Microchip Technology introduces radiation-resistant SoC FPGas for space applications

     Microchip Technology has introduced the RT PolarFire SoC FPGA to ensure high performance, reliability, power efficiency and best-in-class security against emerging space threats. It was developed on the company's RT PolarFire FPGA and is the first real-time risc-v microprocessor subsystem to support linux on a flight-proven RT PolarFire FPGA architecture.

     With the announcement, developers can begin designing using commercially available PolarFire SoC (MPFS460) devices and Libero SoC development tools. With the company's extensive Mi-V ecosystem, polpolfire SoC Solution Stack, polpolfire SoC Icicle Suite or polpolfire SoC Smart Embedded Vision Suite, low-power solutions are developed for the challenging thermal environments that can occur in space.

     Safety-critical systems, control systems, and space and security applications require the flexibility of the Linux operating system and the certainty of real-time systems to control hardware. The RT PolarFire SoC fpga has a multi-core linux processor aligned with the memory subsystem. The RT PolarFire SoC facilitates a central satellite processing capability similar to sbc, which is used in the space industry for command and data processing, platform avionics, and payload control. The SoC provides flexibility for highly integrated design, customization, and functional evolution while improving size, weight, and power considerations.

     Systems deployed in space are exposed to intense radiation, which requires a design approach that provides protection against the most critical types of radiation-induced damage. Unlike SRAM FPGas, the RT PolarFire SoC is designed for zero-configuration memory, eliminating the need for an external scrubber and reducing the total cost of the system. Satellites are designed to provide peak and average power and to dissipate heat through conductive paths (i.e., metal). Starting with an SoC FPGA can reduce power consumption by up to 50%, simplifying the entire satellite design and allowing designers to focus on the task at hand.

     "By providing a design ecosystem for the industry's first RISC-V-based radiation-resistant SoC FPGA, Microchip is driving innovation and enabling designers to develop entirely new space-efficient applications," said Bruce Weyer, vice president of Microchip's FPGA business unit. It will also enable our customers to add enhanced edge computing capabilities to aerospace and defense systems."

     The company's comprehensive Mi-V ecosystem helps designers reduce time to market by supporting symmetric multiprocessing operating systems such as Linux, VxWorks, PIKE OS, and more real-time operating systems such as RTEMS and Zephyr. Mi-V is a comprehensive set of tools and design resources, developed with many third parties, to support RISC-V designs. The Mi-V ecosystem is designed to increase RISC-V ISA adoption and support the company's SoC FPGA portfolio.