Extending the Mission Envelope of High-Performance Plastic MCUs

Extending the Mission Envelope of High-Performance Plastic MCUs From 30 to 50 krad

As space missions continue to evolve, so do the requirements placed on the electronics inside them. The growth of commercial constellations, Earth observation platforms and increasingly capable spacecraft is creating a broader spectrum of mission profiles. Some missions prioritize cost and scalability. Others demand higher radiation margins and long-term reliability.

For system designers, this creates an important question:

How much radiation tolerance does the mission really need—and can that capability be delivered without unnecessarily increasing system complexity, cost or packaging constraints?

We are extending the capabilities of our proven SAMV71Q21RT radiation-tolerant microcontroller with a new version offering up to 50 krad(Si) TID capability and an enhanced Plastic Class 1 quality grade equivalent to QML Class P.

Space Missions Are Becoming More Diverse

The traditional approach to space electronics often centered on maximizing component assurance for a small number of high-value, long-duration missions. Today's space ecosystem is much broader. Commercial LEO constellations, Earth observation satellites, technology demonstrators and increasingly distributed spacecraft architectures are driving demand for electronics that combine:

• High processing performance
• Radiation tolerance
• Long-term reliability
• Compact and lightweight packaging
• Scalable manufacturing
• Predictable cost and availability

This does not mean that every mission needs the highest radiation hardness or a hermetic ceramic package.

Instead, designers are increasingly looking for the right balance between mission requirements and component assurance.

Why 50 krad Matters

Radiation is one of the fundamental challenges when designing electronics for space.

Total Ionizing Dose, or TID, represents the accumulated radiation exposure experienced by electronic components throughout a mission. The required TID capability depends on the spacecraft's orbit, mission duration, shielding and system-level radiation environment.

The established SAMV71Q21RT provides a high-performance radiation-tolerant MCU platform based on the Arm^® Cortex^®-M7 architecture, operating at up to 300 MHz, with up to 2 MB of Flash and 384 KB of SRAM.

The new version extends the radiation envelope from 30 krad(Si) to 50 krad(Si).

That additional margin can provide designers with greater flexibility when targeting missions with more demanding radiation environments, while retaining the advantages of a high-performance microcontroller and plastic packaging.

A Plastic Class 1 Solution - Equivalent to QML-P

Radiation performance is only one element of the component-selection decision.

Quality assurance and packaging can have an equally important impact on system cost, manufacturing strategy and supply scalability.

The new SAMV71Q21RT version introduces an enhanced Plastic Class 1 quality grade, with a quality assurance level equivalent to QML-P, retaining the benefits of a plastic package and providing the highest level of quality insurance.

This approach gives system designers another option when defining the appropriate assurance level for their mission—particularly for applications where the combination of radiation tolerance, quality, scalability and packaging flexibility is important.

Proven Performance Without Starting Over

One of the strongest advantages of the new device is continuity with the established SAMV71 platform. The SAMV71Q21RT is based on the high-performance Arm Cortex-M7 architecture, combining processing performance with a broad set of connectivity and control peripherals, including Ethernet, CAN-FD, USB, QSPI and extensive analog and digital interfaces.

The platform also enables a COTS-to-radiation-tolerant development strategy, allowing designers to leverage the SAMV71 ecosystem before transitioning to a space-oriented device. We have previously highlighted the common software ecosystem and pin compatibility between the COTS SAMV71 and the radiation-tolerant SAMV71Q21RT.

For development teams, this continuity can reduce the effort associated with introducing a new processing platform into an existing spacecraft architecture.

Matching the MCU to the Mission

The evolution to 50 krad is therefore more than a radiation specification. It is about giving system architects another point on the spectrum between commercial, radiation-tolerant and radiation-hardened electronics.

When selecting an MCU for a space mission, designers can consider:

• What orbit will the spacecraft operate in?
• What is the expected mission lifetime?
• What TID level is expected behind the spacecraft shielding?
• What radiation margin is required?
• What quality and screening level is appropriate?
• Is a ceramic package really necessary for the application?
• How important are cost, supply scalability and manufacturing flexibility?

The answers to these questions can help determine the most appropriate component technology rather than defaulting to the highest available assurance level.

The new SAMV71Q21RT brings together three important elements for today's space electronics designers:

• 50 krad(Si): Extended radiation tolerance for more demanding mission environments
• Plastic Class 1  QML-P equivalent : Enhanced quality and assurance in a scalable plastic-package solution
• Proven SAMV71 architecture : High-performance Arm Cortex-M7 processing and an established development ecosystem

Together, these capabilities extend the mission envelope of the SAMV71 platform and give designers greater flexibility when balancing performance, radiation tolerance, quality, packaging and program economics.

The goal is not to engineer every spacecraft for the harshest possible environment. The goal is to select the right level of capability for the mission.

With the new 50-krad SAMV71Q21RT, designers have another option to do exactly that.

Want More?

For more information, please visit our SAMV71Q21RT web page.