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SRC Airborne/Portable Processing Systems

Overview & Challenges

As their use expands, UAVs are being required to detect an ever-increasing array of objects which in turn requires multiple sensors over several spectra (visible, radar, infrared). Multiple sensors not only generate enough data to create enormous RF data link bandwidth requirements, they also greatly increase the processing power required for multispectral image fusion and analysis. On-board processing using traditional microprocessors has exceeded the strict weight, power and physical space requirements for UAVs, forcing most data to be relayed to ground-based stations for processing and interpretation which greatly reduces the timeliness of decision-making.

Click here to download the SRC^® industry brief on the UAV market.

• SRC^® Solutions
• Ease of Programming with the Carte^™ Programming Environment
• Performance Gains
• Conference Presentations
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Other Markets:

o Defense/National Security

o Quantitative Finance

o Oil & Gas/Seismic Processing

o Medical Imaging

o Scientific & Academic Research

For airborne or mobile applications, SRC Signal Data Processing solutions, Portable MAPstation systems, 2U MAPstation^™ systems, and custom embedded solutions provide powerful computing in small form factors for real-time on-board processing. For ground-based applications, MAPstation workstations harness the performance of large multi-rack servers into a single desktop unit. 

• Learn more about SRC Signal Data Processor and Embedded/Portable Solutions
• Learn more about SRC MAPstation Workstations

The SRC Carte Programming Environment takes high-level language C or Fortran code, compiles portions of it to run on the implicitly controlled microprocessors and creates the configuration information needed for the explicitly controlled reconfigurable MAP processors. Everything needed to control both types of processors is then combined by the Carte Programming Environment into a single Unified Executable. Carte software tools support code development and execution on the hardware, as well as in emulation and simulation environments.

• Learn more about the Carte Programming Environment

SPEEDUP: MAP PROCESSOR VS. STANDARD mP

* Please e-mail marketing@srccomputers with your contact information to obtain copies of the papers listed here

SRC^® ATLAS^™ Computer System
The ATLAS system from SRC Computers is a versatile compute system intended for use in harsh environments including both ground based and airborne applications. ATLAS can incorporate a customer selected mix of Intel Atom™ Processor Modules (APM), SRC MAP^® reconfigurable processors and Multi-Ported Common Memories, interconnected with the SRC high bandwidth Hi-Bar^® crossbar switch. The ATLAS system is a general purpose compute solution that also offers extreme external I/O capability of up to 12 Gbytes/s per MAP processor making it ideal for use as a signal data processor. 

SRC Computers' MAP Processors for Airborne Intelligence, Reconnaissance, and Surveillance Applications
This paper will present an overview of the SRC IMPLICIT+EXPLICIT^™ Architecture, airborne system implementation, and Carte^™ high-level language programming environment as well as the systems applicability to perform image and synthetic aperture radar processing. Specific airborne program examples of these two major application categories will also be presented.

SRC Computers' MAP Processors for Digital Image Processing
From unmanned vehicles to medical to remote sensing applications, the architecture of the SRC MAP processor is well suited to high performance processing of large images from multiple sources. This paper presents several representative image processing algorithms implemented on the SRC-7 Series H MAP processor and compares their execution performance relative to a CPU.

Algorithm Optimization Case Study - SAR Backprojection
The Spotlight Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Backprojection algorithm is considered to be the “gold standard” of the SAR imaging techniques. This paper describes a study that compared the performance of a MATLAB implementation of a 2D SAR Backprojection application to a MATLAB – MAP implementation and to an all C Language implementation. 

Algorithm Optimization Case Study - Edge Detection
This paper will discuss the use of various standard program optimization techniques as applied to an edge detection application written in C for use on the SRC-7 Series H MAP processor. The SRC-7 Series H MAP processor can yield more than two orders of magnitude performance improvements over a 3GHz Xeon microprocessor using Intel IPPLIB v5.1 image processing functions.

