Mercury Computer Systems Announces Availability of Ensemble 5000 Series VXS Embedded Computing Module for Radar, SIGINT/EW, and Industrial Applications

RapidIO-enabled module featuring balanced I/O and processing in a single slot. With two 8641D dual-core processors operating at up to 1.33 Ghz and two PMC/XMC sites, the HCD5220 also features an identical software infrastructure to other Mercury products.', 'width=870,height=580,scrollbars=no,resizable=yes'); popup.focus(); return false;" id="news_image_1" href="http://i.opensystemsmedia.com/?bg=ffffff&q=90&w=871&f=jpg&src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.opensystems-publishing.com%2Fimages%2Fnews%2FPicture5_57549810.png" title="The Ensemble 5000 VXS HCD5220 is a 6U Serial RapidIO-enabled module featuring balanced I/O and processing in a single slot. With two 8641D dual-core processors operating at up to 1.33 Ghz and two PMC/XMC sites, the HCD5220 also features an identical software infrastructure to other Mercury products.">

The Ensemble 5000 VXS HCD5220 is a 6U Serial RapidIO-enabled module featuring balanced I/O and processing in a single slot. With two 8641D dual-core processors operating at up to 1.33 Ghz and two PMC/XMC sites, the HCD5220 also features an identical software infrastructure to other Mercury products. (click image to zoom by 4.1x)

Each of the standard PMC/XMC sites can be configured with off-the-shelf mezzanine cards using either PCI-X or PCI Express® protocols. A scalable Serial RapidIO interconnect enables communication with other system modules. The HCD5220 can function as a single board computer or as part of an embedded processing cluster for high-end digital signal processing. (click image to zoom by 4.1x)

CHELMSFORD, Mass. — April 29, 2009 — Mercury Computer Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRCY), a leading provider of embedded, high-performance computing solutions for image, sensor, and signal processing applications, announced availability of the Ensemble™ 5000 Series VXS HCD5220 Dual 8641D Dual-Core Processing Module. The HCD5220 is the first of several new products from the VXS Ensemble 5000 Series product family designed to extend embedded, high-performance computing to a sensor-networked environment, enabling rapid access to critical information from distributed sensors via the Converged Sensor Network™ (CSN™) Architecture.

The Ensemble VXS HCD5220 is rich with architectural innovations and industry firsts. The HCD5220 combines the high-performance computing power of two Freescale™ 8641D PowerPC processors with dual PMC/XMC mezzanine sites, creating the ultimate balance of I/O and processing per slot. For example, signals intelligence/electronic warfare (SIGINT/EW) applications are typically optimized for size, weight, and power (SWaP) constraints. The HCD5220, when configured with the industry-leading Echotek® Series Digital Receiver modules, allows up to eight channels of processing per HCD5220, doubling the channel count per slot compared to previously available systems. Additionally, the innovative thermal design of the HCD5220 supports the faster 1.33 GHz 8641D processor in a standard 0.8” inch VXS slot. These improvements result in an overall 2x increase in performance relative to currently available SIGINT/EW processor-digital receiver subsystems.

For SAR/MTI (synthetic aperture radar/moving target indicator) radar applications, the HCD5220 brings new heights to system-level processing performance while simultaneously simplifying application development. Scaling a chassis to 18 HCD5220 modules and two Serial RapidIO® switch modules, the system offers two to three times more bisection bandwidth than mesh topologies of similar sizes, such as Mercury’s previous generation of VPX products. For large systems, this increase in bisection bandwidth enables new and faster radar algorithm processing, as well as reduced system size, weight, and cost.

“While a number of embedded computing suppliers, including Mercury, are aggressively working to improve system-level capabilities in VPX, Mercury’s VXS processor-based designs leverage those capabilities today. We created the Ensemble 5000 Series for new VXS designs in radar, SIGINT/EW, and industrial control, as well as for customers looking for development platforms for future VPX switch-enabled systems,” said Steve Patterson, Product Group Manager for 6U VPX and VXS Systems at Mercury Computer Systems. “Unlike mesh-based designs, switch-based topologies simplify the customer’s system design by making the application independent of the slot location in the chassis, while simultaneously providing 2x to 3x improvement in key system performance parameters.”

As the first of several products in development for the VXS Ensemble 5000 Series, the HCD5220 includes key architectural elements from Mercury’s CSN Architecture. Each PowerPC processor in a large multi-board system is paired with several internal and external Gigabit Ethernet interfaces, allowing any processor to communicate with any other processor for system control, as well as with customer-configured external networked resources. The Ethernet network is in addition to the 3.125 Gbaud Serial RapidIO switch topology for application data. Future offerings in the VXS Ensemble 5000 family under the CSN umbrella are planned to include a 10 Gigabit Ethernet real-time gateway for system connection with external Ethernet backbones, similar to Mercury’s SR-110 10GE VXS Gateway module in production today.

Ensemble Series software enables rapid deployment of customer applications across 3U VPX, 6U VPX, and VXS form factors. Moreover, with identical hardware building blocks, the Ensemble products share identical Linux® and VxWorks® development and runtime environments. Customer applications for the HDC5220 can be easily retargeted for other Ensemble products. This allows users to have a single software code base, a protected investment in software algorithms, code portability, performance predictability, and rapid deployment across multiple form factors.

The VXS HCD5220 module is available now. For systems with low power requirements, the HCD5220 is available with the 1.06 GHz 8640D processor, a lower-power version providing the identical PowerPC processing architecture. Entry-level versions in volume start at under US$10,000. For more information on the Ensemble 5000 Series VXS HCD5220 Module, visit www.mc.com/ES, or contact Mercury at (866) 627-6951 or info@mc.com.

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

Mercury Computer Systems (www.mc.com, NASDAQ: MRCY) provides embedded computing systems and software that combine image, signal, and sensor processing with information management for data-intensive applications. With deep expertise in optimizing algorithms and software and in leveraging industry-standard technologies, we work closely with customers to architect comprehensive, purpose-built solutions that capture, process, and present data for defense electronics, homeland Security, and other computationally challenging commercial markets. 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.

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 Ensemble 5000 Series or the VXS HCD5220 Dual 8641D Dual-Core Processing Module. 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, 2008. 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.

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Contact:

Kathleen Sniezek, Public Relations Manager

Mercury Computer Systems, Inc.

978-967-1126 / www.mc.com

Challenges Drive Innovation, Converged Sensor Network, CSN, and Ensemble are trademarks, and Echotek is a registered trademark of Mercury Computer Systems, Inc. Other product and company names mentioned may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective holders.