Telemetry Platforms Powered by FPGA Technology
As aerospace and defense contractors pursue higher levels of system performance while addressing the realities of budget constraints, system engineers have turned to Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) solutions as a way to create a new generation of increasingly complex electronics systems.
Advanced FPGA technology makes it possible to replace multiple Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) or Application-Specific Standard Product (ASSPs) with a single programmable device that is tailored to a specific end-user application. Telemetry systems, deployed on government test ranges or on board military aircraft, are a prime example.
Telemetry System Requirements:
• Integrated security features
• High performance and reliability
• Low-power for longer battery life
• Smaller footprint and lighter weight
• Ruggedized board and system packaging
Such FPGA-based solutions significantly reduce total system Size, Weight, Power and Cost (SWaP-C), as well as address stringent government security requirements specified within directives and regulations which pertain to Information Assurance (IA) and Anti-Tamper (AT) programs. Integrated systems which incorporate high-end PCI Express 2.0 I/O cards minimize bottlenecks and dramatically improve data throughput to the benefit of demanding radar, telemetry and signals intelligence applications.
Integrated systems, such as the TRC4007 rackmount computer, featuring the JXT6966 Single Board Computer and BPC7041 backplane, can accommodate up to nine PCI Express 2.0 FPGA option cards in a 4U rackmount enclosure and provides an integrated 8.4″ LCD Display & keyboard/mouse tray along with support for up to three hot swap, front access 3.5″ HDD storage drives. This configuration offers enough slots for multiple FPGA cards and enough storage to record critical telemetry data. The LCD display and integrated keyboard eliminates the need for an external monitor.
