Target Audience: OEM Design Engineers in the Electronic Warfare (EW) Industry
Introduction: Tackling Real-World EW Challenges
Imagine a UAV navigating a contested electromagnetic battlespace, its Open VPX-based electronic warfare (EW) system countering enemy radar while enduring vibrations exceeding 50G, -40°C temperatures, and relentless EMI. For OEM design engineers, this scenario captures your daily challenge: designing systems that perform flawlessly under extreme conditions, meet stringent size, weight, and power (SWaP) constraints, and adapt rapidly to evolving mission demands. A single design flaw could compromise the mission.
Vitale Engineering rises to this challenge. As your applications engineering partner, we leverage the advanced technologies of SV Microwave and Mini-Circuits to deliver customized, high-reliability solutions for Open VPX architectures in airborne EW systems. This whitepaper explores how these industry leaders address your toughest design hurdles, offering practical strategies to ensure your systems thrive in the harshest environments.
Key Challenges in Airborne EW Systems
Airborne EW systems, particularly those built on modular Open VPX standards, face four critical challenges:
Environmental Extremes:
Components must endure high vibration, thermal shock (temperatures from -40°C to +85°C), and altitude pressures up to 70,000 ft.
Electromagnetic Interference (EMI):
Dense RF environments require robust noise suppression to maintain signal clarity for detection and jamming.
SWaP Constraints:
Compact, lightweight, and power-efficient designs are vital for VPX boards in space-constrained platforms.
Rapid Customization:
Evolving threats demand tailored solutions delivered on tight timelines to meet mission-specific needs.
These demands require components that blend ruggedness, precision, and flexibility.
Challenge-Focused Solutions
We’ve organized solutions around each challenge, integrating SV Microwave’s interconnects and Mini-Circuits’ RF components to empower your Open VPX designs.
Ensuring Signal Integrity in Harsh Environments
Open VPX systems rely on robust signal transmission to function in extreme conditions like high-G shocks or unpressurized aircraft bays.
SV Microwave’s VITA-67.3 and Custom Interconnects:
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VITA-67.3 SMPM, SMPS, NanoRF:
These RF modules deliver performance up to 65 GHz with VSWR <1.2:1, optimized for VPX backplanes in radar jamming systems. SMPM supports high-density layouts, while NanoRF reduces footprint size by 50% for tight VPX slots.
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Threaded SMP/SMPM/SMPS Assemblies:
Enhanced with threaded interfaces and quarterback designs, these cable assemblies withstand high shock and vibration (MIL-STD-810), ideal for fighter jet payloads.
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Custom Board-to-Board Connectors:
Fully tailored SMP, SMPM, SMPS, and gang-mate multi-port solutions match exact mating interfaces, reducing signal loss in high-vibration settings.
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Benefit:
Full HFSS analysis optimizes footprints, ensuring reduced signal degradation in dense VPX architectures. Their ruggedized designs maintain high mating cycles for field reliability.
Mini-Circuits’ Ruggedized Components:
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Low-Noise Amplifiers (LNAs):
The PMA3 series offers 0.4 dB noise figures and flat 20 dB gain across 0.5–18 GHz, amplifying weak signals in direction-finding VPX modules. Optional screening extends thermal limits to higher temperatures.
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Voltage-Controlled Oscillators (VCOs):
ROS-series VCOs generate stable signals (2–20 GHz) with phase noise <-110 dBc/Hz, critical for coherent jamming.
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Benefit:
Customizable ruggedization ensures performance in high-altitude environments, with quick-turn modifications delivered in weeks.
Mitigating Electromagnetic Interference (EMI)
EMI in contested battlespaces can disrupt Open VPX systems, compromising detection or jamming accuracy.
Mini-Circuits’ Filters and Couplers:
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Bandpass Filters:
LTCC designs (2–18 GHz) provide 60 dB rejection and <1 dB insertion loss, filtering noise in VPX-based spectrum analyzers. Custom bandwidths (±5%) enhance selectivity for SIGINT tasks.
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High/Low-Pass Filters:
Surface-mount (up to 26 GHz) reject out-of-band EMI, protecting sensitive VPX receivers.
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Couplers:
Deliver 20 dB coupling with 0.3 dB flatness, enabling precise signal monitoring in EMI-dense environments.
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Benefit:
Screening options ensure EMI resilience beyond standard specs, with quick-turn customization for mission-specific bands.
