Radiation-tolerant FPGA for space applications launched by Microchip TechnologyNews
June 29, 2021
CHANDLER, Ariz. Microchip Technology announced the availability of the first radiation-tolerant FPGA [field-programmable gate array] that has been qualified to JEDEC standards in a plastic package, which the company says is aimed at developers of small-satellite constellations and other space systems that call for high reliability and radiation protection.
According to the company's announcement, the part relies on the proven reliability of RTG4 FPGA technology and also on decades of spaceflight heritage, which means that they do not need to be screened to full Qualified Manufacturers List (QML) procedures. The Microchip RTG4 Sub-QML FPGA is housed in a flip-chip 1657 ball-grid array (BGA) plastic package (1.0 mm ball pitch) and is pin-compatible with Microchip's own QML Class V-qualified RTG4 FPGAs in ceramic packages, enabling developers to migrate their designs between regular space and more rigorous Class-1 missions.
Designers may also obtain the RTG4 Sub-QML FPGAs in plastic packages as prototypes in small quantities, enabling evaluation of the product and prototyping of systems before committing to large volumes of flight models.