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Extreme Environment, Rad Hard, High Performance, Low Power FPGA for Space Applications
Completed
TRL 3 (started at 2, targeting 3)
Description
To enable NASA's next-generation missions, there is a critical need for a reconfigurable FPGA that can withstand the wide temperatures ranges and radiation of the space environment while consuming minimal power without compromising on performance. To address this need, GoofyFoot Labs proposes the E2-AMP FPGA, a radiation hardened, high performance, low power AMP FPGA capable of operating reliably over wide temperature ranges and rapid thermal changes. The 150-nm E2-AMP FPGA achieves up to 790-MHz peak performance while consuming 7x less power than conventional, commercial counterparts, implementing TMR. The E2-AMP FPGA provides exceptional protection from SEUs, SETs, SEL, and high TID while maintaining high performance and low power levels that exceed even today's highest performing, commercial FPGAs. The E2-AMP FPGA's reconfigurability enables last-minute, no-cost design changes and upgrades even after launch, greatly enhancing mission profile while reducing mission cost and risk. Unlike any other FPGA, rad hard or unhardened, the E2-AMP FPGA can operate reliably at extreme hot and cold temperatures and can also seamlessly tolerate rapid thermal changes without sacrificing performance and without significant designer effort. To handle extreme temperatures, conventional ICs are protected via onboard heat shields or warm boxes to maintain ambient temperatures to a much smaller range. This equipment increases the SwaP of the system and also degrades system reliability. The E2-AMP FPGA will operate correctly across a large temperature range reducing the amount of required thermal regulation. Moreover, we will enhance the E2-AMP FPGA's native low power consumption through the incorporation of a number of power savings techniques. With the E2-AMP FPGA, designers of space-based or high-altitude systems operating in hostile radiation environments and at extreme temperatures can reduce system SWaP, while adding flexibility, capability, and robustness to any system.
Benefits
Autonomous Landing Systems, Mars Science Lab Instrumentation, Tele-robotics, Surface Mobility, Nuclear Systems, Robotic Satellite Servicing, In-Space propulsion, Deep Space X-Ray Navigation and Communication, Deep Space Optical Communications, Mars Sample Return, Europa Orbiter, Near Earth Objects and Primitive Body Missions, Space Launch System, Extra-Vehicular Activity Suits
space-based radar, military space satellites, special-purpose C4ISR satellites launched by intelligence organizations, UAVs, ruggedized airborne platforms, commercial and military aircraft, deep-well probes for oil and gas exploration, mining probes, safety-critical terrestrial applications such as bank servers, telecommunication servers
Details
| Technology area | Flight Computing and Avionics > Avionics Component Technologies > High-Performance Field-Programmable Gate Arrays |
| Program | Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer (SBIR/STTR) |
| Lead organization | GoofyFoot Labs, Plano, TX |
| Start date | 2013-05-23 |
| End date | 2013-11-23 |
Project contacts
Listed on TechPort itself — the most direct way to ask about this specific project.
- Kosta A Varnavas
- Nisha Checka
How to get involved
This is early/mid-stage (TRL 3) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.
None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.