There’s no doubt that two trends rank high in today’s military concerns: to move to open standards-based embedded computing technologies, and to transition to a network-centric paradigm. Migration to open standards-based technologies is driven by cost and time-to-market. Using open standards technologies can significantly reduce program development costs and schedules, while improving interoperability.
Meanwhile, the network-centric paradigm transition is evident across all of the U.S. Military’s advanced programs—such as the Army’s Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T) program and the Army’s Future Combat Systems (FCS) program. These net-centric programs rely on a mobile network to link soldiers to a wide range of weapons, sensors and information systems. This enables joint interoperability, shared situational awareness and highly synchronized mission operations.
Combining these two trends requires the integration of open standards-based subsystems on many different mobile platforms into a high-performance network and ruggedizing these platforms for the military/aerospace environment. Feeding those needs, broadband wireless standards such as IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX) and Micro Telecommunications Computing Architecture (MicroTCA) can be applied to create an integrated solution to address these new trends in military applications.
As an advanced, commercially based wireless networking standard, WiMAX is garnering significant interest and early implementation in military applications for IP transmission of voice and data. Of particular interest is the new Mobile WiMax (IEEE 802.16e) version of WiMax designed to provide high-speed broadband connections for users while they are on the move.
CERDEC Evaluating WiMAX
A recent press release in April 2007 reports that the U.S. Army’s Communications Electronics Research and Development Engineering Center (CERDEC) is evaluating Mobile WiMax off-the-shelf products for possible military use. According to news reports, the center will study whether the Army can use mobile WiMax equipment in a military environment and measure, among other things, the performance of the system with both mobile users and mobile base stations.
The PICMG MicroTCA specification provides a platform that is a natural for mobile communications equipment deployment. MicroTCA leverages the proven PICMG AdvancedMC (AMC) form-factor and management infrastructure. Hot-swappable small form-factor AMC modules support high-speed serial fabric interconnect, and are currently aimed at communications applications. MicroTCA defines a family of small, low-cost, flexible, high-bandwidth and highly scalable platforms comprised entirely of AdvancedMC modules.
The MicroTCA specification defines a number of possible chassis form-factors, but does not preclude alternatives, as long as the platform can accommodate a standard AdvancedMC module (one that is compliant to the PICMG AMC.0 specification) and MicroTCA-specific modules (such as MCH and Power Modules (PM)).
MILCOM Demo
The combination of standardized communications modules and ruggedized MicroTCA holds great promise as an attractive open standards wireless solution for many military applications. Motorola, Intel and Hybricon developed a ruggedized MicroTCA-based WiMAX demonstration platform that was unveiled at MILCOM in October 2006 in the Intel booth.
The demonstration platform consisted of a rugged ATR chassis with a shock-isolated MicroTCA card cage and military I/O connectors for electrical and optical I/O (Figure 1). The platform supports various types of power inputs, including MIL-STD-704 for aircraft or MIL-STD-1275 for vehicles, with MIL-STD-461 EMI containment. The ATR chassis supports up to 10 AdvancedMC modules, with a mix of double (150 mm) and single (75 mm) AdvancedMCs. The corresponding payload consists of one Intel NetStructure WiMAX Baseband Card double module, one Pentium M Processor module, one SATA storage module, one MCH and one MicroTCA DC Power Module (PM).
Ruggedizing MicroTCA
MicroTCA is an open standards-based technology, but it has a number of limitations to overcome in order to make it suitable for use in military/aerospace environments. These limitations include shock and vibration tolerance; EMI/EMC emissions and immunity; operating temperature ranges; and power input and conditioning.
The MicroTCA Ruggedization Special Interest Group (SIG) was formed and co-chaired by this article’s two authors. The objective of the SIG was to develop concepts and draft specifications for air-cooled and conduction-cooled MicroTCA applications, focused on requirements for defense applications. The SIG concluded that Commercial MicroTCA is not sufficiently rugged for many defense applications as well as mobile and outdoor commercial applications.
In April of this year, the SIG transitioned its work into the recently formed PICMG Rugged MicroTCA subcommittee. This included concepts and draft specifications for rugged air-cooled and conduction-cooled MicroTCA that have been used to jump-start the PICMG Rugged MicroTCA subcommittee effort.
Conduction-Cooled Proof of Concept
The MicroTCA Ruggedization SIG has shown that commercial MicroTCA can be ruggedized using conduction-cooled methods. As a proof of concept, Motorola and Hybricon showed a conduction cooled MicroTCA ATR chassis at the recent MicroTCA summit conference in May/June 2007 (Figure 2). The PICMG Rugged MicroTCA Subcommittee effort is the vehicle for Industry Standardization of rugged air cooling and conduction cooling for MicroTCA. The MicroTCA Ruggedization SIG Forced Air Cooled and Conduction Cooled Draft Specifications have provided a jump-start to this effort.
Although a relatively new industry standard form-factor, MicroTCA is certain to become widely used in communications edge applications. Building on a large commercial base of applications, it will be highly cost-effective, and with its communications focus, it will provide cost-effective, advanced networking technology—such as WiMAX—that can be applied to the needs of the military. The MILCOM and MicroTCA Summit demonstrations show that ruggedized MicroTCA can be utilized to address network-centric applications for today’s military/aerospace markets.
Hybricon
Ayer, MA.
(978) 772-5422
[www.hybricon.com].
Embedded Communications Computing
Motorola
Tempe, AZ.
(800) 759-1107.
[www.motorola.com/computing].
