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AEPTEC Microsystems Inc., also known as 3e Technologies International, is a leading provider of highly secure wireless networking and telematics solutions. The company, headquartered in Rockville, MD, was founded in 1996, with the mission of delivering always-connected, gateway, monitoring and networking solutions for mobile users in the home, office, factory floor, or on the go. AEPTEC is 100% self funded, profitable and has doubled its revenue and headcount every year for the last 5 years. It is the 5th fastest growing company in the greater Washington DC area (as ranked by the Washington Business Journal). AEPTEC's services and solutions encompass the wide spectrum of e-Devices, e-Infrastructures and e-Applications. In addition to its Rockville, MD headquarters, AEPTEC operates offices in Blairsville, PA, Reno, NV and Dahlgren, VA.
The Total Ship Monitoring (TSM) project provides for the development and installation of a system of equipment and software that utilizes wireless sensors to remotely and automatically monitor shipboard equipment and environmental conditions. The system enables timely and cost effective collection, processing and electronic distribution of shipboard measurements and makes these data available to ICAS. Use of wireless network links and self-identifying sensors result in a system that is modular, scalable and easily re-configured. It consists of an intra-ship network of wireless transducers using industry standard IEEE 802.11 and/or BluetoothTM wireless technology. The sensor data supports system diagnostics, prognostics and real-time telemaintenance. Total Ship Monitoring supports and is part of the SmartShip program effort. TSM provides measurement, data gathering, processing and wireless networking for intra-ship connectivity.
The benefits of Total Ship Monitoring:
(Article taken from Government Computer News 5/20/02 of TSM implementation on a US Navy ship)
05/20/02; Vol. 21 No. 11
Navy prepares wireless LAN for testing at sea
By William Jackson
Government Computer News Staff
The Navy this month will begin the final tests of a wireless shipboard network that service brass expect will lead to the use of such LANs across the fleet.
The service outfitted a new destroyer, the USS Howard, with a wireless LAN for this last evaluation leg of its SmartShip program. Forty wireless gateways from 3e Technologies International Inc. (a.k.a., AEPTEC Microsystems) of Rockville, Md., extend Ethernet connectivity from the Howard's asynchronous transfer mode backbone.
"With the [wired] network, we're restricted to the nearest LAN drop," said David Bartlett, the Navy's SmartShip science and technology manager. "With the gateways, we get to the last 100 feet, where the work gets done."
The Navy installed the 3e-520N gateways in January for a final evaluation phase before the service approves wireless technology for use fleetwide. The first feasibility studies and lab tests began about two years ago.
"We've done the paper studies. Now, we have to find out how a crew can actually use it and establish metrics," Bartlett said.
The SmartShip program, an effort to reduce crew requirements by automating shipboard operations, already has high-speed fiber networks available on many ships for monitoring and control functions. Wireless gateways will increase network range.
"The new generation of sailors grew up with computers," Bartlett said. "They expect this capability, and we need this technology." The Howard, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer commissioned last October in Galveston, Texas, has been to sea but the Navy is finishing its outfitting. The ship will return to sea at the end of the month to test the wireless LAN. Since Sept. 11, ships available to test new technology are in short supply.
"The Howard is a full-blown Navy ship, but it's not being deployed yet with a battle group, so we're taking full advantage of it while we can," Bartlett said.
The 3e-520N gateways support both infrared and IEEE 802.11b wireless connectivity. Sailors can use notebook computers with wireless network interface cards, personal digital assistants or other types of handheld devices.
The SBIR Phase III TSM program was funded at $7 million+ over a 2-year period. In addition to meeting the US Navy's project goals, the SBIR Phase III resulted in significant commercial business for AEPTEC Microsystems. Under AEPTEC's commercial business name, as 3e Technologies International, the company was able to repackage the technologies as a model 3e-520 Wireless Gateway & model 3e-550I Wireless Input/Output Node as well as develop AES wireless encryption software. Distributorship and Partner agreements were forged with CABLExpress (a major networking technology distributor) and AirWave Wireless, Inc. (a leading provider of wireless network management software) that resulted in North American contracts in excess of $1.5 million with potential Asian market sales of $6 million+.