Curtiss-Wright recently engaged with a customer designing an upgrade to an airborne radar processing system. Working with Curtiss-Wright systems engineers, the design team developed a powerful configuration build around the CHAMP-AV8 Intel-based and CHAMP-FX4 FPGA-based DSP boards.
Our customer’s understanding was that leaded solder technology was acceptable; given this choice, tin whiskers were not a concern. Radar processing prototype systems were built and application testing began using leaded solder boards, keeping to the program development schedule.
Then, at a fairly advanced point in the schedule, it was decided that lead solder technology was not going to be acceptable for this program. And, with a change to lead-free solder, mitigating against tin whiskers became a design issue, something the customer’s design team had not dealt with before.
Results
Despite the last-minute changes, our customer’s program stayed on schedule. Curtiss-Wright not only supplied the latest in radar processing capability, we provided design and manufacturing flexibility that could adjust to shifting requirements. Our advanced manufacturing capability was key, supporting multiple options that are all part of standard product offerings.
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