advantages in power consumption, deployment simplicity, space utilization and commercial off-the-shelf availability.

About Astute Networks, Inc.

Astute Networks is the leading provider of bladed storage solutions for edge applications to the telecommunications, military, aerospace, government and other mission-critical markets. The company's focus is to provide the most reliable ATCA storage platform with high availability, optimal performance and efficient space and power utilization. Astute Networks' edge storage solutions are easy to deploy and maintain and feature lower product lifecycle costs while increasing time to market. Astute Networks is located in San Diego, Calif. For additional information, visit www.astutenetworks.com. Astute Networks - Edge Storage Made Simple™

About Radisys

RadiSys (NASDAQ: RSYS) is a leading provider of application-ready software and hardware platforms for use in the communications, multi-media, defense and medical markets. RadiSys’ innovative and market leading technologies help equipment manufacturers and network operators bring the most advanced products and services to market faster and more economically. For more information, visit www.radisys.com, write to info@radisys.com, or call 800-950-0044 or 503-615-1100. Editors seeking more information may contact Lyn Pangares at RadiSys Corporation at 503-615-1220 or lyn.pangares@radisys.com.

Magma Announces FineSim Fast Monte Carlo

Magma Design Automation — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:35:22 -0800

Magma(R) Design Automation Inc. (Nasdaq:LAVA), a provider of chip design software, today announced the availability of FineSim(TM) Fast Monte Carlo, a revolutionary new alternative to traditional Monte Carlo analysis. FineSim Fast Monte Carlo makes it possible to achieve much more accurate statistical analysis as much as 100 times faster than traditional Monte Carlo methods.

Most engineers today rely heavily on statistical methods such as traditional Monte Carlo analysis for design reliability, an approach that has limitations making accurate analysis almost impossible. FineSim Fast Monte Carlo uses proprietary dynamic error-controlled algorithms along with sophisticated statistical techniques to provide dramatic improvement in speed and accuracy compared to traditional Monte Carlo statistical analysis. It has shown as much as 100 times better runtime when compared to other commercial methods, with superior accuracy.

"As engineers continue to push their products into more advanced process technologies, the need for improved reliability becomes even more critical. But the increasing number of process parameters and parasitic variability make it virtually impossible to predict accurate statistical yield analysis, reliability and failure analysis," said Anirudh Devgan, general manager of Magma's Custom Design Business Unit. "FineSim Fast Monte Carlo was developed to address these issues with greater accuracy and predictability."

The algorithms in FineSim Fast Monte Carlo, coupled with Magma's native-parallel technology, improve throughput for statistical simulations even further. FineSim Fast Monte Carlo makes statistical analysis practical for many different applications. "Several key customers have tested FineSim Fast Monte Carlo option on their memory, custom digital, and mixed-signal designs, and they are very excited about its performance and accuracy of results," Devgan said.

Designers can use FineSim Fast Monte Carlo to dramatically improve the speed of statistical analysis, enabling statistical analysis on designs that would previously have been infeasible. Fast Monte Carlo can also improve the accuracy of statistical analysis on a given number of statistical samples, providing users improved overall confidence in the analysis.

Availability

FineSim Fast Monte Carlo is available now for production use with FineSim SPICE and FineSim Pro for fast, accurate statistical circuit analysis.

About Magma

Magma's electronic design automation (EDA) software provides the "Fastest Path to Silicon"(TM) and enables the world's top chip companies to create high-performance integrated circuits (ICs) for cellular telephones, electronic games, WiFi, MP3 players, digital video, networking and other electronic applications. Magma products are used in IC implementation, analog/mixed-signal design, analysis, physical verification, circuit simulation and characterization. The company maintains headquarters in San Jose, Calif., and offices throughout North America, Europe, Japan, Asia and India. Magma's stock trades on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol LAVA. Follow Magma on Twitter at www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/ctr?d=186281&l=9[...] and on Facebook at Facebook.com%2FMagma" target="_top">www.Facebook.com/Magma. Visit Magma Design Automation on the Web at www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/ctr?d=186281&l=9[...].

Magma Unveils Tekton -- First Static Timing Analysis Solution to Deliver Fast Multi-Scenario Analysis on a Single CPU

Magma Design Automation — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:33:33 -0800

Magma(R) Design Automation Inc. (Nasdaq:LAVA), a provider of chip design software, today unveiled Tekton(TM), a new timing analysis platform that offers significantly higher capacity and dramatically faster runtimes than traditional tools, without sacrificing accuracy. Unlike other solutions, Tekton runs multi-scenario analysis efficiently on low-cost hardware without requiring a large number of expensive servers and software licenses. Leveraging breakthrough technology, this revolutionary new platform addresses complex sign-off challenges and is uniquely suited for today's most challenging designs.

"The complexity of timing sign-off has reached crisis proportions, forcing design teams to re-evaluate resource planning, design architectures and final sign-off solutions," said Premal Buch, general manager of Magma's Design Implementation Business Unit. "Capacity and runtime limitations of current STA tools often force teams to sacrifice accuracy to meet tight design schedules, or they must invest in expensive servers and additional software licenses in an attempt to achieve reasonable turnaround times. By enabling STA in just minutes for the industry's biggest chips -- on a single machine -- Tekton is truly the next-generation timing analysis platform."

Tekton: Fast, Accurate, High-Capacity Static Timing Analysis

Designed to more efficiently handle on-chip-variation (OCV), composite current source (CCS) models and crosstalk analysis, Tekton overcomes the speed, capacity and accuracy limitations of traditional static timing analysis (STA) tools. It brings a new level of performance to static timing analysis and extraction while maintaining complete flow compatibility with existing STA tools.

