Author Archives: richard wilson

Low cost flexi-satellites to be built by Airbus in the UK

Low cost flexi-satellites to be built by Airbus in the UK

Low cost flexi-satellites to be built by Airbus in the UK

The UK’s latest multi-million pound space facilities, for flexi-satellites, were officially opened last month with the signing of  a first €180m contract.

The new European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT) is a joint initiative between the UK government and the European Space Agency (ESA).

RAL Space’s R100 building is a major expansion of their test facilities; including two new 5m diameter Space Test Chambers along with a vibration facility, clean rooms and AIV (Assembly, Integration and Verification) control room.

These enhanced facilities will be used for important future projects including ESA’s Sentinel 4 mission as part of Europe’s Copernicus programme and solar and heliospheric physics with the Solar Orbiter mission. Phase Two of the development is currently expected to be completed by June 2017.

The opening of the centres and the partnership between Airbus Defence and Space, ESA and Eutelsat will result in advanced telecommunications satellites being built in the UK.

Called the Quantum Programme, a new geostationary communications satellite will be manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space (ADS) in the UK using payload technology and a new platform from Surrey Satellite Technology (SSTL).

Speaking at the event, Minister for Universities and Science Jo Johnson said:

“Putting cutting-edge knowledge and innovation and world-class space testing facilities right on the doorstep, the opening of the European Space Agency and R100 facilities at Harwell today are a major boost to the UK’s space sector.

“Our investment in collaborative space science means the UK has the know-how and technical expertise to provide exciting and innovative space solutions that will drive growth and create jobs.”

ECSAT, which is now ESA’s main UK facility, has been created following the UK government’s decision in 2008 to increase its contribution to ESA.

One facility will host more than 120 jobs including teams in telecommunications and integrated applications.

The centre will be involved in the development of new satellite, ground infrastructure and product developments through original schemes of public–private partnerships with global operators.

The building will also house the Earth Observation Climate Office, Science and Exploration teams and Technology and Quality Management teams supporting ESA research and development programmes in the UK, focusing on ‘game-changing’ technologies and capabilities.

The first Quantum satellite – planned for launch in 2018 – will be primed and manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space (UK) and use a new platform by Surrey Satellite Technology (UK).

The aim is that satellites developed as part of the Quantum programme will be lower cost compared to current methods by using generic sub-systems and equipment. Quantum will also be able to completely transform while in-orbit.

“This will make it the first generation of universal satellites able to serve any region of the world and adjust to new business without the user needing to procure and launch an entirely new satellite,” said the UK Space Agency.

This programme is supported by strategic investment from the UK Space Agency through the European Space Agency’s advanced telecommunications R&D programme.

 

 

 

Richard Wilson

Micron legacy SDR/DDR modules live on at ATP

Micron legacy SDR/DDR modules live on at ATP

Micron legacy SDR/DDR modules live on at ATP

Micron Technology’s legacy DRAM modules (SDR/DDR) will be manufactured by ATP following a license agreement between the companies.

Micron published EOL notices for these SDR and DDR DRAM modules in January 2015 with a Last Time Buy (LTB) in July 2015 and a Last Time Ship (LTS) in January 2016.

Taiwan-based ATP will continue to manufacture these DRAM modules specifically for the existing customer base that cannot migrate.

It said it will “provide support on these parts and related product roadmaps for the long-term”.

“Each module will be manufactured to the equivalent specifications and test processes of the corresponding Micron part number,” said ATP.

AMD is also collaborating with ATP and Micron to support the extended life of AMD’s Geode platform.

“ATP’s legacy SDR/DDR SODIMM module solutions utilising Micron memory are a critical component to industrial control and automation, industrial PCs, HMI panels, point of sales and communication applications,” said Colin Cureton, Product Marketing Manager, AMD Embedded Solution.

ATP, which has a European sales office in Munich, will offer the SDR and DDR DRAM modules in selected SODIMM, UDIMM and RDIMM form factors and densities starting Q3 2015.

Richard Wilson

Micron legacy SDR/DDR modules live on at ATP

Micron legacy SDR/DDR modules live on at ATP

Micron legacy SDR/DDR modules live on at ATP

Micron Technology’s legacy DRAM modules (SDR/DDR) will be manufactured by ATP following a license agreement between the companies.

Micron published EOL notices for these SDR and DDR DRAM modules in January 2015 with a Last Time Buy (LTB) in July 2015 and a Last Time Ship (LTS) in January 2016.

Taiwan-based ATP will continue to manufacture these DRAM modules specifically for the existing customer base that cannot migrate.

It said it will “provide support on these parts and related product roadmaps for the long-term”.

“Each module will be manufactured to the equivalent specifications and test processes of the corresponding Micron part number,” said ATP.

AMD is also collaborating with ATP and Micron to support the extended life of AMD’s Geode platform.

“ATP’s legacy SDR/DDR SODIMM module solutions utilising Micron memory are a critical component to industrial control and automation, industrial PCs, HMI panels, point of sales and communication applications,” said Colin Cureton, Product Marketing Manager, AMD Embedded Solution.

