Mentor Blogs

The military/aerospace (mil/aero) industry is obsessed with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) this month. The FAA is occupied with the safe integration of UAVs in public airspace. The Pentagon is buzzing about the first recorded attack on a military drone in the airspace over the Persian Gulf. The public is growing more concerned and vocal about UAVs as they relate to privacy. Unmanned aircraft systems … Read More

unmanned, UAV, Military, AeroVironment Qube, Aviation Week, police, RPA, RPAS, Aerospace, Drones, Mentor Graphics, Mentor.com, Engineer, Mil-Aero, COTS, Milaero, DraganFlyer X6, Hardware, Geek, Mentor, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, vertical takeoff and landing, VTOL

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, are the topic of much conversation in the military/aerospace (mil/aero) community; much of the talk centers on UAVs in airspace, in fact. This month, the Pentagon confirmed that an Iranian attack aircraft fired on an unarmed U.S. drone on the morning of Nov. 1, 2012. Iranian leaders and lawmakers do not deny firing on the unmanned aircraft. The point of contention, … Read More

UAV, Sukhoi SU-25 Frogfoot, MQ-1, COTS, Drones, Predator, RPA, RPAS, Aerospace, General Atomics, Mentor.com, Mil-Aero, Hardware, Milaero, Engineer, Military, Geek, Mentor, Iran, Mentor Graphics, unmanned, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), now commonly referred to as remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) or remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) by federal agencies, standards bodies, and military organizations worldwide, are again the hottest topic of discussion in the military/aerospace (mil/aero) community. What has the industry, and the greater public, buzzing? The prospect of sitting in a window seat … Read More

unmanned, UAV, Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, COTS, NAS, RPA, RPAS, Aerospace, FAA, Mentor.com, Mil-Aero, Geek, Milaero, Military, Engineer, Mentor, Hardware, Mentor Graphics, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

Forty-three years ago, on 20 July 1969, the United States Apollo 11 became the first manned mission to the moon. Were you aware, however, that it the first space vehicle to reach the vicinity of the moon was not manned at all? Intrigued? This geek hopes so. Fun fact: Unmanned spacecraft reached the vicinity of the moon a decade before the first manned mission landed on the lunar surface. The Soviet … Read More

Moon, Milaero, Mentor, Apollo, Mentor Graphics, Mentor.com, Mil-Aero, Aerospace, Electric, Geek, electrical, Hardware, Luna, Computer, Luna 1, COTS, Embedded Systems, Electronic, Engineer, nasa, spacecraft, unmanned, Sally Ride, Soviet Union

Forty-three years ago this month, astronauts made history. The Apollo 11 mission, a milestone in human history, continues to be celebrated worldwide decades later. The first words spoken on the moon by Neil Armstrong, the first to step onto the lunar surface, remain among the most famous and inspirational in the world: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Nearly 500 million … Read More

Neil Armstrong, nasa, Mentor.com, Apollo 11, Mil-Aero, Milaero, Moon, Aerospace, COTS, Geek, Hardware, Electric, Mentor, Buzz Aldrin, Mentor Graphics, Cold War, Electronic, electrical, Engineer, Soviet Union, Technology

A popular children’s toy has been named the first domestic robot, the first robotic toy, and a threat to national security in the U.S. Can you guess which toy? It was the cute, lovable, and interactive Furby! The Furby was produced by Tiger Electronics from 1998 to 2001, and again by Hasbro between 2005 and 2007. In fact, it has just been announced that the Furby will again line store shelves; it will … Read More

Furby, Engineer, Geek, Tiger Electronics, COTS, Mentor.com, Mil-Aero, Milaero, Computer, NSA, Hardware, Electronic, Hasbro, Embedded Systems, Mentor, Electric, Mentor Graphics, electrical

Unmanned drones are likely coming to an air space near you. The eventual and unavoidable integration of myriad unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), both civil and defense, in the same airspace as commercial airliners and military aircraft is a hotly debated topic. Civilian and military communities are actively voicing a wealth of concerns—such as over safety, privacy, and security—about the prospect. Government … Read More

Mentor, Geek, Mentor Graphics, President Obama, COTS, UAV, unmanned, Aerospace, Warfighters, Mentor.com, Embedded Systems, Mil-Aero, FAA, Milaero, Drone, Military