SRC MAPstation^™ Image Processing: Two Dimensional Floating Point Fast Fourier Transforms
Using the complex floating point programmable FFT from SRC Computer’s image processing library, engineers have demonstrated a 2D FFT with a O(N) transpose operation. This means that every time image resolution grows by 2x, the image processing time grows by the same amount, thus allowing efficient and very high-resolution image processing in the frequency domain vs. traditional microprocessor methods. This O(N) transpose operation is achieved using the advanced memory architecture in the SRC Series H MAP processor. 

SRC MAPstation Image Processing: Intensity Histogram
Given the importance of the histogram operation, SRC Computers recently developed a MAP histogram function specifically to support image applications. This paper will discuss this function as well as provide a detailed example of how to use the function in a MAP C program. Later papers will incorporate this simple function into real image applications and discuss realizable performance at the application level.

IMPLICIT+EXPLICIT Architecture
This paper explains the innovative SRC IMPLICIT+EXPLICIT Architecture, which fully integrates Dense Logic Device (DLD) technology and reconfigurable Direct Execution Logic (DEL) with the Carte Programming Environment, delivering orders of magnitude increases in performance.

* Please e-mail marketing@srccomputers with your contact information to obtain copies of the papers listed here

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High Performance Embedded Computing Workshop (HPEC) 2009

• Signal/Data Processor Implementation and Algorithms for Realtime Wide-Angle Ultra-Wideband SAR Image Formation
      Abstract
      Poster
  
• UAV Video Image Stabilization on the SRC MAP^® Processor
      Abstract
      Poster

Architecture for Airborne Applications -- Processors for Airborne Intelligence, Reconnaissance, and Surveillance
Advanced Imaging Magazine

Advanced Imaging Magazine

This article presents an overview of SRC Computers' IMPLICIT+EXPLICIT Architecture and MAP processor-based systems that are being utilized by several airborne programs to perform compute-intensive image and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) processing. 

FPGA Boards and Systems Boost UAV Payload Compute Density

COTS Journal

With a goal toward improving radar capability, image processing and overall mission autonomy, developers of Large UAV payloads are shifting to FPGA-based computing solutions.

“Projecting” Images in Radar and Medical Applications

DSP-FPGA.com

Filtered backprojection is finding its way into both radar and medical imaging applications and is well served by FPGAs to handle a portion of the algorithm. The results are outstanding.

Reconfigurable Processing Design Suits UAV Radar Apps

COTS Journal

Engineers at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and SRC Computers demonstrate the performance gain of a two-dimensional Synthetic Aperture Radar (2-D SAR) backprojection algorithm running on the SRC Compact MAP^™ processor architecture compared to a MATLAB and C implementation of the algorithm.

High-Flying Computer Processing

Homeland Science & Technology Journal

SRC Computers has been awarded a development contract by the AFRL that addresses a long-standing challenge of creating a powerful miniaturized computer system for use on-board UAVs. The resulting mobile computer is expected to perform 96 Gflops with more than 6 Gbytes/s of direct sensor I/O bandwidth in a single computer weighing as little as 10 pounds.

SRC Computers has announced that that it has shipped the first on-board signal data processor (SDP) for Lockheed Martin’s Tactical Reconnaissance and Counter-Concealment Enabled Radar (TRACER) program. The unique SRC^® IMPLICIT+EXPLICIT^™ Architecture provides TRACER with compute-intensive reconfigurable processing in a compact form-factor. The SDP designed for TRACER is comprised of a multi-MAP^® processor system that weighs 80 pounds, consumes less than 600 watts of power and measures 20”D x 17”W x 10”H while being functionally equivalent to about 100 Power PCs for this application.

SRC Computers to Provide Computing Solutions for PI TrackR UAV Program

SRC Computers has announced that it has been selected to provide processors for the Precision Image Tracking and Registration (PI TrackR) program developed by the Air Force Research Lab’s (AFRL) Sensors Directorate. SRC COTS Portable MAPstation^™ systems will be flown on-board small UAVs with high resolution cameras connected directly to the MAP processor’s GPIOX port, providing real-time high pixel count imaging and metadata to track pilot/operator identified targets.

Call (719) 262-0213 or e-mail sales@srccomputers.com to speak with our applications experts.