Actel offers low-power FPGAs for space applications

Actel Corp. in Mountain View, Calif., is offering a family of low-power, radiation-tolerant field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) called RTAX-SL for high-reliability space-flight designs. These devices offer about 50 percent lower standby current than the leading space FPGA offering at 125 degrees Celsius, Actel officials claim. The company also is broadening its prototype offerings for the RTAX-SL, RTAX-S, and RTSX-SU families and EV production flow, which implements all the steps specified by QML Class V and provides a higher level of testing for its space products. Based on Actel’s RTAX-S architecture, the RTAX-SL family has three members-the RTAX250SL, RTAX1000SL, and RTAX2000SL-with embedded memory, single event upset (SEU)-hardened flip-flops, high I/O count, multiple I/O standard support and hermetic packaging. The FPGAs offer three prototyping phases-early concept proof, mid-prototyping, and final verification. For early concept proof of Actel’s space-optimized devices, Actel offers a prototyping solution using the Actel ProASIC3 flash-based FPGAs, enabling users to tap flash-based prototypes for several aerospace applications. The RTAX-SL devices and prototypes for the RTAX-S and RTSX-SU can be ordered now for scheduled delivery this fall. For more information, contact Actel online at www.actel.com.