Leveraging Commercial Electronics For Military And Aerospace Applications

By Michael L. Alles, Vanderbilt University Institute for Space and Defense Electronics (ISDE)

Electronic devices are an integral part of virtually all aspects of today's world, including military, aeronautical, and space applications. Electronic technologies have evolved at an astounding pace, following the trend observed by Gordon Moore 46 years ago: the number of transistors that can be placed inexpensively on an integrated circuit (IC) doubles approximately every two years. This trend has enabled tremendous computational capabilities, new consumer applications, and a new world of communications and high-technology warfare.