SV Microwave’s Shielded Solutions:
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VITA-67.3 NanoRF:
Offers >90 dB shielding effectiveness, minimizing crosstalk in multi-port VPX backplanes.
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Custom Cable Assemblies:
Tailored shielding and optimized coax cable portfolio reduce EMI, critical for dense VPX chassis.
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Benefit:
Gang-mate multi-port connectors streamline EMI-protected routing, cutting assembly time by 20%.
Optimizing Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP)
Open VPX architectures demand compact, efficient components to fit 3U/6U slots while extending mission endurance.
SV Microwave’s VITA-66.5 Hybrid Options:
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Hybrid VITA-66.5:
Combines RF and power in a single connector, reducing VPX slot usage by 25%. Supports 40 GHz with <0.5 dB loss.
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NanoRF Modules:
Shrink RF interfaces by 50% compared to SMPM, freeing space for additional VPX processing cards.
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Benefit:
Optimized footprints via HFSS analysis save 10% board space, enhancing SWaP for UAV payloads.
Mini-Circuits’ Miniaturized Components:
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Power Amplifiers (PAs):
PAs deliver 2W output in 5 mm² packages, boosting jammers in space-constrained VPX slots. Custom gain options (10–30 dB) maximize efficiency.
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Splitters and Switches:
Switches (DC–26 GHz) and splitters (<1 g) minimize part count, with <0.2 W power draw.
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Benefit:
LTCC technology cuts weight by 30% versus ceramic hybrids, aligning with VPX SWaP goals.
Enabling Rapid Customization
Open VPX systems must adapt quickly to new threats, requiring tailored components on tight schedules.
SV Microwave’s Customization Capabilities:
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Online Configurator:
Designs custom SMP, SMPM, SMPS, or gang-mate connectors in hours, tailoring pin counts or layouts for unique VPX backplanes.
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Quick-Turn Assemblies:
Custom cables shipped in 10 days after receipt of order, supporting urgent countermeasure upgrades.
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Benefit:
Full customization—RF simulation prior to the initial build ensures perfect integration, cutting multiple prototype cycles out of the equation.
Mini-Circuits’ Quick-Turn Portfolio:
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Custom LNAs/PAs:
Adjust gain, noise figure, or power output (e.g., LNA noise to 0.3 dB) for specific screening capability.
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Filters and Mixers:
Tailored bandwidths or conversion losses (e.g., mixer loss <6 dB) align with new radar bands. Software tools simulate designs, reducing iterations, and fully customized offerings.
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Attenuators and Switches:
Custom attenuators (0–120 dB steps) enable precise signal control in adaptive VPX systems.
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Benefit:
Screening for extended specs (e.g., +105°C operation) ensures reliability, with thousands of customizable parts available.
Vitale Engineering’s Expert Solutions
Open VPX EW systems thrive on seamless integration, and Vitale Engineering is your expert partner:
Customization Leadership:
Our team collaborates with you to fine-tune solutions—whether optimizing a Mini-Circuits PA’s efficiency or ruggedizing an SV Microwave cable for 500 thermal cycles.
Proven Expertise:
With deep defense experience, we guide you through HFSS analysis, environmental screening, and VPX compliance, ensuring zero-defect designs. From initial design to full-rate production we manage the product workflow so that you don’t have to.
Vitale Engineering supports the development of reliable, mission-ready EW systems.
Lessons Learned: Best Practices for Open VPX Design
Our defense insights yield practical strategies:
Engage Early:
Partner with Vitale to spec SV Microwave’s VITA-67.3 or Mini-Circuits’ custom filters upfront, avoiding costly redesigns.
Test Rigorously:
Validate with Mini-Circuits’ or SV Microwave’s HFSS tools to simulate high shock, vibration, temperatures, or EMI scenarios.
Maximize Space:
Use SV Microwave’s NanoRF and Mini-Circuits’ LTCC parts to shrink the size and weight of your boards.
Ensure Durability:
Select threaded or quarterback SMPM assemblies or screened PAs for reliability.
Adapt Fast:
Leverage quick-turn customization to update designs for new threats in a matter of weeks.
These practices accelerate development and boost reliability.
Conclusion: Partnering for Open VPX Excellence
Airborne EW demands precision and agility in Open VPX systems. Vitale Engineering, with SV Microwave and Mini-Circuits, delivers tailored technologies to conquer environmental extremes, EMI, SWaP limits, and customization needs. Our expertise ensures your designs excel in the electromagnetic battlespace. Partner with us to build systems that secure mission success.