Time for a Change
Mentor Modernizes the ECO

Everyone knows the ECO. It is classic case of an acronym acting as a euphemism. Reducing a problematic situation to an established process represented by a simple trio of letters diverts attention from the underlying blunder. "Have Susan process Charlie's ECO before we bring up that final prototype" sounds much, much more palatable than "Thanks to Charlie's monumental screwup, Susan will have to attach a big red jumper wire that will now gleam like a beacon of stupidity from the back of the board on every one of our first million units."

As long as we have humans designing electronics, however, engineering change orders (ECOs) will be a reality of electrical engineering life. Few among us can say that we've participated in a project that has nailed everything right the first time. There is almost always a jumper wire, a software patch, or a new bitstream for that "glue logic" FPGA that we're now ever so happy we had the foresight to include on our board. FPGAs have often played the role of the modern-day jumper wire. If the bits came out in the wrong order, if the pinout was messed up on the ASIC, or if there was a timing problem on that input data stream that needed to be fixed, a strategically-placed FPGA could save the day. A few tweaks to the bitstream at the last minute, and a host of horrors could be hidden within the tiny walls of the FPGA's BGA pack. [more]

Going Beyond COTS Strengthens Mil/Aero PLD Applications
by Amr El-Ashmawi, Altera Corporation

The commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) electronics initiative of the mid-1990s occurred for two key reasons. First, acquiring customized components that could withstand harsh military environments came at a cost premium. Second, highly desirable leading-edge technologies, driven by larger market forces, were being developed for commercial applications. For these reasons, the U.S. government mandated that military contractors begin using a COTS approach, not only to reduce costs, but also to take advantage of emerging technologies.

COTS is based on the premise that military electronics programs could adopt or adapt commercially available components, boards, and systems, taking advantage of technological and economic benefits of commercial products. While COTS has been largely successful (the stories of $500 coffee pots and $5,000 toilets are long past), there is still clearly room to improve the way that commercial components meet the military's needs for reliable service in extremely demanding operational environments. Harsh environments typically require operational specifications supporting temperature ranges (from -55°C to +125°C), high altitude, high and low humidity, extreme vibration and shock, and potentially corrosive conditions. [more]