A field-programmable mixed-signal array architecture using antifuse interconnects

Field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) have been a great boon to the electronics industry, facilitating rapid and reliable prototyping of digital systems at low cost. Radiation-tolerant versions have had a major impact on space industries where low volume and the requirement of flight qualification makes custom ASIC design an expensive option, with slow development cycles. Presently, custom ASIC or discrete component design are the usual options for analog and mixed-signal circuit design, FPAA (Field-Programmable Analog Array) and FPMA (Field-Programmable Mixed-signal Array) parts exist but tend to be rather specialized in function, and none exist in radiation-tolerant form for use in aerospace applications. This paper outlines an architecture proposed for an FPAA fabricated in an existing commercial digital CMOS process used to make radiation-tolerant antifuse-based FPGA devices. The primary concerns are the impact of the technology and the overall array architecture on the flexibility of programming, the bandwidth available for high-speed analog circuits, and the accuracy of the components for high-performance applications