General & Company

1. What is EDT and what does the company do?

Engineering Design Team (EDT), headquartered in Hillsboro, Oregon, is a hardware engineering company with over 35 years of experience bridging data sensors at the edge with high-performance computing. EDT designs and manufactures SWaP (Size, Weight, and Power)-optimized hardware for defense, science, and industry — including tactical edge compute systems, Camera Link frame grabbers, RF digitizers, FPGA I/O boards, and data recorders. EDT is a subsidiary of HEICO Corporation, listed on the NYSE (NYSE: HEI).

2. Who are EDT’s products designed for?

EDT products serve engineers and system integrators working in defense and military, scientific research, telecommunications, industrial machine vision, and signals intelligence (SIGINT). Whether you need zero-loss signal acquisition for a field sensor, long-range optical extension for a machine vision camera, or real-time RF spectrum analysis, EDT delivers hardware built for mission-critical environments.

3. What product lines does EDT offer?

EDT offers six core product categories:

  • Edge Compute / Jetson Carrier Platforms — EDGETAK wearable and Edgepoint AI

  • VisionLink Camera Link Products — Frame grabbers, extenders, and simulators

  • RF & Radio Digitizers — RFx SDR, SRXL/SRXL2, and DRX16 mezzanine boards

  • FPGA I/O Boards — Standalone and main+mezzanine boards for optical, electrical, and RF interfaces

  • Recorders & Storage — Rack-mount, portable recorders, and NVMe-based storage systems

  • Custom Hardware & Design Services — Custom board design, prototyping, and DSP services

4. How do I contact EDT for a purchase or technical question?

EDT can be reached by phone at +1-503-690-1234 (or toll-free 800-435-4320), by fax at 503-690-1243, or by email at info@edt.com. The company is located at 3423 NE John Olsen Avenue, Hillsboro, OR 97124, USA. For technical support, a Technical Service Request can be submitted through the EDT website.

Edge Compute & Tactical Systems

5. What is the EDGETAK, and who is it designed for?

The EDGETAK is a man-wearable, semi-rugged tactical edge compute system designed for military, special forces, and field operations personnel. It is powered by the NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX 16GB, delivers 100 TOPS of AI inference performance, and is optimized for Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) with novel thermal dissipation engineering that outperforms comparable wearable solutions. It fits into standard radio and magazine pockets already in use by soldiers and operators.

6. What are the key specifications of the EDGETAK?

The EDGETAK includes the following hardware specifications:

  • SoM: NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX 16GB (100 TOPS)

  • Storage: M.2 M-Key with up to 8TB NVMe SSD

  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi/Bluetooth or GPS (via M.2 E-Key), 2× SMA, 2× USB Type-C (USB 3.2), 1GbE RJ45

  • Power Input: DC 9V–16V

  • Software: Jetpack 6.1/L4T 36.4.0 and newer

  • OCI Compatible: Yes, supports ATAK and other tactical applications

7. What is Edgepoint AI, and how does it differ from EDGETAK?

Edgepoint AI is a highly configurable NVIDIA Jetson Orin/Xavier NX carrier board designed for lab development, prototyping, and deployment of AI/ML workloads at the edge. Unlike EDGETAK — which is purpose-built and wearable for tactical field use — Edgepoint AI is intended for integration with EDT’s RF, optical, telecom, or Camera Link solutions in both laboratory and deployable system environments.

Camera Link & Machine Vision

8. What are VisionLink frame grabbers and what Camera Link modes do they support?

VisionLink frame grabbers are Camera Link PCIe boards designed for real-time image acquisition from industrial, scientific, and military cameras. The product line supports base, medium, full, and extended full (up to 80-bit, 850 MB/s) Camera Link modes. Models include the VisionLink F1 (PCIe x1, up to two base-mode cameras) and the VisionLink F4 (PCIe x4, up to two cameras in base mode or one in extended full mode).

9. What is the maximum data rate supported by VisionLink frame grabbers?

The VisionLink F4 supports data rates up to 850 MB/s total in a PCIe Gen2 slot, handling extended full (80-bit) mode Camera Link cameras running at up to 85 MHz pixel clock. The VisionLink F1 supports data rates up to 400 MB/s total in a PCIe Gen2 slot.

10. Does EDT offer software for camera control and image capture?

Yes. All VisionLink frame grabbers ship with drivers for supported operating systems and a complete software development kit (SDK). The SDK includes C language libraries, example applications, image capture and display GUI, camera configuration files, and a Camera Link standard DLL for camera control.

11. What are VisionLink Extenders, and how far can they extend a camera signal?

VisionLink Extenders (e.g., VisionLink XF and RCX) work in pairs to extend Camera Link signals over fiber-optic cable. One unit connects to the camera and the other to a frame grabber, and the two units are linked by fiber — allowing camera placement tens to thousands of meters away from the host computer, depending on transceivers and cabling used. They support base through extended full (80-bit) Camera Link modes up to 850 MB/s and provide electrical isolation of the camera from the host.