Tekton meets the runtime, capacity and accuracy requirements for sign-off through an architecture designed to accommodate more than 100 million instances and greater than 15 PVT corners. Traditional STA solutions often take hours or days and numerous machines to deliver results on complicated designs that have many analysis scenarios. Tekton's multi-threaded architecture provides near-linear scaling on up to 24 CPUs. For a single timing scenario, with OCV and crosstalk enabled, Tekton performs timing analysis on designs greater than 10 million cells in minutes.

QCP: New Full-Chip Extractor

The Tekton platform includes QCP(TM), a fast, high-capacity, full-chip extractor that delivers results with the accuracy of the industry standard, QuickCap(R). QCP's architecture enables efficient multi-corner extraction with minimal increases in runtime as additional process, voltage and temperature (PVT) corners are added for each process node migration. Built on a similar architecture to Tekton, QCP is fully multi-threaded for near linear performance on up to 32 CPUs. Tekton and QCP can be used together in a single STA timing session for very fast and accurate "what-if" analysis for engineering change orders (ECOs).

Tekton and QCP: Tight Integration Means Fewer and Faster ECO Loops

Today's complex chip designs require accurate timing analysis to be performed across many scenarios (operating modes and PVT corners). Coupling Tekton's timing analysis with QCP's extraction in a single session allows designers to simultaneously iterate through the timing closure process of analyzing, fixing and extracting nets. The ability to make changes and get accurate timing results can drastically reduce the amount of time spent in trial-and-error ECO loops.

Tekton Multi-Mode/Multi-Corner Analysis Speeds Turnaround Times and Reduces Costs

Performing multi-mode/multi-corner or multi-scenario analysis using traditional tools is time consuming, expensive and cumbersome. Design teams are often forced to purchase many expensive servers and accompanying software licenses to parallelize the multi-scenario analysis in order to shorten run times. In some cases, design teams resort to using abstracted timing models to accelerate the analysis, but at the expense of accuracy. Tekton performs extremely fast, multi-scenario analysis on a single machine and provides the accuracy of existing sign-off solutions. Over a variety of designs with 5 to 50 scenarios enabled, Tekton performs timing analysis, with OCV and crosstalk enabled, in less than one hour on a single CPU.

"To ensure we provide the highest quality of silicon, we analyze our chips across many operating modes and PVT corners," said Jay Avula, vice president of Technology at ServerEngines. "The amount of STA we require puts our tapeout schedule at risk, and it will be only getting worse. Tekton runtimes are truly exceptional. We believe Tekton will meet our growing STA challenges without increasing our compute resources."

"Today, companies are budgeting millions of dollars for hardware to address the rapidly increasing number of STA scenarios," said Premal Buch, general manager of Magma's Design Implementation Business Unit. "Tekton is the only STA solution that meets the multi-scenario analysis problems of today and five years from now -- on a single machine without any investment in new hardware."

Tekton Platform: Increasing Accuracy, Reducing the Timing Closure Burden

To address the timing closure challenges design teams face at 40 nm and below, Tekton supports advanced OCV (AOCV) margin reduction techniques. By incorporating AOCV into timing closure flows, design teams can minimize global pessimistic margins that lengthen tapeout schedules and potentially increase die sizes. For critical path and net analysis, Tekton and QCP offer high accuracy modes that leverage Tekton's integrated SPICE engine and QCP's accurate extraction.

Availability

Tekton and QCP are in limited release. General availability will begin in June 2010.

About Magma

Magma's electronic design automation (EDA) software provides the "Fastest Path to Silicon"(TM) and enables the world's top chip companies to create high-performance integrated circuits (ICs) for cellular telephones, electronic games, WiFi, MP3 players, digital video, networking and other electronic applications. Magma products are used in IC implementation, analog/mixed-signal design, analysis, physical verification, circuit simulation and characterization. The company maintains headquarters in San Jose, Calif., and offices throughout North America, Europe, Japan, Asia and India. Magma's stock trades on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol LAVA. Follow Magma on Twitter at www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/ctr?d=186282&l=1[...] and on Facebook at Facebook.com%2FMagma" target="_top">www.Facebook.com/Magma. Visit Magma Design Automation on the Web at www.magma-da.com/.

GE Intelligent Platforms Announces $1.7 Million Contract from Link Simulation and Training

GE Intelligent Platforms — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:18:01 -0800

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA, MARCH 09, 2010 GE Intelligent Platforms, a unit of GE Enterprise Solutions, today announced that it had received an order for automatic video trackers valued at approximately $1.7 million from Link Simulation and Training of Arlington, Texas. The order is for a number of GE ADEPT74 real-time video tracker processing boards that will be employed as a major element of the U.S. Army’s AVCATT (Aviation Combined Arms Tactical Trainer) AH-64D simulation and training system upgrade program.

The GE Intelligent Platforms ADEPT74 is a full-featured automatic video tracker and image processor. It was chosen for its flexibility, powerful processing capability, and the facility to take the input of high-speed digital data directly from electro-optical sensors. A PMC site on the board allows the ADEPT74 greater flexibility for the provision of additional input video formats and image processing functionality.

“This is a significant application of our standard hardware,” said Peter Cavill, General Manager, Military/Aerospace Systems at GE Intelligent Platforms. “The ADEPT74 video tracker provides full emulation of the advanced MTADS targeting system on the latest versions of the Apache Longbow helicopter and allows the delivery of more realistic aircrew training, therefore providing superior efficiency and improved safety for our troops.”

AVCATT is a mobile and reconfigurable virtual simulation system designed to support unit collective and combined arms training. Each AVCATT suite provides six manned modules, reconfigurable to any combination of attack, reconnaissance, lift and/or cargo helicopters. Platforms that can be simulated include AH-64A, AH-64D, OH-58D, UH-60A/L and CH-47D. AVCATT is employed to train both active and reserve component aircrews deploying in support of overseas contingency operations.

