Radiation-Hardened Programmable Logic: The Lattice ISPLSI1032-60LG/883 for High-Reliability Systems

In the demanding world of high-reliability electronics, where systems must operate flawlessly in the face of extreme environmental stressors, radiation hardening is not a luxury but a fundamental requirement. Aerospace, military, and critical industrial applications demand components that can withstand the damaging effects of ionizing radiation, which can cause data corruption, latch-up, and catastrophic failure in standard commercial-grade parts. To meet this challenge, specialized radiation-hardened (rad-hard) integrated circuits are developed. Among these, the Lattice ISPLSI1032-60LG/883 stands out as a pivotal solution in programmable logic.

This device is a member of Lattice Semiconductor's high-reliability product line, specifically designed and processed to meet the stringent MIL-PRF-38535 QML (Qualified Manufacturers List) standard. The "/883" suffix denotes its compliance with this military-grade certification, ensuring it has undergone rigorous testing for performance, longevity, and resilience under harsh conditions. The core of its value proposition lies in its fusion of in-system programmability (ISP) with proven rad-hard technology.

The ISPLSI1032 is based on an E²CMOS (Electrically Erasable CMOS) technology, which is inherently more resistant to radiation-induced single-event upsets (SEUs) than volatile SRAM-based FPGAs. Its architecture features a high-density programmable logic array containing 32 registers per Generic Logic Block (GLB), providing ample resources for complex state machine and data path control. Operating at a speed grade of 60MHz, it offers a reliable balance of performance and power efficiency, crucial for power-sensitive space applications.

The benefits of using such a component are profound. For system designers, it dramatically reduces design risk and qualification time. Instead of designing and fabricating a custom, application-specific rad-hard ASIC—a process that is prohibitively expensive and time-consuming—engineers can program the ISPLSI1032 to implement a wide array of functions, from complex glue logic and interface bridging to control and sequencing tasks. This programmability allows for late-stage design changes and in-field updates, a significant advantage for long-lifecycle projects where requirements may evolve.

Furthermore, its hardened design ensures immunity to latch-up and minimizes the impact of single-event effects, thereby guaranteeing continuous, correct operation in orbital, deep space, or high-altitude environments where radiation flux is high. This reliability is paramount for mission-critical systems where a failure could result in the total loss of a satellite or spacecraft.

ICGOOODFIND: The Lattice ISPLSI1032-60LG/883 is a cornerstone technology for engineers building systems that cannot fail. It successfully bridges the critical gap between the flexibility of modern programmable logic and the absolute reliability required by the most demanding applications on Earth and beyond.

Keywords: Radiation-Hardened, Programmable Logic, High-Reliability, MIL-PRF-38535, In-System Programmable (ISP)