Atmel's 0.18 Micron Radiation Hardened ASIC Integrates Up to 5.5 Million Usable Gates

With a total dose capability of up to 300 Krads and a latch-up threshold higher than 70-MeV/cm2/mg, the ATC18RHA lets designers integrate smaller, lighter and higher performing chips into aerospace electronics, space vehicles or navigation systems applications.

The ATC18RHA is a standard cell library encompassing all the specific functions and buffers necessary for space designs. These include 655 Mbps LVDS transmitters and receivers, PCI buffers, SEU hardened DFFs and cold sparing buffers. The ATC18RHA core operates with a 1.8-Volt power supply and two different sets of I/O buffer cells allow for interfacing with a 3.3- or 1.8- Volt logic, enabling designers to easily implement this new ASIC into any space design.

Special attention was paid to validating the ATC18RHA front and back-end design tools. They let designers, at an early stage of physical synthesis, take into account the parasitic effects such as switching noise, cross-talk, antenna effects and RC delay simulation, which are inherent to highly- integrated technologies.

Available in a selection of ceramic hermetic QFP (up to 352 pins) and MCGA (up to 625 pins) packages, the ATC18RHA is offered with pre-defined die sizes and pad rings. This standardization avoids expensive package development costs and reduces design lead-times.

Flight models are delivered tested to either QML Q & V or ESCC quality flows. The ATC18RHA supporting an SMD specification will be available in 3Q 2005.

A design kit is available without charge. It includes all the libraries for simulation, synthesis and other front-end activities, using Atmel or CAD vendor design tools, such as Cadence(R), Synopsys(R) or Mentor(R). Customer support is provided by Atmel's dedicated design centers in Europe (London, Milan, Munich and Nantes) and in the US (San Jose, CA).

This new 0.18 micron ASIC offering strengthens Atmel leadership in system integration solutions for the space industry. Atmel is the only supplier offering such a broad range of radiation-hardened products, including microcontrollers, SPARC-based microprocessors, memories, DSPs, re-programmable FPGAs and ASICs.

This ATC18RHA series has been developed with the support of the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) and the European Space Agency (ESA).

     Footnotes
     DFF: Data Flip Flop
     LVDS: Low Voltage Differential Swing
     MCGA: Multi-layer solder Column Grid Array
     PCI: Peripheral Component Interconnect
     QFP: Quad Flat Pack
     SEU: Single Event Upset

    About Atmel

Atmel is a worldwide leader in the design and manufacture of microcontrollers, advanced logic, mixed-signal, nonvolatile memory and radio frequency (RF) components. Leveraging one of the industry's broadest intellectual property (IP) technology portfolios, Atmel is able to provide the electronics industry with complete system solutions. Focused on consumer, industrial, security, communications, computing and automotive markets, Atmel ICs can be found Everywhere You Are(R).

NOTE: Atmel(R), logo and combinations thereof, Everywhere You Are(R) and others, are the registered trademarks or trademarks of Atmel Corporation or its subsidiaries. Other terms and product names may be trademarks of others.

Information:

Atmel's ATC18RHA product information may be retrieved at http://www.atmel.com/dyn/products/product_card.asp?PN=ATC18RHA

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