RTX2010
Encyclopedia
The RTX2010 radiation-hardened
microprocessor
manufactured by Intersil
is a radiation hardened stack machine
microprocessor which has been used in numerous spacecraft
.
, each stack 256 words deep each, that supports direct execution of Forth. Subroutine calls and returns only take one processor cycle and it also has a very low and consistent interrupt latency
of only four processor cycles, which lend it well to realtime applications.
implemented a processor for his programming language Forth as a gate array. As Forth can be considered a dual stack virtual machine, he made the processor, Novix N4000, as a dual-stack machine
. In 1988, an improved processor was sold to Harris Semiconductor
, who marketed it for space applications as the RTX2000.
Radiation hardening
Radiation hardening is a method of designing and testing electronic components and systems to make them resistant to damage or malfunctions caused by ionizing radiation , such as would be encountered in outer space, high-altitude flight, around nuclear reactors, particle accelerators, or during...
microprocessor
Microprocessor
A microprocessor incorporates the functions of a computer's central processing unit on a single integrated circuit, or at most a few integrated circuits. It is a multipurpose, programmable device that accepts digital data as input, processes it according to instructions stored in its memory, and...
manufactured by Intersil
Intersil
Intersil Corporation is an American company that specializes in the design, development and manufacturing of high-performance analog semiconductors for four high-growth markets — Communications, Computing, High End Consumer and Industrial.-Company history:...
is a radiation hardened stack machine
Stack machine
A stack machine may be* A real or emulated computer that evaluates each sub-expression of a program statement via a pushdown data stack and uses a reverse Polish notation instruction set....
microprocessor which has been used in numerous spacecraft
Spacecraft
A spacecraft or spaceship is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and transportation of humans and cargo....
.
Characteristics
It is a two-stack machineStack machine
A stack machine may be* A real or emulated computer that evaluates each sub-expression of a program statement via a pushdown data stack and uses a reverse Polish notation instruction set....
, each stack 256 words deep each, that supports direct execution of Forth. Subroutine calls and returns only take one processor cycle and it also has a very low and consistent interrupt latency
Interrupt latency
In real-time operating systems, interrupt latency is the time between the generation of an interrupt by a device and the servicing of the device which generated the interrupt. For many operating systems, devices are serviced as soon as the device's interrupt handler is executed...
of only four processor cycles, which lend it well to realtime applications.
History
In 1983, Chuck MooreCharles H. Moore
Charles H. Moore is the inventor of the Forth programming language.- Biography :In 1968, while employed at the United States National Radio Astronomy Observatory , Moore invented the initial version of the Forth language to help control radio telescopes...
implemented a processor for his programming language Forth as a gate array. As Forth can be considered a dual stack virtual machine, he made the processor, Novix N4000, as a dual-stack machine
Stack machine
A stack machine may be* A real or emulated computer that evaluates each sub-expression of a program statement via a pushdown data stack and uses a reverse Polish notation instruction set....
. In 1988, an improved processor was sold to Harris Semiconductor
Harris Corporation
Harris Corporation is a Florida-based international communications equipment company that produces wireless equipment, electronic systems, and both terrestrial and spaceborne antennas for use in the government, defense, and commercial sectors. It is also the largest private-sector employer in...
, who marketed it for space applications as the RTX2000.
Example spacecraft that use the RTX2010
- Advanced Composition ExplorerAdvanced Composition ExplorerAdvanced Composition Explorer is a NASA space exploration mission being conducted as part of the Explorer program to study matter in situ, comprising energetic particles from the solar wind, the interplanetary medium, and other sources. Real-time data from ACE is used by the Space Weather...
(ACE) - NEARNear- Science, mathematics, technology, biology, and medicine :* Nicking Enzyme Amplification Reaction, a method for in vitro DNA amplification* Near-Earth object, an object in the Solar System whose orbit brings it close to the Earth** Near-Earth asteroid...
/Shoemaker - TIMEDTIMEDThe TIMED mission was a two year project to study the dynamics of the Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere portion of the Earth's atmosphere. The mission was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on December 7, 2001 aboard a Delta II rocket launch vehicle...
External links
- HS-RTX2010RH product page at IntersilIntersilIntersil Corporation is an American company that specializes in the design, development and manufacturing of high-performance analog semiconductors for four high-growth markets — Communications, Computing, High End Consumer and Industrial.-Company history:...
. Retrieved on 2009-02-11.