106 Ethernet interfaces as well as a single RS-232 connection, and can function in temperatures from -60 to +50 oC. Its estimated effective range is at least 300 km, and its links are encrypted to AES-256 at the hardware level. UXV Technologies told us about a series of quality improvements it has made to its G2Nav GCS, a containerised system with four detachable legs weighing 55 kg all-up, and measuring 121 x 42 x 32 cm. “The physically largest of these changes is that the G2Nav’s poweron switch used to be covered with a red toggle, but through real-world use we’ve learned that the toggle can be accidentally flipped to the ‘off’ position, so we’ve changed it to a key-based rotary switch to stop that happening,” explained Filip Karandysovsky. “We’re also now integrating our SRM [swappable radio module] interface into custom versions of the G2Nav, in order to offer customers the ability to select whichever radios and suppliers they want through a more radio-agnostic GCS, and to swap them in the field seamlessly and without using tools.” The G2Nav features two 1920 x 1080, 21.5 in-diameter screens and resistive touch interfaces, as well as physical interfacing controls including a keyboard, a numpad for entering numbers, a mouse trackpad or trackball, and numerous switches, toggles, push-buttons and a joystick. UXV Technologies is also continuing to optimise its Optroxa GMB 600. This EO/ IR camera gimbal is currently in its fifth version, with a sixth on the way. “The sixth version will integrate a laser rangefinder and active cooling, and will maintain continuous rotation in both pan and tilt axes,” Karandysovsky said. “We’re also offering an open API for configuring different software features for the gimbal, such as active stabilisation, moving target detection and tracking, and electronic boresight alignment.” At the time of writing, the Optroxa was a 600 g gimbal, measuring 125 x 98 x 83 mm integrating a 1.6 MP Sony IMX 296C camera, as well as a Teledyne FLIR Boson. Karandysovsky added however that version 6 will be far smaller than version 5. Crystal Group showcased its RS2704L22, a 2U, ruggedised, Mil-Spec computer server designed for edge AI applications such as battlespace management or intelligence gathering. “The server has a DC power supply and an X13 motherboard with dual Sapphire Rapids CPUs, as well as up to 30 Tbytes of removable hard drives,” said Greg Johnson. The company added that reliable edge computing hardware requires higher power as well as a smaller chassis relative to present standard 2U computers, key factors that fed into how the RS2704L22 was designed. “The RS2704L22 also has two A100s in the standard design, which are some of the most powerful GPUs on the market; they are ideal for efficient, real-time datacrunching,” Johnson noted. “This system is designed around optimised data processing speed, and to either read and write to self-encrypting NVME drives, or move the data to other elements on the platform using two 100 Gigabit Ethernet ports in real time.” Although the system originated from a request to replace an end-user’s 4U rugged server, Crystal Group decided during the development process to engineer an existing solution’s features into a 2U system weighing 14.5 kg. Johnson added, “The primary challenge for designing this server was sufficient cooling, particularly given the low air densities at higher altitudes. The engineering process required lots of CFD modelling and testing to make sure we had not just met the thermal management requirements, but also that the MTBF for all our components met the customer’s needs.” Domo Tactical Communications (DTC) displayed its newest softwaredefined IP mesh radio modules and associated applications, including an integration into a gantry-mounted EO/IR camera head on a pan/tilt/zoom base. Such systems are typically cabled solutions, and are aimed at extending their range and usefulness as LOS remote surveillance devices for protecting UAV December/January 2024 | Uncrewed Systems Technology Crystal Group’s rugged computer SOMAG’s NSM 500 marine gyro-stabilised platform
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