National Aeronauticsand Space Administration

NEPP EEE Parts for Small Missions Workshop
September 10-11, 2014

Candidate Cubesat Processors
Steven M. Guertin
Jet Propulsion Laboratory / California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA

This work was performed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology,
Under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
This work was funded by the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging Program (NEPP)
Copyright 2014 California Institute of Technology. Government Sponsorship is acknowledged.
To be presented by Steven M. Guertin at the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) Program EEE Parts for Small Missions Workshop September 10-11, 2014,<#>
NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD.

National Aeronautics
and Space AdministrationOutline• Motivation• Microcontrollers – Current Cubesat Devices– Selection Efforts– MSP430 SEE and TID– PIC SEE and TID• Microprocessors – Expected Use Soon
– Selection– Snapdragon Efforts– AtomTo be presented by Steven M. Guertin at the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) Program EEE Parts for Small Missions Workshop September 10-11, 2014,
2
NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD.

National Aeronautics
and Space Administration

Key Issues• Common paradigm of Cubesat processing– Small– Low Power– Microcontroller-like– A couple common processors/microcontrollers• Looking forward– We expect that processing desire will increase– Instruments may become more computation intensive– Primary processors may migrate for more computation• Approach for improving mission assurance– Determine mission assurance issues for current-generation
microcontrollers/microprocessors– focus on SEL/gross SEE, andTID (Primarily LEO and GEO/GCR environments)– Build repository of knowledge for devices for future use

To be presented by Steven M. Guertin at the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) Program EEE Parts for Small Missions Workshop September 10-11, 2014,
NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD.

National Aeronautics
and Space Administration

CUBESAT MICROCONTROLLERS
To be presented by Steven M. Guertin at the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) Program EEE Parts for Small Missions Workshop September 10-11, 2014,
NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD.

National Aeronautics
and Space Administration•Cubesat Controller Survey

Reviewed many Cubesat system architectures– Verified device ordering approach with Pumpkin – they indicate orders are simple “nospecial procedures” quote and buy from places like Digikey
CubeSat Provider
PumpkinTyvak(Intrepid)

Processor

Availability

TI MSP430F1612
TI MSP430F1611
TI MSP430F1618
Silicon Labs C8051F120
Microchip
PIC24FJ256GA110
MicrochipdsPIC33FJ256GP710
AT91SAM9G20 (ATMEL,
ARM9 Based)
CubeSat Provider
GOMspace(NanoMind)
Gaussteam(ABACUS)ESL/ISIS(Cube Computer)
ISIS (OBC)

Yes
Yes
NoYes
Yes

Development
Board
Yes
Yes
NoYes
Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes
Processor

Availability

AT91SAM7 series (ATMEL,ARM7 Based)
ATMEL ATMEGA1281
TI MSP430 series

Unknown

Development
BoardUnknown

Yes
Yes

UnknownYes

ARM Cortex-M3 MCU

Unknown

Unknown

AT91SAM9G20 (ATMEL,Yes
Yes
ARM9Based)
To be presented by Steven M. Guertin at the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) Program EEE Parts for Small Missions Workshop September 10-11, 2014,
NASA GSFC, Greenbelt,
Clyde Space
UseMD.
Pumpkin CubeSat OBC
Yes
YesNational Aeronautics
and Space Administration

Microcontroller Selection• Initial efforts– Currently focusing on the PIC and MSP devices• Database shows many missions use these• Believed they may show some significant problems• Relatively easy inside our flow for development– Pushing to the AT91SAM9G20• No data yet, but moving forward with test design and plan
• ARM-based – in-line with Xilinx Zynq, and higher-end processors• Follow-up– Most likely the AT91SAM9G20 will be studied more in thefuture (i.e. no likely to finish this FY)– Si Labs C8051– At present, focus is on SEL and TID. SEE effort may
increase

To be presented by Steven M. Guertin at the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) Program EEE Parts for Small Missions Workshop September 10-11, 2014,
NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD.

National Aeronautics
and Space Administration

SEE Testing – MSP430• Utilized MSP development kit– Prepared by acid-etching and using asocket with the plastic over the DUT
drilled out• Primary test effort– Performed SEL and limited SEE testingof MSP430F1612– Cursory comparison to MSPF4301611
shows similar behavior• Socket on the board limited angularstudy– But SEL and SEU already observed soerror in rates is in conservatism

MSP430F1612 positioned
in the beam line at TAMU

To be presented by Steven M. Guertin at the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) Program EEE Parts for Small Missions Workshop September 10-11, 2014,
NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD.

