Ozark Integrated Circuits of Fayetteville announced Monday the start of its first hypersonic SBIR Phase II project, part of a contract with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
The three-year, $1.5M project will employ Ozark IC’s eXtreme NodesTM (XNodes) — its single-board, rugged computer modules designed for the high temperatures and vibrations of extreme environments — to develop an instrumentation system for high-speed propulsion systems.
The instrumentation system will use a range of XNode products that work together to cover temperatures from 200-800 degrees Celsius or more, the temperatures experienced by hypersonic vehicles. That translates to 392-1,472 degrees Fahrenheit.
Hypersonic flight is generally considered any speed above Mach 5, according to an Ozark IC press release. These flights, capable of speeds of 3,600 mph or more, are considered as significant a game changer in defense as when stealth technology was deployed more than a decade ago, the release said.
Partners in the development of the XNode modules include NASA, General Electric, RelChip, Texas Instruments and Virginia Tech’s Advanced Propulsion Laboratory.
“This contract is a major step in our company’s history in the scope and duration of the contract, the range of partners with whom we will be working. Not to mention, the ability to extend the high temperature range of our XNodes,” said Matt Francis, founder, president, and CEO of Ozark IC.
Arkansas’ full congressional delegation supported the grant for Ozark IC, located at the University of Arkansas Research and Technology Park.
Steve Womack, a Republican who represents the Third District in the U.S. House, said Ozark IC’s technology is critical to providing the military and aerospace industries with “next-generation” tools.
“This DARPA contract is a testament to their impressive work. By supporting the cutting-edge research happening right here in Arkansas, the partnership will accelerate the development of innovative and hypersonic systems of the future.”
