In-Flight Entertainment
Alpharetta, Ga.-based Flight Display Systems has introduced FD102ARM, a 10.2-inch widescreen liquid crystal display (LCD) for in-flight cabin entertainment. The LCD, which has split-screen and picture-in-picture functions, supports resolutions up to 1024 by 768 pixels. It features an articulating arm that rotates 180 degrees and tilts forward and backward. FD102ARM is capable of playing DVDs, satellite television and images from moving map displays and glare shield cameras. The monitor has one video graphics array (VGA) and two composite inputs. The company says FD102ARM is aimed at business aircraft in the $2-million to $10- million price range, but can be installed in commercial aircraft (first-class seating), as well. Avionics, maintenance and refurbishment provider, Rose Aircraft Services of Mena, Ark., is the launch customer for the product. The company has installed four FD102ARMs on board its Cessna Citation III. According to Flight Display Systems, seat-mounted displays traditionally have been 5.6 inches wide. FD70ARM, the new product’s 7-inch predecessor, is installed on several bizjets, including Bombardier Challengers and Learjets, Cessna Citations, Dassault Falcons, Gulfstreams and Pilatus PC-12s. Visit www.flightdisplay.com.
Graphics Processor
Curtiss-Wright Controls Embedded Computing, Leesburg, Va., has announced Sabre, a single-slot, 6U VMEbus graphics and imaging single board computer (SBC). Sabre has two graphics processors, a dual-channel digital video or analog output and dual-channel NTSC/programmable array logic/RGB (red/green/blue) video capture.
Designed for applications that require intensive graphics and real-time video data, the SBC’s two 250-MHz graphics processors support digital video resolutions up to 1900 by 1280 pixels each. Sabre provides a total of 128 Mbytes of integrated video memory, or 64 Mbytes for each processor. Other features include separate graphic and video data paths, dual 10/100/1000 Base TX network interfaces and USB interfaces for keyboard and mouse. Visit www.cwcembedded.com.
Portable Storage
A removable PMC storage board, PMC ShuttleStor, is now available from ACT/Technico, Warminster, Pa. The board consists of a shuttle and a receiving canister, which mounts to the host board, allowing easy data removal. PMC ShuttleStor is compatible with rotating and solid state, advanced technology attachment (ATA) drives in standard form factors of 1.8 inches (7 mm) and 2.5 inches (9.5 mm). Visit www.acttechnico.com.
Signal Conditioning
R.C. Electronics of Santa Barbara, Calif., has released its DTX-5000 series of programmable signal conditioning systems. The DTX-5000 is intended for data acquisition applications that require large channel counts and varying sensor types. A 5U chassis supplies each 64-channel unit, and multiple 5U chassis can be linked via Ethernet to a unit. Powered by an onboard Pentium IV processor, the DTX-5000 runs on the Microsoft Windows operating system. Visit www.rcelectronics.com.
Single Board Computer
Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.-based General Micro Systems Inc. has introduced its Condor V265, a VME-based single board computer. An Intel Pentium M processor on a P60x module supports the board. V265 provides up to 2 Gbytes of double data rate (DDR) synchronous dynamic RAM, operating at 266 MHz. Offering several serial and parallel input/output (I/O) connections, V265 can support up to 10 multiprotocol communications controllers (MPCCs). The board can run on Microsoft Windows, VxWorks, Tornado II and Linux operating systems. Visit www.gms4sbc.com.
Portable Decoder
Leominster, England-based Techtest Ltd. has introduced a portable decoder, the 12-406-7, for receiving and decoding all types of 406-MHz, search-and-rescue messages. The unit is specifically designed to detect and verify any 406-MHz personal locator beacon (PLB), emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB), emergency locator transmitter (ELT), or crash position indicator/automatically deployable emergency locator transmitter (CPI/ADELT). A self-contained portable unit, the 12-406-7 will present up to 10 individual beacon codes, including serial numbers, on a liquid crystal display. Visit www.searchandrescue.com.
Computer Boards
Radstone Embedded Computing has unveiled its V4DSP (above), a hybrid field programmable gate array (FPGA) and PowerPC processor. Intended for harsh environments, the single board computer (SBC) has dual Virtex-4 FPGA processing nodes and a Freescale MPC7448 PowerPC processor that operates up to 1.4 GHz. The V4DSP also supports Radstone’s AXIS advanced multiprocessor integrated software environment.
