RTAX250SL-1CG624E - 250K Gate Rad-Tolerant FPGA, CCGA-624 | Microchip
MPN: RTAX250SL-1CG624E ✓ Active| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1 | $1.00 |
RTAX250SL-1CG624E Overview
A radiation-tolerant FPGA is a field-programmable gate array specifically designed to survive the heavy-ion and proton environments encountered in Earth-orbiting and deep-space missions. Within the semiconductor hierarchy, it belongs to the RTAX-S/SL family, derived from the commercial Microsemi Axcelerator architecture, positioned alongside other space-grade programmable logic such as antifuse and flash-based radiation-hardened devices.
Key features include SEU-hardened flip-flops that eliminate the need for triple module redundancy (TMR), immunity to single-event upsets at specified linear energy transfer thresholds, and SEU rates below 10-10 errors per bit-day in typical orbits. The device operates from a 1.5V core supply (1.425V to 1.575V range), uses 0.15um CMOS technology, and supports system clock rates up to 649 MHz. Embedded SRAM blocks with built-in FIFO control logic, segmentable clock resources, and chip-wide highway routing round out the system-level feature set.
Architecturally, the RTAX250SL combines the Axcelerator fabric with radiation-tolerant design techniques at the process and circuit levels. True single-chip operation with live-at-power-up behavior removes the need for external configuration devices, a significant reliability advantage over SRAM-based commercial FPGAs in spaceflight, where configuration volatility and SEFI events are concerns.
Typical applications include satellite payload data processing, spacecraft attitude control and telemetry interfaces, launch vehicle avionics, and spaceborne instruments, where low power, single-chip integration, and SEU robustness are decisive selection criteria.
A key design consideration: the ceramic CCGA-624 package demands careful PCB pad geometry and reflow profiles due to the column-grid construction; mechanical stress on the ceramic body during handling and mounting must be minimized to prevent column cracking.
This page synthesizes distributor sourcing data, drop-in family alternatives, and practical spaceflight design notes not consolidated in the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for RTAX250SL-1CG624E — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
Variants in this series
Same-series models that are drop-in compatible with RTAX250SL-1CG624E (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Package, Family, Radiation Tolerance, Process Technology, Speed Grade.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
RTAX250SL-1CG624V
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View Datasheet →RTAX250S-1CG624E
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$960 / Unit
View Datasheet →RTAX250SL-CG624B
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$3950 / Unit
View Datasheet →RTAX250SL-1LG624V
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$950 / Unit
View Datasheet →RTAX250S-1LG624V
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View Datasheet →RTAX250SL-1CG624E Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Equivalent System Gates | 250,000 gates |
| Configurable Logic Blocks (CLBs) | 2816 |
| Logic Cells | 4224 |
| User I/O | 248 inputs / 248 outputs |
| Core Supply Voltage | 1.5 V (1.425 V to 1.575 V) |
| Maximum Combinatorial Delay (CLB) | 0.93 ns |
| Maximum System Frequency | 649 MHz |
| Process Technology | 0.15 um CMOS |
| Logic Family | CMOS |
| Package | 624-ball Ceramic Column Grid Array (CCGA-624) |
| Operating Temperature | -55C to +125C |
| Radiation Tolerance | SEU-immune to specified LET threshold; SEU rate < 10-10 errors/bit-day |
| SEU Mitigation | SEU-hardened registers (no external TMR required) |
| Embedded Memory | Embedded SRAM with built-in FIFO control logic |
| Configuration | Live-at-power-up, true single-chip operation |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount (ceramic column grid array) |
RTAX250SL-1CG624E 624-ball ceramic column grid array (ccga-624) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for RTAX250SL-1CG624E (624-ball ceramic column grid array (ccga-624) package). This digital IC includes GPIO, communication interfaces (UART, SPI, I2C), and power pins. Refer to the manufacturer datasheet for alternate pin functions and configuration options. Essential for embedded system design and PCB layout.
