Qualtech to provide prototype test system for Space Station
Test experts at Honeywell Space Systems in Phoenix are choosing Qualtech Systems Inc. of Wethersfield, Conn., to develop a system that could provide remote model-based diagnostics for the International Space Station. Qualtech engineers are providing their commercially available Testability Engineering and Maintenance System — better known as TEAMS — to provide failure/effects modeling, diagnostic analysis, and model-based runtime diagnostics. Qualtech officials say they also will make use of their current NASA research program for telediagnosis, which provides remote monitoring of large-scale complex systems such as the Space Station. Qualtech engineers say this system will assess system health aboard the Space Station and isolate any failed or failing component for presentation to NASA mission control operators. For more information contact Qualtech by phone at 860-257-8014, by fax at 860-257-8312, by post at Putnam Park, 100 Great Meadow Road, Suite 501, Wethersfield, Conn. 06109-2378, by e-mail at [email protected], or on the World Wide Web at http://www.teamqsi.com/. — J.K.
M/A-COM to supply microwave receivers to U.S. Navy
Engineers at the M/A-COM Inc. SIGINT Products division in Hunt Valley, Md., are providing 30 to 45 collection microwave receivers to the U.S. Navy over the next five years under terms of a contract from the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center at Virginia Beach, Va. Navy officials say they will use M/A-COM receivers in their Cluster Spectator, Cluster Snoop, and Cluster Robin microwave collection systems. M/A-COM officials are providing their SMR-5688e microwave receivers for the job, which is a variation of the company's SMR-5550 receiver. For more information contact M/A-COM by phone 410-329-7900, by fax at 410-771-6025, by post at 10713 Gilroy Rd., P.O. Box 868, Hunt Valley, Md. 21030, or on the World Wide Web at http://www.macom.com/. — J.K.
Army depot installing small mobile radio gear
Technicians from the U.S. Army Tobyhanna Army Depot, Pa., are installing small versions of the Digital Group Multiplexer (DGM) system on heavy High Mobility Multi-Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs) to move Army mobile communications away from 5-ton trucks. Tobyhanna experts are installing the DGM systems, which are composed of the AN/TRC-173B/175B radio terminal sets, the AN/TRC-174B/138C radio repeaters, and DGM antenna mast program antennas. Each of these line-of-sight systems has a 12-mile communications radius. Tobyhanna's efforts to shrink the size of the DGM radio equipment, which also include use optical fiber to link separate vehicle-mounted equipment, helps Army officials transport complete systems on two HMMWVs, where previously they needed two 5-ton trucks, Army officials say. DGM equipment helps Army experts transmit and receive trunk groups and maintains line-of-sight communications for combat echelons above corps signal units. — J.K.
Radstone unveils high-speed DSP gateway mezzanine card
Engineers at Radstone Technology in Towcester, England, are unveiling their PMC HH1 high-speed digital signal processing gateway module. The PCI Mezzanine Card (PMC) is based on the Analog Devices ADSP-21160 DSP and acts as a data gateway to or from Radstone's Vantegra-2 DSP SHARC-based VME boards. Systems designers can use the module on any host card that has an IEEE P1386.1/VITA 20-199x PMC site. For more information contact Radstone's Stuart Heptonstall by phone at 011-44-1327-359444, by fax at 011-44-1327-358111, by e-mail at [email protected], by post at Water Lane, Towcester, Northants, England, NN12 6JN, or on the World Wide Web at http://www.radstone.com.uk/. — J.K.
EDS gets $6.9 billion Navy Marine Corps Intranet job
An industry team led by Electronic Data Systems Corp. (EDS) of Plano, Texas, won a potential $6.9 billion U.S. Navy contract Oct. 6 to design the Navy-Marine Corps Intranet — otherwise known as the NMCI. The NMCI is to provide secure information services through standard computers and communications equipment to support U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) research and military operations. DOD officials say the NMCI, as the sole Navy Intranet, will enhance interoperability and information exchange among Navy and Marine Corps users, as well as garrison and deployed forces. The NMCI service area includes the continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii, Guantanamo Bay (Cuba), Puerto Rico, and Iceland. Major EDS subcontractors for NMCI are Raytheon Co. of Lexington, Mass.; MCI WorldCom of Clinton, Miss.; Cisco Systems Inc. of San Jose, Calif.; WAMnet of Boca Raton, Fla.; Dell Computer Corp. of Round Rock, Texas; and Microsoft Corp. of Redmond, Wash. For more information contact EDS by phone at 972-605-6000, by fax at 972-605-3518, by post at 5400 Legacy Drive, Plano, Texas 75024, by e-mail at [email protected], or on the World Wide Web at http://www.eds.com/. — J.K.
Rockwell Collins set to acquire Kaiser Aerospace
Leaders of Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, are preparing to acquire K Systems Inc., the parent company of Kaiser Aerospace and Electronics Corp. of Foster City, Calif., which is the parent company of Kaiser Aerospace and Electronics Corp. Rockwell Collins leaders entered into a definitive agreement to acquire K-Systems in October. Kaiser Aerospace supplies displays for tactical aircraft, optical technologies for instrumentation and communications, and specialized aircraft products for the defense and aerospace industries. Rockwell Collins officials say their acquisition of Kaiser will complement their own capabilities in providing cockpit displays for military and commercial transport and tanker aircraft. The transaction is expected to close by the end of the year. — J.K.
Continental Electronics uses COTS in radar upgrade
Engineers from Continental Electronics Corp. in Dallas are installing five high-power broadcast transmitters in a radar system at the U.S. Air Force Warner Robins Air Logistics Center near Macon, Ga. Continental Electronics experts are doing the job under terms of two Air Force contracts worth $13.6 million. The installation marks the first time commercially available high-frequency broadcast transmitters will be used as a radar system, company officials claim. Installation will start later this year and will be finished in 2003. Continental engineers are modifying commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) shortwave broadcast transmitters for use in radar. Formerly specialized, high-powered transmitters can now be acquired as commercial off-the-shelf systems, officials say. The Continental Electronics high-power systems also are for military voice and data communications, navigation, and time/frequency standard broadcasts as well as commercial broadcast communications and scientific research applications. The contracts call for the replacement of six aging 250-kilowatt transmitters and other ancillary equipment with five Continental Electronics 420C 500-kilowatt transmitter. For more information contact Continental Electronics on the World Wide Web at http://www.contelec.com/. — J.K.
