Microchip Expands Radiation-Tolerant MCU Product Line with the Launch of the SAMD21RT 32-bit MCU Based on Arm® Cortex®-M0+

Microchip Expands Radiation-Tolerant MCU Line with SAMD21RT, Arm® Cortex®-M0+-Based 32-Bit MCU for Aerospace and Defense Markets

The SAMD21RT is available in 64-pin ceramic and plastic packages with a 10 mm × 10 mm footprint.

Space exploration is experiencing a resurgence, with a series of exciting new missions such as the much-anticipated Artemis II, the successful moon landings of JAXA SLIM and Chandaaryan-3, and new deployments of New Space in low Earth orbit (LEO). Designers need electronic components that meet stringent radiation and reliability standards to meet the requirements of working in the harsh space environment. Microchip Technology has announced the launch of a new radiation-tolerant 32-bit microcontroller, the SAMD21RT. Based on the radiation-tolerant (RT) Arm® Cortex®-M0+ technology, the product is available in 64-pin ceramic and plastic packages with 128 KB flash and 16 KB SRAM.

Designed for space-constrained applications where size and weight are critical, the SAMD21RT occupies a footprint of only 10 mm × 10 mm. Operating at up to 48 MHz, the SAMD21RT provides high-performance processing for harsh environments. The device integrates analog functions including up to 20 channels of analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), digital-to-analog converters (DACs), and analog comparators.

The SAMD21RT device is based on Microchip's existing SAMD21 MCU family, which is widely used in the industrial and automotive markets. The device also uses commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technology, which greatly simplifies the design process when transitioning to radiation-tolerant devices because the design remains pin-compatible. Microchip provides a comprehensive system solution for space applications, and a variety of devices can be designed around the SAMD21RT microcontroller, including FPGAs, power and discrete devices, memory products, communication interfaces, and oscillators of various specifications.

To withstand harsh environments including radiation and extreme temperatures, the SAMD21RT operates over a −40°C to 125°C temperature range and features a high level of radiation tolerance with total ionizing dose (TID) capability up to 50 krad and single event latch-up (SEL) immunity up to 78 MeV.cm²/mg.

“The advantage of working with us is that we have the history, knowledge and capability to design and test radiation-tolerant devices in-house,” said Bob Vampola, vice president of Microchip’s aerospace and defense business unit . “We will continue to introduce new technologies that are developing in commercial and industrial markets, such as Ethernet, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and improve them with radiation performance to meet the needs of space missions. We will also continue to deliver higher computing performance and integrate newer technologies into smaller packages to reduce weight and size.”

The SAMD21RT has low power consumption and features such as idle and standby sleep modes and sleepwalking peripherals. Other peripherals include a 12-channel direct memory access controller (DMAC), a 12-channel event system, various control timers/counters (TCC), a 32-bit real-time counter (RTC), a watchdog timer (WDT) and a USB 2.0 interface. Communication options include serial communication (SERCOM), I2C, SPI and LIN.

With tens of thousands of components in orbit, Microchip has been an important part of the history of space exploration and is critical to today's and future space missions. As part of the Artemis program, Microchip's products are on their way to the moon and contribute to the successful development of the Space Launch System, Orion spacecraft, lunar gateway space station, lunar lander and next-generation space suits. For more information about Microchip's space business history, please visit the Space Applications page of Microchip's official website.

Development Tools

The SAMD21RT 32-bit MCU is supported by the SAM D21 Curiosity Nano Evaluation Kit, MPLAB® X Integrated Development Environment (IDE) and MPLAB PICkit™ 5 In-Circuit Debugger/Programmer.

Availability and Pricing

The SAMD21RT 32-bit MCUs are available for sampling in limited quantities upon request. For more information, please contact a Microchip sales representative.

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Performance Results

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