High density QDR-II+ SRAM for satellite image processing

Over the last decade, the aerospace industry has experienced a paradigm shift, moving from on-ground to on-system data processing using new technologies with increased computational power and lower latency. Unlike DRAM with higher latency and memory bank restrictions, the new 144-Mb QDR-II+ SRAM reduces the overall system complexity in radar and imaging applications by delivering higher performance that enables on-system satellite image processing with better resolution and faster processing speeds.

“As a leading provider of high-density QDR-II+ SRAMs in the market, our successful QML-V qualification once again exemplifies the inherent product capabilities of our commercial off-the-shelf components to meet the most stringent requirements of high reliability market segments,” said Helmut Puchner, VP Fellow of Aerospace and Defense at Infineon Technologies.

The device is Infineon’s newest generation of rad hard QDR-II+ SRAMs, with previous generations already adopted in various space programs such as the NASA Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) research satellite mission using Synthetic Aperture Radar technology.

Originally developed as an industrial networking memory, the rad hard QDR-II+ SRAM is nowadays used as a baseline design for rad hard memory employing the RadStop technology, Infineon’s proprietary design and process hardening techniques that enable a higher level of radiation performance while delivering the throughput demanded by space-bound applications.

The high-performance 144-Mb QDR-II+ SRAM operates up to a maximum frequency of 250MHz, delivering up to 36 Gbps throughput in a 165-ball Ceramic Column Grid Array (CCGA) package. The device is rad hard for up to 200 krad(Si) and is latch-up immune, improving system reliability in harsh environments.

The 144-Mb QDR-II+ SRAM is available now in x18 or x36 bus-width configurations and with on-die-termination in a two or four word burst mode for design flexibility.