Recorders deliver 30TB storage & 5GB/s recording rates

The RTX Rackmount series features a new chassis designed in collaboration with Nova Integration Solutions. “Nova was the ideal partner for designing a chassis that would meet all of our customer’s MIL-spec needs,” said Chris Tojeira, Recording Systems director of Pentek. He continued, “Through months of collaboration, we were able to create a unique product optimized for rugged environments.”

A major innovation for the RTX Rackmount systems is the QuickPac™ canister that allows operators to quickly remove and replace storage drives in the field. Each QuickPac canister holds eight SSDs, providing up to 7.68 TB of storage space. Up to four QuickPac canisters can be installed in a Talon RTX Rackmount chassis, providing over 30 TB of total storage. Secured by four thumbscrews, full QuickPac canisters can easily be swapped out in the field with very little down time. QuickPac canisters can be transported to the lab, via Pentek transport cases, for offload or analysis, using one of Pentek’s Talon offload or playback systems.

“Pentek has the pulse on the market and knows what engineers need when it comes to rugged MIL-spec systems and data recording,” said Mike Martyniak, VP of Marketing, Nova Integration Solutions. “We were pleased to satisfy their requirement and create an extremely dynamic chassis for high-volume data recording.”

The RTX Rackmount chassis uses heavy-duty wrought aluminum extrusions to provide superior torsional strength. Extrusions are partially overlapped for superior electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). The chassis is 4U in height, with a depth of only 22 inches. A fully-loaded chassis weighs as little as 45 pounds. A floating inner chassis isolates critical system components from high vibration and shock per MIL-STD-810.

Each RTX Rackmount Recorder includes a high-powered forced air-cooling system where cool air is pulled from the front of the system through the QuickPac canisters and forced out the back to ensure optimal cooling of critical system components. The fans are controlled via software to allow maximum air flow levels or quiet operation for lower cooling levels.

EMI filters are on the front and rear of the chassis to protect the surrounding environment from radiated emissions. A removable front panel filter protects the system against dust and sand.

Modular Power Supply and I/O Panels

The Talon RTX Rackmount Recorders include a 600 Watt, 85 to 264 V, 47 to 400 Hz AC power supply. The power supply has an inline EMI filter to protect against conducted emissions and is isolated from the other electronics in the system, via an isolated chassis compartment. The 400 Hz rating allows every RTX Rackmount Recorder to operate in aircraft and other environments where smaller, 400 Hz generators are used. For applications that require DC power, 24 V and 28 V DC power supplies are available to replace the AC power supply.

RTX Rackmount Recorders are designed with modular rear I/O panels, allowing systems to be custom tailored to the user’s I/O connector requirements. Options for signal I/O include standard SMA bulkhead connectors and military style 38999 connectors. Additional customization is easily supported by the modular architecture.

Ease of Operation

All Talon RTX Rackmount Recorders are built on a Windows 7 Professional workstation with an Intel Core I7 processor and provide both a GUI (graphical user interface) and API (Application Programmer’s Interface) to control the system. Systems are fully supported with Pentek’s SystemFlow software for system control and turn-key operation. The software provides a GUI with point-and-click configuration management and can store custom configurations for single-click setup. The software also includes a virtual oscilloscope and signal analyzer to monitor signals before, during and after data collection.

Available Models, Evaluation Package and Pricing

Talon RTX 2766: 200 MS/s RF/IF Recorder

Talon RTX 2767: 400/500 MS/s RF/IF Recorder

Talon RTX 2768: 1 GS/s RF/IF Recorder

Talon RTX 2769: 3.2 GS/s RF/IF Recorder

Talon RTX 2775: 10 Gigabit Ethernet Recorder

Talon RTX 2776: SFPDP Recorder

Talon RTX 2778: LVDS Recorder

Customers can select the recording I/O performance that best matches their recording system requirements. The Talon RTX Rackmount Recorders start at $55,000 USD. Delivery is 10-12 weeks ARO for all models.