An embedded microcontroller for spacecraft applications

Originally conceived for fault tolerance control of its associated general purpose processor, the embedded microcontroller (EMC) present in BAE Systems Power PCI Bridge application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) has evolved into a processing workhorse finding applications spanning memory controllers, I/O processors as well as continuing to support the RAD750reg PowerPCreg processor. Development tools have also evolved from a simple assembler to a full development environment including compiler and simulator integrated with the PowerPC tools supporting the RAD750. This paper describes the evolution of the EMC within the Power PCI Bridge, development of its support tools and some of its applications as both a capable assistant to the RAD750 as well as a standalone processing element. Power and performance improvements are highlighted. Comparison to other processor cores that might be used in space is also shown. Discussion of future enhancements will also be mentioned