Key Highlights
- ISRO and IIT Madras jointly created the ‘IRIS’ chip, a 64‑bit RISC‑V microprocessor tailored for space hardware.
- The processor stems from the open‑source SHAKTI project and is suited for satellite command, control, IoT, and strategic computing.
- Design, fabrication, packaging, and board assembly were performed entirely in Indian facilities, showcasing a full domestic supply chain.
- Flight‑qualification trials are slated for the near future, marking a decisive step toward self‑reliant space missions.
Detailed Insights
The Indian Space Research Organisation’s Inertial Systems Unit conceptualised a robust 64‑bit controller for its satellite payloads and enlisted the expertise of IIT Madras. Leveraging the open RISC‑V instruction set, the teams extended the existing SHAKTI microprocessor framework to produce ‘IRIS’, a chip embedding fault‑tolerant memories and bespoke peripheral interfaces that satisfy the stringent reliability demands of orbital platforms.
All phases of the product’s lifecycle were kept within national borders: IIT Madras authored the architecture, the Semiconductor Laboratory in Chandigarh performed wafer‑level fabrication, Tata Advanced Systems in Karnataka handled the final packaging, and PCB Power in Gujarat supplied the printed‑circuit motherboards. This end‑to‑end indigenous pathway underscores India’s progress in high‑performance semiconductor design and manufacturing under the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India’ agendas.
Upcoming flight demonstrations will validate the controller’s operation in the harsh environment of space, potentially paving the way for a new generation of embedded systems that power future Indian missions.
Key Concepts
- RISC‑V ISA: An open, extensible instruction set architecture that allows developers to create custom processors without licensing constraints.
- SHAKTI Project: A research initiative at IIT Madras aimed at delivering configurable, open‑source cores for diverse computing needs.
- Fault‑Tolerant Memory: Memory circuitry designed to detect and correct errors, ensuring reliable operation under radiation‑rich space conditions.