ATP, which has a European sales office in Munich, will offer the SDR and DDR DRAM modules in selected SODIMM, UDIMM and RDIMM form factors and densities starting Q3 2015.

Richard Wilson

Software takes sports car design to new level

Onroak Auto

Ligier JS P3 racing car

Is this the first sports car to be designed in software like a PCB or chip?

The Ligier JS P3 sports prototype racing car was designed using simulation software to optimise its aerodynamics an for thermal design of the engine and brakes.

US-based Exa is the EDA company behind the PowerFLOW simulation software.

The software is used by many major passenger-car manufacturers around the world, but French sports car maker Onroak Automotive has taken this to a new level with its simulation of the design of the Ligier JS P3 racer.

“The two teams have been able to transfer to the Ligier JS P3 the DNA of this LM P2 car, which went through several successive validations between CFD simulations from Exa, wind tunnel tests and correlations on the track,” said Jacques Nicolet, president of Onroak Automotive.

The computer-based simulation meant that the design was carried out with wind tunnel and track testing development work.

Stephane Letot, Exa managing director Western Europe, writes:

“The simulations and predictions we made at an early stage with Onroak Automotive’s LMP2 race car have proved to be very accurate in relation to the real car on the track. Now, PowerFLOW has enabled Onroak Automotive and Exa’s engineers to capitalize on that LMP2 work and perform airflow simulations both over the exterior and within the all-new Ligier JS P3’s cabin, engine bay and wheel arches – tests that you simply cannot do within the same cost and time constraints in a wind tunnel.”

The new Ligier has been designed to compete in the Automobile Club de l’Ouest’s new Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3) category which gives teams and drivers a new entry point into Le Mans-style endurance racing.

Onroak Automotive worked with Exa on the design process which involved simulating the car’s front/rear aerodynamic balance with the optimal relationship between downforce and drag.

It was also used in the design of the inside of the car to improve the driver’s environment.

The LMP3 sports prototype racing car was unveiled at Le Mans in June.

PowerFLOW 5.1 also simulates acoustic absorption, battery modelling, rotating geometry simulation as well as a simplified passenger comfort case setup.

 

 

Richard Wilson

5G standards process begins in the desert

The 5G standards process begins next month in the Arizona desert

The 5G standards process begins next month in the Arizona desert

The 5G standards process begins next month in the Arizona desert.

That is the first meeting of the 3GPP global standards body to discuss across industry the radio access network standardisation process for 5G mobile communications which is due to be operational by 2020.

The 5G radio access network workshop will take place on September 17-18 in Phoenix, Arizona. This will be prceeded by an introictory meeting in Beijing at the end of this month.

This will be followed by a second workshop next year to consider the system architecture aspects.

At the moment research into 5G mobile communications technology is taking place at various centres all over the world – Europe, US, China and Japan.

But first discussions on potential global standards will start in the 3GPP standards body in September.

“Global 5G research is still taking place in isolation, but this will change. Various groups have different technology favourites, and the 3GPP standardisation discussions will start in September. I expect technology selection will start in 2016,” said Professor Rahim Tafazolli, director of the 5GIC.

The 5GIC at the University of Surrey is the UK’s main research activity into the technologies needed for a roll-out of 5G mobile services in 2020.

Dino Flore, the chairman of the 3GPP radio access network group, said last month:

“Next generation 3GPP platform needs to enable a broad range of new services and connectivity paradigms – besides simply addressing the future mobile broadband demand. This may need a new system architecture for 5G based on radio and new service and system
requirements also.”

The transition to 5G mobile communications is expected to include offloading traffic to unlicensed spectrum, improved carrier aggregation (up to 32 carriers), massive MIMO and support for a radio optimized for the low end of the IoT market.

And the different research groups are all competing for the prize of commercial adoption. “It is a business, and we need a return on our investment,” says Tafazolli.

The Surrey-based 5GIC already has 12 patents relating to potential 5G radio and network architecture technologies.

“We will test these on our own test-bed and we would like these technologies to be part of the standard,” says Tafazolli.

Tafazolli expects to have the technology in Surrey to demonstrate 5G transmission from mobile to network and back to mobile by 2018.

Richard Wilson

5G standards process begins in the desert

The 5G standards process begins next month in the Arizona desert

The 5G standards process begins next month in the Arizona desert

The 5G standards process begins next month in the Arizona desert.

That is the first meeting of the 3GPP global standards body to discuss across industry the radio access network standardisation process for 5G mobile communications which is due to be operational by 2020.

The 5G radio access network workshop will take place on September 17-18 in Phoenix, Arizona. This will be prceeded by an introictory meeting in Beijing at the end of this month.

This will be followed by a second workshop next year to consider the system architecture aspects.

At the moment research into 5G mobile communications technology is taking place at various centres all over the world – Europe, US, China and Japan.

But first discussions on potential global standards will start in the 3GPP standards body in September.

“Global 5G research is still taking place in isolation, but this will change. Various groups have different technology favourites, and the 3GPP standardisation discussions will start in September. I expect technology selection will start in 2016,” said Professor Rahim Tafazolli, director of the 5GIC.

The 5GIC at the University of Surrey is the UK’s main research activity into the technologies needed for a roll-out of 5G mobile services in 2020.

