{"projectId":93716,"project":{"projectId":93716,"title":"Rad-Hard LDO","startDate":"2017-06-09","startYear":2017,"startMonth":6,"endDate":"2017-12-08","endYear":2017,"endMonth":12,"programId":73,"program":{"ableToSelect":false,"acronym":"SBIR/STTR","isActive":true,"description":"<p>The NASA SBIR and STTR programs fund the research, development, and demonstration of innovative technologies that fulfill NASA needs as described in the annual Solicitations and have significant potential for successful commercialization. If you are a small business concern (SBC) with 500 or fewer employees or a non-profit RI such as a university or a research laboratory with ties to an SBC, then NASA encourages you to learn more about the SBIR and STTR programs as a potential source of seed funding for the development of your innovations.</p><p><strong>The SBIR and STTR programs have 3 phases</strong>:</p><ul><li><strong>Phase I</strong> is the opportunity to establish the scientific, technical, and commercial feasibility of the proposed innovation in fulfillment of NASA needs.</li><li><strong>Phase II</strong> is focused on the development, demonstration and delivery of the proposed innovation.</li></ul><p>The SBIR and STTR Phase I contracts last for 6 months with a maximum funding of $125,000, and Phase II contracts last for 24 months with a maximum funding of $750,000 - $1.5 million.</p><ul><li><strong>Phase III</strong> is the commercialization of innovative technologies, products, and services resulting from either a Phase I or Phase II contract. Phase III contracts are funded from sources other than the SBIR and STTR programs and may be awarded without further competition.</li></ul><p><strong>Opportunity for Continued Technology Development Post-Phase II</strong>:</p><p>The NASA SBIR/STTR Program currently has in place two initiatives for supporting its small business partners past the basic Phase I and Phase II elements of the program that emphasize opportunities for commercialization. Specifically, the NASA SBIR/STTR Program has the Phase II Enhancement (Phase II-E) and Phase II eXpanded (Phase II-X) contract options.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Please review the links below to obtain more information on the SBIR/STTR programs.</strong></p><ul><li><strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http://sbir.gsfc.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/ParticipationGuide.pdf\">Participation Guide</a></strong></li></ul><p>Provides an overview of the SBIR and STTR programs as implemented by NASA</p><ul><li><strong><a href=\"http://sbir.gsfc.nasa.gov/solicitations\">Program Solicitations</a></strong></li></ul><p>Provides access to the annual SBIR/STTR Solicitations containing detailed information on the program eligibility requirements, proposal instructions and research topics and subtopics</p><ul><li><strong><a href=\"http://sbir.gsfc.nasa.gov/prg_sched_anncmnt\">Schedule and Awards</a></strong></li></ul><p>Schedule and links for the SBIR/STTR solicitations and selection announcements</p><ul><li><strong><a href=\"http://sbir.gsfc.nasa.gov/content/additional-sources-assistance\">Sources of Assistance</a></strong></li></ul><p>Federal and non-Federal sources of assistance for small business</p><ul><li><strong><a href=\"http://sbir.gsfc.nasa.gov/abstract_archives\">Awarded Abstracts</a></strong></li></ul><p>Search our complete archive of awarded project abstracts to learn about what NASA has funded</p><ul><li><strong><a href=\"http://sbir.gsfc.nasa.gov/content/frequently-asked-questions\">Frequently Asked Questions</a></strong></li></ul><p>&nbsp;Still have questions? Visit the program FAQs</p>","parentProgram":{"ableToSelect":false,"isActive":true,"description":"Catalyst is a portfolio of early stage programs that specialize in different innovation constituencies and mechanisms to push the state of the art in aerospace technology development","programId":92327,"responsibleMd":{"canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":""},"title":"Catalyst","acronymOrTitle":"Catalyst"},"parentProgramId":92327,"programId":73,"responsibleMd":{"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","acronym":"STMD","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"responsibleMdOffice":4875,"stockImageFileId":36648,"title":"Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer","acronymOrTitle":"SBIR/STTR"},"description":"Alphacore Inc. will develop a wide temperature range, digitally controlled linear low-dropout regulators (D-LDOs) for space and harsh environment applications. Alphacore Inc will collaborate with ASU scientists to develop a radiation hardened-by design, digital intensive, unconditionally stable D-LDO with the following features: - A fully integrated digital low drop-out regulator (DLDO) with a fast transient response providing a well-regulated supply for system-on-chip (SoC) power management applications - Wideband operation and fast transient response are achieved through a transient enhanced digital Proportional and Integration (PI) controller, without