About GE Intelligent Platforms

VersaLogic announces ultra-high performance SBC on PC/104-sized card

VersaLogic — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 05:08:35 -0800

VersaLogic Corp., a Eugene, Oregon-based embedded computer company, today announced the "Wildcat", a very high-performance single board computer (SBC). Built around an Intel® 2nd generation Core™2 Duo processor (SP9300), the entire SBC fits on a single 4.2” x 3.8” (107 mm x 96 mm) board.

Wildcat is designed for applications which require extreme CPU and video processing in a compact package. The SP9300 Core 2 Duo CPU is combined with the GS45 Graphics Memory Controller Hub and ICH9M I/O Controller Hub to form an extremely high-performance system. This powerful SBC is ideally suited for compute-intensive high-end applications such as flight navigation, guidance systems, and medical scanning / imaging. Wildcat is qualified to MIL-STD-202G shock and vibration standards for use in harsh environments.

"VersaLogic's new Wildcat is at the top of its class as the premium solution for applications requiring high-speed processing," said Len Crane, President of VersaLogic. "This kind of processing power, in such a small package, with relatively low power dissipation, will open a new generation of applications. It will also allow multi-CPU systems to be replaced to save a great deal of space, cost, and power in existing applications. This is a very significant step in processing capabilities."

Available in both a standard (0º to +60ºC) and an extended temperature version (-40º to +85ºC), the Wildcat runs at speeds up to 2.27 GHz, with typical power consumption of 19.5 watts. On-board features include up to 4 GB DDR3 RAM, gigabit Ethernet port, four USB 2.0 ports, dual SATA interface, serial port, digital HD audio support, and a latching MiniBlade™ socket for high-reliability flash storage. The board supports analog VGA and LVDS flat panel video interfaces for Extended Desktop, Clone, and Twin display modes, as well as advanced graphics capabilities with 3D video acceleration. Wildcat includes a stackable PCI interface (PCI-104™ standard) and VersaLogic’s SPX™ interface for system expandability.

The Wildcat owes its ability to pack extreme CPU and video performance into a PC/104-sized card to a new Core 2 Duo package. The small form factor (SFF) micro-FCBGA package uses 0.5 mm pitch balls to fit 956 connections in very little space.

Wildcat features Phoenix Technologies’ Embedded BIOS® with OEM enhancements. This field-reprogrammable BIOS supports custom defaults and the Firmbase™ software developers kit (SDK) for security, remote/network booting, and other application functions. Wildcat is compatible with a variety of popular operating systems, including Windows, Windows Embedded, Linux, VxWorks, and QNX.

The Wildcat is customizable, even in low OEM quantities. Customizations include manufacturing to Class 3 specifications, conformal coating, BIOS customization, revision locks, custom labeling, high-G shock and vibration treatment, custom testing and screening, etc. The Wildcat is fully RoHS-compliant.

VersaLogic will begin shipping Wildcat in March of 2010. Pricing is about $1,600 in OEM quantities. For additional information, please visit VersaLogic Corp. at www.VersaLogic.com, email sales@VersaLogic.com, or call toll-free 1-800-824-3163.

About VersaLogic Corporation

A leading supplier of industrial computers since 1976, VersaLogic focuses on high-quality board-level products for embedded OEM applications. Its five-year product availability guarantee and outstanding warranties demonstrate a commitment to service. Product platforms include EBX, PC/104, PC/104-Plus, EPIC™, SUMIT™, and SPX™. For five consecutive years, VersaLogic has received the coveted "Platinum" level vendor rating based on independent user surveys by technology research firm VDC Research Group, Inc. VersaLogic received ISO 9001:2008 certification in 2009 and was one of the first companies in North America to be registered to the 2008 revision of the standard. For more information, visit www.VersaLogic.com.

PT Adds IP-Based Radar/Sensor Recording and Playback Platform to its Air Traffic Control and Defense Communication Systems

Performance Technologies — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 03:23:56 -0800

Amsterdam, The Netherlands – PT (NASDAQ: PTIX), the recently rebranded Performance Technologies, a leading global provider of advanced network communications solutions, today announced the introduction of its MPR2000 Radar and Sensor Data Recording/Playback System. The new offering enables integrators to more easily expand their existing air traffic control recording systems and leverage new technologies to build next generation, IP-based sensor and radar recording solutions.

The MPR2000 Data Record/Playback System is the newest addition to the company’s suite of air traffic control and defense communication systems, complementing the world class MPS1000 Data Distribution Server which transports multiple radar formats and sensor interfaces over IP. For over a decade, PT systems have provided extremely reliable and highly available services over IP networks, by gathering and delivering vital data such as weather, flight tracking, and ground surveillance. The company’s presence in air traffic control and defense-related communication systems includes over 3,500 systems deployed in 30 different countries.

PT’s MPR2000 expands the current portfolio by adding the capability to easily record and play back radar/sensor data. The record feature stores data in raw or payload format with highly accurate timestamping, enabling the user to view previously captured data as source material to analyze or transmit to remote archive locations. A unique feature of the MPR2000 is its multiple playback function, whereby simultaneous sessions may be conducted and widely distributed to discrete users. The MPR2000 employs a web-based user interface simplifying set-up, configuration, monitoring, and maintenance in order to create an intuitive, user-friendly experience. Unlike other offerings, these capabilities apply to the entire platform as well as to specific radar/sensor ports (links) running specific communications protocols. Finally, MPR2000’s flexible platform accepts optional processor blades and PT’s NexusWare® Linux® distribution, enabling tight integration of applications and reducing the need for additional servers.

"PT is very proud to introduce the newest member of our Air Traffic Control portfolio," said Ed Bizari, Vice President of Military, Aerospace, and Government Systems for PT. "Coupled with our popular, field proven MPS1000, the MPR2000 delivers a one-two punch to provide mission-critical, IP communication solutions, and it represents our ongoing commitment to the Air Traffic Control and government systems industry to provide best in class products."

