AMD has announced the availability of early samples of its Versal AI Core XQRVC1902 adaptive SoCs, now housed in an enhanced space-grade package. This development targets customers working on advanced space missions requiring extended operational lifespans and exceptional reliability.
The new package, featuring an organic coating and developed by AMD, is designed to withstand the rigors of space missions lasting up to 15 years. The company is currently subjecting the device to stringent testing to meet the U.S. MIL-PRF-38535 Class Y specification, the highest standard for quality and reliability in space flight components.
Engineered with conservative design rules and an advanced organic substrate, the new package aims to reduce thermal and mechanical stress in the harsh space environment. When combined with flight-proven ceramic capacitors, this enhancement extends the capabilities of XQR Versal AI Core devices for onboard logic programmability and data processing on missions demanding the utmost assurance of reliability. These include crewed, long-duration, and other high-value missions, particularly those operating in geostationary, lunar, heliocentric, and deep space orbits.
“Space missions are increasingly requiring both advanced onboard data processing and exceptional long-term reliability,” said Ken O’Neill, Director of Aerospace and Defense Systems Architecture at AMD. “The availability of XQR Versal AI Core adaptive SoC samples in AMD’s enhanced space-grade packages is a significant step toward Class Y certification, enabling customers to build engineering models with this technology for missions requiring absolute dependability.”
The XQR Versal AI Core adaptive SoCs offer flexible, high-performance processing for onboard payload applications. They deliver significant improvements in compute density for vector algorithms, system logic cells, onboard SRAM, and multi-gigabit transceivers.
The lidless package design enhances thermal performance and broadens AMD’s ability to support a full spectrum of space applications. This ranges from commercial “new space” missions utilizing commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components to crewed missions and the next generation of orbital, deep space, and long-duration research projects. Importantly, the new package is pin-compatible with existing commercial, defense, and space versions of the AMD Versal AI Core VC1902 in a 2197 BGA package.
Availability
The AMD Versal AI Core XQRVC1902 adaptive SoCs in enhanced space-grade packages are detailed in AMD’s DS946 data sheet and are currently being shipped to customers for early access. Flight-certified Class Y units are expected to become available in the second half of 2027.
With its comprehensive Versal SoC portfolio, AMD continues to provide high bandwidth and performance for both terrestrial and interplanetary missions.