RF & Software Defined Radio

12. What is the RFx SDR and what applications is it suited for?

The RFx is a high-performance Software Defined Radio (SDR) on a low-profile half-height PCIe 3.0 board designed for multichannel RF signal capture, spectrum monitoring, and SIGINT applications. It supports a wideband frequency range of 0.4–6.0 GHz and digitizes incoming signals via 14- or 16-bit ADCs, making it suitable for spectrum analysis, signal intelligence, communications monitoring, and AI-driven RF awareness when paired with Edgepoint AI.

13. What are the key technical specifications of the RFx SDR?

Key RFx SDR specifications include:

  • Frequency range: 0.4–6.0 GHz

  • RF inputs: 2 analog inputs with multiple digital sub-tuners per input

  • ADC resolution: 14-bit or 16-bit (one per RF input)

  • Complex signal bandwidth: Up to 125 MHz per tuner

  • FPGA: Xilinx Kintex 7 with digital downconversion, AGC, DC removal, adaptive I/Q balancing

  • Output formats: I/Q and VITA-49 Radio Transport (VRT)

  • Reference I/O: 10 MHz, 1 pps

  • Interface: PCIe 3.0 (low-profile)

14. What software frameworks does the RFx SDR support?

The RFx natively supports SoapySDR, GNURadio (with GRC examples), and provides C/C++ and Python example applications for rapid integration into existing signal processing pipelines. This makes it compatible with a broad ecosystem of open-source and custom SDR tools without requiring proprietary software.

15. Does EDT offer other RF mezzanine boards beyond the RFx SDR?

Yes. EDT’s radio and digitizer product line also includes:

  • SRXL2 — Mezzanine board for L-band (900–2250 MHz) and IF inputs (160, 140, 70, or 21.4 MHz), with direct sampling below 90 MHz

  • SRXL — Mezzanine board for simultaneous L-band (925–2175 MHz) and IF (65–225 MHz) inputs with quadrature down-conversion

  • DRX16 — PCIe mezzanine for digitizing two independent IF signals (2–300 MHz) via 16-bit ADCs with a Xilinx Virtex 6 FPGA

FPGA I/O Boards

16. What is EDT’s main+mezzanine (PMC) architecture, and why would I use it?

EDT’s main+mezzanine architecture separates the host bus interface (the main board) from the signal interface layer (the mezzanine board). The main board provides DMA, FPGA resources, and memory while the mezzanine adds specific signal capability — optical, electrical, or RF. This modularity allows engineers to choose the right PCIe or PCI main board for their bus and FPGA needs, then pair it with the appropriate mezzanine for the signal type, rather than purchasing a fixed monolithic board.

17. What signal protocols and standards do EDT’s FPGA I/O boards support?

EDT FPGA I/O boards support a wide range of protocols and signal standards:

  • Optical: 10GbE, 40GbE, OTN (OTU1/2/2e/2f), SONET/SDH (OC3/12/48/192 / STM1/4/16/64)

  • Electrical: LVDS, RS-422, ECL, PECL, E1/T1, CML

  • RF/Telecom: L-band, IF, VITA-49, SONET, T3/E3

  • Ethernet: 1GbE, 10GbE, 40GbE, 100GbE (for recorder products)

Recorders & Storage

18. What types of recorders does EDT offer?

EDT’s Recorders & Storage product line covers three main categories:

  • Rack-mount recorders — High-capacity systems for lab and fixed installations

  • Portable recorders — Small form-factor systems for field use

  • Network recorders — Supporting VITA 49, RF, 10GbE, 40GbE, and 100GbE network data capture and playback

EDT also offers the Mako carrier board, which enables PCIe NVMe software RAID using M.2 NVMe drives for high-speed data storage.

Software, Drivers & SDK

19. What operating systems are supported by EDT drivers and SDK?

EDT provides drivers and SDK packages for Windows (10 and 11, 64-bit) and Linux (a wide range of distributions including Ubuntu 20.04–24.04 LTS, Debian 11–12, RHEL 8.x–9.5, Fedora, AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, and CentOS). NVIDIA Jetson Linux (L4T 35.4.1–36.4.0) is also supported for edge compute products. macOS, VxWorks, Solaris, and QNX are not currently supported.

20. Do EDT drivers and SDK cost extra?

No. Windows and Linux drivers and the SDK are included with the product and are freely available for download from the EDT website. Source code is available upon request by emailing software@edt.com. Customers who require extensive customization or real-time OS support may need to discuss support contract options with EDT’s engineering team.

21. How often are EDT software packages updated?

PDV (imaging/frame grabber) and PCD (I/O board) software packages are typically updated twice per year, roughly in April and October, as new devices, operating systems, and features are added. For products such as extenders and recorders, update frequency varies by product — contact EDT technical support for specifics.

Custom Design & Engineering Services

22. Can EDT design custom hardware for my specific application?

Yes. EDT offers full hardware design services including circuit board design, layout, prototyping, and manufacturing. With over 35 years of FPGA, PCIe, and embedded systems expertise, EDT engineers can modify an existing product, develop a completely custom interface, or tackle complex DSP design challenges. Customers with unique requirements can contact EDT directly at info@edt.com to discuss scope and feasibility.

For detailed datasheets, product downloads, and technical support, visit edt.com or contact EDT at info@edt.com / +1-503-690-1234.

Need a custom hardware solution?

EDT engineers work directly with customers to design, prototype, and deliver custom computing hardware for mission-critical applications.

Request a Quote