Principles of upgrading computers for harsh operating conditions
Until recently, it was considered common practice when preparing technical specifications for military equipment to assume that it could operate in all conceivable operating conditions.
Such equipment had to meet the most stringent standards for heat and vibration resistance and resistance to electromagnetic interference.
With the current sharp reduction in military appropriations and rapid advances in microprocessor technology, this approach is no longer effective.
Old methods of developing hardware and software have not kept pace with advances in technology.
The problem arises: what is the procedure for ordering hardware and software that would meet the necessary requirements and at the same time the rapidly changing state of the art?
American experts see the solution to this problem in adapting mass-produced hardware and software to specific operating conditions.
The US Department of Defense has developed a new concept of «ruggedized» hardware, occupying an intermediate position between a mass-produced civilian product (which has already been developed and only requires small-scale testing) and purely military equipment (which requires significant expenditure on product development and testing).
The concept of enhanced equipment has made it possible to reduce the cost of developing and testing equipment.
At the same time, reducing development time has allowed the US Department of Defense to keep pace with technological progress.
To determine when it makes sense to purchase «enhanced» equipment instead of serial equipment, it is proposed to answer the following five questions.
1.What is the operating temperature range? Previously, military equipment was developed based on such harsh operating conditions. However, this approach was not always the most cost-effective. Armed with «enhanced» equipment, units can operate in any terrain in any weather, successfully completing assigned tasks.
Serial computers are adapted to work in an extended temperature range by installing additional units in them. Machines of the American company SAIC (Science Applications International Corporation) of the AgilePAC and Lightweight Computer (LCU) type are equipped with miniature heaters that ensure their operability (primarily their displays) at low external temperatures. The LCU computer is capable of operating at temperatures down to -40°C.
Special radiators remove heat from the elements inside the machine, due to which their service life increases and operability is maintained at a temperature of 55° C.
2.Is the use of the equipment expected when driving on rough terrain. The «reinforced» computer can withstand a fall onto a concrete surface. «Reinforcement» allows the use of civilian equipment inside armored vehicles, which is much cheaper than developing purely military equipment, since a computer that continues to work after falling from the roof of a house is not needed so often. It is quite sufficient if it does not break after falling onto the floor of a truck or armored vehicle.
Conventional equipment cannot withstand a fall even from a height of 90 cm. The reinforced design allows it to cope with mechanical loads without «knocking out» the customer beyond the allocated funds.
3.What should a computer case be like? Previously, «reinforced» computers were heavy, but in the last two years they have become noticeably more elegant. Military equipment of the past was designed to remain operational after a small nuclear explosion, and therefore it was very expensive to manufacture. Today, a case for a device can be light, durable, and small in size. This is also facilitated by the use of new electronic components that can be mounted more tightly.
4.Water resistance. A soldier in combat should not be afraid of dropping a portable device into a puddle of water. He should think only about how to complete the assigned combat mission^ and not about how to save a fragile device. Hermetic materials, rubber keyboards and hermetic connectors are used to protect computers. On the other hand, such a design allows for decontamination of equipment after the use of weapons of mass destruction.
5. Special requirements. The presentation of special requirements allows avoiding excessive costs when designing equipment for «all occasions».
In particular, the system can be designed taking into account increased functionality.
For example, removable hard drives, non-standard joints, power supplies, backup batteries, special user interfaces can be used.
For example, within the framework of the TAC-4 program, the developers of workstations for the US Navy, SAIC and Hewlett-Packard, used civilian components — processors, power supplies, television monitors and disk drives.
The TAC-4 rack has an adjustable height for installing the operator keyboard, high impact strength, is resistant to electromagnetic interference and vibration resistance.