A family of analog and mixed signal VLSI ASICs for NASA science missions

Abstract

This paper presents several analog and mixed signal VLSI chips that have been successfully developed over the past several years at JHU/APL for space science missions. The chips have applications for spacecraft avionics and several types of instrumentation. The family of the chips include: the TRIO smart sensor multiplexed ADC chip for spacecraft/instrument avionics, the time-of-flight (TOF) chip for precise time interval measurement, the CFD chip for time discrimination, the energy chip for low-noise particle/photon measurement, a commandable discriminator pulse high analyzer, event accumulator, a radiation hardened voltage reference, an ADC and other. This paper addresses some design, radiation hard by design, design for testability, testing, and space qualification issues. The paper also briefly describes the spacecraft and instrument applications of these chips including: the NASA missions CASSINI, IMAGE, CONTOUR, MESSENGER, STEREO, PLUTO, oncoming funded missions MMS, JUNO, RBSP, as well as planned planetary and moon missions.