Over the past 35 years, there has been a constant progression of technologies for performing digital signal processing. Some of these have been in the form of processors dedicated to the task of efficiently executing complex math in parallel such as Digital Signal Processors (DSPs) from Texas Instruments and Analog Devices and other specialized processors from other manufacturers.

Another path has been to exploit the specialized processing engines inside more general-purpose processors from companies like Intel and Motorola, or to re-purpose highly parallelized processors like Graphics Processing Units (GPU) for DSP applications like RADAR.

"FPGA logic design and the software to control it are intimately tied together. This relationship and the need to keep FPGA IP changes and software changes in sync are a reality that must be managed in the design environment of sophisticated FPGA-based systems." Bob Sgandurra, Director, Product Manager of Pentek

In September 2016, Pentek introduced the new Jade™ family of XMC products. Evolved from the proven designs of the Pentek Cobalt® and Onyx® architectures, Jade is based on the Xilinx flagship Kintex UltraScale FPGA, which significantly raises the digital signal processing (DSP) performance by almost 50 percent. Equally impressive are reductions in cost by 39 percent and power dissipation by 23 percent.

The Kintex UltraScale FPGA site can be populated with a range of FPGAs to match the specific requirements of the processing task, spanning the KU035 through KU115. The KU115 features 5520 DSP48E2 slices and is ideal for modulation/demodulation, encoding/decoding, encryption/decryption, and channelization of the signals between transmission and reception. For applications not requiring large DSP resources or logic, a lower-cost FPGA can be installed.

"Pentek's new Jade architecture gives our customers unprecedented levels of performance at significantly lower product cost. We also created new software development tools to align with the latest industry standards and Xilinx development tools, providing a more intuitive and productive development environment." Rodger Hosking, Vice President of Pentek

Features Jade Xilinx Kintex UltraScale FPGA Products and Navigator Design Suite Software Video Ideal radar and software radio interface solution Supports Xilinx Kintex UltraScale FPGAs One-channel mode with 3.6 GHz, 12-bit A/D Two-channel mode with 1.8 GHz, 12-bit A/D Programmable one- or two-channel DDC (Digital Downconverter) 5 GB of DDR4 SDRAM µSync clock/sync for multimodule synchronization PCI Express (Gen. 1, 2 & 3) interface up to x8

Model 71841

FPGAs have been a force multiplier for military signal processing applications that require modularity and flexibility. They excel in implementing the needed functions in hardware to create massively parallel signal processing units.

For military communications applications they enable software defined radio (SDR) and satellite communication system designers to develop open-architecture, configurable board-level FPGA solutions for use in current and new systems.

This e-cast of industry experts will cover the implementation of FPGAs in military communication systems -- from challenges to benefits.

Features Jade Xilinx Kintex UltraScale FPGA Products and Navigator Design Suite Software Video Complete radar and software radio interface solution Supports Xilinx Kintex UltraScale FPGAs Four 200 MHz 16-bit A/Ds Four multiband DDCs (digital downconverters) 5 GB of DDR4 SDRAM Sample clock synchronization to an external system reference LVPECL clock/sync bus for multimodule synchronization PCI Express (Gen. 1, 2 & 3) interface up to x8

Model 71861

Whether in peacetime or during major conflicts, today's militaries rely on sensor technology to achieve tactical superiority for radar, electronic warfare, sonar, and other intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) sensors.

Attaining that tactical edge with sensors means leveraging commercial signal processing technology for rugged military systems in open architecture designs. This E-cast of industry experts will discuss how embedded signal processing solutions are empowering the sensor chain in military ISR systems, as well as how to overcome challenges such as obsolescence and reduced size, weight, and power (SWaP) requirements.

Features Jade Xilinx Kintex UltraScale FPGA Products and Navigator Design Suite Software Video Complete radar and software radio interface solution Powerful Xilinx Kintex UltraScale FPGAs Eight 250 MHz 16-bit A/Ds Eight multiband DDCs (digital downconverters) 5 GB of DDR4 SDRAM Sample clock synchronization to an external system reference LVPECL clock/sync bus for multimodule synchronization PCI Express (Gen. 1, 2 & 3) interface up to x8

Model 71131

• Scan and search from 20 MHz to 6 GHz at 30 GHz/sec scan rate
• Automatically tune, detect and record signals of interest
• Capture instantaneous RF signal bandwidths up to 40 MHz
• Portable and rugged system for mobile applications

The Talon RTR 2623 Sentinel Intelligent Scanning Recorder: "Intelligence is Now Portable"

The Talon® Model RTR 2623 combines and exploits the power of a Pentek Talon recording system with a fully-integrated 6-GHz RF downconverter. The Sentinel™ capability adds intelligent signal scanning with real-time signal monitoring and detection that is fully user configurable.

The Talon RTR 2623 is configured in a small-footprint portable package measuring only 16.0" W x 6.9" D x 13.0" H and weighing 30 pounds. The portable and rugged RTR 2623 recorder is a grab-and-go portable recorder suitable for mobile military, security, and government intelligence (SIGINT, COMINT, and ELINT) applications. The recorder performs in nearly any mobile platform, even when subject to challenging levels of vibration.