PT is demonstrating its Air Traffic Control solutions that include the MPR2000, the MPS1000, and the company’s IPnexus® EMS at the ATC Global Exhibition and Conference, March 9-11, 2010, in Stand R301A in Amsterdam RAI.

Online Resources

Air traffic and defense communication system architects needing more information on PT’s MPR2000 system, the MPS1000 server, and other leading communication solutions can access the following online resources:

-- MPR2000 Data Record/Playback System: go.pt.com/mpr2000

-- MPS1000 Data Distribution Server: go.pt.com/mps1000

-- NexusWare® Radar/Sensor Communications Software: go.pt.com/wan

-- IPnexus EMS (Element Management System): go.pt.com/ems

About PT (www.pt.com)

PT (NASDAQ: PTIX) is a global supplier of advanced network communications solutions to carrier, government, and OEM markets. PT’s portfolio includes IP-centric network elements and applications designed for high availability, scalability, and long life cycle deployments. The company’s entire line of offerings is anchored by IPnexus®, PT’s own IP-native, highly integrated platforms and element management systems. OEMs and application developers, including PT itself, leverage the robust carrier grade Linux® development environment and rich suite of communications protocols (PT’s NexusWare®) of IPnexus Application-Ready Systems as a cornerstone component of their end product value proposition. PT’s SEGway™ Signaling Solutions provide low cost, high density signaling, advanced routing, IP migration, gateway capabilities, SIP bridge, and core-to-edge distributed intelligence. The company’s Xpress™ NGN applications enable evolving Mobile 2.0, Multi-media, and IMS based revenue generating services. PT is headquartered in Rochester, NY and maintains sales and engineering offices around the world.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements which reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events and which could impact the Company's financial performance. These statements are subject to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. The Company's future operating results are subject to various risks and uncertainties and may be affected by various trends and factors which are beyond the Company's control, including customers' acceptance of the Company's new products. Forward-looking statements should be read in conjunction with the audited Consolidated Financial Statements, the Notes thereto, Risk Factors, and Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations of the Company as of December 31, 2009, as contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, and other documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Microsemi Extends Advanced Silicon Carbide Portfolio With 1,500 Watt RF Power Transistor for UHF Pulsed Radar Provides High Performance for Next-Generation Military/Aerospace Applications

Microsemi — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 02:47:31 -0800

Microsemi Corporation (Nasdaq:MSCC), a leading manufacturer of high performance analog mixed signal integrated circuits and high reliability semiconductors, announced today the introduction of a new 1,500 watt RF power transistor for UHF pulsed radar applications, expanding its industry-leading portfolio of high power silicon carbide transistors.

Designated the Model 0405SC-1500M, the new device from Microsemi's RF Integrated Solutions group, utilizes state-of-the-art SiC technology to provide unparalleled 1,500W peak power performance in a compact single-ended package that replaces complex push-pull balun circuitry found in conventional silicon BJT or LDMOS solutions.

"We are very excited to lead the market with this silicon carbide broadband transistor specifically designed for UHF Band pulsed radar in military and aerospace applications," said Charles Leader, Microsemi RFIS Vice President. "This new 1,500 watt device demonstrates our ability to extend this advanced technology through aggressive investment. We now can support next-generation UHF radar designs with a full series of silicon carbide transistors having powers rated at 100 watts, 500 watts, 1000 watts and now the 0405SC-1500M at 1,500 watts.

The 0405SC-1500M is a high performance, common gate, class AB, high power transistor designed for UHF frequencies from 406 to 450 MHz. It is built with 100% gold metallization and gold wires in a hermetically sealed package providing highest reliability for weather radar and over the horizon radar applications.

System Benefits with 0405SC-1500M SiC transistors:

-- Single-ended simple impedance-matching design replaces complex push-pull

balun circuitry

-- Industry's highest peak power for reduced system power: 4-way

combination yields 5kW with margin

-- High operating voltage slashes power supply size and dc current demand

-- Low conducting current minimizes system noise effect

-- Extremely rugged performance improves system yields

-- 50% smaller size than equivalent silicon devices

-- All gold metallization and gold wire for military grade long term

reliability

-- Hermetic, solder-sealed packaging extends lifetime operation

The 0405SC-1500M transistor utilizes new chip design and processing enhancements to offer state-of-the-art performance, notably in high power, small transistor and circuit size over the specified frequency range with 300us pulse width and 6% duty cycle.

0405SC-1500M Key Product Features:

-- Designed for 406 -- 450 MHz UHF radar

-- Medium Pulse Format: 300 us, 6%

-- 1,500 watt output power

-- High power gain: 8 dB Typ

-- Drain efficiency: 45 % @450MHz

-- Compression: In Compression

-- Vdd: +125V

-- Ruggedness capable of VSWR-T 5:1

Demo units for the entire line of Microsemi silicon carbide transistors are available now by contacting the factory or by email request to sic@microsemi.com. Technical datasheets are available on the Microsemi website at www.microsemi.com.

Carbon Unveils New Generation of ARM Models with Availability of Mali Models

Carbon Design Systems — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 01:06:22 -0800

Carbon Design Systems™, the leading supplier of tools for the automatic creation, validation and deployment of system-level models, announced today immediate availability of virtual models for ARM® Mali™ Graphic Processor Units (GPUs).

“Our new Mali models represent the first in a new generation of ARM models from Carbon,” says Tom Rathje, Carbon’s vice president of engineering. “The built-in TLM-2.0 interface gives each model the flexibility for architectural exploration, firmware development and application software development.”

These new models, including the Mali-200 and Mali-400MP, are compiled directly from the ARM register transfer level (RTL) code and are 100% implementation accurate.

Each contains transaction level model (TLM)-2.0 interfaces to execute seamlessly with Fast Models from ARM as part of a system prototype and quickly boot an operating system such as Linux or Android. The interface and dynamic clock generation logic automatically turn the model on when it is being used and off when it is dormant. As a result, models run in a loosely timed (LT) level environment without slowing it down, except when they’re active. This capability will enable the same model to be used for architectural exploration, firmware development and application software development.