Ottawa-based Interactive Circuits and Systems (ICS) Sensor Processing, a Radstone unit, has announced its ICS-8550 air data computer switched fabric mezzanine card (XMC) module. The computer board is designed for applications such as software defined radio, signals intelligence (SIGINT), tactical communications and radar. The ICS-8550 can sample two radio/intermediate frequency (RF/IF) inputs at up to 210 MHz with a total aggregate input/output bandwidth of 12.5 Gbits/s. An onboard Xilinx Virtex-4 FX60 field programmable gate array (FPGA) processor allows algorithms such as wideband or narrowband digital downconversion, fast Fourier transform (FFT) and filtering. The XMC interface on the ICS-8550 allows the unit to be combined with XMC-equipped SBCs, including the V4DSP. Visit www.radstone.com.
RTOS Solution
Real-time operating systems (RTOS) provider Green Hills Software, Santa Barbara, Calif., is partnering with Esterel Technologies of Mountain View, Calif., to develop a model-driven solution for safety critical embedded software code generation. As part of the deal, Esterel’s SCADE-qualified code generator will provide code that will be automatically integrated with Green Hills’ Integrity-178B, Level A, and IEC 61508-certificed RTOS products. (SCADE stands for safety critical application development environment.) Visit www.ghs.com or www.esterel-technologies.com.
JTRS Middleware
Objective Interface Systems has announced that its ORBexpress middleware will serve as a foundation for the first Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) software-defined radio (SDR) certified for software communications architecture (SCA) compliance. Thales developed the radio for the Cluster 2, JTRS-enhanced multiband inter/intra team radio program, or JEM, and the ORBexpress software provides a communications foundation. ORBexpress is based on the real-time common object request broker architecture (CORBA) standard. Visit www.ois.com.
Cables
EMTEQ Inc. of Muskego, Wis., offers several specialty cables for various uses. The company provides 50-ohm triax cables for Loran and automatic dependent surveillance (ADS); 70-ohm multiplex data bus for ARINC 429 use; 75-ohm audio/video cables; 77-ohm cables designed to Mil-Std-1553 standards; 78-ohm cables that support ADS and radar systems; 100-ohm cables for Ethernet and local area network (LAN) applications; and 125-ohm avionics system communications bus (ASCB) cables. EMTEQ also offers custom designed cables. Visit www.emteq.com.
Voice/Data Coms
Wingspeed Corp. of Concord, Mass., has released two models of its XLLink communications system for flight tracking, two-way text messaging, voice calls and for airborne communication addressing and reporting system (ACARS) -based data services.
XLLink Model L, which provides flight tracking and aircraft situational display (ASD) capabilities, sends messages containing GPS data to Wingspeed’s ground-based servers through Iridium’s network of satellites. XLLink Model H offers flight tracking, voice calling via Iridium, text messaging and ACARS data link services. The system is integrated with Flight Explorer’s ASD software. Visit www.wingspeedcorp.com.
Clock Source
The PRL-174ANT-1350 programmable clock source, made by Torrance, Calif.-based Pulse Research Lab, is now available. An upgrade to Pulse’s PRL-174NT, the self-contained unit generates transistor-transistor logic (TTL) and emitter-coupled logic (ECL) clock signals from 1.2 to 1.35 GHz. Designed for applications including precision clocks in high-speed digital systems, the module can also serve as a low-jitter clock source for testing analog-to-digital (A/D) systems and a lab tool for high-speed negative ECL (NECL) and TTL/complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) circuits. According to Pulse, the PRL-174ANT-1350 also can be integrated into most types of devices and instruments through its TTL and NECL outputs. Visit www.pulseresearchlab.com.
Data Conversion
Acquiris, Monroe, N.Y., offers its TC840 compactPCI, a wide-range, single- and multi-start time-to-digital converter. The TC840 is designed for use in large-scale experiments, including hydrodynamics, particle accelerator timing and time-of-flight measurement in mass spectrometry and 3D mapping. Visit www.acqiris.com.
