Renesas Develops Complete Power Management Solution for AMD Space-Grade Versal Adaptive SoC

July 19, 2023

Renesas Electronics Corporation  announced a complete space-ready reference design for the AMD Versal™ adaptive system-on-chip (SoC) XQRVC1902. Developed in collaboration with AMD, the ISLVERSALDEMO2Z reference design integrates key radiation-hardened components for power management, including four new and recently released products in an ultra-compact design. These Intersil-brand ICs are 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 while withstanding the harsh environment of space.

As core voltages decrease and currents increase for FPGAs and ASICs, it has become more difficult to meet the stringent power requirements of these devices to ensure that they operate error-free. This is especially critical in space missions where power availability is limited, and systems are exposed to extreme temperatures and radiation for an extended period of time. 

To address these challenges, Renesas has collaborated with AMD to develop a complete power management solution for the AMD Versal platform. The Versal Adaptive SoC is an industry-leading space-grade compute platform that delivers full radiation tolerance, accelerated AI inference and high-bandwidth signal processing performance. The ISLVERSALDEMO2Z generates each of the power rails utilized by the Versal platform, including a low 0.80V core voltage supply that can source up to 140 A (amps) of current.

“As the number of satellite and spacecraft launches continues to accelerate rapidly, high-performance computing platforms such as the Versal Adaptive SoC are becoming more prevalent, necessitating new power solutions,” said Chris Stephens, Vice President, and General Manager of the HiRel Business Division at Renesas. “Our new reference design has been meticulously engineered to meet the rigorous demands of operations in space, while integrating all of the essential components into a very small footprint. It is an ideal turnkey solution for Versal Adaptive SoC power management.”

“Power management for high-performance digital platforms like our AMD XQRVC1902 Versal space-grade adaptive SoCs cannot be taken for granted, particularly when they are used in the harsh environment of space,” said Minal Sawant, senior director, Aerospace & Defense Vertical Market, AMD. “The combination of our radiation-tolerant Versal space-grade SoC and Renesas ISLVERSALDEMO2Z power solution provides our customers with the precision, efficiency, and dependability that are paramount for the successful execution of space missions.”

Renesas’ new reference design comes with an array of 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, power and enable switches, and power sequencers. The devices come in small-footprint packages, so the core power rail components take up just 104 square centimeters of board area, approximately equivalent to two business cards.

Additionally, the ISLVERSALDEMO2Z comes with all of the design files that customers need for rapid integration into their systems, including schematics, bill-of-materials and PCB Gerber files.

The Renesas Intersil brand has a long history in the space industry spanning more than six decades, beginning with the founding of Radiation Inc. in 1950. 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).