Microchip introduces "COTS-Resistant and Radiation-resistant" Arm core microcontrollers

From NewSpace to critical space missions, space application designers need to reduce design cycles and costs while adapting their designs to the various radiation protection requirements of different missions. In response to this trend, Microchip introduced the first ARM-based microcontrollers for the aerospace industry, SAMV71Q21RT and SAMRH71, which combine the low cost and large ecosystem benefits of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technology with the adjustable radiation protection performance of aerospace grade devices.

The SAMV71Q21RT and SAMRH71 allow software developers to start developing with SAMV71 COTS devices before migrating to space-grade components, significantly reducing development time and costs. Both devices have access to the SAMV71's full software development toolchain because they share the same ecosystem, including software libraries, board-level support packages (BSPS), and first-level ports for the operating system (OS).

After the initial development work is completed on COTS devices, all software developed at this stage can be easily packaged and ported to radiation-resistant or radiation-resistant microcontrollers in highly reliable plastic and aerospace grade ceramic packages. The SAMV71Q21RT radiation-resistant microcontroller can reuse a full set of COTS masks and has certain pin compatibility, so that COTS devices can be immediately transplanted to compliant aerospace grade devices.

The radiation resistance of SAMV71Q21RT is the best choice for NewSpace applications such as low-orbit Earth satellite constellations and space robots, while the radiation resistance of SAMRH71 is more suitable for more important subsystems such as gyroscopes and star trackers. The SAMV71Q21RT radiation resistant device can withstand a total ionizing radiation dose (TID) of up to 30 Krad (Si) cumulative, while providing blocking immunity and not being damaged by heavy ions. If the SEL does not exceed 62 MeV.cm²/mg, the SAMV71Q21RT and SAMRH71 will not be affected.

The SAMRH71 Anti-radiation microcontroller is designed specifically for outer space applications to meet the anti-radiation requirements of the following target radiation performance:

● Cumulative total ionizing radiation dose exceeding 100 Krad (Si);
● No single particle event turnover (SEU), energy transfer line density (LET) does not exceed 20MeV.cm²/mg, no systematic mitigation;
● No single particle event function interruption (SEFI) to ensure the integrity of all memory.

The SAMV71Q21RT and SAMRH71 are based on the Arm Cortex-M7 core and offer high performance, low power consumption to extend the operating life of space applications. To avoid radiation effects and manage system mitigation, the SAMV71Q21RT and SAMRH71 architectures add fault management and data integrity features such as error correcting code (ECC) memory, integrity check monitor (ICM), and memory protection Unit (MPU). In addition, they have CAN FD and Ethernet AVB/TSN capabilities to meet the needs of ever-changing spatial system connectivity. To further support outer space applications, the SAMRH71 also features a SpaceWire bus and MIL-STD-1553 interface for control and high-speed data management (up to 200 Mbps).

Bob Vampola, vice president of Microchip Aerospace and Defense, said: "As the industry's first radiation-resistant, radiation-resistant Arm Cortex-M7 microcontrollers, the SAMV71Q21RT and SAMRH71 provide automotive industry proven SoC architectures for aerospace applications. "With Microchip's COTS-Radiation-resistant technology, these devices enable designers to start prototyping immediately and then migrate to compliant devices at a relatively low cost."