Multifunction Display
Garmin International of Olathe, Kan., has announced its GMX 200 multifunction display (MFD). The unit features a 640-by-480-pixel display, a backlighting scheme to improve color and contrast in all lighting conditions, and a split screen function. The GMX 200 offers maps showing an aircraft’s relative position to terrain and other obstructions, weather, navaids, restricted airspace and other charts. The unit builds on Garmin’s MX20 MFD, adding a rotary knob for quicker data entry and map scale changes, a front-loading secure digital (SD) card slot and more serial ports. Visit www.garmin.com.
VME Card
North Atlantic Industries, Bohemia, N.Y., now offers its 64D1, a multifunction, single-slot VME communications card. Available in air- and conduction-cooled versions, the card can include any three combinations of the following inputs: two Mil-Std-1553 channels; six RS-232C, RS-422 or RS-485 channels; eight Profibus channels; or 48 channels of discrete input/output (I/O) or transistor-transistor logic I/O channels. Visit www.naii.com.
Broadband Amplifiers
Tyco Electronics’ business unit, M/A-COM, of Lowell, Mass., has announced a family of high-power broadband amplifiers. The devices, MAAPGM0074-DIE, MAAPGM0076-DIE, MAAPGM0077-DIE and MAAPGM0078-DIE, cover frequency bands from 0.7 to 0.8 GHz. The amplifiers, which will be available in mid-2006, can be used for power levels up to 16 watts. Visit www.macom.com.
UAV Motion Systems
Israel-based Bental Industries Ltd. has introduced several new products for mini and micro unmanned air vehicles (UAVs), including the Mosquito and Searcher minis and larger platforms like the Hermes 450, Heron and Eitan. One of the products, Bental’s Starter Generator, ignites the UAV’s main motor and other systems. Other offerings include an actuator for steering and throttle and flap control; communications equipment from ground to air, using pulse width modulation (PWM) protocols; and miniaturized propellor motors small enough for future micro-UAV applications. Visit www.bental.co.il.
Cable Assembly
The MDM Octopus, a shielded cable assembly compliant with Mil-Dtl-83513, is now available from Trompeter Electronics, Mesa, Ariz. The cable assembly has multiple twinax/triax radio frequency (RF) connectors on one end and a single microminature D metal (MDM) multipin connector on the other end. The MDM Octopus comes in 50- and 100-pin versions. Trompeter is a subsidiary of Stratos International. Visit www.trompeter.com.
Network Extension
JPS Communications, a Raytheon Co. subsidiary based in Raleigh, N.C., has announced a NXU-2A network extension unit. The device replaces the company’s predecessor NXU-2. Intended for use with radios, radio communications consoles and other JPS products, the NXU-2A uses radio over Internet protocol (ROIP) and voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) to send and receive digital voice messages. Visit www.jps.com.
Message Processor
The HI-6110 single-chip message processor from Holt Integrated Circuits, Mission Viejo, Calif., has acheived full Mil-Std-1553 receiver/transmitter validation. Testing took place at Test Systems Inc. facilities in Phoenix. Visit www.holtic.com and www.testsystems.com.
PCI Support
One Stop Systems of Escondido, Calif., has released two new products: a PCI Express backplane with 19 expansion slots and a PCI Express expansion cable adapter. Visit www.onestopsystems.com.
Power Distribution
Methode Network Bus Products and Cableco Technologies have developed the PowerRail, a power distribution system for bus connections. Visit www.methode.com.
Vibration Meter
Columbia Research Laboratories now offers its VM-300 handheld vibration meter, which also includes acceleration, velocity and displacement modes. Visit www.columbiaresearchlab.com.
Torque Tool
Norbar Torque Tools, Willoughby, Ohio, has introduced its HT-52, a 1,000-nm torque multiplier for areas inaccessible with a torque wrench or large torque multiplier. Visit www.norbar.com.
Power Supply
The Start Pac Mini Power Supply, made by Wickenburg, Ariz.-based Rotorcraft Enterprises, is designed provide power for 24/12-volt aircraft systems. Visit www.startpac.com.
Wire Stripping
Eraser Co. has introduced its Magnet Wire Stripping Pot, which strips film insulation from wires of all sizes and configurations. Visit www.eraser.com.
Adhesive
Nylok Corp. offers Precote 85, a fast-drying chemical adhesive for cylinder heads, power trains and threaded bolts in high-stress environments. Visit www.nylok.com.