CAES Gaisler Signs Contract with the European Space Agency for New Advanced Space Processor

April 20, 2021 -- Gothenburg, Sweden – CAES Gaisler, a leader in advanced mission-critical electronics, announced today that it has received a contract from the European Space Agency (ESA) to fund the first phase to develop a new advanced processor for space applications. Developed in Sweden and based on the popular LEON5FT Fault Tolerant Processor Core, the GR765 Microprocessor meets market demand for high-performing processors, offering a higher level of integration with more functionality on the chip to reduce weight and keep power consumption low.

CAES Gaisler’s products include world-leading embedded computer systems for harsh environments, with footprints throughout the solar system. The portfolio includes a suite of trusted fault-tolerant computing offerings for reliable system-on-a-chip solutions, based on the SPARC and RISC-V processor architectures. The product offering comprises IP core building blocks, radiation hardened components, flight software & development tools, development hardware, test equipment and services.

“The enhancements of the GR765 address the ever-increasing demands of payload data processing, but also for mission critical control applications such as on-board-computers with integrated GNSS receivers or sensor and image processing for autonomous planetary landing and rover application," said Roland Weigand,Microelectronics Section at the European Space Agency.

The new GR765 Microprocessor is CAES Gaisler’s latest collaboration with ESA, having partnered on many developments and missions for the European space industry. The first development phase of the GR765 is funded through Element 2: Make of ESA’s General Support Technology Programme (GSTP), and co-funded by CAES and the Swedish National Space Agency (SNSA). Element 2 sponsors the design, development and demonstration of activities based on industry proposals. In doing so, GSTP encourages more ideas and partnerships, ultimately leading to the most innovative technologies for the European space industry.

“We are delighted to work once again with the European Space Agency and Swedish National Space Agency,” said Mike Kahn, President and CEO of CAES. “Our CAES Gaisler embedded computing products are developed locally and have been at the forefront of many European space missions.”The GR765 Microprocessor builds on the success of the GR740 quad-core LEON4FT Microprocessor and contains eight LEON5FT processor cores, which is the latest and most powerful LEON processor so far. Its architectural improvements and octa-core implementation will provide a four-time increase in computational performance when run at the same frequency as previous generation microprocessors. Work is ongoing to improve the maximum operating frequency, further enhancing the performance. With these significant improvements, new, more advanced and data-demanding computations will be possible for payload and platform applications. The first development phase of GR765 Microprocessor will result in engineering samples expected in 2022, with flight production in 2024.

“Our customers appreciate the smooth migration from one performant LEON generation to the next, reusing their software and leveraging their past investments,” said Sandi Habinc, General Manager of CAES Gaisler. “The software compatibility and a common development environment makes it easy for a design team, already familiar with the LEON, to quickly come up to speed.”

About CAES

CAES is a pioneer of advanced electronics for the most technologically challenging military and aerospace trusted systems. As the largest provider of mixed-signal and radiation-hardened technology to the aerospace and defense industry, CAES delivers high-reliability RF, microwave and millimeter wave, microelectronic and digital solutions that enable our customers to ensure a safer, more secure planet. On land, at sea, in the air, in space and in cyberspace, CAES’ extensive electronics and enhanced manufacturing capabilities are at the forefront of mission-critical military and aerospace innovation.