0123 Mw Microchip Mic69303 Rt Ldo Regulator Promo 63c9d8793d57b

Rad-Tolerant COTS Power-Management Device Targets LEO Space Apps

Jan. 20, 2023

Space-system developers can quickly develop prototypes and final designs for their power-management system with a radiation-tolerant device based on a familiar plastic COTS device.

David Maliniak

Related To: Microwaves & RF

The Overview

Microchip Technology’s MIC69303RT is a 3-A, low-dropout (LDO) voltage regulator that extends the company’s radiation-tolerant lineup with a power-management device suited for low-Earth-orbit (LEO) and other space applications.

Who Needs It & Why?

The drive to commercialize the LEO region (roughly 1,200 miles above the Earth) for satellite communications requires components that can withstand the harsh environment of space. The MIC69303RT is Microchip’s first commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) radiation-tolerant power device targeting LEO and other space-borne applications.

Under the Hood

Based on COTS devices, the MIC69303RT makes it easier to conduct preliminary evaluation and early development. Operating from a single low-voltage supply of 1.65 to 5.5 V, it can provide output voltages as low as 0.5 V at high currents, offering highly precise and ultra-low-dropout voltages of 500 mV under extreme conditions. The low noise of the output is critical to sensitive RF circuits, post regulation of switching power supplies, and industrial power applications.

The device is a companion power device for the company’s radiation-tolerant, space-qualified microcontrollers such as the SAM71Q21RT and PolarFire FPGAs, including the RTPF500TLS.

The MIC69303RT is Microchip’s first rad-tolerant power-management device with a hermetic ceramic package, latch-up immunity, and 50-krad total dose robustness. Designed for harsh aerospace applications, it's operational in temperatures from –55 to +125°C. The device comes in 8- and 10-pin package configurations and is available for prototype sampling in both plastic and hermetic ceramic to support mission requirements.

Development Tools

The MIC69303RT Plastic Evaluation Board is designed to evaluate the performance of the plastic engineering IC version for the power device. The 4-layer PCB allows the user to easily change and measure the electric parameters of the MIC69303RT at different input and output conditions.

About the Author

David Maliniak | Executive Editor, Microwaves & RF

I am Executive Editor of Microwaves & RF, an all-digital publication that broadly covers all aspects of wireless communications. More particularly, we're keeping a close eye on technologies in the consumer-oriented 5G, 6G, IoT, M2M, and V2X markets, in which much of the wireless market's growth will occur in this decade and beyond. I work with a great team of editors to provide engineers, developers, and technical managers with interesting and useful articles and videos on a regular basis. Check out our free newsletters to see the latest content.

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About me:

In his long career in the B2B electronics-industry media, David Maliniak has held editorial roles as both generalist and specialist. As Components Editor and, later, as Editor in Chief of EE Product News, David gained breadth of experience in covering the industry at large. In serving as EDA/Test and Measurement Technology Editor at Electronic Design, he developed deep insight into those complex areas of technology. Most recently, David worked in technical marketing communications at Teledyne LeCroy, leaving to rejoin the EOEM B2B publishing world in January 2020. David earned a B.A. in journalism at New York University.