VORAGO Technologies has been awarded a NASA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I grant by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

The new project to create a radiation-hardened Latch-up protection IC is consistent with VORAGO’s technology expertise and commercial objectives. The project addresses NASA’s requirement for state-of-the-art IC solutions that are cost-effective enough to be used in small spacecraft, but with radiation performance that is suitable for longer deep space missions. The Latch-up protection IC will have a ability to monitor up-to eight integrated circuits to determine if they succumb to radiation effects and will reset or disable them in the event of latch-up.

Latch-up is a serious condition that can disrupt operation or destroy commercial integrated circuits that are exposed to space radiation. VORAGO integrated circuits are manufactured using HARDSIL® technology that immunizes them against ionizing radiation and thus makes them suitable to protect less robust devices that are not as effective at mitigating against space radiation effects.

Bernd Lienhard, CEO of VORAGO Technologies, said designers of space electronics systems sometimes have no choice but to use non-radiation hardened components that present a serious risk of latching-up. This new Latch-up Protection IC provides a means to monitor the operation of these risky devices.