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Representing the cost-effectiveness and true spirit of the Defense Department's Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) mandate, SBS Technologies has created a revolutionary and full function data interface on a single, credit-card-sized PCMCIA module. The company's new ABI-PCMCIA meets the DoD's MIL-STD-1553 requirements for data transfer capability and reliability. The new module is the only product offering full MIL-STD-1553 functionality capabilities in a format compatible with today's popular and highly versatile notebook computers. The ABI- PCMCIA provides concurrent and independent 1553 capabilities for full bus controller simulation, 31 remote terminals and 100 percent bus monitoring -- equal to a full-sized ISA PC motherboard. "This interface enables an avionics technician to perform aircraft diagnostics using only a 4-ounce PCMCIA card and a lightweight notebook computer, instead of the typical 40-pound dedicated testing unit or PC," said Derek Head, vice president of sales for SBS Technologies. "This represents a significant breakthrough in off-the-shelf technology that's now available to both military and civilian technicians. Our customers have been delighted with development and orders for the new PCMCIA card are running well ahead of our projections." ABI-PCMCIA cards can be configured to analyze systems for a specific aircraft, such as the F-16 fighter or the C-17 cargo plane, and then inserted into the PCMCIA slot in a standard notebook computer with Microsoft Windows. Technicians can carry a variety of PCMCIA cards, each designed for a specific aircraft, instead of requiring a separate, dedicated PC for each aircraft. In support of the ABI-PCMCIA, SBS has created a version of its well-known PASS-1000 Bus Analyzer software for use with the card. "The PASS-1000 is the most advanced MIL-STD-1553 protocol analyzer and simulation system available with an open systems architecture," said Head. "This enables data to be transferred and manipulated by technicians using non-SBS equipment and software -- a marked changed from the old way of doing business." In the past, nearly all computing and analysis systems developed for the military were proprietary to the manufacturer. For example, a computer system developed by one aviation contractor could not be upgraded by another. With the COTS mandate, military suppliers have been given the freedom to utilize commercially available, open architecture systems, many of which offer greater computing power and versatility than previous proprietary military systems. And, as with all SBS products, the PASS-1000 PCMCIA is supplied with C, Ada and DLL libraries with source code and on-staff engineering expertise, at no additional expense to the customer.