Mentor Blogs

This geek is excitedly gearing up for the Mentor Graphics Integrated Electrical Solutions Forum (IESF) for mil/aero design engineers, managers, and executives. Thank you to those who have written with questions. I would like to allay any concerns, such as those of professionals whom have previously been burned by or are skeptical of the value of free, vendor-hosted events. Fear not! Yet, I can understand … Read More

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

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

Prices keep rising and rising. Virtually everything costs more today than even just a couple months ago. In fact, a quick glance at the inflation rate (http://www.usinflationcalculator.com/inflation/historical-inflation-rates/) reveals that it doubled between Jan. 2011 and April 2011—and the upward trend continues. Times are tough. Budgets are tight. Yet, mil/aero professionals still want and need … Read More

Mentor, IESF, Mentor Graphics, Design Automation, Aerospace, Engineer, Mentor.com, Mil-Aero, Geek, electrical, Milaero, Embedded Systems, Military

Much has changed, including the roles of embedded systems engineers and the overall development process. At the same time, regulations and requirements have grown—and, in no industry is this more true and more critical than in the mil/aero (military and aerospace) market. Modern systems, whether hardware or software in nature, that are employed in military and aerospace applications and environments … Read More

Geek, Engineer, Hardware, Computer, Milaero, Military, Software, Aerospace, Mentor, electrical, Mentor Graphics, Embedded Systems, Mentor.com, Design Automation, Mil-Aero

Embedded systems and software engineers lag information technology (IT) professionals in the use of formal requirements management tools across the development cycle, according to VDC Research Group in Natick, Mass. VDC Research Group’s new report on requirements management and definition tools reveals that more than 40 percent of the embedded engineers surveyed do not use formal tools for various … Read More

IT, Information Technology, Mentor, Software, VDC Research Group, Design Automation, Aerospace, Mentor Graphics, Engineer, Mentor.com, Geek, Mil-Aero, Milaero, Embedded Systems

Embedded systems and software engineers lag information technology (IT) professionals in the use of formal requirements-management tools across the development cycle, VDC Research Group in Natick, Mass., reveals in its new report on requirements management and definition tools. More than 40 percent of embedded engineers surveyed do not use formal tools for various requirements engineering tasks. Enterprise/IT … Read More

Mil-Aero, PDM, Software, BridgePoint, Military, Milaero, VDC Research Group, ERP, Mentor, Embedded Systems, Mentor.com, IT, Geek, Engineer, Mentor Graphics, Earth, Design Automation, Chris Rommel, PLM, ReqTracer

The mil/aero community, especially those members working in the aviation and avionics segment, is increasingly consumed with learning more and ensuring compliance with current standards and regulations. For many, regulatory compliance and all that it entails are terribly stressful and wrought with bureaucracy, various “hoops” through which to jump, and threats of excessive fines and jail time. Not … Read More

Military, Milaero, Mentor, Aerospace, Altec Inc., Mentor Graphics, Mentor.com, Mil-Aero, 787, Design Automation, Embedded Systems, Engineer, DO-178, FAA, Boeing, Geek, DO-254 Compliance Overview Training, DO-254, Dreamliner, Software, Tammy Reeve, Wilsonville

The hot news in mil/aero this week centers on UVM, Universal Verification Methodology (UVM) released yesterday by Accellera. The electronics industry organization, which is focused on electronic design automation (EDA) and intellectual property (IP) standards, has approved version 1.0 of its UVM standard for verifying integrated circuit (IC) designs. Accellera’s Verification IP (VIP) Technical … Read More

UVM, Universal Verification Methodology, Milaero, Design Automation, Open Verification Methodology, OVM, TSC, Accellera, IC, Mentor, Mentor Graphics, integrated circuit, Mentor.com, Mil-Aero, electronic design automation, IP, intellectual property, John Lenyo, Verification IP (VIP) Technical Subcommittee (TSC), VIP

The Northrop Grumman-built U.S. Navy X-47B, an Unmanned Combat Air System–Demonstration (UCAS-D) Next-gen Unmanned Fighter, took its maiden flight on a hazy California morning, Feb. 4, 2011 at Edwards Air Force Base. The flight began at 2:09 p.m. PST and lasted for 29 minutes. The goal of the program is to create a tailless, fighter-sized unmanned system capable of safely landing and taking off from … Read More

