Over the last twenty years, Thales Computers established its reputation as one of the industry's most innovative companies in the VMEbus and COTS hardware and software arenas. In 1993, we delivered the first PowerPC-based VMEbus single-board computer in the world. Four years later, Thales Computers introduced the Ruggedizer™, a patented convection- and conduction-cooled heat sink for SBCs deployed in demanding environmental conditions such as extreme temperature, shock, vibration and humidity. The product has been recently enhanced and is now available on standard commercial-grade Thales Computers SBCs, allowing for "ruggedized", off-the-shelf products for harsh environments without modification of the base commercial grade SBC, reducing both project cost and time to market.
Thales Computers continues its rise in bringing technology advancements to the industry. We partnered with IBM to develop the powerful ALMA 2eSST PCI-to-VME bridge technology to the market. In addition to classical VME64 bridge architecture, ALMA2e supports the 2e Source Synchronous Transfer (2eSST) fast transfer protocol defined in the VITA 1.5 standard. In the spirit of VME Renaissance, this leading edge feature remains totally compatible with all existing VME systems, allowing users to gradually improve their systems. Many of our customers have already acknowledged the potent technology insertion capabilities of 2eSST for the VME world.
Most recently, Thales Computers has implemented RapidIO architecture for VME embedded systems, ideal for rugged, military and aerospace applications. RapidIO offers robust, reliable performance, scalable architecture, and the capability for inter-system interconnections. The advantages of this architecture include low latency, high efficiency, and extremely high throughput for chip-to-chip and board-to-board communication.
As a world leader in the defense and aerospace industry, Thales Computers will continue to lead the way in board-level products, systems integration, software, middleware, for a broad range of applications, including defense, communication, transportation, research and industry.
Thales Computers' technologies include:
RapidIO Architecture (603 KB PowerPoint presentation)
Within the military and aerospace markets, RapidIO offers robust, reliable performance, scalable architecture, and the capability for inter-system interconnections. This PowerPoint presentation by Thales Computers summarizes the advantages of RapidIO architecture, demonstrates the benefits of its implementation in VME Embedded Systems, including Thales Computers systems, and highlights elements involved in supporting RapidIO.
Altivec (118 KB pdf file)
Host bridge PowerPC chipset support with dual PCI32-64 bridge and PC133 SDRAM controller.
ALMA2e PCI/VME Bridge - White Paper (378 KB pdf file), Presentation (1.9 MB pdf file)
A highly integrated single chip solution to interface the 32-bit VMEbus with VME64 and 2eSST capability, from a 32-bit PCI Bus. The ALMA bridge has been jointly developed by IBM and Thales Computers.
The Ruggedizer - White Paper (371 KB pdf file)
Thales Computers' high-performance COTS SBCs are available with The Ruggedizer, a perfectly-mated, thermally bonded heat drain that extends the thermal and mechanical operating range of the original commercial hardware, without the risk of redesign.