IIT Madras and ISRO jointly develops semiconductor chip for space research, other sectors
The IRIS (Indigenous RISCV Controller for Space Applications) chip was developed based on a Shakti processor baseline.
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, and Indian Space Research Organization has jointly developed a semiconductor chip that can be used for diverse purposes and marks indigenisation efforts in advanced technology.
IIT Madras and the Inertial Systems Unit of the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) in Thiruvananthapuram worked together on the chip that was manufactured in a semiconductor laboratory in Chandigarh. It was packaged at Tata Advanced Systems, Karnataka, showcasing a “major step towards Atmanirbhar Bharat in addressing computing needs for space and other sectors," said a statement.
The IRIS (Indigenous RISCV Controller for Space Applications) chip was developed based on a Shakti processor baseline. It can be used in diverse domains, from the Internet of Things and computing systems for strategic needs. The chip is part of efforts to indigenize semiconductors Isro uses for its applications, command and control systems, and other critical functions.
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The Shakti microprocessor project is led by V Kamakoti, a scientist at Prathap Subrahmanyam Centre for Digital Intelligence and Secure Hardware Architecture in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Madras. The Shakti project is backed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology under its ‘Digital India RISC-V’ initiative.
Isro’s Inertial Systems Unit (IISU) in Thiruvananthapuram and IIT Madras collaborated to define the specifications of the chip and design it. The configuration was arrived at by addressing the common functional and computing requirements of existing sensors and systems used in ISRO missions.
Fault-tolerant internal memories were interfaced with the SHAKTI core, enhancing the reliability of the design. Provisions for expandability to future ISRO missions were implemented.
The final design underwent software and hardware testing, targeting a high-reliability, high-performance product. The chip’s motherboard was manufactured by PCB Power in Gujarat; it was assembled and mounted by Syrma SGS in Chennai and the was software developed by IIT Madras.
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