Mentor Blogs

“[Skydrol] is very unpleasant to work with. It stings. It forms a very fine mist and gets everywhere,” reveals an anonymous aircraft maintenance engineer of the widely used hydraulic fluid. “When you have a pinhole leak somewhere, and are trying to find it, you will get it all over you and itch for ages afterwards. It really should be banned as a health hazard to mechanics.” Sounds like lovely stuff, … Read More

Milaero, Mil-Aero, IESF, Capital, Integrated Electrical Solutions Forum, Mentor, Mentor.com, Aerospace, Engineer, Geek, Electric, Goodrich, Hardware, Design Automation, Electronic, electrical, Embedded Systems, Software

Hydraulic systems have for decades been the go-to technology in airplanes, both commercial and military, because of their high power density and proven reliability. Yet, hydraulic systems can be difficult to control, given that sensors are often located far from the brake piston; can require more maintenance, given the propensity for leaks or contamination in the hydraulic lines and the fluid contained … Read More

Mil-Aero, Mentor.com, IESF, Computer, Integrated Electrical Solutions Forum, Mentor, Mentor Graphics, Aerospace, Engineer, Electric, Geek, Hardware, Hydraulic, Design Automation, Electronic, electrical, Embedded Systems, Milaero, Software, Solutia Inc., Military, Skydrol

Goodrich Corp. engineers used electronic design automation (EDA) software to design, verify, and test the company’s latest innovative electronic brake automation avionics. The company’s electric brake system is being employed on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner airplane; in fact, a majority of 787 customers to date have selected the Goodrich electric brake system. Goodrich executives announced in March 2011 … Read More

Mil-Aero, Mentor.com, Goodrich, Aerospace, Hardware, Mentor, Mentor Graphics, 787, electrical, Electronic, Design Automation, Engineer, Boeing, Geek, Computer, Dreamliner, Electric, Milaero

It’s the last thing I think about when I board a plane; yet, it’s first of mind when I see that we’re approaching pavement at a high rate of speed upon reaching our destination. You guessed it: I’m talking about brakes. This aircraft element gains little consumer attention (unless it fails to work, of course), but the critical system component is garnering considerable attention from the technology … Read More

Milaero, Mil-Aero, Mentor Graphics, Aerospace, Boeing, Mentor Graphics Capitol, Mentor.com, Mike Shaw, 787, Dreamliner, Embedded Systems, Geek, Goodrich, Mentor, Design Automation, electrical, Electric, Electronic, Software

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is reported to possess more than 7,000 aerial drones, to date. The DOD boasted less than 50 such drones just a decade ago; and, Pentagon officials have asked Congress for nearly $5 billion, to be used for drones in 2012. Industry analysts are again predicting a strong unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) market–and not just for the remainder of 2011 or throughout … Read More

Military, Mil-Aero, L-3 Communication, Aerospace, AeroVironment, Mentor, Mentor Graphics, Mentor.com, AAI Corp., General Atomics, Hardware, Electric, Insitu, DoD, KillerBee, Drone, Engineer, Embedded Systems, Geek, Raytheon, UAV, Raytheon KillerBee, Teal Group

The military and aerospace (mil/aero) market has recently suffered some fiscal setbacks. It may come as a surprise that the economy was not to blame; rather, it was design and production delays. This interesting, and somewhat jarring, tidbit comes from Richard L. Aboulafia, vice president of analysis at Teal Group Corp., team of aerospace and defense industry analysts in Fairfax, Va. He shared several … Read More

Mentor, Integrated Electrical Solutions Forum, Mentor Graphics, Richard L. Aboulafia, Electric, Teal Group Corp, Warfighters, Aerospace, Mentor.com, Hardware, Mil-Aero, IESF, Milaero, electrical, Military, Geek

This geek loves the modern space race, as it is being called by many. I speak of the resurgence of interest in rockets, spacecraft, and virtually all things space-related. I enjoy all facets of it—whether private, public, international, or domestic. I love it all, as my fellow geeks likely already know. The recent decommissioning of the U.S. Space Shuttle program, after many decades of successful service, … Read More

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We can all learn how to tell a great story, revealed Aaron Shin, senior director of the transition to products at Raytheon Company in Waltham, Mass., in his IESF keynote, “The Art of Storytelling.” Okay, admittedly, many of us geeks and nerds may not be the best speakers. But, so what? Don’t get me wrong, I strive toward and aspire to be a phenomenal, thought-provoking speaker and, as a result, an … Read More

Software, Raytheon, Mentor.com, Aerospace, Mil-Aero, Milaero, Military, Aaron Shin, Electric, IESF, Integrated Electrical Solutions Forum, electrical, Mentor, Design Automation, Mentor Graphics, Geek, Engineer, Hardware, Technology, The Art of Storytelling

Developing a great story with which to “sell” our ideas is a facet of design work not all of us (we geek folk) are the best at pulling off; however, without a compelling and interesting story or pitch, many products and companies would not be where they are today. When it comes down to it, many successes can be attributed to a great storyteller. Aaron Shin, senior director of the transition … Read More

Software, Raytheon, Mentor.com, Aerospace, Mil-Aero, Milaero, Military, Aaron Shin, Electric, IESF, Integrated Electrical Solutions Forum, electrical, Mentor, Design Automation, Mentor Graphics, Geek, Engineer, Hardware, Technology, The Art of Storytelling

Mentor Graphics’ Integrated Electrical Solutions Forum (IESF) for the military/aerospace (mil/aero) industry—a free, one-day event that was just held in Long Beach, Calif., on Sept. 13, 2011—was fantastic this year, just as I had expected. The speakers were top-notch and I learned a wealth about not only the current status and future outlook of the mil/aero market, but also the many challenges mil/aero … Read More

Software, Raytheon, Mentor.com, Aerospace, Mil-Aero, Milaero, Military, Aaron Shin, Electric, IESF, Integrated Electrical Solutions Forum, electrical, Mentor, Design Automation, Mentor Graphics, Geek, Engineer, Hardware, Technology, The Art of Storytelling

Wanted: Engineers. Military and aerospace are among many industries concerned about the future availability of skilled workers. This challenge of ensuring a skilled workforce well into the future of the U.S. is ever-present in the minds of many people—heads of technology firms (especially in the mil/aero realm), higher-education faculty, scientists and researchers, economists, patriots, heads of state, … Read More

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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

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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

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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

On September 23, 2010, the Department of the Army (U.S.) issued solicitation W9124D10IPADS for the purchase of 587 Apple iPads prepared to the following specification: “Item shall be equal to the salient characteristics of the Apple 32GB iPad with Wi-Fi + 3G.” Requirements include: - 32GB of storage that operates on skip-free flash memory eliminating the need for a hard drive and provides instant … Read More

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