aitech Archives - Microcontroller Tips

Aitech Systems has released an upgraded, qualified version of its high performance, compact A178. Designed for intense data processing in extreme environments, the rugged GPGPU AI supercomputer reliably operates in the harsh conditions found throughout mobile, remote, military, and autonomous platforms. The A178 system is ideal for applications such as training simulation, situational awareness, AI computing, image and video processing, moving maps, and much more.

Already one of the smallest of Aitech’s extensive AI SFF systems, the new A178 packs even more performance into a compact, rugged form factor. It uses the NVIDIA Jetson AGX Xavier System-on-Module that features the Volta GPU with 512 CUDA cores and 64 Tensor cores to reach 32 TOPS INT8 and 11 TFLOPS FP16.

The upgrades to the A178 were designed to help meet the demand for standalone, compact, GPGPU-based small form factor (SFF) systems that are both rugged and SWaP-C-optimized. The low power unit offers a high level of energy efficiency while providing all the power necessary for AI-based local processing right where it’s needed, next to the sensors.

The advanced computation abilities of the new system include two dedicated NVDLA (NVIDIA Deep-Learning Accelerator) engines that provide an interface for deep learning applications, making it ideally suited for distributed systems. The system can accommodate up to three expansion modules, such as an HD-SDI frame grabber, composite frame grabber or NVMe SSD. A variety of expansion modules are available upon request.

Four high definition HD-SDI inputs and eight composite inputs handle multiple streams of video and data simultaneously at full frame rates. Interfaces include Gigabit and 10GB Ethernet, DisplayPort output handling 4K resolution, USB 3.0 & 2.0 as well as DVI/HDMI output, UART serial, and CANbus, among others.

Aitech now offers the compact A174 that enables embedded designers to easily increase the functionality of rugged embedded systems, especially in avionics applications. Using a standard Ethernet interface, the new I/O expansion subsystem can connect to a multiple-client/multiple-server architecture, acting as a server with the avionics computers acting as clients.

The A174 is designed for maximum system flexibility. Each client (avionics computer) can access and control the I/O resources on any networked A174, which can conversely be individually reached by any client on the network. The I/O expansion subsystem accommodates multiple client processor architectures (PowerPC, Intel, ARM) and operating systems (OS), ensuring the most flexibility when adding capabilities to avionics computers. For network connectivity, the A174 supports one GbE (1000 BaseT) interface or two Fast Ethernet (10/100 BaseT) interfaces.

Only the physical layers of the subsystem are dedicated devices. All I/O interfaces are implemented on the unit’s Intel Cyclone V SoC FPGA, which keeps power consumption minimal, while enabling convenient customization and additional system functionality. The Cyclone features dual ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore processors with up to 1 GB of 32-bit DDR3L memory and 128 MB of SPI Flash.

The compact footprint and minimal weight of the rugged A174, coupled with the number of available I/O interfaces, makes the unit a highly versatile expansion subsystem. I/O interfaces include ARINC-429, analog and isolated discretes with optional RS-232/422/485 Serial and MIL-STD-1553B (BC/RT/MT) ports.

System resources include temperature sensors and an elapsed time recorder as well as a pre-installed Linux Embedded operating system and drivers, server application and test sample applications. To ensure the highest reliability, the A174 also includes extensive Built-in Test (BIT) capabilities.

The A174 offers other important attributes to provide reliable and versatile system expansion, such as EMI/RFI filtering of I/O signals, natural convection cooling and a standard 28V power input (16-32 Vdc) with 50 msec power holdup time support, as well as being environmentally sealed. Power consumption is typically only 13 W, with a maximum of 18 W, and the A174 offers an extended operating temperature of -40°C to +71°C.