Building on its portfolio of radiation-tolerant products, Microchip Technology Inc. today announced its first commercial-grade radiation-tolerant (COTS) power device: the MIC69303RT, a 3A LDO voltage regulator. The new high-current, high-voltage MIC69303RT is a power management solution intended for LEO and other space applications. It is available for prototype sampling in both plastic and ceramic-sealed versions to meet mission requirements.
The MIC69303RT is based on proven commercial devices, simplifying its preliminary evaluation and development. Operating from a single low-voltage supply of 1.65 V to 5.5 V, the device can deliver output voltages as low as 0.5 V with high currents, offering high accuracy and ultra-low dropout voltages of 500 mV for harsh environments. The MIC69303RT is an auxiliary power supply solution for Microchip's space-safe, radiation-tolerant microcontrollers such as the SAM71Q21RT and PolarFire® FPGAs such as the RTPF500TLS.
“The MIC69303RT is Microchip’s first radiation-tolerant power management device with a hermetically sealed ceramic package, blockage immunity, and robustness up to a total dose of 50 Krad,” said Bob Vampola, vice president of Microchip’s aerospace and defense business unit. “Microchip has over 60 years of experience in spaceflight and a comprehensive portfolio that allows customers to select products designed to work together and accelerate their design processes.”.
“This commercial radiation-tolerant power management solution opens up new design possibilities for space applications,” said Keith Pazul, marketing director for Microchip’s analog power and interfaces business unit. “Customers can confidently design their space systems by selecting the commercial space-certified MIC69303RT device to power Microchip’s space-certified microcontrollers and FPGAs.”.
The MIC69303RT, designed for harsh aerospace applications, can operate in a temperature range of -55°C to +125°C. It is available in 8- and 10-pin packages with a radiation tolerance of up to 50 Krad. Low output noise is essential in sensitive RF circuits, post-regulation of switched-mode power supplies, and industrial power applications.
The MIC69303RT device is Microchip's newest space-certified product and is manufactured to meet the following MIL Class Q or Class V requirements: shielding tests, homologation tests, and TCI/QCI specifications. The plastic-encapsulated MIC69303RT offers the high-reliability plastic quality derived from AEC-Q100 automotive requirements with the additional testing necessary for space applications.
Development Tools:
The MIC69303RT Plastic Evaluation Board is designed to evaluate the performance of the plastic engineering version of the MIC69303RT integrated circuit. The 4-layer printed circuit board allows the user to easily change and measure the device's electrical parameters under different input and output conditions.
