Articles
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The concept of modular designs in small-form-factor (SFF) electronic systems poses interesting challenges to equipment suppliers who feed the embedded computing market's demand for smaller, more cost-effective solutions. Competing expectations from designers include reduced size, lower cost, lower NRE (nonrecurring engineering) charges, and the drive for the most forward-reaching future-proof designs that enable form, fit, and functional upgrades at a reasonable cost.
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PC/104: The small form factor doing big things
Writing about PC/104 can be challenging: If you're just talking about the form factor, there's not a whole lot of new material to cover. In fact, if you're reading this in a printed magazine, it's likely that you already know about PC/104. But for the sake of those who don't know - if you're a young engineer, or if you're the equivalent of that one person who hasn't seen that classic movie ("Wait... you've never seen XYZ??") - for the sake of the new folks, here's the recap:
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Reduced SWaP for design into embedded platforms using 10 GbE
As advanced network features and increasing speeds are added to next-generation rugged embedded switches, these products become even more useful for military applications by helping to reduce system size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) through a reduction of cabling and the use of Layer 3 switches for basic network routing duties.
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PC/104 adds processing power, dense I/O for the industrial IoT revolution
The IIoT [industrial Internet of Things] is poised to reshape factory automation, transportation, energy, and other industrial markets through the application of intelligence and connectivity, but the embedded systems that power these segments are still hampered by concerns about longevity, reliability, and low power consumption. Meanwhile, the use of higher-precision sensors, growing demand for video and graphics capability, and the desire for local analytics processing are driving an exponential demand for performance.
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PC/104 continues to serve multiple markets
Since it was first introduced in 1992, the PC/104 form factor has enabled embedded computing for avionics, military command and control, industrial automation, medical systems, and more. Its small size and inherent ruggedization made it ideal for unique applications in the aerospace, industrial, medical, and military markets.
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PC/104: the smart play
"It just doesn't go out of style." Is the blue blazer timeless? That's what I hear. What about PC/104? Absolutely. In the embedded market space, longevity is key. Embedded systems go through rigorous testing and qualification; the systems need to last. While new form factors and specifications sprout up continually, PC/104 is a solid, time-tested architecture that can be trusted in applications that require reliability, wide industry support, flexibility, and long-term sustainability. Systems built with the PC/104 stacking architecture are versatile. Based on their configuration, they can be tailored for any number of transportation, industrial, defense, mining, gaming, and aerospace needs.
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The future of Ethernet
With Ethernet becoming the ubiquitous connectivity standard for service providers, enterprises, and military applications, we are letting go of proprietary networking technologies and heading directly into industry standard networking based on Ethernet.
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Rugged networking on the move: Best practices for design and test for constrained-space applications
In the unpredictable environment of the battlefield, the fight does not stop just because you are moving. That reality puts warfighters at a distinct disadvantage if they cannot maintain situational awareness at all times, as adversaries equip themselves with the latest wireless technology and smartphones while actively moving in ground vehicles. Mobile Internet Protocol (IP) networking is a necessary response by the Department of Defense (DoD) to counter the many foes who have ready access to this ever-smaller mobile technology. The DoD's moves are enabling U.S. warfighters to be more agile and prepared.
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Designing a rad-hard CubeSat onboard computer
A CubeSat is a miniature satellite that conforms to a standard specification of 10 cm on each side and weighs no more than 1.33 kilograms. Often these cubes are concatenated to form larger structures. This standardization in satellite technology has provoked a significant growth in their use, as economies of scale in components, subsystems, launch equipment, and logistics have enabled many cost-effective new ventures.
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Small form factors, big time markets
Whether you're talking about PC/104 and PCe/104 for rail and military applications or COM Express for gaming and IoT applications, small-form-factor solutions for embedded computing are hot across multiple markets. Reduced size, weight, and power (SWaP) requirements are spurring innovation in smaller footprint designs that pack as much performance as larger solutions.
Stephen St. Amant, PC/104 Consortium President
Ronen Isaac, MilSource
Charlie Kawasaki, PacStar
