Microchip Announces the Expansion of Its Radiation-Hardened Arm Microcontroller (MCU) Family for Space Systems

Designers can benefit from another step in the Arm Cortex-M7-based system-on-chip (SoC) commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) to rad-hard scalable solutions with the addition of embedded analog capabilities

CHANDLER, Ariz., April 27, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Deep space initiatives including planetary exploration, orbiter missions and space research require innovative spacecraft system technology providing connectivity and processing. To enable system designers better integration and higher performance while reducing development costs and time to market, COTS technologies and scalable solutions are increasingly used in space applications. Microchip Technology Inc. (Nasdaq: MCHP) today announced the qualification of its SAMRH71 Arm-based microprocessor (MPU) and the availability of the SAMRH707 microcontroller (MCU), both implementing Arm Cortex-M7 SoC radiation-hardened technology.

“Spacecraft and satellites are expanding in complexity to provide commercial and military operators with robust new communication and data capabilities, greater reliability and faster speeds, while the operators continuously seek to reduce cost, size and weight,” said Bob Vampola, associate vice president of Microchip’s aerospace and defense business unit. “In this environment, lowering system development costs while enabling greater capabilities and space system integration are ever more critical.”

Microchip’s SAMRH71 and SAMRH707 devices were developed with the support of the European Space Agency (ESA) and Centre National D’Etudes Spatiales (CNES), the French space agency, to further research and program initiatives.

“The introduction of Arm technologies for space applications opens up new perspectives by enabling the use of the same ecosystem well in place in the consumer and industrial sectors,” said David Dangla, VLSI Components Expert at CNES. “The SAMRH71 is the first Arm Cortex M7-based rad-hard microprocessor available today on the market. It offers developers the simplicity of a single-core processor and the performance of an advanced architecture without having to implement heavy mitigation techniques as is required for non-space components.”

“Integration of digital-to-analog converters and analog-to-digital converters together with a powerful processor core is a key requirement for addressing new challenges in aerospace applications,” said Kostas Marinis, Onboard Computers Engineer at ESA. “With the SAMRH707, Microchip provides easy-to-use capabilities in cost-effective, radiation-hardened MCUs.”