RH45 technology has been used for more than a decade to allow space customers to develop application-specific integrated circuits using a library of advanced capabilities and established design and manufacturing methods. Production is now based on GlobalFoundries’ 45nm silicon-on-insulator technology at its facility in Malta, New York, strengthening the domestic supply chain for radiation-hardened microelectronics.
The RH45 ASIC Storefront provides a high-reliability platform of qualified building blocks compatible with industry-standard design tools, allowing customers to develop their own integrated circuit designs. Based on commercial 45nm technology, the chips are designed to withstand demanding radiation environments while delivering better power and performance than previous generations of transistor electronics.
BAE Systems said RH45 can support planetary exploration, communications, national security, surveillance and weather operations for military, civil and commercial customers. The chips also have a role in strategic radiation-hardened defence applications.
“Design flexibility is important when it comes to supporting space missions,” said Joe Dziezynski, Space Systems product line director at BAE Systems. “Our RH45 ASIC library is a unique and trusted capability that allows our customers to target specific functions while meeting radiation-hardened requirements. These integrated circuits are the heart of computers whose advanced processing powering cannot fail when carrying out critical objectives in the challenging space environment.”
The funding also reinforces BAE Systems’ manufacturing relationship with GlobalFoundries and its use of domestically produced semiconductor technology. GlobalFoundries said the programme would support continuity of supply for critical defence applications and the development of secure US-manufactured semiconductor solutions.
“This investment builds upon our longstanding partnership with BAE Systems, a valued customer of our differentiated SOI technology,” said Ezra Hall, senior director of Aerospace and Defense Business Line at GlobalFoundries. “It reaffirms our commitment to providing continuity of supply for critical defense applications and to supporting BAE Systems with secure, U.S.-manufactured semiconductor solutions. Together, we are accelerating the development of next-generation technologies that meet the highest standards of performance, reliability, and security – including in challenging space environments for critical space missions.”
RH45 technology is also being integrated into single-board computers that will be available to space agencies and spacecraft manufacturers, including BAE Systems’ Endura SBC. Endura is designed to combine powerful processor cores, hardware-accelerated input/output and advanced security features to deliver what the company describes as exponential improvements in size, speed and power efficiency.
BAE Systems develops and produces high-reliability space electronics ranging from standard components and single-board computers to complete system payloads. Work on the RH45 ASIC is carried out by the company’s Space Systems group in Manassas, Virginia, at a US Department of War Category 1A Microelectronics Trusted Source covering design, aggregation, brokering, packaging and assembly, and test services.
