• Compatible with SPA-1 – ‘SPAready’
• Fast, easy integration of payloads, sensors and subsystems on complex systems
• Extreme miniaturization and flexibility
• Packaged MCM or entry-level PCB devices
• Many space and defense applications

Perfect for interfacing electronic devices and payloads

nanoRTUâ„¢ (Fig. 1) is an ultra-low power interface module with optional Space Plug-and-Play Avionics (SPA-1) compliance. Featuring both SPA-1 (I2C) and SPA-1 (2 wires) with an additional extension, nanoRTUâ„¢ has many space and defense applications. Packaged multi-chip module (MCM) radiation-tolerant or radiation-hardened versions are available, as is an entry-level PCB design. In addition to being used with the SPA-1 standard, nanoRTUâ„¢ can perform many distributed tasks as a stand-alone device. Both the FPGA and ASIC is available in MCM. The available user IO is provided on the PCB-version as through-holes suitable for pig-tail soldering, while the spacecraft side IO is provided in a Pico EZmateâ„¢ connector and a pin header connector (pitch 1.27 mm).

Architecture

nanoRTU™ is provided as PCB and a multi-chipmodule (MCM) in different packaging. In its complete configuration, the MCM contains the SPA-1 core (FPGA) and AD/DA converters. Versions equipped with AD also support  health-monitoring (housekeeping) information of critical signals. nanoRTU™ also features an advanced set of IP blocks configured for implementation in FPGA. Engineering and flight models are available. The engineering model (EM) is intended for development in an office environment only. Flight model (FM) is compliant with the ECSS-Q-30-11A EEE component derating standard and conformal coating according to ECSS-Q-ST-70-02, clause 7. Comprehensive SEE/SEU hardware protection is provided.

Programming interface equipment and tools

nanoRTU™ is programmed using the graphical user interface based on ‘ÅAC Microtec nanoRTU™ Series Firmware programming tool’. The static (flight) firmware position in the nonvolatile memory of the nanoRTU™ can only be
programmed using the ÅAC Microtec Development Kit using the Flight software/Debug programming interface. However, the In-Circuit firmware update can be done over the spacecraft (S/C) I2C interface. Fig. 2. The RTU family  showing the numbers and types of SPAready RTU devices that can be found in a spacecraft.

Download Ã…AC nanoRTU Data sheet

• Fully pipelined PIC-16 compatible processorcore supporting 1 MIPS per MHz.
• Processor clock-frequency-16 MHz on FPGA and on ASIC.
• Core available as radiation-tolerant FPGA or radiation-hard ASIC.
• 4 K Word (x 14 bit) program RAM (FPGA)
• I2C physical interface (SPA-1 4-wire compatible)
• Extendable to Transducers Bus physical interface (SPA-1 2-wire compatible)
• Supports In-flight firmware update
• 128 KB EEPROM storage for program and user data
• General Purpose IO (GPIO) 4 x (MCM),12 x (PCB, with 1 x UART and 1 x I2C)
• Input voltage: 5 V
• Regulated 3.3 V user voltage with power switch
• Spacecraft Elapsed Time (SCET) with 32 bit seconds (126 years) and 16 bit fractions (15.3 μs)
• Internal health monitoring
  – Watchdog
  – Input voltage level (V)
  – Input current level (A)
  – Module temperature (°C)
  – User-regulated voltage level (V)

• 20–150 mW nominal power consumption (TBD)

Features may be supported on different models and on different packages options. CheckTechnical specifications.

Software support

• Source Boost C
• SPA-1 C library with API
• Ã…AC Microtec nanoRTUâ„¢ programming interface

Read more about how the nanoRTU can be used on the INOVATOR flight hardware page.