VORAGO's HARDSIL®-based products are an ideal solution for applications requiring unique,  highly reliable semiconductor solutions to withstand harsh environments in Aerospace, Defense, and Industrial markets.

APPLICATIONS

International Space Station - NASA

International Space Station

INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

The STP-H5 (Space Test Program – Houston 5) assembly, located on the International Space Station, houses nine HARDSIL®-based die. These die are utilized to measure the effects of protons and cosmic rays. The system was developed by Cosmiac in collaboration with NASA Johnson and AFRL (Air Force Research Laboratory). It comprises the following components:

  1. The VORAGO Technologies PA32KAS MCU

  2. A stack of four 18Mb VORAGO Technologies SRAMs

  3. Four Texas Instruments 16Mb SRAM devices processed using HARDSIL® technology

Additionally, the same nine-die chipset is also operational in Sun-synchronous orbit on STPSat-5 and STPSat-6.

STP-Sat-5

STPSat-5

SATELLITES

STPSat-5 and STPSat-6, make use of VORAGO's HARDSIL® technology. These missions are part of the Department of Defense's Space Test Program (STP).

In collaboration with AFRL (Air Force Research Laboratory) and Texas Instruments, VORAGO Technologies employed HARDSIL® technology to radiation harden high-density SRAMs designed for space applications. VORAGO successfully addressed the primary challenges posed by space radiation, including (SEEs), (TID), and Dose Rate, through a combination of HARDSIL® process modifications and innovative layout designs. These specialized devices are utilized in the STP missions.

TechEdSat-8

TechEdSat-8

CUBESAT

The VA10820 Arm® Cortex® microcontroller is a highly versatile option for CubeSats and finds applications as a payload, in the power management system, and in the (OBC) either as the primary processor or as a watchdog.

Presently, the VA10820 microcontroller is in operation aboard the Astranis satellite DemoSat-2, which was launched on the PSLV-C40 polar satellite launch vehicle in January 2018. This spacecraft was designed to showcase Astranis' software-defined radio technology and is functioning successfully in a low Earth orbit. Moreover, the VA10820 is also utilized in the TechEdSat-8 CubeSat.

Furthermore, the VA10820 microcontroller plays a crucial role in a next-generation X-ray telescope system, serving as a system monitor and configuration solution. This application, in conjunction with an FPGA, is widely adopted, and it represents an improvement over the existing X-ray telescope deployed in NASA's Swift mission. This development has been undertaken by Penn State.

OIL & GAS

The VA10800 200°C microcontroller has found extensive application in various downhole drilling and well management scenarios requiring high-temperature operation. Its inherent design features ensure reliable performance in extreme temperature environments, making it a preferred choice over using up-screened devices not specifically designed for such conditions.

In collaboration with PetroMar and Analog Devices, VORAGO has developed the HT-DAB-1 high temperature data acquisition evaluation and reference design kit. This kit simplifies the development of electronics intended for extreme temperature environments. The printed circuit board (PCB) is compatible with a downhole system form factor and includes comprehensive development software and PC GUI software, facilitating the design process for high-temperature electronics.