No detailed pinout data available for RTAX250SL-1CG624E.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
RTAX250SL-1CG624E is suitable for 6 applications: Satellite Payload Data Processing, Spacecraft Attitude Control and Telemetry, Launch Vehicle Avionics, Spaceborne Scientific Instruments, Deep-Space Probe Electronics, Spaceflight Prototype and Development.
Satellite Payload Data Processing
The RTAX250SL-1CG624E's 250,000 gates and 649 MHz capability make it well suited to onboard payload signal processing, formatting, and compression pipelines in LEO, MEO, and GEO spacecraft. Its SEU-hardened registers sustain operation at SEU rates below 10-10 errors per bit-day without TMR, preserving logic capacity that commercial FPGAs would sacrifice to redundancy, while the embedded SRAM with FIFO control handles high-rate data buffering between sensors and downlink chains. Deployed between the ADC/front-end and the formatter, the FPGA provides deterministic, live-at-power-up behavior with no configuration device to fail. The 248 user I/O and CCGA-624 ceramic package support dense, vibration-tolerant interconnect for multi-channel instrument interfaces.
Recommended
Spacecraft Attitude Control and Telemetry
Attitude determination and control subsystems demand deterministic, glitch-free logic that survives single-event upsets over multi-year missions. The RTAX250SL-1CG624E provides live-at-power-up single-chip operation - no external configuration flash to corrupt - and its hardened registers remove TMR overhead from control-loop logic. With 2816 CLBs and a 0.93 ns maximum combinatorial delay, it closes control loops and manages star-tracker, IMU, and reaction-wheel interfaces across 248 I/O channels. Its 1.5V core (1.425V-1.575V) suits spacecraft power buses via rad-hardened point-of-load regulators, and operation from -55C to +125C accommodates eclipse-to-sun thermal cycling on the CCGA-624 ceramic package.
Recommended
Launch Vehicle Avionics
Launch avionics face extreme vibration, wide temperature excursions, and short but intense radiation exposure from the Van Allen belt traversals. The RTAX250SL-1CG624E's CCGA-624 ceramic column grid array tolerates CTE mismatch and mechanical stress far better than plastic BGA packages, while SEU-immune flip-flops guarantee flight-software continuity through high-flux events. The 649 MHz fabric ceiling and 0.15um CMOS process handle timing-critical sequencing, redline monitoring, and bus bridging (MIL-STD-1553-style protocol logic) with deterministic 0.93 ns worst-case combinatorial delays. True single-chip, live-at-power-up configuration removes boot-time latency - a decisive benefit for stage controllers requiring instant availability at ignition.
Recommended
Spaceborne Scientific Instruments
Imaging spectrometers, particle detectors, and telescopes require front-end logic that combines low noise isolation with high-density real-time processing. The RTAX250SL-1CG624E offers 250K gates and 4224 logic cells to implement trigger logic, histogramming, and detector-readout state machines, with embedded SRAM FIFOs absorbing burst data from sensor arrays. Because the SL registers are SEU-hardened to the specified LET threshold, science-data integrity is maintained without triple module redundancy, freeing resources for algorithmic throughput. The 248 input/output capability supports massively parallel detector channels, and the -55C to +125C industrial-equivalent range covers cryogenic-adjacent instrument electronics on the radiation-tolerant ceramic package.
Recommended
Deep-Space Probe Electronics
Interplanetary missions accumulate total ionizing dose and SEE flux far beyond LEO levels, making rad-tolerant silicon mandatory. The RTAX250SL-1CG624E, per the RTAX-S/SL datasheet, achieves SEU rates below 10-10 errors per bit-day and eliminates external scrubbers or configuration memory, reducing parts count - and therefore failure probability - on missions without repair options. Its single-chip live-at-power-up fabric suits watchdog and safe-mode controllers aboard probes where boot failure is mission-ending. The 1.425V-1.575V core tolerance rides through rad-hardened supply sag during transients, and the hermetic CCGA-624 package withstands launch vibration plus years of thermal cycling in vacuum.