Mali models also contain a cycle-accurate TLM interface and integrate directly into Carbon SoC Designer and any SystemC or RTL design environment.

Availability

Mali models are available now from Carbon Design Systems. For pricing and further details, send email to: info@carbondesignsystems.com. To learn more about Carbon Design Systems, visit: cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=htt[...].

About Carbon Design Systems

Carbon Design Systems offers the leading system validation solution for complex system-on-chip (SoC) designs. Target applications range from model generation and deployment to virtual platform creation, execution, and analysis. Carbon provides 100% implementation accuracy on the critical components required for accurate architectural analysis and pre-silicon hardware/software validation. Solutions are based on open industry standards, including SystemC, IP-XACT, Verilog, VHDL, OSCI TLM, MDI, SCML, CASI, CADI and CAPI. Carbon’s customers are systems, semiconductor, and IP companies that focus on wireless, networking and consumer electronics. Carbon is headquartered at 125 Nagog Park, Acton, Mass., 01720. Telephone: (978) 264-7300. Facsimile: (978) 264-9990. Email: info@carbondesignsystems.com.

Aonix ObjectAda Real-Time released on VxWorks 653; Atego's real-time Ada development system now available to military and aerospace developers.

Atego — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 23:21:53 -0800

San Diego, USA and Cheltenham, UK – 8th March 2010. Atego, the leading independent supplier of industrial-grade, modeling and development tools for complex, mission and safety-critical embedded systems and software, has announced the release of Aonix ObjectAda Real-Time for Windows targeting the Wind River VxWorks 653 multi-partition RTOS for PowerPC. This is the first release of the Aonix ObjectAda product with full Ada runtime support for the Wind River safety-critical platform.

“Aonix ObjectAda Real-Time for VxWorks 653 was developed to meet customer demand,” said James B. Gambrell, Executive Chairman at Atego. “Although Atego, formerly Aonix, has for years been providing a full safety-critical Ada product for ARINC-653 systems, to realize the full potential of multi-partition RTOSs, both full Ada runtime, and safety-certifiable Ada runtimes needed to be available. We are happy to now have satisfied this need.”

VxWorks 653 is Wind River's robust operating system for controlling complex ARINC 653 Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA) systems. VxWorks 653 fully implements the latest ARINC 653 application executive (APEX) specification with a robust time and space partition scheduler. Aonix ObjectAda Real-Time runs within a VxWorks 653 partition where execution of a non-certifiable Ada application can work in cooperation with safety-critical functionality resident in other partitions. This is a significant cost advantage via reduction in the amount of Ada code that needs to endure the high cost and time associated with the rigor of certification testing and acceptance cycles. Atego’s Aonix ObjectAda Real-Time joins with Aonix ObjectAda RAVEN as one of two products now supporting the VxWorks 653 platform.

“Support for multiple levels of safety criticality is an important aspect of IMA systems,” said Adrian Larkham, Head of Critical Systems at Atego. “Aonix ObjectAda provides facilities needed for the development of Ada applications at varying levels of safety criticality within an IMA system. Aonix ObjectAda Real-Time for VxWorks 653 provides full Ada language coverage for development projects with low levels of application safety criticality. Application development at the highest level of safety criticality is covered by ObjectAda RAVEN for VxWorks 653 and its certifiable subset of Ada.”

Aonix ObjectAda Real-Time for Windows x PowerPC/VxWorks 653 consists of a fully compliant ACATS 2.5 Ada 95 compiler plus supporting tools. It is compatible with Wind River’s VxWorks 653 environment, which comprises the VxWorks 653 operating system and the VxWorks 653 cross development toolset. Aonix ObjectAda for VxWorks 653 leverages Wind River Workbench, an Eclipse-based development environment providing developers access to the broad range of tools available through the Eclipse framework. Users also have the option to utilize Aonix ObjectAda’s standard graphical or command-line interface. The Aonix ObjectAda compilation system is comprised of an integrated language-sensitive editor, source-code browser, compiler with industry-leading compilation speed, debugger and full library manager.

About the Aonix ObjectAda Family

Aonix ObjectAda is an extensive family of native and cross development tools and runtime environments. Aonix ObjectAda native products provide host development and execution support for the most popular environments including Windows, Linux and various UNIX operating systems. Aonix ObjectAda Real-Time products provide cross development tools on Windows, Linux or UNIX systems which target PowerPC and Intel target processors in support of “bare” hardware execution or in conjunction with popular RTOSs. Aonix ObjectAda RAVEN products provide a hard real-time Ada runtime to address those systems requiring certification to the highest levels of safety standards such as DO-178B Level A for flight safety.

Availability

Aonix ObjectAda Real-Time targeting the PowerPC architecture running Wind Rivers’ VxWorks 653 is immediately available.

# # #

About Atego

AtegoTM is the leading independent supplier of industrial-grade, collaborative development tools for engineering complex, mission- and safety-critical architectures, systems, software and hardware. Atego delivers a stable, robust working environment to thousands of users across an extensive range of complex applications in demanding engineering sectors such as aerospace, defense, automotive, transportation, telecommunications, electronics, and medical. Atego’s Aonix PERC® is the leading, highly reliable, real-time embedded virtual machine solution for running JavaTM programs deployed today. Atego also has the largest number of certified Ada applications (Aonix ObjectAda®) at the highest level of criticality. Atego’s standards-based modeling tool suite, Artisan Studio®, provides comprehensive support for the leading industry standards, including OMG SysML, UML and Architectural Frameworks. Atego WorkbenchTM provides a fully integrated, collaborative engineering framework for the trouble-free deployment and maintenance of best-in-class tools for mission and safety-critical systems and software development. Atego’s tools deliver on the promise of an integrated collaborative development environment - allowing architecture, systems, software and hardware engineering teams to Work as OneSM - from concept through to delivery, maintenance and support. Founded in 2010 in a merger between Artisan Software Tools and Aonix, Atego is headquartered in San Diego, CA, USA and Cheltenham, UK with offices in France, Germany and Italy, and is supported by a global distributor network. For more information visit: www.Atego.com.

