Mercury Computer Systems Introduces Gateway for 10 Gigabit Ethernet to Embedded Processing

A network-centric building block for VXS that seamlessly moves data between interconnect fabrics

CHELMSFORD, Mass., June 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Mercury Computer Systems, Inc. , a leading provider of high-performance, embedded computing solutions for complex image, sensor, and signal processing applications, announced availability of the SR-110 10GE VXS Gateway, a revolutionary network-centric building block for VXS systems.

To maximize the effectiveness of new, sophisticated sensor technologies, system designers are using 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GE) for fast and flexible image/data distribution, from any sensor to any authorized user. Despite its considerable bandwidth, however, 10 Gigabit Ethernet does not deliver the low- latency, deterministic communications required by real-time processing. A different type of protocol, such as RapidIO(R), must be used for real-time signal processing. The design challenge is to create a network-based solution that can seamlessly and transparently move data between 10GE and RapidIO, so the overall sensor network solution can employ the advantages of both fabrics. To make this type of processing available on a sensor network requires a gateway.

As an example, for network-attached multiprocessing, the SR-110 10GE VXS Gateway from Mercury automatically transports the network data (via 10GE) into the VXS chassis, which in turn streams the data into the serial RapidIO fabric, making the data available to all VXS compute nodes in the chassis. After user application computations are complete, the data is transported out of the system via the Gateway to the 10GE network.

The SR-110 10GE VXS Gateway self-boots at power-up, and is user-configurable. No other programming or user intervention is required to enable high-bandwidth data streams into and out of the Gateway.

"With the SR-110 10GE VXS Gateway, we've taken Mercury's proven ability to capture and process large volumes of sensor data in real time to the sensor network architecture paradigm, enabling fast, flexible and transparent data movement between the 10GE and RapidIO fabrics," said Ian Dunn, Chief Technologist, Advanced Computing Solutions, Mercury Computer Systems, Inc. "By deploying the Gateway in VXS, developers can implement a single, platform-wide Ethernet network that streams sensor data to C4I (command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence) applications."

Based on the Freescale MPC8548 processor, the Mercury SR-110 10GE VXS Gateway is a highly integrated platform that includes a Power Architecture(TM) core, serial RapidIO, Gigabit Ethernet controllers, and an integrated DDR2 memory interface. With MultiCore(TM) Plus software, the SR-110 10GE VXS Gateway supports both gateway and bridging modes. Support features include:

-- bridging/forwarding of all Ethernet frames (Transparent Layer 2 switch in bridge mode),

  -- broadcast and multicast with IGMP v2 snooping in both directions, and
  -- redundant/failover gateway support.

For more information on the Mercury SR-110 10GE VXS Gateway, visit http://www.mc.com/gateway, or contact Mercury at (866) 627-6951 or at info@mc.com.

Mercury Computer Systems, Inc. - Where Challenges Drive Innovation(TM)

Mercury Computer Systems (http://www.mc.com/) provides specialized, high-performance computing systems and software designed for complex HPC and embedded applications in a range of industries that include aerospace and defense, telecommunications, medical imaging, semiconductor, EDA, and more. Our products blend unmatched expertise in algorithm optimization and silicon design with software application knowledge and industry-standard technologies. Mercury's comprehensive, purpose-built solutions capture, process, and present data for the world's largest medical imaging companies, 8 of the 10 top defense prime contractors, and other leading Fortune 500 and mid-market companies in semiconductor, energy, telecommunications, and other industries. Our dedication to performance excellence and collaborative innovation continues a 25-year history in enabling customers to gain the competitive advantage they need to stay at the forefront of the markets they serve.

Mercury is based in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, and serves customers worldwide through a broad network of direct sales offices, subsidiaries, and distributors. We are listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market .

Forward-Looking Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including those relating to the SR-110 10GE VXS Gateway product. You can identify these statements by our use of the words "may," "will," "should," "plans," "expects," "anticipates," "continue," "estimate," "project," "intend," and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or anticipated. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, general economic and business conditions, including unforeseen weakness in the Company's markets, effects of continued geo-political unrest and regional conflicts, competition, changes in technology and methods of marketing, delays in completing engineering and manufacturing programs, changes in customer order patterns, changes in product mix, continued success in technological advances and delivering technological innovations, continued funding of defense programs, the timing of such funding, changes in the U.S. Government's interpretation of federal procurement rules and regulations, market acceptance of the Company's products, shortages in components, production delays due to performance quality issues with outsourced components, inability to fully realize the expected benefits from acquisitions or delays in realizing such benefits, challenges in integrating acquired businesses and achieving anticipated synergies, and difficulties in retaining key customers. These risks and uncertainties also include such additional risk factors as are discussed in the Company's recent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2007. The Company cautions readers not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made.