

Doubling Down: Intel’s 8-core Xeon Processor Raises the Performance Bar for Rugged Systems
Published in Military Embedded Systems
In August 2021, Intel announced the new Intel Xeon W-11000E Series processor (formerly known as “Tiger Lake-H”), designed for the embedded market. This new processor follows the announcement of similar 11th-generation processors introduced for the commercial market several months earlier.
For designers of rugged commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) systems, this new processor – which supports critical features for embedded systems, such as DRAM error correction (ECC) and extended operating temperatures – is a great addition to Intel’s range of embedded processors that also offer extended life cycle availability, which is especially important for typically long-life military programs. At the high end of the Xeon W-11000E series is an 8-core device that doubles the core count of previous-generation quad-core processors, making it all the more attractive for embedded virtualized applications.
The Intel Xeon W-11000E provides enterprise-class virtualization with its large core count, the ability to support as much as 128 GB of memory, and its use of Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x, VT-d). The processor’s high core count enables system designers to reduce their platform’s SWaP profile by consolidating multiple independent processing applications onto a single module.
What does this mean for embedded system designers? Processing tasks that formerly required multiple modules or multiple systems can now be consolidated into a single slot. Additionally, the Intel Xeon W-11000E boosts single-thread performance by as much as 32%, increases multithread performance by as much as 65%, and improves graphics performance by as much as 70%.
VPX6-1961 6U VPX Intel Xeon W-11000E Processor Card
The VPX6-1961 processor card is powered by a high-performance Intel Xeon W-11000E Series processor with double the number of cores compared to previous quad-core generations. Qualified to operate at extreme temperatures and under demanding shock and vibration conditions, the VPX6-1961 pairs the processor with a highly rugged board design that enables reliable performance in the most demanding conditions.
Intel Processing Solutions
As an Intel Technology Partner, Curtiss-Wright works closely with Intel to select only specific Intel processors supported within Intel’s embedded technology group. These processors enjoy long-life availability and meet the high-reliability requirements that Curtiss-Wright products demand for the long-term success of your programs.