ABSTRACT
Constraints ........................................................................................299 11.6 Conclusions ................................................................................................... 301 References ..............................................................................................................302
Field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) with volatile programming memory, such as the Xilinx Virtex families, have made inroads into space-based processing tasks [1]. These devices are attractive for a number of reasons. Static random access memory (SRAM)-based FPGAs can provide custom hardware implementations of applications that are often faster than traditional microprocessor implementations without the cost of manufacturing application-specic integrated circuits (ASICs). Furthermore, using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) devices with available, mature design tools should reduce the cost of designing space-based systems. Finally, reprogrammability also allows designers to recongure the device while deployed with either new applications or new implementations of existing applications, which should increase the usable lifetime of the entire system.
