Curtiss-Wright's Defense Solutions division, a leading supplier of Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) based solutions, has demonstrated its groundbreaking VPX3-E320 Ruggedized Universal Software Defined Radio (SDR) card, a 3U OpenVPX module developed under agreement with NI, at NI Connect 2022, that took place on 24-25 May in Austin, Texas.
Curtiss-Wright’s VPX3-E320 Rugged SDR module is an OpenVPX functional equivalent variant of the Ettus Research USRP E320 and is fully compatible with the USRP Hardware Driver (UHD). It features a flexible 2 x 2 MIMO RF Agile Transceiver with 12-bit ADCs and DACs. Using an NI Commercial Ettus E320 USRP unit, functionally equivalent to the rugged VPX3-E320, system designers can quickly and cost-effectively develop SDR applications for deployment on a VPX3-E320 in OpenVPX environments.
“At NI Connect 2022, in support of MOSA principles and innovation, we are proud to have showcased our VPX3-E320 Rugged SDR module, that brings NI’s extremely popular Ettus Research USRP E320 technology to rugged OpenVPX based CMOSS and SOSA Technical Standard aligned deployed systems,” said Chris Wiltsey, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions. “This open standards SDR solution provides system designers with a compelling choice for deploying rugged battlefield communications capabilities.”
“Accelerated development and deployment of EW systems is a critical need for the warfighter today,” said Haydn Nelson, Principal Solutions Manager for Radar and EW in NI’s Aerospace, Defense, and Government Business Unit. “Allied defense organizations have long desired a way to leverage commercial technology to reduce development time. NI’s collaboration with Curtiss-Wright on the VPX3-E320 is a realization of that need, enabling rapid migration of EW capabilities to the field on a SOSA aligned platform.”
About the VPX3-E320
Curtiss-Wright’s VPX3-E320, the first fully rugged OpenVPX variant of the Ettus Research USRP E320 SDR solution, enables applications developed in the lab to be seamlessly transitioned to mission hardware. The conduction cooled 3U OpenVPX module speeds and eases the integration of critical SDR capabilities, such as deployed SIGINT, tactical communications, and reconfigurable jamming, into platforms deployed in harsh environments. The board supports tunable bandwidths from 200 kHz to 56 MHz over a frequency range from 70 MHz to 6 GHz. Baseband signal processing uses a Xilinx Zynq® 7045 System-on-Chip (SoC) FPGA to deliver accelerated FPGA computations and software-based processing using its dual-core Arm® CPU. Device configuration can be accomplished with the NI USRP UHD, either through GNU Radio or with common programming languages such as Python or C++. Applications previously developed on the USRP E320 will port directly to the VPX3-E320.
This VPX3-E320 module’s backplane I/O is designed for alignment with the latest RF system implementation standards, including CMOSS, the Vehicular Integration for C4ISR/EW Interoperability (VICTORY), and Modular Open RF Architecture (MORA). Designed for superior durability and reliable operation in harsh environments, the VPX3-E320 incorporates Curtiss-Wright’s industry-leading rugged hardware design and validation practices to meet the stringent requirements of the most demanding front-line conditions.
Click here to learn more about this rugged Software Defined Radio (SDR) solution from Curtis-Wright.
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