Download The use of sophisticated semiconductor technology in aerospace

Xilinx in Aerospace & Defense
Backgrounder
May 11, 2009
The need to use sophisticated semiconductor technology in aerospace and defense (A&D)
applications presents demanding and unique challenges for chip providers. Often, A&D
semiconductor products must be able to operate in extreme environments of heat, radiation and
other rugged factors; be packaged in small, lightweight form factors with unique materials; and
meet highly stringent security and quality measures. Product life cycles of the A&D industry put
further demands on suppliers for extended product availability and support as failure is not an
option for systems involved in mission critical applications. These demands are not addressed
well by traditional ASIC solutions because of their inherently long development cycle, re-spin
risks, and high NRE costs.
Xilinx is the leading programmable logic supplier of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS), defensegrade, and space-grade devices to the A&D market. Programmable platforms such as those from
Xilinx are increasingly well positioned to address the requirements of current and next
generation A&D applications. These include large logic fabric for high integration, increased
performance for data processing, and hard-coded intellectual property components for embedded
processing, digital signal processing (DSP), and on-chip Ethernet MACs and SERDES for highspeed connectivity.
Xilinx understands the ‘language’ of the A&D industry, which helps suppliers to work more
efficiently and deliver mission critical solutions faster. The company’s experience in working
with government agencies and their contractors is essential to supplying solutions to this market,
for which extensive certification and security clearance requirements dictate different
engagement and operational models than in the commercial markets.
Xilinx: A proven track record in A&D
Xilinx has more than 20 years of continuous service to the A&D industry, dating back to the
1989 introduction of the first MIL-STD-883 qualified FPGA. Since then Xilinx has optimized its
programmable solutions for the unique needs of A&D applications, growing it to be one of the
largest vertical markets served by Xilinx. Today, it offers the broadest portfolio of FPGA
solutions for the A&D industry, powering products in avionics/aircraft/UAV, electronic warfare,
high performance computing, milcom, mil-sat com, missiles and munitions, radar, secure
communications, signal intelligence, and space.
Xilinx is the world’s leading programmable logic device (PLD) supplier to the A&D industry
with over 50 percent market share. The company currently delivers programmable logic
solutions to major defense contractors worldwide and has technology development partnerships
with key government agencies. As part of its support of A&D developers, Xilinx offers extended
obsolescence policies for defense-grade devices and a deep understanding of contractual issues.
The company’s legacy of leadership, dedication, and commitment to this segment has led to
several important milestones, including the first FPGAs approved to handle Type 1 single-chip
crypto (SCC) implementation, delivery of the industry’s first radiation-tolerant FPGAs for space
applications, and a key role in the formation the SEE Consortium. Xilinx devices have even
landed on Mars in the Mars Rover, where its FPGAs are still thriving four years later.
The A&D Programmable Imperative
Xilinx A&D products are based on the company’s Spartan® and Virtex® FPGA families, with
COTS as well as defense- and space-grade qualified devices. These devices reduce system
complexity and size with integrated features such as embedded PowerPC® processor cores,
Ethernet MACs and PCI Express® endpoint blocks, DSP acceleration engines, and digital clock
management capabilities. They allow A&D developers to replace multiple devices with a single
programmable platform in order to shrink PCB size and system weight while controlling power
consumption (SWAP-C). With the ability to implement hardware modifications right up to
deployment, and even in the field to extend system life, developers can reduce development costs
in a way that eliminates the NRE costs and lengthy development cycles of traditional ASIC
approaches. In addition, Xilinx’s partial reconfiguration capabilities enable a shared resource
model for even greater SWAP-C benefits.
Xilinx FPGAs also provide the silicon foundation for its growing portfolio of base-level,
domain-specific, and market-specific targeted design platforms tailored for the unique
requirements of A&D applications. Xilinx targeted design platforms provide all the functional
elements required to build complete systems or subsystems with an integrated ecosystem of
silicon devices, FPGA and application-specific IP, Xilinx and third party design tools,
development boards and kits, and comprehensive application support with government
guidelines and Xilinx reference designs. This platform-based approach makes FPGAs more
application ready, so A&D developers can more rapidly and easily deploy Xilinx programmable
platforms into their systems. By keeping the focus of A&D developers on the mission rather than
becoming an FPGA expert, they can spend more time creating value-add capabilities and
application services for their products.
Highest Performance, Largest Capacity FPGAs in Space
For space applications, Xilinx is the first and only PLD vendor to offer reprogrammable spacegrade devices of radiation-tolerant FPGAs. Xilinx space-grade FPGAs provide unprecedented
levels of integration with the logic capacity, performance, and advanced silicon features
previously available only to commercial product developers. Designers of high-altitude, in-orbit,
space-based or extra-terrestrial digital electronics systems targeted for hostile radiation
environments can reduce system size, weight and power consumption, while accelerating
development and eliminating the risk and NREs associated with ASICs.
