Euronaval 2024 – Safran unveils Navpulse, the next generation Data Distribution Unit

Onboard a naval vessel the Data Distribution Unit, DDU in short, is at the core of the combat system, as it receives, processes, and distributes data from all sensors. At Euronaval 2024 Safran Electronics and Defense unveiled its next-gen DDS, the Navpulse

Among the new systems proposed by Safran Electronics and Defense at the Paris naval exhibition, we could find the Navpulse, available in three different sizes of enclosures to fit most kind of vessels, ranging from OPVs, to main surface combatants, to submarines. Modular and scalable, it links sensors, navigation assets and the combat management system, and embeds new functions for naval operations.

The Navpulse comes from a combination of existing products, exploiting the over 50 years’ experience of Safran in the DDU field. The system is fully redundant, and has two 115/230 VAC power inputs, while a battery can provide an extra power source. Not only, it also features two CPUs (Central Processing Unit).

The three versions are the Navpulse-SP, Navpulse-HP and Navpulse-XP, cabinet dimensions increasing in height from 550 to 800 to 1,200 mm, width and depth being the standard 580×520 mm.

While the SP relies on an external time source, the two bigger versions have an oscillator as internal master clock, which on request can be replaced by an atomic clock. The internal clock provides uninterrupted time reference, even if the GNSS signal is lost, the system featuring a multi-GNSS synchronisation capability which can consider GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, BeiDou and QZSS. The super-accurate time reference is exploited by the optional antijamming and anti-spoofing system, based on field proven algorithms, that allows operating in heavy electronic warfare environment. The cybersecurity level increases through the versions, that of the SP being defined as standard, the HP featuring a standard /advanced level while the XP has an advanced security which is customable on request.

All three versions have four Ethernet native ports, which on the HP and XP are available on request with a configurable switch. The SP can have up to 26 RS422 input/output, the HP up to 90, and the XP even more, on request. The same applies for discrete input/output ports, up to 6 for the SP, up to 18 for the HP and more, on request, for the XP. The SP and HP have four fail-safe mode inputs, allowing direct hardware connection to the inertial navigation unit in case of power failure; of course, Safran proposes its Sigma 40, Argonyx/Black-Onyx IMUs to the customer. The XP can have eight or more (on request) such fails-safe inputs. Input/output synchro is not provided on the smaller version and is available on request on the other two.

Input/output rates range from 1 to 200 Hz. Critical data can be transferred with a high-performance latency of less than 1 ms, while navigation and other data are transmitted at the standard latency rate, which is less than 10 ms. Designed according to MIL-STD for shock and vibrations, ingress protection is at IP54 standard.

The Navpulse family of products will be available in 2025, EDR On-Line understanding that a first contract is very close.

Photos by P. Valpolini