Electronic Keel
SYNEXXUS has created and implemented a
total system engineering design process that could readily and affordably integrate and network sensor packages,
communication modules and weapon systems for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles.
Electronic KeelTM Networked Solutions - Integrated Performance
The Electronic Keel is an information distribution
system based on a 1GB LAN and open standard
networked architecture that rapidly reconfigures
for changing missions and threats. It contains
clustered super-computing power with full
internal and external networked connectivity. It is
purposely designed to easily adapt to changing
threats by readily accepting evolving technology
developed for emerging operational challenges.
The Electronic Keel is a genuine plug and play
information backplane that can operate on any
vehicle with any weapon system, sensor device,
and communication module within the same
network. It is a dynamic, resource-oriented
architectural design for small mobile platforms.
Historically, small platforms are strapped by the
increasing cost of integrating sub-systems onto
the chassis, restricted by power available inside
the platform or have difficulty adding new
capabilities as operational conditions change.
The Electronic Keel uses a quantitative systems
approach to solve this complex engineering
system challenge by inherently designing in
flexibility to meet current and future operational
demands.
On most integrated platforms, there has been a
tight coupling of sub-system performance to the
vehicle itself without the capacity to easily
modify its mission functions for dynamic
operations.
Traditionally, there has also been a distinct
separation between sharing internal vehicle sub-
system indicators and services with other
vehicles operating in the same group. The
Electronic Keel removes these artificial barriers
and ameliorates future integration modifications
by ensuring both technical and operational
options can be accounted for and designed into
the total system from the beginning.
Having a network and control system that
responds instantly to change allows new
components to be added locally-inside the
vehicle, or accessed globally-from external
sources, without the need for system redesign.
The routerless network control portion within the
Electronic Keel self-forms, self-heals, requires
little administration management and uses less
than 1% of the available bandwidth.
In summary, there is one network not a series of
networks, one system design not a system of
sub-systems, and one architecture not separate
architectural elements. This total systems
engineering approach provides the means for
every device accessible by a platform to bring
relevant information seamlessly to the user as
demand develops.
Benefits of the Electronic Keel in Small Platforms
The Electronic Keel allows existing and emerging technology to be added to the MRAP or the
future Joint Light tactical Vehicle (JLTV) as easily as plugging them in. This serves to reduce
near term integration costs and long-term maintenance and upgrade costs. The Electronic Keel
responds instantly to change and allows new capabilities to be added without the need for
significant redesign or retrofit.
Four Key Functions - Six Critical Attributes:
Local View - Global Perspective
The Electronic Keel provides persistent network
visibility of all sensors and components. Each
device or resource adds, routes and relays
information to and within the network associated
with it. This information is available to every
device in the network to include other vehicles
and dismounted troops. As a result, every
device can view not only internal vehicle
information but also real time global information
from other resources or assets; such as the
information collected by other vehicles,
unmanned autonomous systems or dismounted
Marines or Soldiers.
Examples include: internal services such as fuel
level, power consumption, maintenance alerts,
and external functions such as blue force
tracking, muzzle flash / shot detection, IED
reports and incidents etc.
Sensor & Sparse Aperture Triangulation
Sharing information seamlessly among all
devices in the network allows other vehicles and
or handheld devices to immediately know the
location of incoming hostile action and provide
the means to ensure a coordinated response.
Examples include: platforms equipped with
sensors that detect the direction and angle of
incoming rounds can share that information
between vehicles to improve target fidelity.
Blue Tracking - Red Correlation
Every device within the unit has its location and
status tracked by every node in the network.
This distributed force tracking method is not
dependent on a central database or hub, rather
each asset is visible to the larger network and
can share its information with anyone connected.
System Flexibility - Operational Options
The Electronic Keel has been designed to reduce
software maintenance costs and to be as free of
network administration burdens as possible. It
automatically adds and removes nodes from the
network, optimizes communication paths,
selects the appropriate radios to use and shares
information between all nodes in the network. It
does this without operator intervention by
accepting any Internet Protocol (IP) based
weapon, communication module or sensor
package without additional integration costs.
- Everything over Internet Protocol Architecture (EoIP)
- Constant network visibility and system clarity
- Connectivity from any device to any device
- Reduced networked admin management
- Resource Oriented Architecture (ROA)
- Dynamic network reconfiguration
Copyright 2008 SYNEXXUS Inc.
Electronic Keel and EKeel are trademarks of Electronic Keel, LLC