Actel

Space Edition 2007

innovative programmable logic solutions

Low-Power
RTAX-SL
FPGAs

 

 

 

 

 

for Space Applications

 

Extending its low-power offerings to the space community, Actel Corporation has developed the low-power, radiation-tolerant RTAX-SL FPGA option, specifically targeted at high-reliability space-flight designs.

Based on Actel's successful RTAX-S architecture, the new RTAX-SL option is comprised of three members: RTAX250SL, RTAX1000SL, and RTAX2000SL. The industry's lowest power programmable logic solution for space applications, the new RTAX-SL option offers approximately 50 percent lower standby current than the leading space FPGA offering at 125ºC. The previous leader was, of course, Actel's RTAX-S devices.

Designed to offer radiation performance that exceeds the requirements of most space applications, the RTAX-SL option also offers embedded memory, SEU-hardened flip-flops, high I/O count, multiple I/O standard support, and hermetic packaging. Learn More »

RTAX-S

Prototyping Solutions for RTAX-S

Delivering Low-Cost Methodology
for Validation

Actel provides a comprehensive prototyping portfolio for its aerospace customers. Prototyping options for RTAX-S devices can be classified into three types, described here.

Early Concept Proof — Reprogrammable
Flash-Based Devices
For early concept
proof of Actel's
space-optimized
devices, Aldec offers
a prototyping solution
using Actel's ProASIC®3 flash-based FPGAs, allowing customers to tap the flexibility and reprogrammability of flash-based prototypes for multiple aerospace applications. This is described further in the Reprogrammable RTAX-S Prototyping article, with links to additional resources.
Mid-Level Prototyping

For a cost-effective mid-prototyping solution, Actel offers commercial footprint-compatible Axcelerator® (AX) products with prototyping adaptors. Since RTAX-S/SL devices are derived from the Axcelerator family, the basic RTAX-S Prototypearchitecture remains the same, allowing Axcelerator to provide a functional representation of the RTAX-S device at significantly reduced cost.

Final Verification
Customers at the final verification stage have access to pin-compatible RT silicon with the same architecture, functionality, and timing attributes as the flight-qualified FPGAs.

For full timing
verification of
RTAX-S/SL designs,
customers can use
the equivalent PROTO units to validate their flight design. PROTO units provide guaranteed functionality over the full military temperature range. They must not be used for space-flight or other applications that require the quality of space-flight units, such as qualification of space-flight hardware.

The PROTO units are NOT processed or tested to any of the process flows that are offered with the flight units. They are marked, "NOT TO BE USED FOR FLIGHT", as shown on the above package.

These solutions offer tremendous savings in design time by eliminating design cycles, which translates into overall lower development costs.
» Learn more about RTAX-S prototyping