IIT Madras and Isro develop Indigenous aerospace chips for space applications

Photo Credit: IIT Madras Official Website

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras and Isro have developed Indigenous microprocessors for space applications that can be used in space applications and other important features.

The Shakti Microprocessor project is led by IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti and Prathap Subrahmanyam Center for Digital Intelligence and Secure Hardware Architecture (PSCDisha) in Computer Science and Engineering, with the Prathap Subrahmanyam Center for Digital Intelligence and Secure Hardware Architecture (PSCDISHA).

The Shakti class system is based on RISC-V, an open source instruction set architecture (ISA) for designing custom processors. “Shakti” is supported by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology under the “Digital India RISC-V” Initiative (DIRV). It aims to promote indigenous development of microprocessor-based products that provide best-in-class security and visibility to users using RISC-V technology.

According to the director of IIT Madras, the Indigenous RISCV Controller (IRIS) chip of space applications has been developed from Shakti Processor Baseline.

“It can be used in a variety of domains of IoT and computing systems for strategic needs. This development is based on ISRO’s application, command and control systems, and other important features that are lined up along the march towards Atmanirbhar Bharat. It was part of an indigenous semiconductor approach to use for the company. “In space technology,” Kamakoti said.

Thiruvananthapuram’s Isro Inertial Systems Unit (IISU) proposed the idea of ​​a 64-bit RISC-V based controller and collaborated with IIT Madras in defining and designing the specifications and design of the semiconductor chip.

The chip configuration has reached addressing the common functionality and computing requirements of existing sensors and systems used in ISRO missions. The error-bearing internal memory was interfaced with Shakticore to increase design reliability.

It has integrated custom features and peripheral interface modules used in multiple space systems, such as Cordic, WatchDog timers, and advanced serial buses. The scalability provisions for future missions are implemented through multiple boot modes and hybrid memory/device expansion interfaces. The final design was software and hardware tested to target advanced, high-performance products.

“After Rimo in 2018, Moushik in 2020, this is the third Shakti chip manufactured at SCL Chandigarh and successfully booted with IIT Madras. – Everything happens within India, and the complete semiconductor ecosystem And another testimony to know that expertise exists in our country,” Kamakoti said.

ISRO Chairman v Narayanan said, “We believe that this high-performance controller, realized according to our requirements, will contribute significantly to future embedded controllers for space mission-related applications. We will fly test our products based on this controller. It is planned. Performance will be confirmed.”