A54SX72A-CQ256M

Overview

The A54SX72A-CQ256M is a military-grade Field Programmable Gate Array from the HiRel SX-A family, manufactured by Microchip Technology. It features 108,000 system gates and 6,036 logic modules within a 256-pin Ceramic Quad Flat Pack (CQFP) package. The device supports mixed-voltage operation at 2.5 V, 3.3 V, and 5 V with 5 V input tolerance. It achieves a maximum system performance of 215 MHz and an internal clock frequency of 240 MHz in military temperature ranges (-55°C to +125°C). Key specifications include up to 213 user-programmable I/Os, dedicated flip-flops, and compliance with MIL-STD-883 Class B standards.

Feature Summary

• Nonvolatile antifuse architecture providing deterministic timing and protection against reverse engineering
• Hot-swap compliant I/Os allowing insertion into active systems without power sequencing requirements
• Configurable I/O standards supporting 3.3 V/5 V PCI, LVTTL, and TTL with individual slew rate control
• Integrated Boundary-Scan Testing (BST) compliant with IEEE 1149.1 for in-system verification

Applications

• Military and aerospace electronic systems requiring high reliability
• Spacecraft avionics and satellite communication subsystems
• Defense radar and signal processing equipment
• Harsh environment industrial control systems

Procurement Notes

Verify QML certification status and MIL-STD-883 test reports upon receipt. Confirm that the ceramic package integrity meets hermeticity requirements for the intended operational environment. Ensure proper handling procedures are followed due to the sensitivity of the antifuse programming process and the specific thermal characteristics of the CQFP package.

Selection Notes

Select this component when nonvolatile configuration and radiation tolerance are not primary constraints but high reliability and deterministic performance are required. Compare gate density and I/O counts against other SX-A variants if pin count or logic resources are insufficient. Consider the 256-pin CQFP footprint for PCB layout compatibility with existing military connectors.

Part Context

This part belongs to the Actel HiRel SX-A family, which utilizes metal-to-metal antifuse technology. Unlike SRAM-based FPGAs, it does not require external configuration memory. The 'CQ' suffix denotes the Ceramic Quad Flat Pack package, while 'M' indicates the military temperature grade. It serves as a robust alternative to ASICs for low-to-medium volume defense applications.

Replacement Considerations

Direct replacements must match the 256-pin CQFP footprint and 108,000 gate capacity. Verify that any substitute maintains MIL-STD-883 Class B qualification. Cross-reference pinouts carefully, as I/O assignments may differ between manufacturers even within the same package type.