PROPOSAL NUMBER: | 02- S1.04-7448 (For NASA Use Only - Chron: 024551 ) |
SUBTOPIC TITLE: | Spacecraft Technology for Micro/Nanosats |
PROPOSAL TITLE: | Reconfigurable Task Processor |
SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN
(Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
PicoDyne Inc
1918 Forest Drive
Annapolis , MD 21401 - 4319
(410 ) 990 - 1890
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER
(Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Brian Smith
Brian.Smith@PicoDyne.com
1918 Forest Drive
Annapolis , MD 21401 - 4319
(410 ) 990 - 1890
TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The work proposed herein is the development of a Radiation Tolerant Processing node with built-in reconfigurable logic and standard interfaces.
Microelectronics for Nanosats require efficient architectures to make the best use of precious area, power, and mass allocations. PicoDyne is currently developing a Radiation Tolerant FPGA for space use, and separately, microcontrollers and processors. We propose combining the functions of a software-programmable processor with programmable hardware on a single chip. The FPGA architecture we are implementing as a stand-alone chip will be scaled down to allow insertion onto this Reconfigurable Task Processor(RTP). The same commercial design tools used for the larger device will be applicable here.
POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
This device is applicable to many consumer electronics, where microcontrollers and microprocessors control functionality. This ranges from hand-held games and PDAs, to cell-phones, to microwave ovens.
POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Micro and Nanosat avionics, instruments, and communications circuitry. This is also applicable to standard spacecraft electronics, where the same benefits of smaller size and increased functionality are desired.