Mentor Blogs

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

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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

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Android is sexy, as are the ever-increasing number of smartphones and PC tablets that take advantage of Google’s operating system (OS). Military personnel, even officials at the highest ranks, agree. Soldiers want to use Android devices and Apple’s iPad in the field, while on a mission, communicating, socializing, killing time, or blowing off steam. Soldiers have historically been frustrated by the … Read More

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What a difference a year makes in the military and aerospace (mil/aero) market. This time last year, I was listening to market research firms and industry pundits herald the military/defense segment for keeping the aerospace market afloat while the commercial aviation segment took a serious dip. Despite a woeful world economy, investments were being made at that time in military aircraft–manned … Read More

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Raytheon Intelligence and Information Systems, a division of Raytheon in Waltham, Mass., can lay claim to unveiling what is arguably the hottest news to come out of AUSA 2010, the annual meeting and exposition of the Association of the United States Army, held last week in Washington, DC. It’s RATS. I’m not kidding. The acronym is unfortunate, but the system may hold the key to greater mission effectiveness, … Read More

Operating System, network-centric, Mentor.com, Computer, COTS, Mil-Aero, Milaero, Military, Android, Hardware, electrical, Electronic, iPhone, Mentor, DoD, Electric, Mentor Graphics, Geek, Embedded Systems, Google, RATS, soldiers, Warfighters, Software, soldier, Raytheon, Raytheon Android Tactical System

Android addicts are everywhere. Even those who didn’t anticipate using a larger number of apps on their smart phones are finding themselves downloading a new app almost daily. Google’s Android mobile operating system (OS) is making waves throughout the commercial market; and now, thanks to Raytheon engineers in Waltham, Mass., it is likely to change the face of the digital battlefield. Soldiers are … Read More

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CFD, Giving Our Prototype Machinists a Break Computational fluid dynamics, of CFD, was a central focus of recent industry events, and I find the topic keeps cropping up in mil/aero discussions of late. In fact, CFD simulation tools are increasingly being employed by military prime contractors (aka, primes) to meet contract requirements, such as survivability in extreme environments and temperatures, … Read More

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The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is arguably one of the most anticipated commercial aircraft releases in many years. With the 787-8 boasting carrying capacities of 210 to 250 passengers with ranges of 7,650 to 8,200 nautical miles and the 787-9 capable of toting 250 to 290 passengers on routes of 8,000 to 8,500 nautical miles, the Boeing 787 certainly presents many benefits to the end user, especially in the … Read More

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It is hard to imagine, but even modern aircraft rely on relatively old power switching technology. The electrical distribution unit (EDU) is the first or primary piece of equipment that distributes power on aircraft after it is produced from the generators. Current technologies used in these systems are electromechanical, meaning a piece of conductor physically has to move to make or break connections … Read More

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The mil/aero industry is alive with a flurry of grants activity. Various federal agencies and organizations are seeking high-end technology and research on a wide array of topics, largely with the goal of putting bleeding-edge electronics in the hands of warfighters to ensure their safety and mission success. A quick perusal of Grants.gov and Recovery.gov, among other relevant sites, provides significant … Read More

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The mil/aero community is beginning to turn to current bleeding-edge computing technology, and move away from lengthy design cycles that result in fielding technology that is often four to five, or even 10 years, behind the commercial curve. The network-centric battlefield—in which the right information is delivered to the right person at the right time—is starting to take shape, and it requires secure, … Read More

Operating System, network-centric, Mil-Aero, commercial-off-the-shelf, COTS, Milaero, Military, netcentric, battlefield, Hardware, Electronic, Mentor, Mentor Graphics, Design Automation, Mentor.com, design cycle, Geek, Embedded Systems, Global Hawk, Software, Warfighters, UAV, Vetronics, soldier, soldiers

DoD Apps Store in our future? I have noticed at recent industry conferences and exhibitions a predominant focus on software, marking a larger seachange in the military and aerospace industry. Case in point: ESC 2010 in San Jose. ESC was always the venue at which I, as a mil-aero systems architect and geek-of-all-trades, could roam exhibit aisle after aisle looking at hardware. Tangible chips and boards, … Read More

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