New Sub-$10K Compact Mission Computer for High-Volume Defense Applications

General Micro Systems (GMS) has introduced the X7 RAPTOR mission computer, a new value-priced rugged system designed for deployable edge computing.

Priced to sell for under $10,000 USD in capable rugged configurations, the system focuses on a streamlined feature set to achieve the best Size, Weight, Power, and Cost (SWaP-C) in its market segment.

The X7 RAPTOR is intended for specific, high-volume battlefield applications, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), manpack/wearables, and unmanned aerial systems (UAS). It is based on the company’s MIL-SPEC X9 SPIDER family, carrying over hardware, mechanical, and thermal innovations but reducing size and cost by removing non-essential communication interfaces.

Ben Sharfi, CEO and chief architect at GMS, stated, “The RAPTOR’s ideal use case is in systems where value pricing is balanced with high-performance and ‘just right’ ruggedness such as “swarm” UAVs, remote sensors, wearable/backpacks, or smart munitions.” Sharfi added, “With the X7 RAPTOR, we’ve eliminated ‘non-essential’ communication interfaces to further reduce package size, weight and power. This means the X7 RAPTOR delivers command-post level processing performance inside the smallest form factor ever available to military organizations. No one should pay for what’s not needed.”

The mission computer features an ultra-small, high-performance, space-optimized CPU board. Connectivity includes 40 Gbps of Thunderbolt I/O bandwidth and dual 1 GigE ports. These X7 modules can be configured with other Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) peripherals or with GMS X9 SPIDER products.

For defense applications that do not require the full temperature range of -40°C to +85°C, the X7 RAPTOR is positioned as a no-frills option with appropriate levels of storage, memory, and I/O. It supports high-performance processing and flexible power needs.

The X7 RAPTOR is built on GMS’ Distributed Computing Architecture (DCA) which provides modularity and scalability to meet stringent SWaP requirements. This DCA enables the modular expansion of any component, including CPU, memory, I/O, or peripheral, which mitigates obsolescence by allowing systems to be expanded, upgraded, or replaced as needed.

Ben Sharfi commented, “At under $10,000, the X7 RAPTOR enables an open, distributed architecture such that has never been possible before in such a small, lightweight system.” He continued, “The ultra-small, high-performance form factor and impressive I/O capabilities of the X7 RAPTOR, combined with DCA and the extensive X9 Spider portfolio of embedded modules, lets users build and future-proof any system imaginable with COTS components. And it’s all based upon open standard Ethernet and Thunderbolt.”

Its scalable high-performance computing capability is built around an Intel Xeon W Workstation Class processor with up to 8 cores. The system supports up to 128 GB of DDR4 RAM with ECC via two SODIMMs.

The two Thunderbolt 4 ports serve as the system backbone, each providing 40 Gbps of I/O to networked devices and peripherals via an external dongle. These ports can support up to four simultaneous video streams and deliver 100 W to power peripherals up to 50 meters away (with fiber-based cables).

The X7 RAPTOR uses patented RuggedCool™ technology which employs four-sided cooling to ensure balanced heat transfer and a low thermal gradient for full operation up to +75°C. The X7 RAPTOR is available now.