News: Microelectronics
15 October 2026
Microchip adds radiation-tolerant GaN point-of-load converter to space power portfolio
Microchip Technology Inc of Chandler, AZ, USA has launched the POL-05-20S-T, a radiation-tolerant point-of-load (POL) converter, designed to address the demanding power requirements of space processing applications. The new device uses gallium nitride (GaN) power devices to deliver up to 20A of output current with high efficiency and power density.
The converter is supplied in a compact, 25g surface-mount package measuring 1.51” x 1.51” x 0.45”. By delivering 20A in this footprint, the device helps engineers to manage the size, power and energy constraints that accompany increasingly capable onboard processing systems. The GaN-based design is intended to provide a combination of high efficiency, high power density and continuous current capability for challenging space power applications.
“Space designers are integrating increasingly powerful digital processing, creating demand for compact power solutions that can respond quickly, while operating reliably in harsh environments,” says Ronan Dillon, senior director of Microchip’s high-reliability and RF business unit. “The POL-05-20S-T extends our space power portfolio with a high-current GaN solution that helps customers achieve high power density, design flexibility and system-level reliability.”
The POL-05-20S-T is designed for high-current, fast-transient applications such as for the core voltage rails of FPGAs, micro-controllers, ASICs and other processing-intensive digital loads. It combines a synchronous buck topology with current-mode control to support fast current transients and stable operation. With a wide input range of 4.75−13.2V and adjustable 0.7−5V output, the device offers flexibility to address multiple power rails and system architectures.
Designed for harsh radiation environments, the POL-05-20S-T has electrical parameters specified before and after irradiation up to a total ionizing dose (TID) of 50krad. The device is characterized for single event effects (SEE) up to a linear energy transfer (LET) of 43MeV·cm2/mg. It operates from −55°C to +100°C at full load, supporting systems exposed to wide temperature variations over the course of a mission.
To support reliable power delivery, the POL-05-20S-T incorporates remote sensing, under-voltage and over-voltage protection, soft start, an enable pin and power-good indication pin. Adjustable output voltage, a wide input range and output droop regulation further help designers to tailor the converter to high current loads requiring tight voltage regulation and rapid transient response.
Microchip delivers a comprehensive space power suite that is part of an end-to-end solution for space system designers, including EMI filters, DC−DC converters, point-of-load regulators, hi-rel discrete components, FPGAs and the PIC64-HPSC High-Performance Spaceflight Computing devices. Built on decades of space heritage, the portfolio helps customers to simplify development, reduce design risk and accelerate deployment of mission-critical space systems.
The POL-05-20S-T is available now in production quantities, either directly from Microchip or via a sales representative or authorized worldwide distributor.
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