Thales Computers has launched its new Fast Track COTS Delivery Program, which ensures delivery of the company's three newest and highest performance COTS single-board computers in two weeks or less. The Fast Track COTS program provides guaranteed two-week delivery for up to five boards of each of the three SBCs. The program is aimed primarily at supporting fast-turnaround prototyping needs and will eventually be extended to other boards and systems.

The boards covered by the new program include Thales Computers' PowerEngine7 that offers a 733 MHz processor, 256 MB SDRAM, and 64 MB FLASH; the PowerNode3 with dual 1 GHz processors, 512 MB SDRAM, 64 MB FLASH, L3 2 MB, and 2 MB SRAM; and the VxG4c offering quad 466 MHz processors, 512 MB SDRAM, and 32 MB FLASH. All three boards offer low power consumption and support the 2eSST protocol, providing even higher performance than competitive boards.
Thales Computers
(800) 848-2330
www.thalescomputers.com

Chelton has unveiled the HGA-6000 Aero Satcom antenna. The HGA-6000 is Chelton's first high-gain antenna specifically designed for mounting underneath a tail radome.

Without compromising performance, the HGA-6000 is a small and light multichannel Aero-H/H+ and Swift64 Antenna. The compact design incorporates an ARINC 741-compatible beam steering unit. This provides the HGA-6000 the ability to directly interface with all ARINC 741-compatible Aero-H/H+ and Swift64 satcom systems. The antenna system requires fewer components, saving weight, space and installation costs.

The HGA-6000 provides additional benefits over the traditional single-helix tail-mount antennas including a higher gain for improved performance and coverage. Also, because of its smaller size, the antenna can be co-located with DBS antennas in some factory radomes, which are currently unable to house both the larger single-helix satcom antenna and a DBS (TV) antenna.

Projected availability of the HGA-6000 is third quarter 2004.
Chelton Inc.
(972) 219-8294
www.cheltonsatcom.com

Vishay has introduced a series of thick film chips. The Vishay thick-film resistor chips include CHP series-standard passivated resistors and HCHP series resistors for higher frequency applications. Established reliability versions are also available. Each series covers the resistance range 0.1 Ohms to 100 MOhms, with 0.5% tolerance and 100 ppm/°C temperature coefficient versions available from 10 Ohms to 5 MOhms. Twelve case sizes are available in industry-standard SMD packages, from 0502 to 2512. Nickel terminations are either pre-tinned for standard surface mount and reflow, or with gold over nickel for use with high-temperature solders or other applications including wire bonding or gluing.

The Vishay Sfernice resistors feature sputtered thin film terminations with a nickel barrier for high robustness to thermal cycling and shocks, and deliver the close tolerance, high-stability, wide Ohmic range, high peak power, and high frequency performance benefits of thick film resistors.

Independent approvals include NFC-83-240, CECC 40 401, and MIL-R-55342 D. The established reliability versions include the RR-series, certified to EN 140 401 802, and the soon-to-be-qualified CHPHR-series. The thick film chip resistors are available in waffle pack or in 8-mm tape-and-reel up to 4000 units per reel. Pricing for U.S. delivery in 10,000-piece quantities is $1.27 each.
Vishay
(402) 563-6866
www.vishay.com

AVX Corporation has developed its new KNA21 series, a multilayer chip EMI filter array designed to reduce the noise generated from signal lines of digital devices. The new EMI filter is developed and manufactured by AVX's Kyocera Developed Products Group (KDP).

The series consists of four high-performance EMI filter circuits in a package that measures 2.0 mm × 1.25 mm × 0.85 mm. The product is suitable for improving RF reception in mobile phones by minimizing the noise emitted by high-speed digital signals generated by color LCDs and camera functions.

The KNA21 series incorporates four EMI filters, managing as many as four lines in one component, enabling a reduction in component count, board space and assembly cost. By using dielectric sheets with thinner layers and improved process technology, AVX has made it possible to create smaller, thinner and lighter devices with smaller substrates.

The EMI filter features a cut-off frequency of 400 MHz and attenuation range of 800 MHz to 2.5 GHz (15 dB attenuation) and 800 MHz to 1 GHz attenuation range (20 dB attenuation), giving it the capability to manage noise attenuation over a broad spectrum in the high frequency range. The filters are rated at 25 VDC and 50 mA. The filter is compatible with all major digital communication protocols, including CDMA, GSM, PDC, PCS, UMTS and W-CDMA. Additional members of AVX's EMI filter series are the KNF21/32 series for signal lines, the array-type KNA32 series and the KNH21 series for power lines.
AVX Corporation
(602) 678-0384
www.avxcorp.com

Times Microwave Systems produces the MILTECH family of hermetically sealed flexible RF and microwave transmission line assemblies optimized for military and other demanding applications. These cables exhibit long life in the rigorous environments found in airborne, shipboard, and ground-based applications.

Designed for a characteristic impedance of 50 Ohms, the loss at 2GHz is as low as 0.05 dB/ft. The VSWR is a maximum 1.4:1. The connectors used in these cable assemblies are of a precision stainless steel design, which meet or exceed the requirements of MIL-C-39012.
Times Microwave Systems
(800) 867-2629
www.timesmicrowave.com