NASA Langley scientists choose space-qualified FPGAs from Microsemi for spacecraft research

Aug. 21, 2013
HAMPTON, Va., 21 Aug. 2013. Scientists at the NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., needed radiation-tolerant field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) for their investigations into aeronautics and spacecraft. They found their solution from the Microsemi Corp. SoC Products Group in Mountain View, Calif.

HAMPTON, Va., 21 Aug. 2013. Scientists at the NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., needed radiation-tolerant field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) for their investigations into aeronautics and spacecraft. They found their space-qualified solution from the Microsemi Corp. SoC Products Group in Mountain View, Calif.

NASA researchers announced their intention last week to buy Microsemi spaceflight FPGAs as additional spare units to previously purchased FPGAs from Microsemi.

NASA is the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA Langley, the oldest of NASA's research centers, conducts research into different designs for spacecraft, and also conducts broad research into aircraft that operate in Earth's atmosphere.

Microsemi's spaceflight FPGAs include the company's RTAX FPGAs, RT ProASIC3 FPGAs, and RTSX-SU FPGAs. NASA's announcement does not specify which of Microsemi's FPGAs will be involved in the purchase, or the number of devices the agency will buy.

Microsemi RTAX FPGAs are high-reliability, radiation-tolerant, antifuse-based FPGAs that are designed for space applications. The devices offer greater than 350 MHz system performance, and are available with embedded multiply-accumulate blocks for digital signal processing (DSP) applications.

RT ProASIC3 FPGAs are reprogrammable, nonvolatile, radiation-tolerant, flash-based FPGAs for low-power space applications that require operations to 350 MHz operation. These devices comply with MIL-STD-883 Class B.

Microsemi's RTSX-SU FPGAs are high-reliability, radiation-tolerant antifuse-based FPGAs with 250 MHz system performance, and have a flight heritage established on many programs, company officials say.

NASA officials say they are buying the FPGAs from Microsemi because the company is the original equipment manufacturer for the required FPGAs. The devices are pin-to-pin compatible with the existing Microsemi space flight boards and complex electronics developed by NASA Langley.

Finding an alternate source for the required FPGAs through competition would take substantial time and money, officials say. Companies with FPGA products that would meet NASA's needs may contact the agency to help NASA determine if this job should be opened to other competitors.

Companies may submit their capabilities and qualifications to NASA's Ron Poussard by email at [email protected], or by phone at 202-358-0445.

More information is online at https://www.fbo.gov/spg/NASA/LaRC/OPDC20220/NNL13487508Q/listing.html.

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