Microsemi Unveils Radiation-hardened Converters for Aerospace Applications

Microsemi, a leading provider of semiconductor solutions differentiated by power, security, reliability and performance, today announced the availability of a family of radiation-hardened, surface mount technology packaged 28 volt (V) input, 50 watt (W) output DC-DC converters. The high-reliability SA50-28 single, dual and triple output converters provide military and commercial satellites with continuous protection against naturally occurring "total dose" ionized radiation, which can negatively impact system performance. "We developed the space-qualified SA50-28 series in response to customer requests for a high reliability alternative to hybrid solutions and less robust competitive products that were causing design issues and schedule delays," said Rob Warren, vice president and general manager at Microsemi. "We listened carefully to our customers and then applied our expertise to deliver simple and standardized SMT construction that aligns with typical satellite load requirements while providing significantly less risk." In addition to improving quality by leveraging automated and repeatable surface mount technology processes, the SA50-28 series allows designers to maximize board real estate resulting in a similar package and weight density to hybrid alternatives. Microsemi's new DC-DC converters feature a fully isolated power supply capable of driving high-reliability point-of-load (POL) converters used to "step down" power to devices such as customizable system-on-chip (cSoC) solutions and field programmable gate arrays. Additional features include a fully isolated synchronization scheme to manage system noise spectra. Microsemi has been providing solutions for demanding space applications for 55 years. The company has an extensive portfolio of fully qualified space products including converters, customizable system-on-chip solutions, MOSFETS, rectifiers, switching diodes, transistors and zeners. These solutions include a comprehensive range of standard and customized space solutions. wwww.microsemi.com