First production ''brain'' for F-22 avionics delivered.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 4, 1995--The first of a new generation, integrated processor that will serve as the ''brains'' of all the avionics for the F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, was delivered by Hughes Aircraft Co. to Westinghouse Electric Co. Wednesday.

''This marks a critical achievement in both the F-22 program and in the development of digital avionics,'' explained Louis M. Bogdanovic, a senior vice president of Hughes Aircraft and head of its Radar and Communications Systems Segment in El Segundo.

''Our Common Integrated Processor (CIP) is a very advanced high-speed computer that serves as the brain that provides the computer processing for all of the F-22's avionics, sensors and displays,'' Bogdanovic said.

Previous aircraft utilized ''federated'' processing systems, in which each of the various avionics suites in the aircraft provided its own processor, and a separate unit, called a mission computer, distributed the workload and the output.

But with the F-22, the U.S. Air Force had asked for a new approach to computing to permit the implementation of an avionics architecture that conformed to both Joint Integrated Avionics Working Group (JIAWG) and Pave Pillar guidelines.

''Integrating the processing for all of the avionics required massive amounts of processing power,'' Bogdanovic said. ''Our design, based on more than 30 years of pioneering work in providing processors for the United States' front-line tactical aircraft, jams the equivalent of two Cray supercomputers into two packages that combined are only a little larger than a 20-inch portable color TV.

''This enables our CIP to serve as a centralized processing resource that is shared by the multiple sensor, display and controls systems,'' he said. ''When added to the stealthy properties of the F-22 air vehicle, they provide the first-look, first-kill capability critical to maintaining U.S. control of air space into the first quarter of the next century.''

To enable the CIP to provide this computing power, Hughes developed a new advanced avionics processor open system architecture realized by an advanced backplane interconnect system and line replaceable module (LRM) set.

Each backplane is capable of holding up to 66 LRMs, each with up to 304 pins, which contain the high performance modular processing functions. The number of types of LRMs has been kept to a minimum to reduce the logistical support and manufacturing costs for the CIP -- as well as making it easier for the system to automatically reprogram itself in flight should one of the LRMs fail.

Hughes provides six of the 12 LRM types and the backplane interconnection system. Six other LRM types are provided by six other suppliers, with Hughes performing the overall CIP integration. Hughes and F-22 prime contractor Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems together developed the CIP system software that interfaces multiple application software programs to the processing resources.

State-of-the-art performance in processing functional density, both by volume and weight, is achieved with extremely high density integrated circuits packaged in multichip module (MCM) assemblies.

The CIP incorporates liquid flow-through cooling to handle the heat generated by the high functional density of the MCMs and to provide for future growth that would incorporate LRMs with higher functional and heat densities.

The delivery to the Westinghouse/Texas Instruments team, which supplies the F-22's AN/APG-77 active array radar, is the first of 35 CIP deliveries over the next year. The first set of deliveries to support the engineering and manufacturing development phase of the F-22 program will go to sensor subsystem suppliers for the aircraft.

Deliveries are accompanied by a common and comprehensive set of development and diagnostic tools that the suppliers will use to complete development and integration of their subsystem hardware and software into the overall F-22 avionics system before the first avionics test flight in April 1999.

Later deliveries demonstrating another advanced characteristic of the CIP will be in the form of kits of LRMs and a common backplane assembly that are assembled at the delivery site, which is the intended method of CIP integration on the assembly line when the F-22 program goes into full production.

''Emphasizing the completeness of the CIP delivery, Hughes coined the term 'product cluster' to describe the total set of hardware, software and training products that must be provided to serve the integrators' needs,'' Bogdanovic said.

''The term highlights the multiple technological disciplines that have been brought together at Hughes to focus on the best design possible.''

The integrated organization in evidence at Hughes was mandated by the Air Force at the F-22 program's inception in recognition of the daunting technical challenges that were being set. The F-22 prime contractor team of the Lockheed Martin Co. and Boeing Aerospace Corp. have propagated the principle throughout the project.

Many activities occur with multiple companies and Air Force participation in a manner unique to the F-22 program.

Key Hughes Radar and Communications Systems suppliers include LSI Logic of Milpitas, Calif.; Intel Corp. of Chandler, Ariz.; Teradyne Connection Systems of Nashua, N.H.; Teledyne Electronic Technologies of Hudson, N.H.; Brush Wellman of Fremont, Calif.; Cal-Tron Systems of Carson, Calif.; Chip Supply of Orlando, Fla.; and Irvine Compiler Corp. of Irvine, Calif.

Hughes Radar and Communications Systems is a segment of Hughes Aircraft Co., a subsidiary of Hughes Electronics Corp. The earnings of Hughes Electronics, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Motors Corp., are used to calculate earnings per share of General Motors Class H common stock (NYSE:GMH).

CONTACT: Hughes Aircraft Co., El Segundo

Kearney Bothwell, 310/334-1665 (phone)

310/334-1679 (fax)

e-mail, [e-mail]