Search
Close this search box.

OUR EXPERTISE

Aitech Ruggedization Levels

Ruggedization Levels

The laws of physics haven’t changed. Aitech is the only COTS company to continue to provide rugged, industrial, MIL-SPEC and space-qualified boards and subsystems that operate internally from -55°C to +85°C. All levels of ruggedization are pin for pin compatible to allow for easy migration from one level to the next without any modification to the application software.

Defense Level Products

Aitech products are available in multiple levels of ruggedization – commercial, rugged, super-rugged military – and in two mechanical/thermal formats: air-cooled and conduction-cooled.

 

Our off-the-shelf military rated boards are capable of withstanding high shock and vibration, and tolerating temperature ranges from -40°C to +85°C, with many products available in extended temperature ranges (Contact an Expert), altitudes up to 70,000 feet and relative humidity up to 100%.

 

What’s even more beneficial is our designs are 100% hardware and software compatible across multiple levels of ruggedization. This enables you to prototype and test commercial level units more economically, then upgrade to military ruggedization levels quickly, easily, confidently and cost-effectively, without having to change your application software.

 

In addition, we design and manufacture radiation-tolerant products specifically for space environments. These products feature specially selected parts and materials with special conformal coatings and features for radiation tolerance to survive the widest range of environmental conditions. They also include latch-up protection/circumvention as well as single event upset detection and protection.

 

All levels of ruggedization are pin for pin compatible to allow for easy migration from one level to the next without any modification to the application software.

Three Fully-compatible Ruggedization Levels:

  • Military
  • Rugged
  • Commercial

Wide range of applications, including:

  • Ground Mobile
  • Airborne Fighters
  • Helicopters
  • Shipboards

Click image to expand

Space Level Products

Aitech designs and manufactures radiation tolerant products specifically for space environments. These products feature selected parts and materials with special conformal coatings and features for radiation tolerance to survive the widest range of environmental conditions. They also include latch-up protection/circumvention as well as single event upset detection and protection.

 

Radiation tolerant boards and PMCs designed specifically for space applications 

Mechanical formats:

  • Conduction-Cooled

Wide range of applications including:

  • Low-Earth Orbit (LEO)
  • Near-Earth Orbit (NEO)
  • High Altitude Platforms
  • Mid-Earth Orbit (MEO)
  • Mass Terrestrial Vehicles

Click image to expand

Defense Ruggedization Level Definitions

Series-100 – Commercial

Aitech’s Series-100 uses commercial grade components. These air-cooled boards are designed for use in benign commercial or laboratory environments and operate at temperatures ranging from 0oC to + 55oC. These boards use a front panel with switches, connectors and LED indicators.

 

Series-200 – Rugged

Using industrial grade or equally screened components, this level meets the rugged military and industrial standards. Series-200 boards are tested in temperatures ranging from -40oC to +71oC and meet the same vibration and shock conditions as Series-400.

 

Air-cooled versions have stiffening bars and finned heatsinks. Conduction-cooled versions have an integrated heatsink/stiffener or a stiffening frame. These boards are designed to operate in rugged applications with lower temperature extremes.

 

Series-400 – Military

Available for VME and PMC board design, this ruggedization level meets full military temperature range requirements, using the highest grade components or equally screened components.

 

Designed to operate within the harshest environmental conditions and sustain extreme temperature changes, vibration and shock, Series-400 products achieve the highest reliability at competitive prices.  These boards are tested in temperatures ranging from -55oC to +85oC.

 

The air-cooled versions are equipped with stiffening bars and finned heatsinks. The conduction-cooled versions have an integrated heatsink/stiffener or a stiffening frame.

Air-Cooled

Air-cooled rugged VME boards fully comply with ANSI/VITA 1-1994. These include a reinforced front panel, add-on stiffeners and finned heatsinks for improved thermal and mechanical properties.

 

Air-cooled PMCs for installation on commercial and rugged air-cooled carrier boards fully comply with IEEE 1386-2001. They implement a finned aluminum heatsink for heat relief in high power components. A front panel is available with connectors providing some of the PMC’s I/O signals.

 

Conduction-Cooled

Conduction-cooled rugged VME boards fully comply with IEEE 1101.2. These include a pressed-on aluminum, hard anodized 3D heatsink plate with built-in stiffening ribs, add-on wedgelocks and ejectors and heatsink covers. This mechanical structure is extremely durable and particularly suitable for boards with through-hole packaged components on the top side and SMT components on the bottom side.

 

Conduction-cooled rugged PMCs meet the ANSI/VITA 20-2001 standard for assembly on top an IEEE 1101.2-compliant VME board. This mechanical version of the PMC implements a conduction type aluminum heatsink to conduct the heat off high power components to the carrier’s board frame. There is no front panel and all PMC I/O signals are directed to the P4 I/O connector and through the carrier board to the rear panel.

 

Heat dissipation for boards and mezzanines with fine pitch SMT devices on both sides and BGA devices on the top side is based on internal heavy copper thermal layers inside the PCB with thermal vias through the top and bottom layers. This VME board technology includes add-on machined hard anodized aluminum frame with heatsink covers, wedgelocks and ejectors.