Radiation-tolerant FPGA for high-speed datapaths in spacecraft applications introduced by Microchip

Oct. 30, 2019
Packaged in a hermetically sealed ceramic column grid array, FPGA will be available and qualified for space-flight deployment in 2021.

CHANDLER, Ariz. – Microchip Technology Inc. in Chandler, Ariz., is introducing the radiation-tolerant RT PolarFire field-programmable gate array (FPGA) for high-speed data paths in spacecraft payload systems.

The RT PolarFire FPGA provides 50 percent more performance and triple the logic elements and serializer-deserializer (SERDES) bandwidth as its predecessors, and provides six times the amount of embedded SRAM.

The RT PolarFire FPGA cuts power consumption to about half that of alternative SRAM-based FPGAs with equivalent density and performance. Its SONOS non-volatile technology enables a lightweight power system design while minimizing heat dissipation to reduce thermal management problems.

The RT PolarFire FPGA will undergo the standard process for meeting QML standards including class V qualification for critical applications.

Related: Radiation-tolerant motor controller for satellites and space uses introduced by Microsemi

Packaged in a hermetically sealed ceramic column grid array with integrated decoupling capacitors, Microchip's RT PolarFire RTPF500T FPGA will be available and qualified for space-flight deployment in 2021.

Customers can start designs using the commercial PolarFire MPF500T FPGA with Microchip's Libero software tool suite that includes optional triple mode redundancy (TMR) synthesis support for implementing SEU mitigation where required, such as in control circuits.

Development boards are available with the commercial PolarFire FPGA and will later include the RT PolarFire device in engineering model form. Available radiation data for space applications includes TID, SEL, configuration upsets, and upsets in unprotected D-flip flop (DFF) and memory.

For more information contact Microchip online at www.microchip.com.

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