Technical Brief
© 2022–2025 Microchip Technology Inc. and its subsidiaries
DS00004458B - 1
Introducon (Ask a Queson)
To facilitate lower-cost prototyping and design validation activities, Microchip oers RTSX-SU, RTAX-S, RTAX-
DSP, RT ProASIC3, RTG4
™
and RT PolarFire
®
FPGAs in “RT-PROTO” form. RT-PROTO devices use the same silicon
and the same packages as the ight-model FPGAs, however in order to reduce costs, some ight-model tests
are not performed on the RT-PROTO devices.
Please note the following in regard to RT-PROTO units:
1. RT-PROTO FPGAs are intended for hardware timing verication only. They should not be used for space
ight applications. They should also not be used for applications or activities which require the quality of
space ight parts, such as qualication of space ight hardware.
2. RT-PROTO parts are tested across the full military temperature range (–55 °C, room temperature, and 125
°C). No Mil-Std-883 Class B testing is performed. RT-PROTO parts are not subjected to temperature cycling,
ne and gross leak testing, X-ray inspection, PIND testing, assembly-lot Group B testing, or burn-in.
3. Microchip does not guarantee life time or reliability of RT-PROTO.
4. RT-PROTO FPGAs are oered in ceramic packaging. The hermeticity of the lid seal is not tested and is not
guaranteed. The seal integrity should be sucient to protect the FPGA during normal PCB manufacturing
and cleaning processes. However, since hermeticity is not guaranteed, the RT-PROTO devices should not
be subjected to thermal vacuum tests. System level ight-model qualication should be performed with
ight-qualied FPGAs, meaning FPGAs screened to at least Mil-Std-883 Class B.
5. The lids of RT-PROTOs have a shallow dimple drilled through the top plating layers but not penetrating the
thickness of the lid. The purpose of this dimple is to deter counterfeiting. The drilling operation does not
cause operating characteristics of the device to deteriorate.
6. RT-PROTO units may be assembled using an assembly process that is not qualied for space ight.
7. RT-PROTO units will be marked as “PROTO”.
8. RT-PROTO units may have cosmetic visual imperfections.
9. RT-PROTO units are not DLA or QML certied.
10. RT-PROTO units are not tested for radiation performance.
11. A system generated Certicate of Conformance will ship with the units, note this is not hand-signed by
Quality Assurance. No other data will be shipped, or is available for shipment, with RT-PROTO units.
12. Microchip provides general technical support for RT-PROTO through the local Field Application Engineers
and through the general Technical Support channels, but will not provide failure analysis support for
RT-PROTO devices.
13. If programming at the Microchip factory is required, the programming les must be supplied at the time
of order placement; Microchip cannot reserve inventory or units from lots in process pending receipt of
customer programming les.
14. No special or customer specic testing will be available for RT-PROTO units. Requests for Single Lot Date
Code, specic date codes, Single Wafer Lot, date code restrictions, or specic wafer lots will not be accepted.
15. Microchip cannot guarantee availability of ight units from the same wafer lot or date code as the RT-
PROTO units.
Prototyping for Space-Flight Designs with Microchip RT-
PROTO FPGAs
