RAD5500

RAD5500
General information
Designed by	IBM, Freescale
Common manufacturer	BAE;
Performance
Max. CPU clock rate	66 MHz to 462 MHz
Architecture and classification
Application	Radiation hardened
Technology node	RH45 (45 nm SOI)
Microarchitecture	PowerPC e5500
Instruction set	Power ISA v.2.06
Physical specifications
Cores	1, 4;
History
Predecessor	RAD750
Successor

The RAD5500 is a radiation-hardened 64-bit processor core design created by BAE Systems Electronics, Intelligence & Support based on the PowerPC e5500 designed by IBM and Freescale Semiconductor.^[1]^[2]^[6] Successor of the RAD750, the RAD5500 processor platform is for use in high radiation environments experienced on board satellites and spacecraft.

The RAD5500 core supports VPX high speed connectors, DDR2/DDR3 memory, serialize/deserialize (SerDes), and SpaceWire IO.^[7]

Processors

The RAD5500 core is based on those of the Freescale Semiconductor e5500-based QorIQ system-on-chip. The RAD5510, RAD5515, RAD5545, RADSPEED-HB (host bridge), and RAD510 are five system on a chip processors implemented with RAD5500 cores produced with 45 nm SOI technology from the IBM Trusted Foundry.^[1]^[4]

RAD5510 and RAD5515

The RAD5510^[8] and RAD5515^[9] processors employ a single RAD5500 core and are intended for medium processing capability in environments that require low power consumption (11.5 and 13.7 watts respectively). This processor provides up to 1.4 giga operations per second (GOPS) and 0.9 GFLOPS of performance. The RAD5515 is distinguished from the RAD5510 by the addition of RapidIO.^[7]

RAD5545

The RAD5545 processor employs four RAD5500 cores, achieving performance characteristics of up to 5.6 giga-operations per second (GOPS) and over 3.7 GFLOPS.^[10] Power consumption is 20 watts with all peripherals operating.

RADSPEED-HB (host bridge)

Based on the RAD5545, the RADSPEED-HB is intended for host processing and data management support for one to four RADSPEED DSPs. The RADSPEED-HB replaces a secondary DDR2/DDR3 memory interface connection found on the RAD5545 with connections for RADSPEED DSPs instead. (Note that RADSPEED DSPs are entirely different processors that are specialized for digital signal processing and are not to be confused with the RADSPEED-HB, which serves as a host bridge.)

RAD510 SoC

The RAD510 is marketed as a higher-performance and lower-power modern alternative to the RAD750 chips, for customers who do not need the performance of a RAD5545-based computer.^[11]^[12] Unlike the RAD5545, it appears to be a single-core SoC.^[3]

Single-board computer

The RAD5545 SpaceVPX single-board computer is for use in the harsh environmental conditions of outer space; designed for operating in temperatures between −55 °C and 125 °C and radiation-hardened for a total ionizing dose of 100 krad (for the silicon chips). It is a 6U-220 format module, compliant to the ANSI/VITA 78.00 SpaceVPX standard, and includes either a RAD5515 or RAD5545 processor.^[13] The RAD5545 SpaceVPX single-board computer is produced BAE Systems's facility in Manassas, Virginia, which is a U.S. Department of Defense Category 1A Microelectronics Trusted Source.^[14]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "BAE Systems' Next-Generation Processors" (PDF). BAE Systems. 2013-09-04. Retrieved 2015-10-31.
^ ^a ^b "BAE Systems Taps Freescale's Power Architecture Technology to Produce Processors for Space Missions". TMCnet.com. 2012-03-17. Retrieved 2014-12-14.
^ ^a ^b "RAD510 3U CompactPCI: Single-board computer" (PDF). BAE Systems. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2024-01-02. Retrieved 2024-01-02. RAD510 RAD5500 processor core operating frequency ranges from 66MHz to 462MHz, supporting both low power and high performance applications for enhanced versatility.
^ ^a ^b ^c Marshall, Joseph R. (2013-03-11). SpaceWire Satellite Usage (PDF). 38th Annual Government Microcircuit Applications & Critical Technology Conference. Las Vegas, Nevada. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 15, 2014.
^ "Radiation‐hardened electronics product guide - Short‐form" (PDF). BAE Systems. 2017. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
^ "Radiation-Hardened Processor Products". BAE Systems. Retrieved 2014-12-14.
^ ^a ^b Saridakis, Dean (2016-12-14). RAD55xx Platform SoC (Speech). 2016 Workshop on Spacecraft Flight Software. Beckman Institute Auditorium, California Institute of Technology.
^ "RAD5510 Single-Core System-on-Chip Power Architecture Processor" (PDF). BAE Systems. 2018-11-29. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 February 2019.
^ "RAD5515 Single-Core System-on-Chip Power Architecture Processor" (PDF). BAE Systems. 2018-11-29. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 February 2019.
^ "RAD5545 Multi-Core System-on-Chip Power Architecture Processor" (PDF). BAE Systems. 2018-11-29. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 February 2019.
^ "Market update Nov 21". www.baesystems.com. BAE Systems. 2021-11-08. In the US, our radiation-hardened RAD510™ System on Chip (SoC) for space-based computing is entering fabrication. The RAD510 SoC will be the core of a single board computer with twice the performance capability, providing more advanced processing while demanding less power from its spacecraft than the industry standard RAD750® microprocessor.
^ "From sci-fi to sci-fact". www.baesystems.com. BAE Systems. Retrieved 2024-01-02. For missions that do not require the same processing of the RAD5545 SBC, BAE Systems is developing the RAD510™ SBC. The RAD510 SBC will use software compatible with both the RAD750 and RAD5545 SBCs allowing developers to reduce software development cost.
^ "RAD5545 SpaceVPX Single-Board Computer" (PDF). BAE Systems. 2017-04-03.
^ "Next-generation space computer enables previously impossible missions" (Press release). BAE Systems. 2017-08-23. Retrieved 2019-02-26.