Microchip Introduces "COTS - Radiation and Radiation Hardened" Arm® Core Microcontroller for Space A

             From NewSpace to critical space missions, space application designers need to reduce design cycles and costs while adapting the design to the various radiation requirements of different missions. In response to this trend, Microchip Technology Inc. today introduced the first ARM® core-based microcontroller for the aerospace industry, the SAMV71Q21RT radiation-tolerant microcontroller and the SAMRH71 radiation-resistant microcontroller, which will be commercially available in stock (COTS). The low cost of technology and the advantages of large ecosystems combined with the adjustable radiation protection of aerospace grade devices. The SAMV71Q21RT radiation-resistant microcontroller and SAMRH71 radiation-resistant microcontroller based on the automotive-grade SAMV71 microcontroller use the widely used Arm® Cortex®-M7 System-on-Chip (SoC) to help increase the integration of the space system and reduce costs. performance.

The SAMV71Q21RT and SAMRH71 allow software developers to start developing with SAMV71 COTS devices before migrating to aerospace-grade components, significantly reducing development time and cost. Both devices can use SAMV71's complete software development toolchain because they share the same ecosystem, including software libraries, board support packages (BSPs), and operating system (OS) first-level ports. Once the initial development work is completed on the COTS device, all software developed at this stage can be easily packaged and ported to radiation- or radiation-resistant microcontrollers in high-reliability plastic and aerospace-grade ceramic packages. The SAMV71Q21RT radiation-tolerant microcontroller can reuse a full COTS mask set with a certain pin compatibility, enabling immediate migration of COTS devices to compliant aerospace devices.

The radiation resistance of the SAMV71Q21RT is the best choice for NewSpace applications such as low-orbit Earth satellite constellations and space robots. The radiation resistance of the SAMRH71 is more suitable for more important subsystems such as gyroscopes and star trackers. The SAMV71Q21RT radiation-tolerant device withstands a total ionizing radiation dose (TID) of up to 30 Krad(Si) with latch-up immunity and is not damaged by heavy ions. If the single particle blocking value (SEL) does not exceed 62 MeV.cm2/mg, neither SAMV71Q21RT nor SAMRH71 will be affected.

      The SAMRH71 anti-radiation microcontroller is designed for use in outer space applications and meets the radiation requirements of the following target radiation performance:

Cumulative total ionizing radiation dose exceeds 100 Krad(Si);

No single particle event inversion (SEU), energy transmission line density (LET) does not exceed 20 MeV.cm2/mg, no system relief;

No single event event function interrupt (SEFI) ensures the integrity of all memories.

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

      Bob Vampola, vice president of aerospace and defense at Microchip, said: "As the industry's first radiation- and radiation-resistant Arm Cortex-M7 microcontroller, the SAMV71Q21RT and SAMRH71 provide the proven SoC architecture for aerospace applications in the automotive industry. Microchip's "COTS - Radiation Hard Radiation" technology, which allows designers to immediately begin prototyping at a relatively low cost and then migrate to a compliant device."

development tools

     To simplify the design process and reduce time-to-market, developers can use the ATSAMV71-XULT evaluation board. The device is supported by the Atmel Studio Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for development, debugging, and software libraries. By the middle of 2019, both microcontrollers will also be supported in MPLAB® Harmony 3.0.

Supply and pricing

     Samples of the SAMRH71 in CQFP256 ceramic package are available today. The SAMV71Q21RT is currently in volume production and is available in four models:

SAMV71Q21RT-DHB-E in a prototype grade QFP144 ceramic package

SAMV71Q21RT-DHB-MQ in a space grade QFP144 ceramic package (or equivalent QMLQ package)

SAMV71Q21RT-DHB-SV in a space grade QFP144 ceramic package (or equivalent QMLV package)

SAMV71Q21RT-DHB-MQ in QFP144 plastic package that meets AQEC's high reliability requirements