DSEI 2017 - VersaLogic Rugged Embedded Single Board Computer Showcase: Stand N7-185

DSEI 2017

The doors open at DSEI 2017 in just 39 days, and we're gearing up to make sure we provide visitors with a complete overview of the exciting new technology we supply here in the UK.

Sarsen Technology will be exhibiting in the dedicated Security Zone at DSEI 2017, showcasing the some of the worlds highest-performance computing hardware supported by a number of software options.

Our fastest growing market sector is niche computing systems for government and defence security applications, and the products we supply can be used in a wide range of security sectors, from UAVs and electronic countermeasures to surveillance cameras, secure storage and deep packet inspection.

With this in mind we've invited our long term manufacturing partner VersaLogic to introduce their very latest rugged, embedded computers at the event.

Why VersaLogic?

VersaLogic offers a wide range of complete Single Board Computers (SBCs). These self-contained computers are equivalent to a desktop computer, but in a smaller, more rugged and reliable package. Most have standard inputs and outputs such as keyboard, USB, video, Ethernet, etc.

VersaLogic's embedded computers are designed for the most demanding applications. From ultra small (credit card size) to industry-standard PC/104- and EBX-sized boards, their x86 compatible computers are used whenever reliability counts, thriving in the harshest environments including temperature extremes (-40° to +85°C) and intense shock, vibration, and humidity.

New Technology

The latest board to be announced is the Liger - a high-performance SBC combining Intel’s 7th generation Core “Kaby Lake” processor with a PC/104-Plus expansion interface to provide a rugged, backwards compatible module.

The Liger also contains a full complement of on-board I/O interfaces including USB 2.0, USB 3.0, mini PCIe expansion socket, TPM chip, multiple serial interfaces and 8-bits of digital I/O.

For more information about VersaLogic and what you can see at DSEI 2017 please get in touch!

Free Tickets for DSEI 2017 - One Week Left!

It's not too late to get your free ticket to DSEI 2017!

Event: DSEI 2017
Date: 12-15 September 2017

Stand: N7-185

Location: ExCeL, London
Visit: www.dsei.co.uk
Contact: Laura Biddiscombe - laurab@sarsen.net 

Sarsen Technology will be exhibiting in the dedicated Security Zone at DSEI 2017, showcasing  some of the worlds highest-performance computing hardware supported by a number of software options.

The DSEI Security Theatre has been expanded and enhanced for 2017 to include

• Security capability demonstrations
• The impact of international terrorism and regional instability on security decisions and humanitarian needs
• The challenges of increased mass migration on border security and civil order
• Evolving cyber technology and warfare: defensive and offensive
• Developing the next generation of ‘cyber warriors’
• Cyber intelligence and capability: the growing need for industry-government collaboration
• Emerging security trends, e.g. UAS, Internet of Things, IP enabled infrastructure, vehicles and wearable devices

Government market sectors including cyber security, intelligence, surveillance and secure communications have become increasingly important in recent times. As cyberspace becomes an ever more intrinsic component for a huge range of market sectors this reliance a has led to a significant focus on preventing a range of cyber-attacks, from malicious software to hacking. To tackle these events, both government and private organisations are looking beyond the traditional purchases of cyber security software systems.

This change makes Sarsen Technology uniquely placed to support customers in creating their own bespoke and off the shelf hardware and software solutions. Our product lines have been chosen to support applications that need to account for ambitious data bandwidths and strict security requirements, and in many cases reduce size, weight, and power (SWaP).

Our fastest growing market sector is niche computing systems for government and defence security applications, and the products we supply can be used in a wide range of security sectors, from UAVs and electronic countermeasures to surveillance cameras, secure storage and deep packet inspection.

We will be supported at the show by EIZO Rugged Solutions and VersaLogic, and you will also be able to see product demonstrations featuring Xilinx and Intel/Altera FPGA solutions from BittWare. There will be more information about which demos will be running closer to the time.

If you would like to visit the Sarsen stand at DSEI 2017 we have a number of free tickets available.