National Aeronautics
and Space Administration

SEL Results – MSP430• MSP Devices
Experienced increased
current almost
immediately after thebeam was turned on.
• Nominal operating
current is less than 1mA• Current “steps”
observed, making
signature messy• Max current appears
limited, but 100x or
more of nominal…
• Device unprogrammable and not
running after 1e6 – but
run at right is 3e4/cm2
w/no failure

Flux = ~2e3/cm2-sec

To be presented by Steven M. Guertin at the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) Program EEE Parts for Small Missions Workshop September 10-11, 2014,
NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD.

National Aeronautics
and Space Administration

SEL Cross Section – MSP 430• SEL behavior iscommon at tested LETs
(20 and 86 MeVcm2/mg)– 0.05 A threshold• Not recovered by reset• Cannot measure otherevent types• Expect to have crosssection ~1e-6cm2 at
LET 10• ISS event rateestimated between 2e5 and 4e-4/day– ~10x higher for GCR

Error bars (nominal only) ~2σ,and include beam uncertainty

LET (MeV-cm2/mg)

Condition

SBUs

σ (cm2/bit)

20Nominal66

4.2e-8To be presented by Steven M. Guertin at the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) Program EEE Parts for Small Missions Workshop September 10-11, 2014,
NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD.

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TID Testing of MSP 1611 & 1612

• Performed biased and unbiased testing• Used JPL’s high dose rate Co-60 room irradiator• Between irradiation, tested with characterization
programs:– LED blinker– Flash memory test program (provided in MSPdevelopment kit)
– Whetstone test program• Test steps: 1, 2, 5, 10, and 20 krad(Si)• Unbiased devices showed no degradation at 20 krad
• Some biased 1611 devices became unstable at 10 krad
– some devices failed to be reprogrammable at 20k, butinstead seemed to be running the TID test program (LEDblinking)

To be presented by Steven M. Guertin at the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) Program EEE Parts for Small Missions Workshop September 10-11, 2014,
NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD.

National Aeronautics
and Space Administration

SEE Testing - PIC• Used Explorer 16board fromMicrochip• Test Devices:

Plug-In-Module- PIC24- dsPIC33– PIC24FJ256GA110– dsPIC33FJ256GP710• Using on-board
regulators• Two test programs– RAM write/read– Flash read/dwell

To be presented by Steven M. Guertin at the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) Program EEE Parts for Small Missions Workshop September 10-11, 2014,
NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD.

National Aeronautics
and Space Administration

SEL Results – PIC33 Current• 5V supply line
increases current
very quickly afterbeam on• Not recovered byreset• Similar “currentstep” behavior toMSP• Maximum current
appears to be small
compared to SEL– But still 10x
increase

No evidence of damage after exposure to 1e7 #/cm2

To be presented by Steven M. Guertin at the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) Program EEE Parts for Small Missions Workshop September 10-11, 2014,
NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD.

National Aeronautics
and Space Administration

SEL Cross Section• Used 0.25 A as
threshold for SEL• When heated, theSEL current trips
protection on theon-board regulation• Both points (slightly)
higher σ for high T• ISS event rateestimated between
2e-4 and 4e-3/day– ~10x higher for GCR

To be presented by Steven M. Guertin at the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) Program EEE Parts for Small Missions Workshop September 10-11, 2014,
NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD.

National Aeronautics
and Space Administration

PIC SEE Results• Low priority
compared to SELefforts• Flash Results– No upsets observedwith 6e5 #/cm2 ionsat LET = 86
– Limiting per-bit
cross section of ~6e12 cm2/bit• SRAM Results– SEL behavior
interfered at higherLETs

To be presented by Steven M. Guertin at the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) Program EEE Parts for Small Missions Workshop September 10-11, 2014,
NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD.

National Aeronautics
and Space Administration

NASA AMES Phonesat

ARM9-based ISIS board

CUBESAT MICROPROCESSORS
To be presented by Steven M. Guertin at the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) Program EEE Parts for Small Missions Workshop September 10-11, 2014,
NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD.