Geensoft launches Reqtify 2010

Geensoft — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 20:26:52 -0800

Brest, France - 8th March 2010. Geensoft, the specialist independent provider of software design tools and associated professional services for embedded systems development, has launched Reqtify 2010, a major new version of its award-winning tool suite for the automated management of embedded hardware and software requirements capture, traceability and impact analysis throughout the entire development lifecycle. Reqtify 2010 delivers improved productivity through an extensive range of new and enhanced plug-in tools, features and interfaces.

“Reqtify 2010 includes the most extensive range of new features and functions that we have introduced,” said Eric Larronde-Larretche, Geensoft’s Product Line Manager for Reqtify. “Approaching 10 year’s old, Reqtify’s well-proven technology is now firmly established in, and extremely widely used by, the embedded systems design community worldwide.”

Reqtify 2010 includes new Collaborative Project Management and Reviewer plug-in tools. The new Collaborative Project Management (CPM) plug-in considerably eases a previously painful and time-consuming process for OEMs relating to the collation and management of design partners’ requirements and traceability data. It enables project managers to consolidate all projects and sub-projects into one global Reqtify project, with automatic linkage of design artifacts to the original requirements. This enables remote teams to more easily undertake global impact analysis, measure requirements coverage and share results on an entire project throughout the development lifecycle. The new CPM plug-in includes a specific user management module allowing user profiles, rights and roles to be defined in order to facilitate access control. The Reviewer plug-in has also been completely re-built to make it more visually oriented, facilitate workflow customisation and improve the management of user rights.

Reqtify 2010’s range of new features is extensive. Links management is critical to requirements traceability and Reqtify 2010 now provides the ability to automatically highlight suspect links that have to be validated as soon as changes occur to covered requirements. A new Links Detail View has also been included where engineers can create, edit and analyse traceability and dependencies between project artifacts. It is also possible to define links as either traceability or dependency links so that the required coverage calculation is obtained. A completely reworked Management View enables engineers to easily check project progress and metrics using visual indicators for traceability achievements, requirement errors and quality. Rules Management has also been significantly improved with a new rules management cockpit that enables existing rules to be enabled/disabled using a simple check list and new rules to be created using a simple, intuitive rules editor. A new XML-based tester enables pre-analysis of data to be undertaken prior to the allocation of specific document types to analysis reports. Filters can now be defined with variable values instead of having to define separate filters for each value.

Reqtify 2010 also includes a range of new and enhanced interfaces. A new Eclipse CDT interface and tagger overcomes a major hole in Eclipse Workbench enabling requirements traceability to be easily added to the C/C++ code generated using the CDT capability. The IBM-Rational DOORS interface has also been upgraded to include Full Hierarchy analysis which can be used when there is no clear definition of Sections and Requirements. The interface for HP Quality Center has also been significantly enhanced to include support for Version 10. Improvements have also been made to the Microsoft Office suite and to Sparx Enterprise Architect interfaces.

“With over 10,000 users in 500 companies in Europe, North America and Asia, the launch of Reqtify 2010 further reinforces our position as the market leader in the automated management of requirements gathering, traceability and impact analysis for embedded systems,” said Eliane Fourgeau, CEO of Geensoft. “It also highlights our commitment to the ongoing development of our products and importance as a strong, independent player in the market for embedded systems design tools following our recent management buy-out from Geensys.”

About Reqtify

Reqtify is the most widely deployed solution for addressing requirements capture, traceability and impact analysis in the most demanding, safety-critical domains such as the aerospace and defence, railway transportation, automotive and medical instrumentation industries. Reqtify enables automatic and customisable document generation as evidence that a product meets certification and/or quality constraint requirements at all times throughout the development cycle. Thanks to its impact analysis and requirements coverage capabilities, Reqtify gives all project stakeholders a thorough insight into the effort required to complete each project task (specification, design, V&V activities, integration) and for each product release. It gives a unique and global view of the overall project status enabling project leaders and quality managers to perform risk analyses and to prove compliancy with project requirements and constraints. As such, Reqtify is recognised as a solution that can provide an immediate return-on-investment for projects initiated under quality standards objectives like CMMI or SPICE. It has also been deployed or qualified for application development under certification constraints like DO178C, DO254, EN50128, IEC 61508, ISO26262, FDA 21CFR Part 11, MODAF and DoDAF. With Reqtify, engineers can continue to use their existing working environments to fulfill traceability objectives.

About Geensoft

APRO launches BON Series high capacity, high performance and ruggedised SATA II 2.5 inch Solid State Drives

APRO — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 20:07:48 -0800

Taipei, Taiwan – 8th March 2010. APRO, Taiwan’s leading manufacturer of industrial-grade NAND Flash storage devices, has launched the BON Series of high capacity and high performance Serial ATA II (SATA II) Solid State Drives (SSDs) in a ruggedised 2.5 inch form factor.

The BON Series includes the highest capacity SATA II SLC (single level cell) NAND Flash SSD available today at 256 GBytes and also the highest capacity SATA II MLC (multi-level cell) NAND Flash SSD at 512 GBytes.

In addition, the BON Series SATA II SLC SSDs are also available in data capacities of 32 GBytes, 64 GBytes and 128 GBytes. All the drives are packaged in 2.5 inch form factor, ruggedised metal casings measuring 9.5mm high for all the drives except the 256 GByte drive which measures 15.3mm high.