Please contact Laura Biddiscombe to request a ticket.


 

Trenton Systems Introduces New Purley Platform Skylake-SP Host Boards

Intel's next-generation Xeon Gold and Silver processors (formally known as Skylake-SP) developed under the family code name 'Purley' have now been released and Trenton Systems is pleased to be  launching a range of new products based on this architecture.

The Intel Xeon Gold and Silver processors are supported on the new SEP8253 system host board (SHB). The SEP8253 is the latest module in Trenton Systems’ HDEC Series® High Density Embedded Computing family of backplanes, host boards and rugged aluminium 19” rackmount chassis.

A drop-in replacement for the popular HEP8225, the SEP8253 brings support for dual Intel Xeon Gold and Silver processors and 8 DDR4-2666 memory DIMMs for up to 1TB of memory to the HDEC platform. 

It delivers 88 lanes of PCI Express 3.0 to an HDEC Series backplane, delivering the ultimate in flexibility when designing COTS PCIe embedded computing solutions that take advantage of FPGA and GPU co-processors, fabric interfaces like 50 or 100GbE, Infiniband or NVMe storage. 

Onboard interfaces include 4 USB 3.0, 2 Gigabit Ethernet interfaces, 2, 10GbE interfaces, VGA and Serial COMM support, with 6 additional USB 3.0, 6 SATA/600 and various serial, USB 2.0, GPIO, fan speed monitoring and I²C bus signals passed to the backplane.

The SEP8253 single board computer is designed, built and integrated by Trenton Systems in the USA to exacting quality and longevity standards. All Trenton's board products with a 5-year warranty, 15 years of processor availability, and free, in-house, lifetime technical support.

Please visit the Trenton Systems website for more information: www.trentonsystems.com.

Swindon FPGA Meetup - 18th July 2017

Swindon FPGA Meetup Group

The aim of the Swindon FPGA Meetup is to provide a forum where people based in the Swindon area who have an active interest in Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) technology can get together to discuss industry developments in hardware & software tools, verification, architectures, simulation, verification and test.

We aim to connect local Engineers and Technologists who are working in the electronics industry and using FPGAs in their projects and applications. Rather than selling solutions, we want to share our industry knowledge and experience to further our collective technical expertise.

The first meetup is scheduled for Tuesday, July 18th at The Plough on the Hill near Swindon, and the organisers will provide food and a beer.

If there are any topics you would like to discuss please join the Swindon FPGA Group on Meetup.

Swindon FPGA Meetup Group - Event Details

Please get in touch for more information. We look forward to seeing you there!

In Review: Xilinx SDSoC and Levels of Abstraction

The SDSoC development environment from Xilinx provides engineers and developers using Zynq SoC and MPSoC with a familiar C/C++ design environment, including a straightforward Eclipse IDE, expanded library, board, and design services ecosystem support.

In a recent article posted on the Xilinx blog, Part 196 of Adam Taylor's MicroZed Chronicles takes a good look at what SDSoC is, how it works and the benefits gained from using it.

Adam Taylor’s MicroZed Chronicles, Part 196: SDSoC and Levels of Abstraction

Originally posted by Xilinx Employee sleibso ‎05-22-2017 09:40 AM - edited ‎05-22-2017 10:28 AM 
Re-posted with permission.

We have looked at SDSoC several times throughout this series, however I recently organized and presented at the NMI FPGA Machine Vision event and during the coffee breaks and lunch, attendees showed considerable interest in SDSoC - not only for its use in the Xilinx reVISION acceleration stack but also its use in a range of over developments. As such, I thought it would be worth some time looking at what SDSoC is and the benefits we have previously gained using it. I also want to discuss a new use case.

SDSoC Development Environment

SDSoC is an Eclipse-based, system-optimizing compiler that allows us to develop our Zynq SoC or Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC design in its entirety using C or C++. We can then profile the application to find aspects that cause performance bottlenecks and move then into the Zynq device’s Programmable Logic (PL). SDSoC does this using HLS (High Level Synthesis) and a connectivity framework that’s transparent to the user. What this means is that we are able develop at a higher level of abstraction and hence reduce the time to market of the product or demonstration.