National Aeronautics
and Space Administration

Motivation• Various Cubesats have flown with more capable
processing– Usually C&DH is 8 or 16-bit MCUs, the “ARMs” are actually
reduced capability Thumb™ processors– AAUSat-3, CANX-2 used a 32-bit ARM processor– Phonesat … flew … phones (and newer iterations are flyingmore)• Expect that as Cubesat programs continue, need formore processing will be important• Key drivers – same as for Cubesats in general– Small, low power, cheap– Generally accessible to low-budget environments (schools,R&D, etc.)

To be presented by Steven M. Guertin at the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) Program EEE Parts for Small Missions Workshop September 10-11, 2014,
NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD.

National Aeronautics
and Space Administration

Snapdragon/Atom Effort• We focused on cell phone processors – primary player
is ARM, with Intel trying to get Atom into play
• Avoid issues with closed architecture – i.e. not using
Apple A6/A7/etc.
• Most common phone processor in high-end devices is
Snapdragon, with Krait CPU (similar to ARM Cortex
A15)– We are currently looking at
Snapdragon 600 and
Snapdragon 800 (both TSMC 28
nm – low power)– Prototyping equipment readily
available– Being used in the hobby space
To be presented by Steven M. Guertin at the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) Program EEE Parts for Small Missions Workshop September 10-11, 2014,
NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD.

National Aeronautics
and Space Administration

SEL Test of Snapdragon• Qualcomm makes apower support chip thatprovides the supplies
required.
• We were unable toobtain the power
scheme to be able to do
this independently, andthe test board did notprovide direct access toall power lines
To be presented by Steven M. Guertin at the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) Program EEE Parts for Small Missions Workshop September 10-11, 2014,18
NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD.

National Aeronautics
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SEL in APQ8064• Thinned parts to 80 µm• Tested at TAMU with 25 MeV/amu Kr– 60° Tilt – LETeff = 57 & 75 (at sensitive region)– 3e7 exposure at LET 57, 4e7 exposure at LET 75• Tested during booting of Android– Almost all SEL runs resulted in a “rebooting in 5 seconds” – but
reboot never succeeded– Reset worked in 9 out of 10 runs – resulting in nominal
operation (this rules out an SEL behavior).

• Board current @5.1V:– At start of run 330-350 mA– At end of run 160-500 mA (never above 350 for high exposureruns)– No significant increase

To be presented by Steven M. Guertin at the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) Program EEE Parts for Small Missions Workshop September 10-11, 2014,
19
NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD.

National Aeronautics
and Space Administration

SEE Testing of Snapdragon• Exposed IFC6410 board to Ar @ LET = 7 MeV-cm2/mg• Test software was to monitor Android boot– Observed through UART error output– Provides information about boot behavior for first ~90seconds– Takes ~5 seconds after power up to be activated– Provides interrupt/exception reporting• Total exposure was 3e6 #/cm2– No damage observed– No evidence of high current modes (but LET was low)
– But system had a hard time, and crashed often
To be presented by Steven M. Guertin at the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) Program EEE Parts for Small Missions Workshop September 10-11, 2014,
NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD.

National Aeronautics
L2 Errorand Space Administration• Capture of errors
during boot• LET=6.3, flux ~5e3#/cm2
• Using AndroidbootUnspecified
Exception• Requires ~10-15
secs of boot to getreports
Unspecified
Exception• Usually fails toreach reportablestatus
To be presented by Steven M. Guertin at the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) Program EEE Parts for Small Missions Workshop September 10-11, 2014,
NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD.

National Aeronautics
and Space Administration

Atom Test Devices• Two types of boards:– MinnowBoard– Conga board• Conga boards– Use E620 embedded Atomprocessors– 45nm parts• MinnowBoards– Use E640 embedded Atomprocessors– 45nm parts• Hobbyist Boards– Strong community for hacking –will be helpful for test needs

MinnowBoard

To be presented by Steven M. Guertin at the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) Program EEE Parts for Small Missions Workshop September 10-11,22
2014,
NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD.

