The Xilinx Virtex-5QV field programmable gate array is one of the industry's first high performance radiation-hardened chip for space processing systems and is 1,000 times less sensitive to space radiation than the commercial equivalent, the company claimed. In September, several major satellite builders will receive Virtex-5 QV prototypes as part of an early access program, the company stated.
Amazing telescopes produce hot space images
According to Xilinx, ASICs were the only solution available to system designers of high-performance space applications with long development and fabrication times as well as high non-recurring engineering costs. The chip would also allow last-minute design changes and redesigns after launch, the company stated.
"An FPGA has a huge, positive impact on spacecraft project funding as there can be up to an 80 % savings in electronic hardware expenses. We wanted to do things efficiently and focus on affordability," said Creigh Gordon, the senior electronics engineer at the Air Force Research Laboratory's Space Vehicles Directorate. "One way to accomplish both is to use field programmable gate arrays as the basis for satellite computers. By doing so, the cost for the non-recurring (research and development) significantly decreases."
The radiation-hardened version of the commercial Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGA was developed under sponsorship by Space Vehicles Directorate and has been in development for about five years.
Xilinx has worked with NASA and others to develop space computer system components.
Follow Michael Cooney on Twitter: nwwlayer8
Layer 8 Extra
Check out these other hot stories:
Omnipresent GPS coverage takes another hit
Boeing to build unmanned aircraft can stay aloft for 5 years
US wants big, revolutionary energy storage systems
Three wicked cool car teams split $10M X Prize for advanced, fuel efficient vehicles
Former Yahoo exec. tries to outwit, outplay, outlast Survivor
FTC: Springsteen fans screwed by TicketMaster Web deception get refunds
Boeing teams with Space Adventures for spaceflight trips
NASA looks at horizontal, railgun-like rocket launcher
Security absurdity: US in sensitive information quagmire
Spaceflight formation flying test bed takes off
NASA Mars rover halfway to the promised crater
Supernova shrapnel slammed into meteorite
DARPA looking for extreme wireless interference buster
Military mobile apps store gets $6.4M to open
NASA preps ultimate Sun mission