A space-ready reference design for the AMD Versal adaptive SoC, XQRVC1902, has been developed by Renesas in collaboration with AMD.
The ISLVERSALDEMO2Z reference design integrates key radiation-hardened (rad-hard) components for power management in a compact design. It includes four new and recently released Intersil ICs, specifically designed to support a range of power rails for space avionics systems that demand tight voltage tolerances, high current, and efficient power conversion in addition to the capability to withstand the harsh environment of space.
The Versal Adaptive SoC is a space-grade compute platform that delivers full radiation tolerance, accelerated AI inference and high bandwidth signal processing, said Renesas. The ISLVERSALDEMO2Z generates each of the power rails used by the Versal platform, including a low 0.80V core voltage supply that can source up to 140A of current.
As core voltages decrease and currents increase for FPGAs and ASICs, it has become more difficult to meet the stringent power requirements of these devices to ensure that they operate error-free, explained Renesas. This is especially critical in space missions where power availability is limited and systems are exposed to extreme temperatures and radiation for an extended period of time.
The reference design “has been meticulously engineered to meet the rigorous demands of operations in space, while integrating all of the essential components into a very small footprint. It is an ideal turnkey solution for Versal Adaptive SoC power management,” commented Chris Stephens, vice president and general manager of the HiRel business division at Renesas.
The reference design comes with an array of power management devices that have been tested and verified to withstand exposure to high levels of radiation.
It includes the ISL73847SEH rad-hard dual output PWM controller, ISL73041SEH and ISL71441M, believed to be the industry’s first dedicated Gan FET half bridge drivers for space applications and the ISL73007SEH rad-hard PoL regulator.
The devices used are in packages with small footprints resulting in the core power rail components taking up just 104 square cm of board area, or approximately the size of two business cards.
The ISLVERSALDEMO2Z comes with all of the design files that customers need for rapid integration into their systems, including schematics, bill of materials and PCB Gerber files.
All products are available today and the reference design is available upon request in limited quantities.
The reference design and the new products will be demonstrated at the Renesas booth (112/113) at the IEEE Nuclear & Space Radiation Effects Conference (NSREC), July 24-28, in Kansas City, Missouri, USA.
