ISRO Develops High-Speed Microprocessors: Vikram 3201 and Kalpana 3201

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), in collaboration with the Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL) in Chandigarh, has developed two advanced 32-bit microprocessors, Vikram 3201 and Kalpana 3201. These processors are specifically designed for space applications and mark a major milestone in India’s efforts to achieve self-reliance in high-performance computing for launch vehicles.

Key Highlights

Vikram 3201

• India’s first fully indigenous 32-bit microprocessor qualified for space missions.
• Processes 32-bit data at a time, enabling efficient computations.
• Supports floating-point arithmetic, improving performance in complex calculations.
• Backward compatible with Vikram 1601, which has been in use since 2009.
• Fabricated at SCL’s 180nm CMOS semiconductor fab, reinforcing the Make in India initiative.
• Successfully validated in space during the PSLV-C60 mission.

Kalpana 3201

• A 32-bit SPARC V8 RISC microprocessor, based on IEEE 1754 Instruction Set Architecture.
• Compatible with open-source software toolsets.
• Tested with flight software, making it versatile for various space applications.
• Designed for efficiency and high-speed processing, with an emphasis on simple instructions.

Additional Developments

• ISRO and SCL have developed a Reconfigurable Data Acquisition System and a Multi-Channel Low Drop-out Regulator Integrated Circuit to support miniaturization of avionics systems.
• An MoU was signed to develop miniaturized unsteady pressure sensors for wind tunnel applications, strengthening ISRO-SCL collaboration.