To help in the commercialization of low Earth orbit (LEO) exploration and satellite communication, Microchip Technology has introduced its first commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) radiation-tolerant power device with a low-dropout voltage regulator.
Microchip said for these LEO satellites to operate and reach their destination successfully, they must be able to withstand the harsh space environment. The device, dubbed MIC69303RT, is a power management solution targeting these LEO and other space applications with high-current, low-voltage and radiation tolerance.
The power device operates from a single low-voltage supply of 1.65 V to 5.5 V and can supply output voltages as low as 0.5 V at high currents and offers ultra-low dropout voltages of 500 mV under extreme conditions.
The chip is a companion power source solution for Microchip’s radiation-tolerant space-qualified microcontrollers such as the SAM71Q21RT and PolarFire field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).
Other features include:
- Temperature ranges from 55° C to 125° C
- Radiation tolerance up to 50 Krad
- Low noise output, which is critical to sensitive RF circuits
- Post regulation of switching power supplies
