WHITE PAPER
Processing Evolution for the Future Electronic Battlespace
mrcy.com 6
NEXT GEN RF PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY
To realize the high-performance capabilities of next
generation RF systems, a portfolio of technologies is
needed to architect application-optimized MFRF processor
designs. However, it 's not sufficient to simply have the
building blocks. Just as important as the technology
components themselves is the infrastructure and expertise
to integrate all the building blocks, backplanes and chassis
into powerful subsystems, tested and environmentally
qualified for field survival. For instance, an airborne MFRF
processing solution may include a full range of processors
and computing styles, including highly-programmable
datacenter-class CPUs, FPGAs/ACAPs, and GPUs,
ruggedized for deployment in the harshest environments:
▪ Datacenter-class CPUs – The most powerful Intel®
Scalable Processors (SP) deployed onto rugged,
open architecture form factors that enable the
next generation of complex sensor data processing
and sensor control processing at the edge.
▪ Advanced GPU architectures – NVIDIA® GPUs
implemented on a single 6U OpenVPX board allow RF
system developers to deploy their image processing and
AI applications to the rugged edge. NVLINK provides for
further optimizations and ease of programmability to
help bring emerging AI algorithms to reality, quicker.
▪ Emerging ACAPs – Heterogeneous processors, like
the Versal™ AI Core ACAP from Xilinx®, fabricate
multiple types of compute engines within a single chip
to improve processing speeds up to 20× compared to
the fastest FPGA implementations available today –
perfect for early-stage signal conditioning processing.
In addition to the advanced processing technologies, above,
high-bandwidth ingest and interconnects ensure data
movement keeps pace with wide bandwidth sensors and the
new accelerated forms of processing. Support for PCIe Gen5
and 100/200/400 GbE in both integrated silicon and processing
subsystem backplanes, along with optical I/O is essential.
