Rad-hard MCUs link straight to rad-hard MRAM

New radiation-hardened and radiation-tolerant MCS8051-compatible MCUs interface with Honeywell's new radiation-hardened magnetic RAM, yielding a two-chip system solution.

Silicon Laude (pronounced "laudee") has developed the world's first, and only, radiation-hardened and radiation-tolerant MCS8051 instruction-compatible microcontrollers that can directly interface with Honeywell's new HXNV-0100 64K x 16bit radiation-hardened magnetic RAM (MRAM), yielding an unprecedented two-chip, radiation-hardened/tolerant microcontroller solution capable of reliable operation in 300krads (Si) total ionising-dose (TID) environments.

Dubbed the SL80RT051-AX001 for the radiation-tolerant version, and SL80RH051-AF001 for the radiation-hardened version (or SL80RX051 collectively), the microcontrollers are implemented in Actel space-qualified RTAX-S and Aeroflex radiation-hardened UT6325 FPGAs (respectively).

Engineered specifically for the harsh environments of space and with applications developers in mind, the microcontrollers offer features not found on any other microcontroller.

These features include 256byte of triple module redundancy (TMR) internal data RAM, 1536byte of on-chip TMR extended data (Xdata) RAM, memory soft-error detection and correction capability, quad pulsewidth modulator (PWM) modules that can operate in stochastic DAC output mode, and Silicon Laude's proprietary Hardware Monitor and Data Exchange (HMDX) technology for real-time monitoring and debugging via an IEEE1149.1 compatible test port.

To achieve direct compatibility with Honeywell's synchronous 16bit MRAM, as well as traditional asynchronous 8bit EEPROMs and SRAMs, the basic 8051 model was re-architected to include a 16bit synchronous/asynchronous external interface, selectable with an external mode pin.

When tied high, the microcontroller operates in synchronous MRAM mode.

Tying the mode pin low configures the device for operation with traditional EEPROMs and SRAMs.

Fundamentally a single-clock, pipelined architecture at the CPU core level, a 4x clock provides the timing necessary to achieve synchronous operation with the MRAM device as well as the high frequencies necessary to take advantage of the PWMs stochastic DAC output mode.

Having the ability to generate precision voltages without the use of external DACs can prove very advantageous in applications that are power, mass and board space constrained, as the only external components that the stochastic DACs require for generating precision 8bit voltages are a 1kohm series resistor terminated to a 2.2uF capacitor to ground.

16bit voltages can also be generated with two DAC outputs and a simple op-amp summing circuit.

SL80RX051 applications include, among others, general instrumentation and control, launch vehicle vibration monitoring, tunable diode laser (TDL) spectrometers, and general data acquisition functions.

Because of the MRAM's nonvolatile storage capability, the MRAM/SL80RX051 combination is ideal for applications that need to collect and store data periodically, with later, less frequent uploads.

Another advantage to the MRAM approach is that programs can be easily updated due to the fact that data and programs can be written to the MRAM like ordinary SRAM, but retained like an EEPROM when powered down.

To prevent unintended writes to program memory, the SL80RX051 includes a write protection security lock that can be deactivated with a unique, three-byte code and enable sequence, similar to an ordinary Flash memory.

100% instruction-set-compatible with the MCS8051 microcontroller, the devices are fully supported by the Keil Software 8051 C compiler and uVision 2 IDE as well as Domain Technologies BoxView real-time high-level language debugger and USB-JTAG debug pod.

On-chip hardware monitor and data exchange debugging functions include unlimited software breakpoints, single-steps, program and data memory downloads, and on-the-fly register/memory examination and editing.

With Silicon Laude's proprietary HMDX, applications developers are able to monitor and exchange data between host computer and target board on-the-fly, and in real-time, without first having to breakpoint or otherwise halt the microcontroller.

When used with Domain Technologies' BoxView real-time debugger, a data window into the device can be opened and its contents monitored and/or data-exchanged in real time.

This capability is especially useful for tweaking constants and/or variables in program/data memory, or simply watching a sine or arbitrary waveform modulate in real time when the window is opened in graphic animation mode.

Because all data and program transfers are done in hardware, no monitor software routines are required on the target side to support HMDX.

Special commercial grade (non-radiation-tested) emulator versions of the SL80RX051 are available for evaluation, prototyping, and software development.

These emulator versions feature an extended debugging capability that includes event counters, triggers, and a 144-channel by 128-sample deep real-time trace buffer that traces a 32bit time-stamp, program counter, accumulator, B register, PSW, DP, SP and internal data pointers and corresponding data movements.

Both the radiation-hardened and radiation-tolerant versions of the SL80RX051 are packaged in a 208-pin CQFP package.

Power supply requirements for the SL80RT051-AX001 are 1.5 and 3.3V for the core and I/Os, respectively, and the SL80RH051-AF001 core and IO supply voltages are 2.5 and 3.3V, respectively.

At its maximum operational frequency of 28MHz, the SL80RT051-AX001 consumes about 280mW and can execute instructions at a rate of up to 7MIPS.

The SL80RH051-AF001 has a maximum operation frequency of 16MHz at about 350mW and an instruction execution rate up to 4MIPS.

Commercial-grade emulator versions of either device are priced at $3000 each in single-unit quantities and are shipped within 10 days of receipt of order.

The SL80RT051-AX001 (B-flow) and SL80RH051-AF001 (QML-Q classification) are priced at $8950 and $8000 each, respectively, in 100-unit quantities with delivery within six weeks of order.

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