Embedded system speeds radars

Kontron's 6U VPX high-performance embedded computer is being used for a new generation of surveillance radars. The system is claimed to process an input data flow 10 times higher than the equipment which is currently deployed. The user, an international electronics and systems group, relied on Kontron's hardware, software and design services for its next-generation radars.

The radar core computer, which was designed in less than 20 weeks, is based entirely on VPX products and services. The system currently operates under Linux and does not require proprietary APIs. The highest level of communication bandwidth is achieved through classic Linux and TCP or UDP sockets based on the PCI Express physical layer.

The socket interface is implemented as a kernel module and also manages the low-level PCI Express silicon and DMA engines. This technology, called Kontron VXFabric, simplifies the task of inter-system communication in VPX system architectures thanks to a set of ready-to-use libraries and kernel modules.

The libraries and kernel modules expose the socket API for data flow applications to implement efficient inter-board communication at hardware speed.

By decoupling the application software from the low-level silicon management, VXFabric simplifies and accelerates application development and helps to extend application life cycles, as it enables migration to upcoming communication standards such as 10G and 40G ethernet for the backplane.

Data processing is handled via a cluster of 6U VPX computing blades VX6060 each with twin Intel Core i7 6U operating at 2 GHz CPU frequency.

The data plane used for data exchange between all processors is implemented on a single star VITA65 VPX backplane, which allows up to 2 GBps data transfer rates between each CPU and the centralised VPX PCIe switch VX3905.

Application control is implemented via a gigabit ethernet control plane and also routed over the backplane to the centralised L2 non-blocking Kontron Gigabit Ethernet switch VX3910.