Overview
The Aldec DO-254 Compliance Tool Set (CTS) provides support for the “Design Assurance Guidance for Airborne Electronic Hardware” (DO-254/ED80) Chapter 6.2 “Verification Process” and Chapter 11.4 “Tool Assessment and Qualification Process”. The Aldec DO-254 CTS supports a fast and reliable verification process for assurance levels A-D with a focus on increased coverage, testability, and visibility in hardware together with design requirements traceability.

The Challenge
Verifying FPGA, PLD, and ASIC designs in hardware, while tracing the output results back to the original design requirements, is a significant challenge with today’s DO-254 verification solutions. With HDL simulation, it is possible to comprehensively simulate the entire design with an exhaustive testbench. With in-hardware testing however, it is difficult to achieve a similar level of verification. Typically, traditional hardware testing methods with a logic analyzer allow for examining only a small portion of the design logic in the target device on the system board. Checking corner-stone cases can be challenging because they require manipulating the real I/O data from the target device. Usually only a small percentage of the device I/O pins are accessible on the final system board, limiting the testability of the device. [more]

Platform FPGAs enhance the programmable logic typically found in FPGAs with DSP engines, embedded processor hard cores, and other specialized features. An example of this is Xilinx’s Virtex-5 FXT family (see Image 1). The Xtreme DSP MAC (multiply-accumulate) engines of the FXT provide the computational horsepower for high performance signal processing applications like radar and SIGINT in a far more SWaP-friendly fashion. In addition, because fabric is not an efficient means for implementation of a robust control processor, the FXT adds up to two 440 PowerPC hard core processors. Capable of running popular real-time operating systems from Green Hills and Wind River, the 440 cores effectively double the device’s GPP performance compared to the Virtex-4 FX. With up to 24 high-speed transceivers capable of running up to 6.5 Gbps, the FXT is especially well suited to I/O intensive applications such as beamforming. [more]

The VHDL-AMS language is an undiscovered asset for Mil-Aero digital designers – a powerful tool to define and verify safety-critical requirements in a non-digital context.

The functionality and performance of modern military and aerospace systems has become heavily influenced by their electronic content. Consequently, selecting the right electronic components and choosing the optimal design methodology is vital in developing a successful product. The flexibility and capabilities of new digital components is still growing exponentially. The potential of these devices, however, cannot be fully (and safely) utilized without incorporating the latest design and verification methodologies.

The use of digital devices in military and aerospace applications is widespread. The capacity of these devices to implement and integrate both software and digital-hardware functionality—on a single component—is very attractive. Challenges remain, such as ensuring that these devices are compatible with harsh operating environments and are compliant with the exacting reliability requirements of the industry. The biggest challenge in utilizing these devices, however, may be one of methodology. [more]

For many years systems designers have faced the challenge of transmitting video signals with acceptable quality, typically using copper coaxial cables as the medium. These signals are subject to the noise, attenuation and bandwidth limitations associated with this medium. While the use of other media such as fibre optics avoids many of these problems, a different challenge remains; the increased number of sensors in complex installations and the need to present multiple video feeds on typically one or two high-resolution displays at each of many consoles. Conventional video switching, whatever the physical medium, places fundamental limitations on the number of sensors and displays that can be connected to each other and often introduces a single point of failure at the switch itself while providing insufficient flexibility for the addition of further sensors as the system is upgraded or enhanced.

The widespread availability of very high-speed packet-switched digital computer networks provides one solution to the problem of distribution of multiple high-resolution video signals. The potential benefits associated with these networks, including resilience, flexibility, security, low latency and high speed, make them eminently suitable for the transmission of video over short or long distances. This article summarizes some of the key technologies involved in constructing a video distribution system (VDS). [more]

Introduction
The PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group (PICMG) ratified the specification for Micro Telecommunication Computing Architecture (MicroTCA*) in July 2006. Incorporating the Advanced Mezzanine Card* (AMC) module standard, MicroTCA has been adopted by a growing ecosystem of suppliers to the telecommunications industry, as well as vendors serving industrial, medical, military, aerospace and homeland security market segments for embedded computing and communications.

The MicroTCA standard represents the evolution of PICMG’s AdvancedTCA* standard for telecommunications. It is designed to meet system-level requirements for reduced size, weight and power (SWAP), in addition to higher levels of compute performance/ watt/square inch in communications and computing devices. MicroTCA provides vendors who serve the Department of Defense (DoD) with a framework for thedevelopment of validated network-centric platforms for small, highly cost-effective network devices the next generation of network-centric battlefield systems.

The PICMG Subcommittee on Ruggedized MicroTCA is the working group of ecosystem vendors responsible for developing detailed specifications for extended temperature operation, shock/vibration and other characteristics applicable to harsh environments, such as industrial and military applications. Several vendors have proceeded with proof of concept designs in advance of these specification efforts. This paper provides an overview of the status of ruggedized MicroTCA from the perspective of BAE Systems, Emerson Network Power, Hybricon and Schroff Ltd. based on informal surveys conducted by Intel. [more]