Rad-tolerant GaN converter powers space electronics

What happened

Microchip's radiation-tolerant GaN point-of-load converter POL-05-20S-T delivers up to 20 A of continuous current to power FPGAs, MCUs and other digital loads in space. It uses a synchronous buck topology with current-mode control, an input voltage range of 4.75 V to 13.2 V, and an adjustable output of 0.7 V to 5 V. Its electrical parameters are specified before and after irradiation up to 50 krad(Si), and its single-event effects (SEE) have been characterized up to a linear energy transfer (LET) of 43 MeV·cm²/mg; it operates at full load over −55°C to +100°C. Housed in a 1.51×1.51×0.45-in. surface-mount package, it is now available in production quantities. The source does not state the cause (not an event-driven report).

Impact and signal

Affected components and suppliers

Source and time

Source: EDN · 10/21/2026 · View original source