Active Silicon was acquired by Solid State plc in 2021 and now operates within its Systems Division, working closely with our sister companies Steatite and Custom Power.
Steatite specializes in designing, manufacturing and supplying rugged computers, tactical communication systems and microwave & RF antennas.
Custom Power provides custom built lithium battery packs, COTS battery modules, portable power and energy storage solutions.
Active Silicon complements the group skills with our high-quality image and video capture products, plus expert design capabilities. Across the group, we have provided products to highly regulated industries for decades and can certify products to medical, rail, marine and military standards.
Combined capabilities with Steatite
Steatite has particular expertise in the design and manufacture of custom carrier boards and custom embedded systems. Together with Steatite, we are able to respond quickly and precisely to unusual enquiries with very specific requirements.
Example of a joint rail application project
Active Silicon developers and Steatite engineers provided a unique imaging and computing solution for a rail application with ambitious requirements.
For this project, we pooled our knowledge with the Steatite Computing team to design, prototype, test and manufacture a completely tailored carrier board and vision system to meet the needs of the customer. The vision system was integrated into a train cab so is subject to extreme vibration, shock, temperature variations and some EMC interference. The final product was therefore certified to meet several standards, including EN50155 for rolling stock.
Building technology for harsh environments
Steatite’s business units specialize in rugged equipment and components for challenging environments. Many products can be further customized for specific applications and requirements.
Computers
Steatite computers are designed and manufactured to provide reliable operation in demanding environments.
Rugged computers are rigorously tested to withstand shock, vibration, dust, moisture and extremes of temperature which would normally cause the rapid failure of conventional computer technology. Computers, housing, cabling and entire systems can be fully configured or custom-designed for specialized applications.
Communications
As the UK’s only authorized provider of Wave Relay® enabled products, Steatite Communications provides world-leading voice, video and high bandwidth data networks and MIMO communication systems for tactical applications.
Enabling crystal clear communication in critical environments, Steatite design and build secure networks for military and civil applications.
Antennas
Steatite develops and manufactures high-performance microwave and RF antennas.
Expert in-house antenna design, engineering and testing facilities provide solutions for land, marine and airborne applications. Additionally, a repair and refurbishment service adds extra value to the high-spec antenna capabilities.
Custom Power Batteries
Custom Power, another Solid State Group company, offers a range of rechargeable and single use cells and batteries for applications including underwater ROVs, military, medical and transportation.
Custom design, batteries for harsh environments and battery management systems are all within the skill set of Custom Power’s expert engineers, and the company is certified to transport lithium batteries worldwide. For our branch of Custom Power in the US, please check out Custom Power LLC.
Rugged Engineering Solutions
Our combined engineering teams are well-placed to deliver customized solutions for demanding applications in the harshest of environments. This includes the hostile surroundings of defense operations, the 24/7 requirements of industrial settings, and the highly-regulated constraints of medical imaging.
We are particularly well-placed to collaborate on custom embedded systems and our engineers will work with your project team to design computing and imaging solutions from the board up.
Incorporating extensive capabilities: Steatite’s CRiB
Designed to deliver powerful computing, reliable data sharing and uninterruptible power, the CRiB provides a smart command and control system ideal for tactical operations. It combines the skills and extensive capabilities of all our Business Units and demonstrates the enormous potential of the wider team.
Engineering and Test Capabilities
In addition to regular product testing, Steatite has specialist test facilities, which include a thermal test chamber, vibration test jig, near-field RF test chamber and a semi-anechoic EMC test chamber.
Download the following Steatite documents to learn more about our joint engineering and test capabilities.
Take a look at the Steatite website to fully understand our increased possibilities, and get in touch to discuss how these can benefit your custom project needs.