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ALTER TECHNOLOGY
DRIVING
Electronic
components for motor vehicles:
the solution in New Space?
The space industry is becoming an increasingly competitive
sector, requiring systems with better performance at a
lower cost. This is particularly applicable to small satellites
and what is now known as New Space. This trend has consequences
at all levels of the production chain, including
the selection, acquisition and verification of the electronic
components used.
The certified components available for space applications
are not able to meet the needs of current missions, either
because of their cost or because of their limited availability,
lack of new functionalities, degree of miniaturisation,
etc. This is especially true for optoelectronic devices for
which there is no space-qualified component, when photonic
technologies are a clear driver of the new generation
of space systems.
Optoelectronic devices (LEDs, photodetectors, fibre optics,
etc.) have not only begun to be used recurrently in space,
but also classic components (such as solar sensors, CMOS
cameras, etc.) are becoming key elements for success of
various instruments and missions.
There are well-known advantages to using these photonic
technologies in space, such as the limited generation of
noise, electromagnetic immunity, mass reduction, greater
bandwidth and great ability to multiplex signals, enabling a
high volume of data transmission, etc. Undoubtedly, all this
makes its use very attractive. However, we must first overcome
the lack of availability of these qualified components
for this sector.
ALTER TECHNOLOGY GROUP has developed extensive
experience and knowledge in the encapsulation
and verification of opto-electronic devices,
covering the full range of technologies and devices,
such as:
• Laser & LEDs 250 to 5000 nm
• Recipient modules (180 to 11000 nm)
• Amplifiers and optical modulators
• Switches and dividers
• Optocouplers and photodiodes
• Multimode and single mode optic fibres
• Liquid crystal devices
• Image sensors
• Optical transceivers
• MOEMS
Likewise, electronic components designed for other industrial
applications, such as the car industry, are beginning
to show high levels of reliability when they are
produced in large volumes and when they are subject
to dedicated rating schemes (e.g. AEC Q), and their use
could be a solution to the problems described above for
the space sector. However, there is still a significant distance
between space requirements and the potential reliable
use of parts not designed for this sector.
The AEC (www.aecouncil.com) was created in the nineties,
as a result of several discussions among leading automotive
manufacturers: DELCO Electronics, Chrysler,
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