compromising the stability of the DLDO. - The transient enhancement stage boosts D-LDO loop-gain dynamically during load transients. In the gain boosting mode, the D-LDO closed loop bandwidth is increased, resulting in reduced undershoot/overshoot and faster recovery of the output voltage. When the output voltage recovers to the desired level, the boost mode operation is disabled. LDOs are commonly used in low noise, fast response RF, analog, mixed-signal, and digital core power management applications. Fast response associated with LDOs provide a fast and energy-efficient wake-up, and low noise operation. Lack of high-speed switching and an LC type output filter makes them more attractive for high dynamic range telecommunication signal chain applications. To ensure fault-free operation of the digital cores and memory chips, the supply voltage must remain within a certain error window with minimum deviation under transient events, typical in space application. This supply voltage window is determined by reliability constraints of the process used in the upper boundary and speed requirements on the lower boundary. Alphacore Inc. and ASU's proposed digital linear low-dropout regulator will be fully digitally controlled, enabling portability across various process technologies.","benefits":"A wide operating temperature range, digitally controlled linear low-dropout regulators (LDOs) ensuring stable operation of low-dropout voltage regulators for space and harsh environment applications will be beneficial to NASA solar exploration missions such as to Jupiter (Europa Mission), to Mars (InSight, Mars Exploration, MAVEN, potential MRS Mars return samples), future Solar Probes, and other missions to explore deep atmosphere and surface of giant planets similar to Juno and Cassini. Other anticipated new NASA missions for science and exploration of the universe are expected to challenge current power management specifications. Alphacore's LDO voltage regulator can help aide in supporting electronic systems that can accommodate the ever-growing power requirements for NASA's science and exploration missions. WFIRST - scheduled launch mid 2020's - a next-generation observatory to carry out wide-field imaging and slit-less spectroscopic surveys of the near-infrared sky, with an emphasis on studying dark energy and exoplanets has critical power needs. Future Earth-observing missions planned for 2021 and later that include ECOSTRESS, GeoCARB, HyspIRI, MAIA, InSAR, NISAR, Pre-ACE, TEMPO, and TROPICS are all expected to have increased power management demands. Additional potential applications include solar system exploration missions such as Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Solar Probe Plus missions.<br /> <br />Alphacore's rad-hard LDO is a great match for a range of governmental and commercial applications for radiation-tolerant systems including High Energy Physics (HEP) experiments (e.g., CERN) particle detection, medical irradiation and imaging systems, nuclear weapon proliferation monitoring, and space-based sensors. Research in these areas will enable the main avenues of discovery to increase knowledge of human kind and perhaps find answers to mysteries such as the origin and form of the Universe. Boeing has provided a strong letter of support to work with Alphacore. This LDO could enhance the system capabilities of Boeing rad-hard programs that have high efficiency power electronics requirements. Boeing has offered its radiation testing facilities to carry out this project. Cobham is interested in this program both as a potential customer and vendor of the LDO. Other candidate partner or customer companies include rad-hard semiconductor manufacturers and vendors (TI, Honeywell, Microsemi, DDC, and ON) and aerospace/defense systems developers and integrators, e.g., Raytheon, Orbital, ATK, L-3 Communications, United Technologies, SSL, General Dynamics, Sierra Nevada Space Systems, and Dynetics Space Systems. Main government agencies to be targeted are DoD, NASA, NOAA, US Geological Survey (USGS). Commercial space platforms that will benefit from the proposed LDO include both LEO and GEO telecommunication satellites, such as Intelsat, Direct TV, XM radio, Orbcomm and Iridium.","releaseStatus":"Released","status":"Completed","viewCount":584,"destinationType":["Others_Inside_the_Solar_System"],"trlBegin":3,"trlCurrent":4,"trlEnd":4,"lastUpdated":"01/22/26","favorited":false,"detailedFunding":false,"projectContacts":[{"contactId":3163995,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Robert","lastName":"Jones","fullName":"Robert Jones","fullNameInverted":"Jones, Robert","email":"Robert.A.Jones@nasa.gov","receiveEmail":"Subscribed_Contact","projectContactRole":"Project_Manager","projectContactId":547761,"projectId":93716,"programContactRolePretty":"","projectContactRolePretty":"Project Manager"},{"contactId":146850,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Esko","lastName":"Mikkola","fullName":"Esko Mikkola","fullNameInverted":"Mikkola, 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