To do this, SDSoC needs a hardware platform, which can be pre-defined or custom. Typically, these platforms within the PL provide the basics: I/O interfaces and DMA transfers to and from Zynq device’s PS’ (Processing System’s) DDR SDRAM. This frees up most the PL resources and PL/PS interconnects to be used by SDSoC when it accelerates functions.

This ability to develop at a higher level and accelerate performance by moving functions into the PL enables us to produce very flexible and responsive systems. This blog has previously looked at acceleration examples including AES encryption, matrix multiplication, and FIR Filters. The reduction in execution time has been significant in these cases. Here’s a table of these previously discussed examples:

For more information on Xilinx Zynq MPSoC based hardware, the SDSoC environment or embedded computing in general please get in touch with the knowledgeable team at Sarsen Technology - info@sarsen.net

New 2U 19" Rackmount Modular Blade Computer from Trenton Systems

Always striving to be at the forefront of innovative technology, Trenton Systems has designed a brand new modular blade system providing a flexible solution for a wide range of projects.

The MBS2000 supports up to 4 single or dual-processor modular blade cards, and is ideal for those applications needing increased compute density while keeping system size, weight and power (SWaP) to a minimum.

More Information

This 2U modular computer installs into standard 19" racks, and the housing for each modular blade card is enclosed in either a 1U or 2U metal carrier. Each carrier slides into the MBS2000 to support quick system re-configurations that enhances system scalability and flexibility.

MBS2000 2U modular computer features include:

• Secure 4-in-1 modular computer design
• Scalable design allows you to place just the right amount of computing power to work
• Easily deploy 1, 2, 3, or 4 independent, single or dual-processor blade cards
• Single Processor - MBK8257 is a long-life, designed and Made In America single board computer featuring a choice of an embedded Intel® processor
• MBK8257 Intel® Xeon® E3-1275 v5/v6, Intel® Xeon® E3-1225 v5/v6, Intel® Core™ i3-7101E (additional Skylake/Kaby Lake-S options available) 
• Dual Processor - MSL8256 will be available later in 2017 and this single board computer will support dual embedded Intel® Xeon® processor options
• MSL8256 featuring next generation Intel® Xeon® processors (code name: Skylake)
• Built-in expandability enhances and preserves your hardware platform investment
• 2U modular blade option supports up to two PCI Express full-height plug-in cards
• Smart System Management (SSM) software enables remote monitoring
• Standard 5-year factory warranty
• Made In America

Sarsen Technology has the only demonstration unit here in the UK. If you’d like to see the system in action please get in touch with our team and we can arrange a visit.

A 1U version and a modular blade server tower are also available.
Trenton Modular Blade Server Products

New Electronics - Newly Formed TechWorks to Move UK Technology Industry into a Higher Gear

Graham Pitcher from New Electronics has been looking into the new TechWorks organisation, which has been created to support the UK’s technology sector and to make it easier for the business and technology communities to build partnerships across government, academia and industry.

http://www.techworks.org.uk/

TechWorks has been established as an umbrella organisation which is looking to give the UK’s technology sector a significant nudge in the right direction.

According to the newly formed group, it will operate ‘beyond established silos’ by creating connected technical and business communities, identifying common challenges and developing the UK tech ecosystem, and building partnerships across industry, academia and government.

The organisation is being chaired by Sir Hossein Yassaie, pictured, recently CEO of Imagination Technology. “We believe we have the last major chance to do something significant in the UK and the timing is right because there have been major changes in the industry.”

Essentially succeeding the NMI, TechWorks is recognising the role which finance plays in the technology world. “We’re bringing in financial people for the first time,” Sir Hossein continued. “They could be the missing element, but the finance sector hasn’t been involved before. They are now the focus and we believe the community is now ready for it.”

Read the full article here.