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Rapid Retargeting Two Phase III contracts were awarded to VisiCom, one by the Naval Supply Systems Command and the other by the Naval Sea System Command. Both were IDIQ type contracts of over $40 million. VisiCom was eventually sold to the Titan Corporation (now L-3 Communications) where Rapid Retargeting continues as a viable program today. Rapid Retargeting was developed under contract with the Navy Supply Systems Command to enable users of electronic systems to protect their investment by providing a path for technology upgrade. This is currently accomplished at the electronic module (which make up the system) level. Aging semiconductor technologies and diminishing sources of supply threaten system maintainability long before the system itself becomes obsolete. Rapid Retargeting is a design process that uses a collection of sophisticated analysis, simulation, and modeling tools to transform an existing electronic module from the fielded system into a new module with identical form, fit, and function with respect to the target module. The retargeted module, however, is implemented using the most current semiconductor devices available at the time. In addition, the resulting functional representation of the module in software makes subsequent hardware modifications and upgrades much easier. Furthermore, since the current proven design of the target module is the basis for the new module, the design cycle is much shorter than it would be if the design was started from scratch. Hardware retargeting is typically done when existing hardware becomes obsolete or there is some value (such as a new system development) in having software models of hardware functions. Reasons to develop software models include the desire to reuse functions across several designs, to change the mechanical form factor of a board, or to allow for planned system upgrades. The use of software models greatly decreases the design cycle and lowers the risk of upgrading a complex electronic system. The hardware retargeting effort begins by extracting the functionality of the target hardware and capturing it in a hardware descriptive software language. The resulting software models are simulated and compared with the original hardware for verification. Once verified, the models are ported to a new hardware design. Subsequently, parts obsolescence is no longer an issue, since software models can be rehosted whenever new technology becomes available. Once rehosting is complete, a packaging engineer then decides which packaging and interconnect technology is required for the desired level of environmental protection. From the Congress of the United States: “The Committee is impressed with the Department of the Navy’s Rapid Retargeting program (RRT), a process that addresses the obsolete designs of electronic systems. RRT has provided the technology to eliminate obsolete components in Navy systems and reduce multiple electronic modules into single programmable designs. This process is also being employed to replace many standard electronic modules with programmable COTS components which reduces the requirement for shipboard sparing requirements. The Committee believes that accelerated and expanded use of RRT for all programs that are considering service life extension programs could result in significant cost savings for the Navy. The Committee therefore directs the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition to establish a process by which all Naval acquisition programs that propose to make use of service life extension programs or `life of type’ component buys for electronic systems and components make use of the Naval Supply System Command’s RRT design tool to structure their acquisition and program planning. The Assistant Secretary of the Navy should report to the Committee no later than February 15, 2002 on efforts to implement the RRT process.” |
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