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Due to a UAV's compact and sensitive platform, there is no room for a bulky synchronous generator that allows a fixed voltage output. Likewise, the opportunity for a fixed speed engine to feed the UAV's permanent magnet generator to create a constant voltage output does not exist. A GCU (Generator Control Unit) functions as a mediator between the variable voltage and frequency alternator/generator and the stabilized DC bus requirement set by the payload. Its non-isolated topology provides high efficiency, light weight and a small form factor which makes the GCU power supply very attractive for systems that are powered by Permanent Magnet Generators (PMG) such as light weight UAVs, avionics, electronic warfare and other military applications.... read more

The VITA standards group has existed for many years now, developing the VME, VXS, XMC, VPX, and VNX standards as common physical and electrical formats to enable the development of modular systems. In military systems, the need for using open-architecture systems approaches became a priority, so the HOST, FACE, CMOSS, MORA, RedHawk and other initiatives were formed by various branches of the US army.... read more

Managed ethernet switches are the solution for scenarios that involve multiple devices, or require redundancy, monitoring, and control over the application network. Managed switches are remotely programmable via Web or programmatic interfaces to allow pre- and dynamic configuration. These switches provide key features to support today’s UAV applications. primary among these are quality of service, VLANs, spanning tree, and redundancy.... read more

In modern military operations, sensor systems are crucial for providing real-time intelligence across air, land, sea, and space domains. These sensors, including radar, infrared, acoustic, and electronic warfare (EW) platforms, must work together seamlessly to offer a comprehensive picture of the battlefield. This is where sensor fusion comes into play, enabling the aggregation and integration of data from multiple sensors to enhance situational awareness. However, sensor fusion requires highly reliable power conversion and networking solutions to handle the massive volume of data generated by modern sensors, as well as to ensure smooth integration into military systems.... read more

In our previous Blog on Power and Networking Solutions for Sensor Fusion Systems we’ve talked about the importance and value of sensor fusion in today’s battlespace. Bringing together diverse, disparate, and geographically displaced sensor data provides battlefield commanders with an unprecedented view of the battlefield. This ensures rapid and informed decision making to maintain an advantage and protect the warfighter.

Our military and military suppliers must continue to advance capabilities to outpace enemies’ threats. The Drive released a fantastic interview earlier this month highlighting a key naval sensor directly supporting sensor fusion and pressing the art of the possible in support of the broader picture in the seaborn battlespace. Two systems directly supported by Milpower Source are highlighted in this interview. The AN/SLQ-32(V)7 Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP) Block III is a perfect example of how the US Navy and its industry partners have improved the defensive and offensive electronic warfare (EW) capabilities aboard US naval assets for decades to come.... read more

The armed forces see Software Defined Radios (SDR) as an optimal solution to combat the ever-changing communications technologies surrounding traditional manpack radios that are used in today’s ground vehicles. SDRs enables the radio chassis to run multiple wavelengths or can accept an upgrade capability by simply changing out payload cards. By using a single chassis as the base platform, there have been significant size, weight, and power (SWaP) improvements for the vehicle and platform integrations. This enables the combination of shared resources and, by reducing the amount of man-pack radios, decreases the tax on the vehicle’s electrical system.... read more