System interoperability is a major issue and continual challenge in military and aerospace (mil/aero) applications. Electronic components and solutions from various vendors must all work together. The same is true of legacy versus modern systems. Many industry pundits in the mil/aero community have long compared the challenge to trying to have a 50-year-old communicate effectively with a newborn—they … Read More

electrical, Electric, Electronic, Software, Mentor Graphics, Computer, Mentor.com, Mil-Aero, Aerospace, Milaero, Engineer, Design Automation, Geek, Hardware, COTS, Mentor

Systems integration is no small feat. Ensuring disparate parts and systems—standalone solutions from multiple vendors—talk and work together seamlessly and reliably is a challenge. In fact, the systems integrator, not to mention the MRO (maintenance, repair, and overhaul) specialist charged with keeping systems in good working order over decades of deployment, has been given many nicknames reflective … Read More

systems whisperer, Military, Mentor Graphics, Design Automation, Mentor.com, Mil-Aero, Milaero, COTS, electrical, hardware wrangler, HDMI, Electronic, High-Definition Multimedia Interface, Mentor, Electric, Geek, Embedded Systems, Hardware, Technology

Just this month, PKC Eesti AS, a supplier of electrical wiring harnesses to European truck makers and a subsidiary of Finland’s PKC Group Oyj, announced that it is deploying the latest technology from the Mentor Graphics Capital suite of tools at its factory in Estonia. Among the tools adopted is the Capital HarnessXC product, which is designed to enable harness engineers to create detailed, validated, … Read More

Electronic, electrical, Embedded Systems, PKC Group, Military, Computer, Mentor Graphics, COTS, Mentor.com, Mil-Aero, Capital HarnessXC, Milaero, Engineer, Geek, Electric, Hardware, Mentor, Design Automation

The availability of sufficient power to drive myriad electronics in ground combat vehicles is a major concern in the military and aerospace (mil/aero) market. Current military ground vehicle platforms are outfitted with a wealth of electronics—including command and control, communications, radar and radar jamming, weaponry, counter-IED/countermeasures, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance … Read More

Electronic, electrical, Geek, Stryker, Military, battlefield, Mentor Graphics Capitol, COTS, Mentor.com, Mil-Aero, Aerospace, Milaero, Hardware, HMMWV, Electric, Mentor, Mentor Graphics, Design Automation

The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) market sector has experienced the most dynamic growth of any sector in the global aerospace industry this decade, according to a 2011 market study. Analysts at Teal Group, an aerospace and defense market analysis firm based in Fairfax, Va., predict UAV spending to nearly double over the next decade. Current worldwide UAV expenditures total $5.9 billion annually—a figure … Read More

Globalhawk, DoD, Mentor, UAV, U.S. forces, Al Qaeda, Military, battlefield, NATO, Philip Finnegan, Aerospace, Teal Group, Mentor Graphics, Mentor.com, Design Automation, Mil-Aero, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, Milaero, COTS

STEM jobs are essential to growth in America, says United States Commerce Secretary Gary Locke in his blog (http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/07/14/stem-jobs-help-america-win-future). “Unfortunately, many U.S. businesses have frequently voiced concerns over the supply and availability of STEM workers. Companies operating on the forefront of technological innovation need more of them.” Major players … Read More

Mentor, Math, Mentor Graphics, COTS, science, STEM, Technology, Aerospace, Mentor.com, Gary Locke, Mil-Aero, Hardware, Milaero, Embedded Systems, Military, engineering

Mentor Graphics’ free, must-attend mil/aero event is less than one month away. The company has announced the event’s agenda, which includes an impressive 23 sessions. The beauty of it is that attendees, of which I am one, can essentially build their own event, tailoring the day to their exact individual needs. To simplify things, however, Mentor Graphics officials have devised three breakout tracks … Read More

Geek, Engineer, Hardware, Computer, Mentor.com, COTS, Mil-Aero, Milaero, Aerospace, Military, IESF, Electronic, Integrated Electrical Solutions Forum, Embedded Systems, Mentor, Mentor Graphics, Design Automation

The Boeing Company and Microsoft Corp.  have partnered to help support and grow the number of Washington state students earning bachelor’s degrees. The state’s two largest private employers are pledging $25 million each over the next five years to the new public-private Washington Opportunity Scholarship program and endowment signed into law by Gov. Christine Gregoire. Together with matching … Read More

Mentor.com, Mentor Graphics, Microsoft, Boeing, Washington, COTS, Aerospace, Gov. Chris Gregoire, Mil-Aero, Milaero, Mentor, Education, Military, Scholarship, Geek