Mentor Blogs

Marking the end of an era, Space Shuttle Endeavor—the fifth and final NASA space shuttle constructed—arrived at Los Angeles Airport (LAX) on September 21, 2012 to begin its journey on the streets of LA to its final resting place at the California Science Center. NASA offered up three of its four decommissioned space shuttles as donations to museums; many museums competed for the honor of displaying … Read More

Geek, Engineer, Hardware, Warfighters, Toyota, Milaero, CrewMax, Military, nasa, Aerospace, Software, Mentor, Embedded Systems, Mentor Graphics, Endeavour, Mentor.com, electrical, Mil-Aero, Electronic

If you enter into discussions with anyone in the military/aerospace (mil/aero) community, you’ll likely hear “sequestration” more than once. Conversations among defense professionals today invariably touch on the topic, some even escalate into heated, impromptu debates. Reactions and predictions on the topic of sequestration vary wildly among mil/aero professionals. At a recent event in Washington, … Read More

Milaero, Mil-Aero, Military, Software, Buck McKeon, soldier, Technology, Aerospace, Warfighters, Obama, Mentor Graphics, Office of Management and Budget, Mentor.com, President Obama, DoD, Sequestration Transparency Act of 2012, Mentor

If you watched the live broadcast of NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover landing on the surface of Mars, you know it was a nail-biter. People all over the world—especially engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and technology firms the world over that had contributed systems and components to the mission—waited with baited breath for the successful completion of a number … Read More

Milaero, Mil-Aero, Mars, Atlas V, Mentor, Mentor Graphics, Mentor.com, Aerospace, Geek, Hardware, JPL, Cape Canaveral, Kennedy Space Center, Computer, Embedded Systems, Electronic, Engineer, Military, Software, Technology, MSL, nasa

NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) spacecraft, housing the unmanned Curiosity rover, set upon a monumental, 9-month, 352-million-mile journey to its final destination–Gale Crater near the base of Mount Sharp on Mars–with help from a powerful Atlas V 541 launch vehicle. In fact, this November 2011 mission marked the first launch of United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V 541 configuration. Roughly … Read More

Military, Milaero, Mentor, Atlas V, aviation, Mentor Graphics, Mentor.com, Mil-Aero, Aerospace, Gale Crater, EDA, electrical, Geek, Hardware, Curiosity, design, Mars, Embedded Systems, Electronic, Engineer, Mount Sharp, Technology, zapping, rover, Software, MSL, nasa

It has become more and more challenging to deliver products–especially complex and intricate components, systems, and platforms–on time in this day and age. For many, the global economic recession brought with it reductions in personnel; and yet, military and aerospace (mil/aero) were still expected to (and needed to) deliver novel, high-tech products on time and on budget without the advent … Read More

Recession, Military, Mentor Graphics, Design Automation, economic recession, Mentor.com, Mil-Aero, Milaero, Aerospace, Electronic, global, Globalization, electronic design automation, Hardware, Mentor, electrical, Engineer, Embedded Systems, Geek, Software

The military and aerospace (mil/aero) market relies on efficiency. This is true of myriad industries during a down economy, which requires organizations—including the U.S. Department of Defense and other military organizations, as well as prime contractors and subcontractors—to do more with less. Not only do engineering and manufacturing personnel need to be efficient, but also the tools they employ … Read More

Mentor, Hardware, Fort Worth, air, Bell Helicopter, Future Combat Systems, Geek, ground, Aerospace, Electronic, Design Automation, DoD, Embedded Systems, Engineer, Computer, FCS, Electric, electrical, Mentor Graphics, sea, Software, Milaero, Military, Mentor.com, Mil-Aero

“Mentor’s Capital toolset now encompasses electrical architecture definition, electrical system and wire harness design, harness manufacturing, and vehicle service and repair,” stated Martin O’Brien, general manager of the Mentor® Integrated Electrical Systems Division. “Capital HarnessXC is one of the core products within this tool suite. PKC is the latest in a long line of harness suppliers to standardize … Read More

Mentor.com, Mentor Graphics, Mil-Aero, Vernor Vinge, Capital HarnessXC, Software, Capitol Harness, superintelligence, Technological Singularity, Aerospace, Technology, Milaero, Hardware, Military, Mentor, Ray Kurzweil, Engineer, Singularity, Geek

Engineers from Bell Helicopter, a Textron Company, and The Boeing Company have unleashed a unique aircraft that has been turning heads at recent air shows, and for good reason. The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey was designed from the ground up (a rarity in a downturned economy, it seems) to meet the needs of multiple armed services. In doing so, it combines the capabilities of a helicopter with those of fixed-wing … Read More

Geek, Embedded Systems, Hardware, Warfighters, V-22, Milaero, Bell Helicopter, Military, Software, Aerospace, Textron, Mentor, Electric, Mentor Graphics, Electronic, Mentor.com, Boeing, Mil-Aero

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

Gone, in large part, are the days of military and aerospace (mil/aero) organizations buying a complete, comprehensive, end-to-end turnkey system from a single, solitary vendor. Rather, a vast majority of today’s mil/aero systems combine the technologies, components, and capabilities of myriad technology vendors. Integrating parts from various vendors in a single system, like most things, has its pros … Read More

Sony, Software, Mentor.com, Computer, Mil-Aero, Milaero, Military, Aerospace, Electric, Hardware, HDMI, electrical, Mentor, Design Automation, Mentor Graphics, Embedded Systems, Electronic, Geek, Yamaha

“[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

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

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