Xilinx space-grade products are truly unique in the industry. They are the only FPGAs to meet
QML class-V flows with support for specified total ionizing dose (TID) and characterized singleevent effects (SEE). Also, they are the only space-grade FPGAs to offer multiple device families
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optimized with embedded MPUs, embedded DSP elements, and built-in Ethernet MAC blocks in
a single device.
Xilinx’s triple modular redundancy (TMR) methodology and support for advanced scrubbing
techniques provides full SEU (single event upset) and SEL (single event latch-up) immunity on
space-grade products. All of the company’s radiation-tolerant devices are supported with the full
range of standard Xilinx development tools for logic, embedded processing, and DSP design, as
well as the specialized Xilinx TMRTool™ software that works with any HDL and synthesis tool
to automate TMR design techniques.
Most Comprehensive FPGA Offering for Defense Applications
Xilinx entered the military A&D market in the late 1980s with its first defense-qualified
qualified Virtex FPGAs – the PLD industry’s first qualified Mil-temp grade solution (including
MIL-PRF-38535 QML offerings). Xilinx has significantly expanded its silicon offering with
multiple product generations, and most recently with the addition of the Virtex-5Q FPGA
product line – the industry’s most comprehensive portfolio of defense-grade devices with four
domain-optimized FPGA families
Virtex-5Q FPGAs address the elevated performance and security demands on modern defense
systems, making them ideal for secure communications applications, as well as for electronic
warfare, aircraft and transport vehicles, C4ISR systems (Command, Control, Communications,
Computer, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance), and missiles and munitions. The
Virtex-5Q FPGA family delivers 30 percent higher speeds, 65 percent more capacity, and 35
percent lower dynamic power consumption on average over previous generations. It is also the
first defense-grade FPGA family to be offered with ruggedized packaging across the board for
protection against ‘tin-whiskering’ and robust support for military assembly processes to ensure
the highest quality possible for mission-critical applications.
Xilinx also provides bare die products including the Virtex-5Q family for specialized form
factors or customized packaging through industry collaborations. Existing systems can support
SWAP-C without redesign by converting to a multi-chip module utilizing bare die instead of
packaged products. New designs can start with bare die to enable a host of new possibilities
through exotic form factors.
Secure Communication Platform
Xilinx developed the first SCC methodology in collaboration with government agencies to
enable reductions in the size, weight, power and cost of secure A&D systems through higher
levels of integration. SCC allows functionality implemented in multiple FPGAs to address
security and reliability requirements to be implemented on a single FPGA. The first generation
SCC implementation was based on Xilinx Virtex-4 devices.
Building on this SCC technology leadership, Xilinx has developed a comprehensive targeted
design platform for secure communications. At the heart of the innovations introduced with this
platform are the Virtex-5Q devices with embedded PowerPC 440 processors, tamper-proofing
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capabilities and intellectual property (IP), and Xilinx’s isolation verification tool. Leveraging the
partial reconfiguration capability and design tools available with Virtex-5Q FPGAs, the Xilinx
SCC platform enables redundancy and red/black isolation within a single device.
Backed by A&D Proven Services and Standards
Xilinx A&D solutions are backed by a complete range of experienced design and
implementation services, including on-site Titanium Dedicated Engineering services for ITARsensitive products. Services ranging from design feasibility to full turnkey system design
(including warranties, maintenance and support contracts) are available as fixed-price and timeand-material engagements, allowing customers to pick the right model for based on project
requirements. In addition to being ISO 9001 certified, Xilinx brings a strong background in A&D
contracting and is well versed in contractual issues.
In response to the need for safety-critical design practices, Xilinx has also mobilized a global
ecosystem of technology and service providers to aid the development of avionics systems
certified to U.S. RTCA/DO-254 and its European equivalent EUROCAE/ED-80 standards. By
expanding collaboration with other technology leaders, industry experts, and the user community,
Xilinx can more effectively and rapidly deliver practical guidance and DO-254 implementation
support for reducing the cost, risk, and time to market of next-generation avionics with FPGAbased platforms, industry-proven tool flows, and expert design services.
Commitment to Leadership and Innovation
The new frontier in space and mission-critical defense applications place unprecedented
demands on technology suppliers to the A&D industry. Xilinx is committed to meeting the
evolving needs of A&D developers with flexible, high performance solutions backed by an indepth knowledge of the market, proven track record of technology leadership, and focus on
innovation for the next generation. For more information on Xilinx A&D solutions, please visit
us on the web at www.xilinx.com/esp/aerospace.htm.
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