The European Space Agency has awarded Frontgrade Gaisler, a leading supplier of radiation-hardened microprocessors for space applications, a contract under the ARTES Core Competitiveness program to flight qualify the GR716B microcontroller. This state-of-the-art microcontroller is specifically designed for spacecraft electronics. The prototype is expected to be released later this year.

The ESA contract will support the rigorous flight qualification process for the GR716B, to ensure it meets the highest reliability standards during critical missions in space. Flight qualification checks whether the microcontroller can operate reliably when confronted with the difficult conditions of space.

“We are extremely pleased to have been awarded this important contract by ESA,” said Sandi Habinc, General Manager of Frontgrade Gaisler. “The GR716B microcontroller represents a significant advance in our technology, providing enhanced analog capabilities for space missions. This contract not only validates our efforts, but also accelerates the availability of this technology to the space community.”

The many interfaces that GR716B provides mean it can support a wide variety of applications and serve as an integral part of a spaceship subsystem, from ensuring a stable power supply to controlling motors and magnetorquers. This versatility makes it ideal for advanced space missions that require rugged and reliable performance.

“We are very excited to support the development of the GR716B through our ARTES Core Competitiveness programme,” said Domenico Mignolo, Acting Head of Technology & Products Division in ESA's CSC (Connectivity & Secure Communications) Directorate. “The GR716B is an innovative product that will provide better reliability and more flexibility.”

The GR716B microcontroller offers expanded capabilities over the company's GR716A microcontroller, with the newer version offering better performance and a wider range of interfaces while maintaining software compatibility.

Frontgrade Gaisler is also evaluating a GR716B System-in-Package solution, which consists of the microcontroller and nonvolatile memory, which can greatly simplify system integration and instrument panel design.

 

Source:businesswire.com

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