Recommended
Spaceflight Prototype and Development
Flight programs typically de-risk designs using proto-flow versions of the flight die before committing to screened hardware. The RTAX250SL-1CG624PROTO and related RTAX2000SL proto devices let teams validate RTL, timing closure at the 649 MHz ceiling, and board-level signal integrity on the same CCGA-624 footprint used for flight units. Because the Axcelerator-derived fabric is shared across the RTAX-SL family, design migration from RTAX2000SL to RTAX250SL preserves pinout and toolchain investment in Microchip Libero SoC. Using identical packages across proto and flight flows eliminates PCB respins and keeps thermal and mechanical qualification results valid for the final CCGA-624 assembly.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for RTAX250SL-1CG624E — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | RTAX250SL-1CG624V | RTAX250S-1CG624E | RTAX250SL-CG624B | RTAX250SL-1LG624V | RTAX250S-1LG624V |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package | CCGA-624 | CCGA-624 - same | CCGA-624 - same | CCGA-624 - same | CGA-624 ceramic (LG624) | CGA-624 ceramic (LG624) |
| Brand | Microchip Technology (Actel/Microsemi legacy) | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology | Microchip Technology |
| Equivalent System Gates | 250,000 | 250,000 | 250,000 | 250,000 | 250,000 | 250,000 |
| CLBs / Logic Cells | 2816 CLBs / 4224 cells | 2816 CLBs / 4224 cells | 2816 CLBs | 2816 CLBs | 2816 CLBs | 2816 CLBs |
| Core Supply Voltage | 1.5 V (1.425-1.575 V) | 1.425 V to 1.575 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V | 1.5 V |
| SEU-Hardened Registers (no TMR) | Yes (SL die) | Yes | No (TMR recommended) | Yes | Yes | No (TMR recommended) |
| Operating Temperature | -55C to +125C | -55C to +125C | -55C to +125C | -55C to +125C | -55C to +125C | -55C to +125C |
Key Differentiators
- SEU-hardened registers eliminate triple module redundancy (vs RTAX250S-1CG624E)
- True single-chip live-at-power-up operation (vs SRAM-based commercial FPGAs)
- Space-qualified ceramic column grid array packaging (vs Plastic commercial FPGA packages)
Design Notes
CCGA-624 assembly requires solder columns rather than BGA spheres: specify a reflow profile matched to the column alloy per Microchip's space packaging application notes, maintain PCB coplanarity, and avoid board flexure at the device site. Design land patterns with adequate column pitch tolerance and plan X-ray inspection after reflow to detect open or sheared columns. Support the board near the FPGA during connector mating and vibration testing to prevent column cracking - a leading field-failure mode for ceramic column grid arrays.
Provide a regulated 1.5V core rail within 1.425V-1.575V using radiation-hardened point-of-load regulation with adequate bulk and ceramic decoupling. Core margin affects timing: at -55C or +125C corners, timing closure at the 649 MHz ceiling assumed nominal 1.5V, so verify static timing at your actual rail tolerance in Libero SoC. Estimated: use low-ESR ceramic banks of at least [DATA_NEEDED: recommended decoupling capacitance] per the manufacturer power-supply guidelines; sequence rails per datasheet power-up requirements to guarantee live-at-power-up behavior.
Do not assume TMR is required on the SL die: the SEU-hardened registers already provide single-event upset immunity to the datasheet LET threshold, and adding TMR wastes 200% of the logic budget. However, replacing an SL with a non-SL RTAX250S in a shortage situation silently removes this hardening - re-run your SEE analysis before any family swap. Also confirm the exact screening/flow suffix (E, V, B) against your program's parts list, since these codes denote different qualification flows and are not freely interchangeable on flight programs.
Estimated: at moderate utilization (0.15um CMOS, 1.5V core), core power is typically a few hundred milliwatts, but verify with Libero SoC power analysis for your design. The ceramic CCGA-624 conducts heat primarily through the column array into the PCB; use thermal vias under the footprint and tie to internal planes. Validate junction temperature against the +125C maximum ambient rating including radiative environments typical of spacecraft enclosures.
Compliance Information
Space-grade ceramic packaging; specific RoHS/REACH declarations for this screening flow are not stated in the provided data - request compliance certificates from Microchip for flight documentation.
