GE Intelligent Platforms delivers $6.5 million Boeing order, enables U.S. Air Force B-1B flight testing ahead of schedule
Posted by Courtney E. Howard
Editor's note: GE Intelligent Platforms changed its name to Abaco Systems on 23 Nov. 2015 as a result of the company's acquisition last September by New York-based private equity firm Veritas Capital.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., 16 April 2010. GE Intelligent Platforms has completed delivery of a $6.5 million order from Boeing (Long Beach, Calif.). The order, which enables the development of upgrades to the U.S. Air Force's B-1B bomber, was received in March 2008, with a requirement for completion in time to enable planned flight testing early in 2011.
The upgrades, expected to generate production orders starting in 2011, will provide the B-1B with a Vertical Situation Display Upgrade (VSDU), giving aircrew improved protection against hostile action. Included are an adapted version of the GE Intelligent Platforms Octegra3 6U VME rugged video/graphics processor and VIM2 rugged video input mezzanine.
Boeing's requirement was that the subsystems were DO-178B certified, meaning that the development process used conforms to strict quality criteria designed to maximize the safety of airborne systems. GE Intelligent Platforms subcontracted with Ultra Electronics Controls to undertake the development and qualification of the board support package (BSP).
Presagis provided a DO-178B compliant version of its OpenGL embedded graphics solution.
Peter Cavill, general manager, Military & Aerospace Products at GE Intelligent Platforms: "By working with Ultra Electronics Controls and Presagis on aspects of the project, we simplified the process for Boeing. Because of the depth and breadth of the GE Intelligent Platforms product line, we were able to modify a standard product that precisely met Boeing's needs, therefore providing a low risk solution that maximized the chances that Boeing could meet its commitment to its customer."
The Octegra3 video/graphics processor features a general-purpose computing processor from Freescale and a dedicated graphics processor. The VIM2 video input mezzanine card is designed for operation with the Octegra3, providing five independent video input channels and four independent scalers.
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