Vicor offers power front-end module for military appliations
Vicor Corp. of Andover, Mass., is offering the M-FIAM — short for Military Filter and Input Attenuator Module — for transient protection, inrush current limiting, and electromagnetic interference filtering. The device is a modular DC input front end that helps systems designers who must meet the conducted emissions requirements of MIL-STD-461E, MIL-STD-704E, and MIL-STD-810. The M-FIAM accepts an input voltage of 180 to 375 volts DC, and outputs current as strong as 3 amps. It comes in an industry-standard half—brick module measuring 2.28 by 2.2 by 0.54 inches. For more information contact Vicor by phone at 978-470-02900, by fax at 978-475-6715, or on the World Wide Web at http://www.vicr.com/. — J.K.
Primagraphics offers PCI radar scan converter
Engineers at Primagraphics in Litlington, England, are offering a 2K-by-2K PCI radar scan converter for air traffic control and vessel traffic systems that use large displays. The converter, called the Advantage, works with the Raptor PCI 2k-by-2k graphics controller from Tech-Source Inc. of Altamonte Springs, Fla. The Raptor card provides primary radar video direct onto a display with a resolution of 2,048 by 2,048 pixels. The two-card solution results from a joint development between the two companies announced last year, Primagraphics officials say. The Advantage converter takes data from as many as three independent radars via the PCI bus and switches the data to raster format. It also accepts decompressed data transferred over a local-area network or other link to enable each operator to generate a view at any scale or off-center distance. For more information contact Primagraphics by phone at 011-44-1763-852-222, by fax at 011-44-1763-853-324, or on the World Wide Web at http://www.primag.co.uk/. — J.K.
StacoSwitch offers rugged keyboard and integrated mouse
Designers at StacoSwitch in Costa Mesa, Calif., are offering a molded elastomer panel-mount QWERTY keyboard and pointer mouse in industrial-rugged or military-grade quality. The keyboard is for computer control and instrumentation applications. It is a full-size 104-key device with pressure-sensitive pointer mouse. The keyboard is sealed, and can resist dust and water to the NEMA-4 standard of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) in Arlington, Va. For more information contact StacoSwitch by phone at 714-459-3041, by fax at 714-549-0930, or on the World Wide Web at http://www.stacoswitch.com/. — J.K.
Navy offers information on past performance of defense contractors
U.S. Navy officials are launching an automated warehouse and retrieval system to access past performance report cards of U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) contractors. A project of the Navy Electronic Acquisition Office, the application is called the DOD Past Performance Automated Information System — otherwise known as the PPAIS. It enables users to retrieve 8,600 report cards representing $300 billion in contracting actions, Navy officials say. The application, managed by the Naval Sea Logistics Center Detachment at Portsmouth, N.H., is available on the World Wide Web at http://dodppais.navy.mil/. — J.K.
Space Electronics offers rad-hard low-voltage logic devices
Designers at Space Electronics Inc. in San Diego are offering two logic products — a 16-bit bus transceiver and a 16-bit buffer/driver. These 3.3-volte devices connect via a level translator to a standard transistor-transistor logic interface in a 5-volt environment. The transceiver communicates between the central processor and its peripherals, while the buffer/driver provides loaded output to reduce communication overload in digital data communications systems in manned spacecraft, satellites, and deep-space probes, Space Electronics officials say. These devices are radiation-hardened using the Space Electronics Rad-Pak technology to 100 kilorads. For more information contact Space Electronics by phone at 858-503-3300, by fax at 858-503-3301, or on the World Wide Web at http://www.spaceelectronics.com/. — J.K.
Sanders name dropped in assimilation into BAE Systems
Sanders, the name of the venerable avionics, sensors, and electronic warfare systems company in Nashua, N.H., is passing into history. That company now is known as the BAE Systems Information and Electronic Warfare Systems division. The change came Nov. 27 as BAE Systems North America of Rockville, Md., completed its acquisition of Lockheed Martin Aerospace Electronics systems. The Other parts of Lockheed Martin Aerospace transferred to BAE Systems include Fairchild Systems in Syosset, N.Y., and Lockheed Martin's Space Electronics & Communications segments in Manassas, Va., Lansdale, Pa., Wayne, N.J., Mojave, Calif., and Austin, Texas. The former Sanders operation employs 4,100 people in Nashua, Hudson, and Merrimack, N.H., as well as in Lexington, Mass., Yonkers, N.Y., and Pomona, Calif. — J.K.
MEN Micro offers 3U VME PowerPC single-board computer
Designers at MEN Micro Inc. of Carrollton, Texas, are offering a 3U VMEbus PowerPC single-board computer with a VME-to-PCI bridge capable of VMEbus slave or burst transfers as fast as 13 megabytes per second and master or single-cycle transfers as fast as 7 megabytes per second. Called the B11, the device operates in temperatures between -40 and 85 degrees Celsius, has a real-time clock, and sensors to monitor voltage, time-outs, and temperature. Support packages are available for Linux, VxWorks, and OS-9. for more information contact MEN Micro by phone at 972-939-2675, by fax at 972-466-5986, or on the World Wide Web at http://www.menmicro.com/. — J.K.
Radstone introduces PMC CAN bus interface vetronics modules
Designers at Radstone Technology Corp. in Towcester, England, are offering the PMC dual Controller Area Network (CAN) interface module for military vehicle electronics applications. The provision of two independent CAN interfaces offer vetronics designers options such as using one CAN for fast control loops operating at 1 megabit per second, while using the other bus for less-demanding control loops. Each CAN interface is based on a Philips SJA1000 controllers and supports CAN specification 2.0 parts A and B. The interface includes built-in test software and a message-based VxWorks device driver. For more information contact Radstone by phone at 011-44-1327-359-444, by fax at 011-44-1327-358-113, or on the World Wide Web at http://www.radstone.co.uk. — J.K.
Litton Marine to supply navigation electronics to Greek navy
The Litton Industries, Inc. Marine Systems division of Charlottesville, Va., won an order from Thomson-CSF Signaal to provide navigation radar systems for three new fast attack craft of the Greek navy. Each of the vessels is to be fitted with a Decca BridgeMaster E radar with special naval transceiver and two 250-mm color ARPA display consoles. The BridgeMaster E radar will integrate with Signaal's Scout MK II low probability of interception (LPI) tactical radar, and will also interface with the Signaal TACTICOS combat management system. For more information contact Litton Marine by phone at 804-974-2000, by fax at 804-974-2259, by e-mail at [email protected], by post at 1070 Seminole Trail, Charlottesville, Va. 22901, or on the World Wide Web at http://www.litton.com/. — J.K.
