SYSTEMS

Targeting emerging opportunities in the military marketplace, SKY Computers, Inc., a subsidiary of Analogic Corporation, announced today its plans to launch a family of high-performance, open-standards, multi-computing systems, a product direction based on the VXS (VITA 41) specification. SKY is a key participant in the development of specifications for VXS, which has emerged as an essential requirement in the military marketplace. SKY's new family of products will follow the Company's industry-leading example of integrating open standards, including Linux and InfiniBand technology, in form factors that military embedded markets require. SKY's 6U-based products will support the VXS standard with InfiniBand as the proven backbone technology leader, and Linux as the cornerstone of an open-software strategy. The line will provide rugged solutions in avionic and navtronic applications, including radar, signal intelligence, electronic intelligence, and software-defined radio. "Our military customers welcome SKY's commitment to open standards," said Henry Shean, President of SKY Computers. "With these VXS product plans, we are breaking new ground in addressing the needs of the military marketplace, and reinforcing our leadership in the true integration of open standards in multicomputing systems. It is time for the industry to fully embrace the open standards that will power the future of military embedded systems, and we expect that the marketplace will support SKY's true commitment to open standards." The VXS product direction will be presented today at the MEECC 2005 (Military Embedded Electronics and Computing Conference) in Long Beach. SKY Computers invites participants in the industry and members of the media to attend SKY's presentation at MEECC during the New Embedded Products track. Ray Alderman, VITA Executive Director, said, "VME continues to be the best solution for predictable, real-time performance. However, many applications require a high-bandwidth, low-overhead interconnect, such as multi-processor systems. Adding InfiniBand with its Remote DMA to VXS systems provides this capability, while maintaining compatibility with VME." VXS and SKY Computers History SKY Computers has participated in and led development elements of the VXS specification since its inception. A Motorola-led special interest group originally proposed VXS to addresses improving VMEbus backplane performance with the addition of high-speed serial fabrics. The group defined a basic framework that would be both backwards compatible with VME64 modules and include specifications for various serial fabrics. Recently, group members and partners tested VXS-compatible chassis, backplanes, and boards for mechanical compliance. Steve Paavola, CTO of SKY Computers, leads a VITA 41.10 subgroup working on integrating live-insertion capabilities into the VXS framework. Specifically, Steve has led development of requirements for VITA 41 boards and provided direction on incorporating InfiniBand into VXS-based applications.