Synergy's Rhino 10 SBC Chosen for Predator UAV; Engineering Firm Continues to Support Rapid Proliferation Of UAV Platforms with Enhanced Capabilities.Business Editors/High-Tech Writers SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 7, 2003 Synergy announced today that it has been selected to provide single-board computers (SBCs) for the Predator, the high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle A powered, aerial vehicle that does not carry a human operator, uses aerodynamic forces to provide vehicle lift, can fly autonomously or be piloted remotely, can be expendable or recoverable, and can carry a lethal or nonlethal payload. (UAV UAV Unmanned Aerial Vehicle UAV Unmanned Air Vehicle UAV Unmanned Aerospace Vehicle UAV Unmanned Airborne Vehicle UAV Uninhabited Air Vehicle UAV Urban Assault Vehicle UAV Unpiloted Aerial Vehicle (less common) ) that is serving as a vital "eye in the sky" for trouble spots around the world. The contract award is the most recent in a long history of design wins for the engineering firm, which specializes in the development of high-performance single-board computers (SBCs) for use in high-reliability, real-time systems - a large number of which are used by the military. Synergy to support next-generation UAVs "Synergy has been particularly successful in providing high-value, commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) boards that are ruggedized, ultra-reliable and provide extensive functionality, perfect for highly compact airborne reconnaissance platforms," noted Synergy CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. Thomas Powell. "As UAVs like the Predator play an increasing role in military operations, Synergy will continue to develop new generations of ruggedized SBC (1) (SBC Communications Inc., San Antonio, TX, www.sbc.com) A large, national telecommunications company that grew from a multitude of local and regional companies, including Southwestern Bell, Pacific Bell and Nevada Bell, into a single, unified brand by 2002. solutions that keep these systems apace with emerging capability requirements." Synergy was awarded the contract for flight-control boards for the "B" version of the Predator. The prime contractor for the Predator program is General Atomics Advanced Aeronautics division, also based in San Diego. Extended operation, minimal risk Due to its ability to remain "on station" over designated terrain for continuous 24-hour periods to provide real-time surveillance without exposing its remote operators to danger, the Predator is a low-cost, minimal-risk system for information gathering for the U.S. Army. Not only does it reduce coalition troop losses, its ability to pinpoint targets in real-time greatly reduces the possibility of collateral damage collateral damage Surgery A popular term for any undesired but unavoidable co-morbidity associated with a therapy–eg, chemotherapy-induced CD to the BM and GI tract as a side effect of destroying tumor cells to civilian populations and facilities. The increased use of Predator and other unmanned aerial vehicles
"The continued miniaturization min·i·a·tur·ize tr.v. min·i·a·tur·ized, min·i·a·tur·iz·ing, min·i·a·tur·iz·es To plan or make on a greatly reduced scale. min and increasing power of embedded computers in airborne platforms is creating a new breed of remotely controlled surveillance tools," noted Powell. "We anticipate we will see many more of these systems in the years to come." About Synergy Synergy Microsystems Inc. (www.synergymicro.com) specializes in the design, manufacture and integration of single- and multi-processor, single-board computers for VME (Virtual Machine Environment) An operating system from Fujitsu Services (formerly ICL) that runs on its Series 39 mainframes. Introduced in 1975, VME is a comprehensive product that provides a variety of utilities for datacenter operations. and CompactPCI systems to meet the needs of demanding real-time applications in military, aerospace, DSP (1) (Digital Signal Processor) A special-purpose CPU used for digital signal processing applications (see definition #2 below). It provides ultra-fast instruction sequences, such as shift and add, and multiply and add, which are commonly used in math-intensive , and industrial/commercial markets. Synergy has a long track record of extracting the highest possible performance from current and emerging SBC technologies, then supporting these technologies through extended product lifecycles. In business since 1985 under the original ownership, the corporation is privately held, with facilities in San Diego. and Tucson, Ariz. |
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