Dino Flore, the chairman of the 3GPP radio access network group, said last month:

“Next generation 3GPP platform needs to enable a broad range of new services and connectivity paradigms – besides simply addressing the future mobile broadband demand. This may need a new system architecture for 5G based on radio and new service and system
requirements also.”

The transition to 5G mobile communications is expected to include offloading traffic to unlicensed spectrum, improved carrier aggregation (up to 32 carriers), massive MIMO and support for a radio optimized for the low end of the IoT market.

And the different research groups are all competing for the prize of commercial adoption. “It is a business, and we need a return on our investment,” says Tafazolli.

The Surrey-based 5GIC already has 12 patents relating to potential 5G radio and network architecture technologies.

“We will test these on our own test-bed and we would like these technologies to be part of the standard,” says Tafazolli.

Tafazolli expects to have the technology in Surrey to demonstrate 5G transmission from mobile to network and back to mobile by 2018.

Richard Wilson

Feabhas adds to Linux and C skills base

Feabhas recruits embedded design specialists

Feabhas recruits embedded design specialists

Feabhas has recruited embedded design specialists Andrew McCormick and Philip Kirkpatrick to provide on-site team development and public training for individual engineers.

McCormick has experience of software engineering design, support and integration, gained companies such as Pace, Open TV and Sony Semi-Conductor Europe.

Andrew will focus on the development and delivery of Embedded Linux courses, including: Secure Linux Programming, Developing Linux Device Drivers and Embedded Linux for Intel Atom.

Kirkpatrick’s experience in programming will be used by ARM-approved training company, Feabhas. He has worked for ARM and Wind River.

He will present courses in C and C++ programming.

Feabhas has joined Rohde & Schwarz and Avnet Silica as a sponsor of the IoT Design Conference which will take place at the Brewery in London on 3 December.

Richard Wilson

Feabhas adds to Linux and C skills base

Feabhas recruits embedded design specialists

Feabhas recruits embedded design specialists

Feabhas has recruited embedded design specialists Andrew McCormick and Philip Kirkpatrick to provide on-site team development and public training for individual engineers.

McCormick has experience of software engineering design, support and integration, gained companies such as Pace, Open TV and Sony Semi-Conductor Europe.

Andrew will focus on the development and delivery of Embedded Linux courses, including: Secure Linux Programming, Developing Linux Device Drivers and Embedded Linux for Intel Atom.

Kirkpatrick’s experience in programming will be used by ARM-approved training company, Feabhas. He has worked for ARM and Wind River.

He will present courses in C and C++ programming.

Feabhas has joined Rohde & Schwarz and Avnet Silica as a sponsor of the IoT Design Conference which will take place at the Brewery in London on 3 December.

Richard Wilson

ARM quad-core computer Odroid rivals Raspberry Pi

Odroid-C1

Odroid-C1

Here’s another ARM-based, Linux running computer which costs less than £36. It’s the Odroid, remember the name.

The company behind the Odroid range of Raspberry Pi look alike computers is Hardkernel of South Korea. ARM likes the look of the spec, as it has been promoting the Odroid-C1+ on Twitter.

This is not surprising as the Odroid-C1+ has a quad-core ARM Cortex-A5(ARMv7) based Amlogic processor running at 1.5GHz. For graphics there is an ARM Mali-450 MP2 GPU, which is OpenGL ES 2.0/1.1 enabled for Linux and Android.

There is 1Gbyte DDR3 SDRAM.

The Odroid-C1+ is a very capable multimedia computer which can also be used as a hardware development platform. And it costs £36.

Ubuntu, Android, Fedora, ARCHLinux, Debian, and OpenELEC operating systems all run on it.

There is also are four USB 2.0 ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port and 40-pin GPIOs and 7-pin I2S ports.

The Ordoid range of computers is available in the UK through Lilliput Direct.

OS Image files and BSP source code are available from Hardkernel.

 

 

 

 

Richard Wilson

ARM quad-core computer Odroid rivals Raspberry Pi

Odroid-C1

Odroid-C1

Here’s another ARM-based, Linux running computer which costs less than £36. It’s the Odroid, remember the name.

The company behind the Odroid range of Raspberry Pi look alike computers is Hardkernel of South Korea. ARM likes the look of the spec, as it has been promoting the Odroid-C1+ on Twitter.

This is not surprising as the Odroid-C1+ has a quad-core ARM Cortex-A5(ARMv7) based Amlogic processor running at 1.5GHz. For graphics there is an ARM Mali-450 MP2 GPU, which is OpenGL ES 2.0/1.1 enabled for Linux and Android.

There is 1Gbyte DDR3 SDRAM.

The Odroid-C1+ is a very capable multimedia computer which can also be used as a hardware development platform. And it costs £36.

Ubuntu, Android, Fedora, ARCHLinux, Debian, and OpenELEC operating systems all run on it.

There is also are four USB 2.0 ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port and 40-pin GPIOs and 7-pin I2S ports.

The Ordoid range of computers is available in the UK through Lilliput Direct.

OS Image files and BSP source code are available from Hardkernel.

 

 

 

 

Richard Wilson