Description: RNET has demonstrated the feasibility of developing an innovative radiation hardened (RH) and ultra low power (ULP) field programmable gate array (FPGA), called the RH/ULP FPGA. The design utilizes an advanced SOI process technology. It is the vision of RNET to develop a family of radiation hardened FPGA products with a variety of features including programmable logic, configurable analog functions, soft/hardcore microprocessor, dedicated DSP functions, I/O, dedicated memory blocks, memory controllers, global clock, and JTAG interface. In addition, specialized circuits for mitigation of TID/temperature effects, radiation hardened by design SEU techniques, and memory scrubbing are planned. Our vision at the conclusion of this proposed SBIR is to fabricate a "commercial" RH/ULP FPGA with the most important features listed. Ideally the FPGA to be developed under the proposed Phase 2 would contain all of these features, but due to the limitation of funds and allotted time, a scaled down version would be completed. The envisioned device will incorporate the basic programmable logic functions, dedicated block RAM, DSP functions, configurable I/O, global clock distribution network, and JTAG interface. Phase 2 will set the stage for more feature-rich product families to be developed as commercialization continues.

Benefits: One potential customer will be NASA for future Flagship exploration missions, such as the mission to Jupiter and its moons called the Europa Jupiter System Mission (EJSM). This is a joint mission between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA). Hardened electronics are needed for systems and sensors that will become part of the Jupiter Europa Orbiter (JEO) and Jupiter Ganymede Orbiter (JGO). Other general opportunities exist in space vehicles, orbiters, satellites, etc.

Potential non-NASA markets would include the DoD and Homeland Security on the government side, and Prime Contractors that manufacture Electronic Components/Processors for NASA and DoD. In fact, this technology has direct application where small satellite are operated in medium earth orbit in the Van Allen Belts. Due to the small size of these satellites limited radiation shielding is available and therefore, highly radiation hardened electronics are required. Another need exists for radiation hardened processing devices that support numerous sensors used in a variety of space missions.