Renesas Introduces Power Management with Voltage Monitoring Solution for Space-Grade AMD Versal AI Edge Adaptive SoC

By: Renesas Electronics Corporation via Business Wire

July 18, 2024 at 08:00 AM EDT

Space-Qualified Power Management Solution Offers Cost-Effective Digital Wrapper and System Health Monitoring through an Intuitive Graphical User Interface

Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE:6723), a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, today announced a complete space-ready reference design for the AMD Versal™ AI Edge XQRVE2302 Adaptive SOC. Developed in collaboration with AMD, the ISLVERSALDEMO3Z power management reference design integrates key space-grade components for power management. It targets the cost-effective AI Edge with both rad-hard & rad-tolerant plastic solutions specifically designed to support a wide range of power rails for next-generation space avionics systems that demand tight voltage tolerances, high current, and efficient power conversion.

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(Graphic: Business Wire)

The new ISLVERSALDEMO3Z power management reference design is fully qualified, enabling easy integration into satellite payload architectures. It includes a PMBus interface, giving users control of fault behaviors, protection levels and output regulation voltage. The new reference design also offers telemetry readouts of internal signals for system diagnostics. It is the industry’s only space-qualified power management system with a digital wrapper to optimize information transmission. The core power solution of this reference design is easily scalable with regard to output power, optimizing customers’ investments in design and qualification over time.

As the number of Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites increases, the need for lower cost space-grade systems is growing rapidly. Customers traditionally concerned with minimizing SWaP (Size, Weight and Power consumption) are now interested in reducing cost as well (SWaP-C). Renesas’ new ISLVERSALDEMO3Z power management reference design optimally addresses all of these factors. Space-grade plastic components decrease size, weight and cost while wide-bandgap GaN FETs enable the highest efficiency power conversion.

The new Versal AI Edge Adaptive SoC converts raw sensor data into useful information, making the XQRVE2302 ideal for anomaly and image detection applications. It has a nearly 75% smaller board area and power savings over the previous-generation XQRVC1902. It also integrates the enhanced AMD AI Engine (AIE) technology, known as AIE-ML, which has been optimized for machine learning (ML) applications. Unlike competitive offerings, it supports unlimited reprogramming.

“We’re proud to team with AMD to deliver this advanced solution that addresses the most pressing concerns of space customers,” said Josh Broline, Sr. Director, Marketing and Applications of the HiRel Business Division at Renesas. “Along with our hallmark power management expertise, this reference design meets SWaP-C objectives, enables real-time system monitoring and control, and unlocks the power of AI.”

“The Versal™ AI Edge XQRVE2302 Adaptive SOC delivers unprecedented features and performance for the rapidly growing space market,” said Minal Sawant, senior director, Aerospace & Defense Vertical Market, AMD. “We’re pleased that Renesas offers advanced power management functionality that enables our customers to take full advantage of this solution.”

Renesas’ new ISLVERSALDEMO3Z power management reference design comes with power management devices that have been tested and verified to withstand exposure to high levels of radiation. These include Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) controllers, GaN FET half-bridge drivers, point-of-load (POL) regulators, and power sequencers. The devices come in small-footprint packages, so the core power rail components take up just 67 square centimeters of board area.

Also, the ISLVERSALDEMO3Z mates seamlessly with the ISL71148VMREFEV1Z voltage monitor reference design with 14-bit resolution to accurately monitor all 11 core power rails of the Versal AI Edge Adaptive SOC. The high resolution enables reliable system health monitoring. It includes a “dual-footprint” to accommodate both space plastic and rad-hard hermetic solutions.

Demonstrations at NSREC

The new reference designs will be demonstrated at the Renesas booth (# 427-429) at the IEEE Nuclear & Space Radiation Effects Conference (NSREC), July 22-26, in Ottawa, Canada.

Renesas Intersil Brand

The Renesas Intersil brand spans more than six decades. Since then, virtually every satellite, shuttle launch and deep-space exploration mission has included Intersil-branded products. Renesas leverages this experience to deliver efficient, thermally optimized and highly reliable SMD, MIL-STD-883 and MIL-PRF 38535 Class-V/Q Intersil-branded products for the defense, high-reliability (Hi-Rel), and rad-hard space markets. Renesas Intersil-brand rad-hard ICs support subsystems for mission critical applications in data communications transfer, power supplies and power conditioning, general protection circuitry, and telemetry, tracking and control (TT&C). More information is available at www.renesas.com/space.

Availability

Both the ISLVERSALDEMO3Z and the ISL71148VMREFEV1Z reference designs are available today. They include all of the design files that customers need for rapid integration into their systems, including schematics, bill-of-materials and PCB Gerber files.

About Renesas Electronics Corporation

Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723) empowers a safer, smarter and more sustainable future where technology helps make our lives easier. A leading global provider of microcontrollers, Renesas combines our expertise in embedded processing, analog, power and connectivity to deliver complete semiconductor solutions. These Winning Combinations accelerate time to market for automotive, industrial, infrastructure and IoT applications, enabling billions of connected, intelligent devices that enhance the way people work and live. Learn more at renesas.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, X, YouTube, and Instagram.

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