The Challenge of Architecting Modern Sensor Systems

Intel Xeon

Multi-core Reduces System Development and Verification Time 

Multi-core CPUs are an optimal control solution for complex modern day sensor systems. Their multiple cores are ideal for hosting the variety of control processes required in building advanced imaging, radar, and other architectures. Curtiss-Wright’s 3U VPX CHAMP-XD1 is one example of a multi-core product that provides high performance with reduced SWaP for these types of systems. 

Advanced sensor systems often include multiple sensors and advanced applications that require a framework of multiple processes to control. As the functionality and performance of these systems has increased, so has the complexity of their software control. For an example, image processing application may require multiple software executables within its system architecture built from hundreds of thousands of source lines of code. Control processes for such a system framework may include: 

  • user interface and mode control 
  • sensor calibration and control 
  • line of sight pointing and stabilization 
  • instrumentation 
  • continuous built-in-test 
  • image display and symbology 
  • single and multiple target track 
  • target detection 
  • etc. 
IR Signal processing Image