Microchip RTG4™ FPGAs Achieve Top Space Qualification
Satisfying mission assurance requirements for the most critical space programs, Microchip Technology’s Radiation-Tolerant (RT) RTG4™ Field- Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) with lead-free flip-chip bumps have earned the Qualified Manufacturers List (QML) Class V status. As designated by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), QML Class V is the highest level of qualification for space components and a necessary step to satisfy mission assurance requirements on the most critical space missions such as human-rated, deep space and national security programs.
Because QML qualifications are standardized based on specific performance and quality requirements governed by the DLA, customers can streamline their design and certification processes by using QML- qualified products.
“This is another milestone for our RTG4 FPGAs that will provide customers with added confidence in designing these devices in space flight systems, while allowing them to take advantage of our high- reliability, zero-configuration-upset and low-power consumption FPGAs,” said Bruce Weyer, corporate vice president for Microchip’s FPGA business unit. “For more than 60 years, Microchip solutions have powered space flight missions, and we are dedicated to product longevity and providing the highest quality solutions.”
RTG4 FPGAs are designed to bring high levels of density and performance to space applications, saving cost and engineering efforts through low power consumption and immunity to configuration upsets. Unlike SRAM-based FPGA alternatives, the programming technology used in RTG4 FPGAs provides low static power, which assists in managing thermal issues common in spacecraft. RTG4 FPGAs consume only a fraction of the total power compared to equivalent SRAM FPGAs, while exhibiting zero configuration upsets in radiation and thus requiring no mitigation, reducing engineering expenses and total system costs.