Tanner has designs on Mars Rovers

Integrated circuits designed using software from Tanner EDA are ensuring the successful operation of the cameras on the NASA Mars Exploration Rovers Opportunity and Spirit.

Integrated circuits designed using software from Tanner EDA are ensuring the successful operation of the cameras on the NASA Mars Exploration Rovers Opportunity and Spirit.

Scientists and designers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, used L-Edit Pro, Tanner's layout and verification software and T-Spice Pro, Tanner's design entry and simulation software, to design a 1024 x 1024 CCD (charge coupled device).

This effectively shutters, or "grabs" the images and reads them out to the camera electronics.

The CCD design is in use in each of Opportunity and Spirit's different camera systems, which are producing the highest-resolution images ever taken of another planet.

The camera systems on each of the Mars Rovers include six engineering cameras, which aid in-rover navigation and three cameras that perform science investigations.

The image pixels are 12um and the device is front-side illuminated.

The imager is monochrome, although colour can be achieved in some cameras by using a colour filter wheel in front of the imager chip.

"The choice of L-Edit as the EDA tool was critical to the success of the eventual CCD design and the overall operation of the cameras on Opportunity and Spirit", said Dr Mark Wadsworth, former principal member of the JPL engineering staff.

"Designing a CCD which has to operate over a range of temperatures from -90 to +20C, requires a highly integrated tool that lets designers spend time achieving the performance specifications for the CCD, rather than focusing on making the EDA software work to the engineer's satisfaction".

"Tanner EDA has been working closely with JPL for several years now and we are delighted to see that all 18 imagers on the Mars Rovers have produced stunning pictures", said Dr John Tanner, President and CEO of Tanner Research.

"Failure rates can be high on unmanned missions and designing ICs for cameras that are to operate in such an extreme environment requires powerful, flexible design tools.

Tanner EDA has given JPL designers the right software tools to help them produce very accurate layouts and ultimately to design ICs which are critical to the success of the whole mission".

Several different types of cameras on each Rover have imagers designed with Tanner tools.

Each of these devices contains the frame transfer device designed using Tanner's L-Edit Pro.

Four engineering hazcams (hazard avoidance cameras), makes sure each Rover does not get lost or crash into unexpected obstacles.

Two engineering navcams (navigation cameras) gather panoramic, 3D imagery and support ground navigation planning.

Two science pancams (panoramic cameras) deliver three-dimensional panoramas of the Martian surface, mimicking the resolution of the human eye.

The pancam is also part of each Rover's navigation system.

The investigative Microscopic Imager is mounted on the robotic arm to take extreme close-up pictures of rocks and soil.

JPL chose Tanner EDA to design Opportunity and Spirit's imaging chips because of Tanner tools' low cost, ease of use, attractive graphical user interface and excellent customer service.

This is not the first time that Tanner EDA software has been used to design ICs that have gone into space.

Tanner EDA was involved in the Deep Space 1 project in 1998 where Deep Space 1 encountered Comet Borrelly and returned the best images and other data ever from a comet.

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