Microsemi introduces RTG4 radiation-resistant FPGA devices for high-speed signal processing applications

     Microsemi Corporation has announced the availability of RTG4, a radiation-resistant FPGA product for high-speed signal processing applications using reprogrammable flash memory technology. Provides complete immunity to radiation-induced configuration reversals in the harshest radiation environments without configuration scrubbing, unlike SRAM based FPgas. The RTG4 can provide up to 150K logic units and up to 300MHz system performance for space-grade product applications.

     Typical applications of RTG4 include remote sensing of space payloads, such as radar, civilian imaging and spectroscopy, scientific and commercial applications. These applications include weather forecasting, climate research, land use, astronomy and astrophysics, planetary exploration, and earth science. Other applications include mobile Satellite Service (MSS) communications satellites, as well as high-altitude flight, medical electronics and civil nuclear power control. Such applications, which in the past used expensive radiation-resistant ASIC devices, forced development projects to bear significant cost and schedule risks. RTG4 devices can provide projects with FPGA-specific ease of use and flexibility without sacrificing reliability or performance.

     Marco Caceres, senior analyst and director of space research at the Virginia-based consulting firm Teal Group, said: "We expect the number of new spacecraft of 50 kg or more mass to increase by approximately 25 percent over the next 10 years, with more sophisticated payload electronics and more on-board data processing than previous spacecraft to maximize data acquisition capabilities while dealing with limited downlink

bandwidth."

     RTG4 FPgas, with their high flexibility, reliability, and high performance, can easily achieve this goal. The company has long been committed to the development of radiation-resistant FPGA devices, and its FPGA devices are widely used in NASA and international space programs. The RTG4 device is the latest research result of the company.

     David Strobel, CEO of Space Micro, San Diego, California, USA, said: "Our next-generation software-defined radio and image processing computer is designed for use on several NASA and international space science missions, and we are excited to use MGM's RTG4 FPGA devices on these devices. "We believe that the high performance and rich feature set of the RTG4 FPGA, combined with our proprietary advanced processing algorithms, will form a winning combination that will create outstanding value for our space and missile customers."

     Ken O 'Neill, Director of Aerospace Marketing at Mesome Aerospace, said: "The introduction of the RTG4 FPGA device affirms our strong commitment to the space industry as a leading supplier of FPGA devices that significantly mitigate the impact of radiation effects. "The RTG4 FPGA combines a wealth of features with the highest quality and reliability to meet the growing demands of modern satellite-loaded equipment."