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SoftScan speeds/eases development of integrated embedded platforms for radar video acquisition, scan-conversion and presentation
Letchworth Garden City, UK – July 2, 2009 -- Curtiss-Wright Controls Embedded Computing, a leading designer and manufacturer of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) VME, VPX and CompactPCI products for the aerospace and defense market, has announced SoftScan, an innovative radar scan conversion package that enables system integrators to easily and quickly develop a high-end radar scan conversion workstation using a general-purpose computer. With the appropriate graphics card, SoftScan brings GPU acceleration to radar scan conversion applications. SoftScan uses a unique GPU-based algorithm that performs high-resolution scan conversion on large polar stores with minimal CPU overhead and requires no specialist hardware. Even when rendering multiple channels of radar video (from radars, network or synthetic sources) CPU load is kept to a minimum.
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SoftScan Demonstration
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“With SoftScan our customers can integrate radar-scan conversion directly into their applications on a wide range of platforms: integration is easy and quick and results in a cost-effective solution,” said Lynn Patterson, vice president and general manager of Modular Solutions, Curtiss-Wright Controls Embedded Computing. “SoftScan leverages the processing power of modern high-end graphics processing units to deliver blistering radar-scan conversion performance while off-loading the host CPU. It complements Curtiss-Wright Controls Embedded Computing’s hardware solutions, such as Eagle radar scan converter PMC card, that provide hardware-based inline radar scan-conversion.”
SoftScan receives and renders polar format radar video from either radar acquisition hardware, such as the Curtiss-Wright Controls Osiris dual channel radar interface board or from the network. It is able to render plan-position indicator (PPI), A-Scan and B-Scan representations that can be scaled, rotated and translated in virtually any way that an application may require. Furthermore, SoftScan’s extensible architecture provides for custom functionality to be added in a low risk and low cost way.
SoftScan uses the signal-processing capability of modern GPUs to power advanced algorithms, ensuring that the resulting video is presented without the spokes or holes common in less capable scan-conversion products, even when zooming-in at long-range and when single-point targets are displayed. Furthermore, in addition to the traditional plan views of radar, SoftScan enables radar images to be shown in real-time as projections from different origins and angles.
SoftScan Features:
- GPU accelerated software scan conversion
- Ultra-high radar display performance with programmable fade and blending
- 4K x 4K at 120 rpm
- 16K x 16K at 30 rpm
- False color display
- Scan to scan integration
- PPI, A-Scan, B-Scan Display
- Multiple radar display windows
- Multiple radar sources per window
- Real-time resizable and movable windows
- Very low CPU utilization
- Comprehensive and extensible software API
SoftScan is initially available as an option on Curtiss-Wrights' Cougar radar input and scan converter VME board. For more information on SoftScan click here.
For editorial information regarding Curtiss-Wright Controls Embedded Computing Multi Computing products or services, contact John Wranovics, public relations director, Curtiss-Wright Controls Embedded Computing, Tel: (925) 640-6402; email. jwranovics@curtisswright.com.
Inquiries: Please forward all Sales and reader service inquiries to Jerri-Lynne Charbonneau, Curtiss-Wright Controls Embedded Computing, Tel: (613) 254-5112; Fax: (613) 599-7777; e-mail: sales@cwcembedded.com.
About Curtiss-Wright Controls Embedded Computing
Curtiss-Wright Controls Embedded Computing is the industry’s most comprehensive and experienced single source for embedded solutions, ranging from Processing, Subsystems, Data Communication, DSP, and Video & Graphics to the most advanced board level components and fully integrated custom systems. The Embedded Computing group serves the defense, aerospace, commercial and industrial markets and is part of Curtiss-Wright Controls Inc.
About Curtiss-Wright Controls, Inc.
Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Curtiss-Wright Controls is the motion control segment of Curtiss-Wright Corporation (NYSE: CW). With manufacturing facilities around the world, Curtiss-Wright Controls is a leading technology-based organization providing niche motion control products, subsystems and services internationally for the aerospace and defense markets. For more information, visit www.cwcontrols.com.
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Forward-looking statements in this release are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: a reduction in anticipated orders; an economic downturn; changes in the competitive marketplace and/or customer requirements; an inability to perform customer contracts at anticipated cost levels; a change in government spending; and other factors that generally affect the business of aerospace, defense contracting, marine electronics and industrial companies. Please refer to the current SEC filings for Curtiss-Wright Corporation under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, for further information.
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For a pdf version of this release click here.
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