National Aeronautics
and Space Administration

Atom E620 Power• Since we’re using an evalboard, we’re stuck withhow the power system islaid out.
• We would need at least 7
power supplies and haveto tap into the board
connections – then get
the power sequence right.
• We decided for thecurrent approach tomonitor the power drawof the board.
To be presented by Steven M. Guertin at the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) Program EEE Parts for Small Missions Workshop September 10-11, 2014,23
NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD.

National Aeronautics
and Space Administration

SEL in Atom E620

• Thinned parts to 80 µm• Tested at TAMU with 25 MeV/amu Kr– 60° Tilt – LETeff = 57 & 75 (at sensitive region)• Tested at BIOS screen of Conga™ eval board• Board current @12V:– At start of run 650-700 mA– At end of run 500-700 mA– No significant increase– Changes correlated to lockup and reboot
To be presented by Steven M. Guertin at the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) Program EEE Parts for Small Missions Workshop September 10-11, 2014,24
NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD.

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BACKUP

To be presented by Steven M. Guertin at the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) Program EEE Parts for Small Missions Workshop September 10-11, 2014,25
NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD.

National Aeronautics
and Space Administration

A Packaging Example• We are finding some significant problems withsome test boards, in terms of preparation for
test…

To be presented by Steven M. Guertin at the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) Program EEE Parts for Small Missions Workshop September 10-11, 2014,
NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD.

National Aeronautics
and Space Administration

A Packaging Example• We are finding some significant problems withsome test boards, in terms of preparation for
test…

To be presented by Steven M. Guertin at the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) Program EEE Parts for Small Missions Workshop September 10-11, 2014,
NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD.

National Aeronautics
and Space Administration

Alternate Snapdragon Board• Another board design – IFC6410 is much easier towork with• We have established method to thin devices toenable testing with 25 MeV/amu cocktail at
TAMU (~100 µm)

To be presented by Steven M. Guertin at the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) Program EEE Parts for Small Missions Workshop September 10-11, 2014,
NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD.

National Aeronautics
and Space Administration

SEE Results – MSP430• Tested MSP430F1612 for SRAM upsets• Test program loads 2048 bytes with 0s or 1s(depending on pass number)• Runs for general SEE observation used SEL protection,
only LET 20 MeV-cm2/mg was tested
LET (MeV-cm2/mg)

Condition

SBUs

σ (cm2/bit)

20Nominal

66

4.2e-8

20

3.6V

21

3.0e-820

3.6V/55C

7

2.0e-8• Reduced cross section with Vcc expected; final row
probably reflects low statistics as temperature shouldhave no impact
To be presented by Steven M. Guertin at the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) Program EEE Parts for Small Missions Workshop September 10-11, 2014,
NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD.

National Aeronautics
and Space Administration

SEFI in MSP430• Observed 1 event where test program continued tooperate but repeated error pattern observed.
• During runs without power-cycle (no SEL protection)– Note observed asymmetry (~4:1) in 1 to 0 vs. 0 to 1 SBUs

• Passes writing all ‘1’s resulted in:– 0xfe observed in first 64 even addresses– Went away after first few cycles• SEFI turned into errors in all ‘0’s passes:– 0x01 observed in first 64 even addresses– Continued through beam-induced reset• Cross section for this event is about 1e-4cm2 @ LET 20• Also observed 1 reset event – same cross section
To be presented by Steven M. Guertin at the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) Program EEE Parts for Small Missions Workshop September 10-11, 2014,
NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD.

Limitations ofMobile/Cellphone Processor SEE Testing

National Aeronautics
and Space Administration• Test boards– Packaging – can be significant problem withpreparation for heavy ions and TID– Access to power generation and monitoring ofcurrent may be extremely limited• Software/Operations– These are complex SOCs
– We are targeting SOC test methods, but they may
be too complex to evaluate without significant
effortTo be presented by Steven M. Guertin at the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) Program EEE Parts for Small Missions Workshop September 10-11, 2014,
NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD.

National Aeronautics
and Space Administration

Looking Forward• TID of PIC devices• Testing of AT91SAM9G20– Will try to work on this next year

• SEE Testing of Snapdragon 600 and Atom E620
– In the near future• TID of Snapdragon and Atom– Depending on potential benefit to users –expected to easily meet most program needs(>20krad)
To be presented by Steven M. Guertin at the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) Program EEE Parts for Small Missions Workshop September 10-11, 2014,
NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD.