ams AG: Satellite-Based Exploration of the Earth’s Magnetosphere
June 03 2015 - 4:32AM
Business Wire
Advanced electronics developed for ultra-precise measurements
of the Earth’s magnetosphere captures stunning early
results
The Full Service Foundry division of ams AG (SIX:AMS), a leading
provider of high performance analog ICs and sensors, Fraunhofer
Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS and the Space Research
Institute (Institut für Weltraumforschung, IWF) of the Austrian
Academy of Sciences (Österreichische Akademie der Wissenshaften,
OeAW) today presented the very promising results of its highly
accurate measurements of the Earth’s magnetosphere from space.
As part of NASA’s „Magnetospheric Multiscale“ mission launched
in March 2015, four identically equipped satellites are performing
highly accurate three-dimensional measurements of the Earth’s
magnetosphere. The ambitious goal of this mission is to explore the
dynamics of the magnetosphere, measuring with extreme accuracy very
small variations in the Earth’s magnetic field. The research effort
spearheaded by the Space Research Institute (based in Graz,
Austria) is focused on the so-called magnetic reconnection, which
is a physical process in which the Earth’s magnetic energy is
converted to kinetic energy, thermal energy, and particle
acceleration. Magnetic reconnection is one of the mechanisms
responsible for the aurora, as well as for temporary disturbances
in the Earth's magnetosphere.
Like all measurement instruments and equipment in satellites,
the Space Research Institute’s magnetometer has to be as small and
light as possible, while consuming very little power. In addition,
it must offer very high accuracy under harsh conditions such as
very low temperatures and radiation.
Developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits
IIS in co-operation with the Space Research Institute, a tiny
custom application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) enables the
satellites’ digital flux-gate magnetometer (DFG) to acquire highly
accurate three-dimensional measurements of the magnetosphere while
drawing ultra-low current. The DFG sensor was supplied by the
University of California, Los Angeles. Operating at a resolution of
10 picoTesla, which is several thousand times more sensitive than a
conventional electronic compass, the device is able to sense the
smallest variations in magnetic flux.
The Fraunhofer ASIC was fabricated by ams on its specialty
0.35µm CMOS (C35) process techno-logy, which allows for the design
of complex analog/mixed-signal integrated circuits. Based on a
unique process architecture, the rad-hard C35 technology is very
well suited for use in space and
aerospace applications. The Fraunhofer and Space Research
Institute design team also benefited from ams’ turnkey solutions
for IC design, which include a comprehensive Process Development
Kit (PDK) and IP block portfolio, advanced process technologies as
well as product qualification services and supply chain management
capabilities. These enable ams’ foundry customers to significantly
mitigate their development risks and to reduce the duration of the
development cycle.
“The ams specialty 0.35µm CMOS process enabled the team of
researchers and scientists at Fraunhofer IIS to develop a complex
analog/mixed-signal integrated circuit that impressively
outperformed our expectations in all respects – performance, power
consumption, die area and reliability”, said
Johann Hauer, project manager for ASIC Development at Fraunhofer
IIS.
“After two months in space, we are very proud to confirm that
the chip-based magnetometer significantly surpasses the
requirements of accuracy and stability”, commented Werner Magnes,
deputy
director at the Graz Space Research Institute.
„During almost 25 years of co-operation with Fraunhofer IIS, ams
has successfully developed a vast number of complex integrated
circuits for both research as well as industrial programs. We are
happy that integrated circuits manufactured by ams now operate
reliably in outer space and contribute to a better understanding of
the Earth’s physics” stated Markus Wuchse, general manager of ams’
Full Service Foundry division.
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ams AGPatricia Moosburger, Media Relationsphone: +43 (0)
3136 500 31235press@ams.comwww.ams.com
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