ALPHACORE INC — National Aeronautics and Space Administration SBIR Phase I: S4

Description

Wide temperature and radiation hardened CMOS based monolithic chipsnbsp;arenbsp;sought by NASA for both onboard scientific instruments (such as radiometers and spectrometers) and for high performance computing (HPC).nbsp;Analog blocks have long been a critical need for NASArsquo;snbsp;missions,nbsp;such as Moon missions and Europa.nbsp;Alphacore, Inc. willnbsp;design and characterizenbsp;wide-temperature (-200nbsp;deg;Cnbsp;to +200nbsp;deg;C) rad-hard (TID calibrated, SEL immune, SET tolerant) CMOS analog library innbsp;thenbsp;GlobalFoundries (GF) 22nm FDSOInbsp;CMOSnbsp;process,nbsp;whichnbsp;willnbsp;help realize next generation extreme environment operable ASICsnbsp;for futurenbsp;NASArsquo;s missions.nbsp;nbsp;Alphacorersquo;s analog library includes key analog blocks that most scientific instruments and sensors would need for all future missions. These blocks include 1) programmable resolution and sampling rate Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) 2) Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) 3) Low-Dropout (LDO) regulator and 4) Comparator.nbsp;nbsp;These blocks will be designed in 22nm FDSOI process that will have TID calibration with SEL immunity and SET tolerance and suitable for applications of wide temperatures like atmospheric and surface explorations of Titan (-180deg; C), Europa (-220deg; C), Ganymede (-200deg;C), Mars (-120deg;C to +20deg;C), the Moon (-180deg;C), asteroids, comets and other small bodies.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Whatnbsp;Alphacorenbsp;is proposing is a uniquenbsp;solutionnbsp;tonbsp;critical need that has not previously been addressed. Alphacore has been closely collaborating with multiple teams that researched state-of-the-art circuits including readout systems, sensors and other mixed signal circuits for analog data capture, signal processing, command and control. Since Alphacore has been actively involved in radiometer system designing community for over three years,nbsp;we have a deep understanding of the scientific payloads and rad-hard, cold temperature mixed signal circuits communityrsquo;s needs and of related design challenges.nbsp;nbsp;