Computer and Networking Applications

• Heat Pipes Cool Hot Processors in Portable Computers

ith funding from several Government agencies, including BMDO, Thermacore, Inc. (Lancaster, PA), has developed miniature heat pipe technology that can direct heat away from electronic systems—even when these systems are moving or turned upside down. This unique capability makes Thermacore’s heat pipes ideal for cooling the microprocessors found in today’s portable computers. Alternative cooling methods, such as electrically powered fans, are much larger and have higher power consumption levels. Thermacore has sold over 5 million heat pipe units for cooling notebook and subnotebook computers equipped with Intel Pentium® chips. Although specifically designed for space-limited applications, the company’s technology has also been adapted for cooling much larger—and much hotter—devices, including computer workstations and telecommunications base stations.

• Processing Tool Leads to New Debugging Software

With BMDO funding, ParaSoft Corporation (Pasadena, CA) developed a processing tool that allows existing software to run on parallel systems. This tool has evolved into five major products that provide developers with a fast and easy way to improve software reliability and expedite the debugging and testing processes. ParaSoft’s flagship product, Insure++®, automatically detects bugs in C/C++ software code and programs. Its functionality is enhanced by two add-ons: Inuse®, a graphical memory monitor, and TCA®, which displays test coverage analysis. Other products include Codewizard®, which analyzes source code to verify C++ coding standards, and jtest!®, which helps catch bugs in Java™ software. ParaSoft’s customers include most commercial software developers (e.g., IBM, Lotus, Microsoft), many Government agencies (e.g., the Internal Revenue Service, the Naval Research Laboratory, the United States Postal Service), and many U.S. Department of Defense contractors (e.g., Boeing, Hughes Aircraft, Lockheed Martin).

• Fiber Isolator Increases the Quality of Fiber-Optic Communications

To improve the quality of fiber-optic communications, BMDO funded E-TEK Dynamics, Inc. (San Jose, CA), to develop a polarization-insensitive fiber isolator (PIFI) that can reduce unwanted light reflections inside optical fibers. Now, the isolator has become a key component in erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs), which amplify light signals along optical fibers. Without the isolator, amplifying a signal would be like sending a fax of a fax; the quality of the signal decreases each time it is amplified. To date, E-TEK has captured over 50 percent of the entire EDFA isolator market, selling its devices to Alcatel, Corning, Lucent, Nortel Networks, and other EDFA equipment manufacturers that supply telecommunications companies, including AT&T, MCI WorldCom, and Sprint. The fiber-optic equipment maker JDS Uniphase Corporation recently acquired E-TEK Dynamics in an all-stock deal worth about $15 billion.