Ideally suited to embedded industrial, transportation, military and aerospace applications, the BON Series SATA II SSDs support Fast Erase of media data either by hardware trigger or by software ATA vendor code command across the entire range. Drives also supporting hardware and software triggered Secure Erase, particularly useful for military applications, will be available later in 2010.

The internal dual control RAID-0 design of the BON Series SATA II SSDs helps deliver their high performance, providing a maximum sequential read capability of 240 MBytes/sec with an average access time of 0.1ms and a maximum sequential write capability of 190 MBytes/sec. The BON Series SATA II SSDs are fully compliant with both the SATA 1.0a and 2.6 specifications supporting the required data throughput rates of 1.5 Gbits/sec and 3 Gbits/sec. The drives weigh just 115g.

The BON Series SATA II SSDs provide an extended operational temperature range of -40ºC to +85ºC, vibration, shock and humidity compliance to MIL-STD-810F environmental specifications and are capable of operating up to an altitude of 70,000 feet. In addition, they provide a mean time between failure (MTBF) in excess of 3 million hours, endurance performance greater than 2 million cycles with data retention of 10 years or more.

“The BON Series SATA II SSDs are ideally suited to the growing number of high capacity, high performance data storage applications emerging in the European industrial, mil/aerospace and transportation markets,” said Erez Lev, Managing Director of ProSaleTech, APRO’s channel management partner in Europe. “They not only satisfy the capacity and performance requirements that these applications increasingly demand but deliver them in a compact, lightweight and extremely rugged package.”

About APRO

The MathWorks Announces Release 2010a of the MATLAB and Simulink Product Families

The MathWorks — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 05:38:03 -0800

NATICK, Mass. – March 5, 2010 – The MathWorks today announced Release 2010a (R2010a) of its MATLAB and Simulink product families. Key in this release are new streaming capabilities for signal processing and video processing in MATLAB, nonlinear solvers for standard and large-scale optimization, and expanded Simulink support for large teams designing complex systems. R2010a also introduces Simulink PLC Coder, which helps industrial control system engineers generate IEC 61131 structured text. This release updates 83 other products, including PolySpace code verification products.

Advancements for the MATLAB family that are part of the R2010a release include:

• Signal Processing Blockset and Video and Image Processing Blockset: New System objects for stream processing in MATLAB. Supporting more than 140 algorithms, System objects use less memory, improve the handling of lengthy signal and video data streams, and simplify the development of streaming algorithms.

• Symbolic Math Toolbox: New interface with Simscape to automatically generate Simscape language equations for physical modeling.

• Global Optimization Toolbox and Optimization Toolbox: New nonlinear solvers for more complex and realistic problems and the ability to use parallel computing to accelerate time-to-solution.

• SimBiology: Stochastic approximation expectation-maximization (SAEM), dosing schedules support, and performance enhancements for improved data fitting and modeling for pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD).

R2010a reflects a continued focus on performance within the MATLAB product family, including multicore support and performance enhancements for more than 50 functions in Image Processing Toolbox, and additional multithreaded math functions in MATLAB. There are also enhancements to file sharing, path management, and the desktop in MATLAB.

With this release, Simulink offers expanded support for large design teams, enabling them to design complex systems more efficiently. These capabilities include tunable parameter structures for management of large parameter sets and triggered model blocks and function-call branching for component-based modeling.

Other Simulink 2010a highlights designed for more efficient embedded system development include:

• Embedded IDE Link and Target Support Package: Code generation support for Eclipse, Embedded Linux, and ARM processors, which provides simplified embedded system development workflows for systems engineers and software engineers.

• IEC Certification Kit: ISO/DIS 26262 tool qualification support for Real-Time Workshop Embedded Coder and PolySpace verification products, easing certification of ECUs developed to Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL) A through ASIL D.

• DO Qualification Kit: DO-178B tool qualification support extended to model coverage, which expands the certification credit possible with model verification.

The new release is available immediately and is being provided to users with current subscriptions to MathWorks Software Maintenance Service. Additional information on R2010a product updates is available at: www.mathworks.com/products/new_products/latest_[...]

About The MathWorks

The MathWorks is the leading developer of mathematical computing software. MATLAB, the language of technical computing, is a programming environment for algorithm development, data analysis, visualization, and numeric computation. Simulink is a graphical environment for simulation and Model-Based Design of multidomain dynamic and embedded systems. Engineers and scientists worldwide rely on these product families to accelerate the pace of discovery, innovation, and development in automotive, aerospace, electronics, financial services, biotech-pharmaceutical, and other industries. MathWorks products are also fundamental teaching and research tools in the world's universities and learning institutions. Founded in 1984, The MathWorks employs more than 2,100 people in 15 countries, with headquarters in Natick, Massachusetts, USA.

For additional information, visit www.mathworks.com.

Positronic's PosiBand(r) Contact Receives AS39029 Approval

Positronic — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 03:33:32 -0800

4 March 2010

Positronic’s new PosiBand contact system, introduced in summer 2009, is now qualified to SAE AS39029. This specification covers a wide range of high reliability crimp connector contacts for use in military and aerospace applications. The PosiBand system is suitable for any application requiring rugged, high reliability connectors, and is available with crimp and PCB mount terminations, including press-fit.

The PosiBand contact system is a unique closed entry female contact system which overcomes many of the weaknesses associated with the legacy "split tine" and sleeve approach. The PosiBand separates the mechanical and electrical function of the contact system. The base contact provides a true closed entry feature and enhanced electrical stability, while the PosiBand spring clip provides more stable mechanical function.

The PosiBand design creates a greater area of contact interface between male and female contacts in comparison to that of the ‘split tine’ design, and thus provides greater resistance to vibration and corrosion factors found in harsh environments. This greater area of contact interface is achieved without increased insertion force; in fact, the PosiBand system has a lower average insertion force compared to that of the legacy design.

