Stmicroelectronics has unveiled 2.5V radiation-hardened digital to analog converters for next-generation satellites

     The RHRDAC121 radiation-hardened digital-to-analog converter (DAC) has a minimum operating voltage of 2.5V and is suitable for modern low-power system designs that are not supported by older 3.3V digital-to-analog converters.

     The new product is a 12-bit 1Msps digital-to-analog converter with a built-in successive approximation register (SAR) that consumes only 0.6mW at the highest conversion rate and supply voltage. This low-power design helps reduce the size, weight, and power consumption (SWaP) of the next generation satellites. Typical applications include telemetry, housekeeping, and precision sensor gain tuning. Functional features include SPI compatible serial output, internal voltage reference, and automatic power-on reset to zero volt output, which can achieve high accuracy with minimal external components, reducing circuit complexity and board area.

     The performance parameters of RHRDAC121 were stable under the harsh conditions of up to 100krad(Si) total ionization dose (TID), and there was no single particle latch (SEL) effect under the conditions of up to 125 mev. cm²/mg. Single particle transient (SET) and single particle flip (SEU) effects were tested and analyzed. As a result, the product can be directly deployed to practical applications without further screening devices according to higher standards.

     RHRDAC121 is certified to the QML-V standard and comes in a gold lead or dip weld lead seal ceramic package. Bare sheet products are also available. The new products are designed and manufactured in Europe, using 130nm CMOS technology that STmicro has developed over 45 years in the space industry. Funding for the development of the new digital-to-analog converter was provided by the French space agency CNES (Centre National d 'Etudes Spatiales).