Products that have Qualified Manufacturers List (QML) designations are often the most reliable and readily accepted in space program projects. As designated by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), Microchip Technology's RT PolarFire FPGA is now QML Class Q qualified.
This certification is considered the gold standard in entry-level qualification, allowing designers to begin integrating the PolarFire RT FPGA into their spaceflight systems more easily. Because QML qualifications are standardized based on specific performance and quality requirements governed by the DLA, customers can simplify their design process by using QML-qualified products.
Reprogrammable, low-power PolarFire RT FPGAs offer expanded logic density and high performance, delivering significant improvements in signal processing throughput. Unlike SRAM-based FPGA alternatives, these devices do not feature any configuration of SEUs (Single-Event Upsets) in the radiation and therefore require no mitigation, which reduces engineering expenses and bill of materials (BOM) costs.
“The RT PolarFire FPGA reduces satellite signal processing congestion with higher levels of density and performance than any other product in our FPGA portfolio,” said Shakeel Peera, vice president of marketing for Microchip’s FPGA business unit. . “Microchip is committed to providing high-quality, reliable solutions, and this landmark qualification gives customers additional confidence when designing our devices into their spaceflight systems.”
MIL-STD-883B, the basic qualification standard for QML Class Q, establishes rigorous methods for testing microelectronic devices to ensure they are suitable for military and aerospace electronic systems. To achieve QML Class Q qualification, the PolarFire RT FPGA has undergone rigorous evaluations to determine its ability to withstand the harmful effects of natural elements and brutal conditions encountered in defense and space operations.
By achieving QML Class Q qualification, PolarFire RT FPGAs prove their ability to support systems that require the highest level of component quality.
Additionally, QML Class Q qualification paves the way for eventual QML Class V qualification while demonstrating the continued reliability of PolarFire RT FPGAs in space applications.