PosiBand contact resistance is 3 milliohms for size 20 contacts and 4 milliohms for size 22 contacts. The current rating for size 20 contacts is 14 amps with 6 contacts energized. Size 22 contact current rating is 10 amps with 6 contacts energized. Both were tested per U.L. 1977.

In addition, PosiBand contacts do not require annealing of the crimp barrel. This eliminates the possibility of unintentionally annealing the mating end of the female contact, which can cause intermittent or open electrical circuits. The PosiBand system is available in standard density, high density and combination D-Subminiature connectors, as well as subminiature rectangular connectors. PosiBand contacts are priced the same as the legacy design. For more detailed information about the PosiBand contact system, visit: www.connectpositronic.com/pdf_view/181/, contact Positronic Industries at 800-641-4054, or email us at info@connectpositronic.com.

Forte Design Systems Ships Latest Version of CellMath Designer

Forte Design Systems — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 01:56:01 -0800

Forte Design Systems, a leading provider of SystemC high-level synthesis, datapath synthesis and intellectual property (IP), announced it is shipping the latest version of CellMath Designer™ datapath synthesis and Cellmath IP software.

The CellMath family allows register transfer level (RTL) designers to reduce area, improve performance and lower power consumption for their existing datapath-intensive design blocks.

“We’re seeing strong demand to reduce power and area, and create more competitive designs in virtually all market segments,” says Brett Cline, Forte’s vice president of marketing and sales. “Design teams that added CellMath Designer and CellMath IP to their existing logic synthesis or high-level synthesis design flow have been able to obtain optimal results quickly and at low cost.”

This version of CellMath Designer, the first release from Forte since it acquired Arithmatica in 2009, provides more automation to get users to optimal results with less effort. Other features include improved RTL code optimizations, a new bi-directional retiming algorithm and more scripting control, which mean that existing RTL designs can be used with no modifications.

For existing users, CellMath Designer’s multiplexor synthesis capability has been extended. This will provide more optimal results when optimizing across many levels of multiplexors, including recognizing complex pipeline enable signals formed from multiple levels of logic to improve ease of use and overall quality of results (QoR).

Improved formal verification flow for datapath designs

Traditionally, datapath blocks present unique challenges for formal verification tools because of the difficulty of comparing the original RTL input with the gate-level output after several complex transformations.

CellMath Designer’s unique approach to formal verification has been further extended to provide even more power to users. In this release, users have complete control over which parts of their design are described in RTL code and which at the gate-level, along with control over which carry-save outputs include final additions. This enables users to break verification problems into a chain of simpler/smaller steps that formal verification software can manage. With these new features, unresolved verification tasks can be turned from “inconclusive” to “equivalent.”

CellMath IP

CellMath Designer utilizes optimal, mathematically designed arithmetic operators and functions to improve overall quality of results in datapath-dominated designs. Together with CellMath Designer’s datapath synthesis capabilities, designers find that utilizing CellMath IP operators improves overall QoR, especially power, on existing RTL designs.

CellMath IP includes patented arithmetic architectures for floating-point, fixed-point and integer-based designs, and is being used in millions of leading-edge devices around the world.

Availability and Pricing

The latest version of CellMath Designer is shipping now. U.S. pricing starts at $120,000 for a one-year, time-based license.

About Forte Design Systems

Forte Design Systems is a leading provider of software products that enable design at a higher level of abstraction and improve design results. Its innovative synthesis technologies and intellectual property offerings allow design teams creating complex electronic chips and systems to reduce their overall design and verification time. More than half of the top 20 worldwide semiconductor companies use Forte’s products in production today for ASIC, SoC and FPGA design. Forte is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., with additional offices in England, Japan, Korea and the United States.

Micro Focus Survey Finds Government Agencies Building Mainframe Application Modernization into their 2011 Budgets

Micro Focus — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 22:28:04 -0800

Rockville, MD – March 5, 2010 — Micro Focus® (LSE.MCRO.L), the leading provider of enterprise application modernization, testing and management solutions, today unveiled findings from an informal survey it conducted with various government IT practitioners over the past three months. The survey asked these experts about their plans to modernize their critical mainframe applications, and if and when they planned to allocate budget to the task.

Among the survey’s findings, more than 72 percent of those surveyed said that they are planning to build application modernization into their budgets within the next six months to two years (40 percent planned to budget for modernization within six months to one year). Interestingly, despite the recent buzz around cloud computing, only 6 percent of those surveyed stated that they planned to adopt cloud computing as part of their modernization efforts. The top modernization objective cited by respondents was to move to web-enabled systems (54 percent), with Windows cited as their systems’ most likely platform (38 percent) after modernization.

In addition, long-term cost savings was noted as the most important benefit of modernization, with ease-of-use a close second. A respondent from GSA noted that business requirements are one of their organization’s most important motivators for application modernization, and that they are planning to budget for this effort within six months. GSA’s end objective is to take advantage of various open source tools.

“With IT spending basically flat under the proposed federal FY 2011 budget, agencies are feeling growing pressure to spend wisely and maximize return on their investments,” said Ken Powell, president of Micro Focus North America. “In the pursuit of Web 2.0 technologies, application modernization allows agencies to upgrade their legacy systems without replacing or rewriting core mission-critical applications, which can be expensive, risky, and time-consuming. Today, Micro Focus works closely with more than 6,000 customers throughout the public sector, helping them tackle modernization projects. These customers are finding that modernization can provide a practical, cost-effective step toward next-generation technologies like web-enabled systems and SOA, or cloud-enabling their IT assets as they move toward cloud computing.”

About Micro Focus

Micro Focus, a member of the FTSE 250, provides innovative software that allows companies to dramatically improve the business value of their enterprise applications. Micro Focus Enterprise Application Modernization, Testing and Management software enables customers’ business applications to respond rapidly to market changes and embrace modern architectures with reduced cost and risk. For additional information please visit www.microfocus.com.