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

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

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

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

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 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

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

soldier, Software, Mil-Aero, Computer, COTS, Milaero, Military, Operating System, Android, Electronic, iPhone, Mentor, Embedded Systems, Mentor Graphics, Electric, Mentor.com, electrical, Hardware, Geek, iPad, soldiers, Warfighters

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