Applications
Aerospace & Defense
FPGA development modules check many of the critical boxes for aerospace and defense applications: incomparable, uncompromising performance, exceptional time-to-market, and flexibility are just a few.
This market is unyielding in its demand for the latest technology and FPGAs have answered that calling for over three decades. Expanding infrastructures in these areas require stronger data intelligence and increased efficiency. And with each application, data security is essential. FPGA modules play a key role in the design and improvement of key components used to build ecosystems in this market.
Our extensive selection of FPGA modules accessories range from simple and low-cost to highly sophisticated multichannel devices.
Platform support includes Windows, macOS, and Linux on both x86 and ARM architectures. Our FrontPanel software simplifies module programming. We provide the right device tailored to your project and budget, and ultimately, faster time-to market for Aerospace and Defense applications.
Customer Deployments
Johns Hopkins University
Chi H. Pham uses Opal Kelly FPGA modules at JHU/APL for space environment simulation and testing hardware to ensure the systems and parts survive in space. “Using the Opal Kelly modules has helped me to create and generate various inputs into both systems and parts while they’re being exposed to the space environments,” said Pham.
Pham continued, “JHU/APL uses Opal Kelly modules for initial prototype development. Many of the applications ultimately require one-time programmable FPGAs, but these are very inconvenient for prototyping. Instead, we spin a simple PCB and plug an Opal Kelly board into it to test options for event logic and find quirks with other devices we expect to use. We’ve also used Opal Kelly modules as an interface converter – for example LVDS to USB.”
The graduate level class distributes boards to pairs of computer science graduate students. After a few simple labs, like counters, each pair designs a cryptographic accelerator on the FPGA. The idea is to expose students, already familiar with software solutions, to other possibilities (such as FPGAs) for computer security applications.
Black Forest Engineering
Black Forest Engineering specializes in applications focusing on 3D imaging and IR cameras primarily used by the military and research labs to evaluate technology.
The company uses Opal Kelly’s FPGA modules to control the read out of ICs (ROICs), read back the image data, and format the data into a Camera Link Camera Interface that is captured by a computer with a Camera Link frame grabber.
CAE
CAE is a world leader in providing simulation and modeling technologies and integrated training solutions for the civil aviation industry and defense forces around the globe. Opal Kelly FPGA modules are used in CAE’s Optical Encoder for Telescope application.
NuWaves Engineering
NuWaves Engineering is a premier supplier of RF Systems, Subsystems, Products, and Engineering Services for industrial, military and commercial markets. Mike Trimble, Project Engineer at NuWaves says, “Opal Kelly is the digital brains going from the 8-bit world into a proprietary module.”
Mustang Technology
Mustang Technology, a defense systems company with specific expertise in radar, RF sensors, aircraft and missile integrated systems, and guidance and control systems, uses Opal Kelly’s FPGA modules to test their Radar prototype hardware.