NAVAIR, Northrup Grumman, Parker Aerospace, Computer, Pratt & Whitney, robot, Aerospace, Rockwell Collins, Skynet, Design Automation, Software, Terminator, COTS, Dell, U.S. Navy, Eaton, DoD, Edwards Air Force Base, Vetronics, Warfighters, UAV, Wind River, X-47B, Hamilton Sundstrand, Goodrich, Engineer, Geek, General Electric, GKN Aerospace, Electric, electrical, Electronic, Embedded Systems, Moog, Hardware, Milaero, Military, Mentor.com, Mil-Aero, Mentor, Mentor Graphics, Honeywell, Lockheed Martin

Scene: A geek (me) and his executive team have just finished a round of power meetings in a foreign country. As they boarding the private, corporate jet, John Smith proclaims: “That food from dinner last night isn’t sitting well for me.” I turn to him and say, “That’s fine John. There is no need to fret because we just had that new take-off and landing toilet seat upgrade installed!” Phew, crisis averted. This … Read More

Phenom 100, Military, Mentor Graphics, ANAC, Mentor.com, Mil-Aero, Milaero, Aerospace, Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agenc, European Aviation Safety Agency, FAA, Geek, belterd toilet seat, Mentor, Bombardier, EASA, Design Automation, Embraer, Saturday Night Live, toilet, U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, SNL, takeoff toilet

Intel recently announced at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) the introduction of the anticipated 2nd generation of the Intel Core series of processors. The chips are made on Intel’s 32nm manufacturing process on the company’s second-generation high-k metal gate transistors. These build technologies boost performance, reduce power consumption, and enable smaller designs at a lower … Read More

Mentor Graphics, Mentor, i5, CES, Computer, i7, intel, Intel Quick Sync Video, Centrino, Embedded Systems, Design Automation, Engineer, Core, Geek, COTS, i3, electrical, Electric, Electronic, WiMax, Mentor.com, WiDi, WiFi, Vetronics, Warfighters, Military, quad-core, Mil-Aero, Milaero

Intel is making a splash, again, at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Before I get to Intel’s news at the 2011 International CES, which opened its doors today, I wonder how well we all know Intel, its roots, and its relevance to the mil/aero market. Intel Corporation was founded in 1968 by Gordon E. Moore (the man behind Moore’s Law) and Robert Noyce (co-inventor of the integrated … Read More

intel, IA-64, Warfighters, x86, Aerospace, Engineer, battlefield, Geek, Gordon E. Moore, Hardware, 486, COTS, Electric, electrical, Computer, Electronic, Core, Embedded Systems, DoD, Design Automation, DX4, Vetronics, Mentor, soldier, soldiers, Military, Robert Noyce, Mil-Aero, Milaero, Mentor Graphics, Mentor.com

The Apple iVolution has been going strong since the initial release of the iPod on October 23, 2001. Apple has significantly impacted cultures around the world; you can’t go around a corner these days without seeing the tell-tale white ear buds hanging from someone’s ears. iPods were so successful that they were followed up with a touchscreen variant, the iPod Touch, which was followed by the hugely … Read More

Mentor.com, Mentor Graphics, soldier, soldiers, Android OS, Inflexion, tablets, App Store, iPad, Warfighters, iPhone, Android, Mentor, COTS, Embedded Systems, Geek, battlefield, Google, Computer, Hardware, DoD, Design Automation, Electronic, Software, Mil-Aero, Operating System, RTOS, Nucleus, Open Handset Alliance, Military, network-centric, mil-std, Milaero

Mil-aero organizations the world over are investigating, and even already adopting, non-ruggedized, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) computing and communications devices, including Apple’s popular iPad. It’s appealing: sleek, slim, compact, shiny. All good things. What it is not, not yet anyway, is rugged enough to withstand military and aerospace environments, missions, and applications. Some may recall … Read More

Mentor.com, Mentor Graphics, soldiers, Warfighters, Apple, Hardware, battlefield, iPad, iPhone, Mentor, Android, Electronic, Design Automation, Embedded Systems, Computer, FBI, COTS, Geek, Electric, DoD, electrical, soldier, Mil-Aero, rugged, Software, Operating System, Overheat, Military, network-centric, mil-std, Milaero

In October, Sir Richard Branson, chairman of Virgin Group; New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson; staff of the New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA); and roughly 30 of the more than 380 Virgin Galactic future astronauts dedicated the world’s first spaceway at Spaceport America in New Mexico. The nearly two-mile-long runway was officially named the “Governor Bill Richardson Spaceway” at the event, at … Read More

NMSA, New Mexico Spaceport Authority, Mentor.com, Aerospace, Mil-Aero, Milaero, New Mexico, Aabar Investments, Gov. Bill Richardson, Electric, electrical, hybrid rocket motor, Mentor, Mentor Graphics, Design Automation, Embedded Systems, Electronic, Geek, Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Galactic, SpacePort America, Spaceway, Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson, Sovereign Wealth Fund