{{Primary sources|date=March 2020}} {{Infobox CPU | name = RAD6000 | image = File:RAD6000.jpg | image_size = frameless{{!}}upright=1.25{{!}}100px | caption = The RAD6000 processor | produced-start = 1995 | slowest = 2.5 | slow-unit = MHz | fastest = 66 | fast-unit = MHz | fsb-slowest = | fsb-fastest = | fsb-slow-unit = | fsb-fast-unit = | hypertransport-slowest = | hypertransport-fastest = | hypertransport-slow-unit = | hypertransport-fast-unit = | size-from = 0.5 μm | size-to = | soldby = BAE Systems | designfirm = IBM | manuf1 = BAE Systems | core1 = | sock1 = | pack1 = | brand1 = | arch = POWER1 | microarch = | cpuid = | code = | numcores = 1 | l1cache = 8 KB | l2cache = | l3cache = | predecessor = | successor = RAD750 | application = Radiation hardened for use in spacecraft }}
{{POWER, PowerPC, and Power ISA}}
The '''RAD6000''' radiation-hardened single-board computer, based on the IBM RISC Single Chip CPU, was manufactured by IBM Federal Systems. IBM Federal Systems was sold to Loral, and by way of acquisition, ended up with Lockheed Martin and is currently a part of BAE Systems Electronic Systems. RAD6000 is mainly known as the onboard computer of numerous NASA spacecraft.
==History== The radiation-hardening of the original RSC 1.1 million-transistor processor to make the RAD6000's CPU was done by IBM Federal Systems Division working with the Air Force Research Laboratory.{{cn|date=August 2020}}
{{As of|2008|June}}, there are 200 RAD6000 processors in space on a variety of NASA, United States Department of Defense and commercial spacecraft, including: * Mars Exploration Rovers (''Spirit'' and ''Opportunity'') * Deep Space 1 probe * Mars Polar Lander and Mars Climate Orbiter * Mars Odyssey orbiter * Spitzer Infrared Telescope Facility * MESSENGER probe to Mercury * STEREO Spacecraft * IMAGE/Explorer 78 MIDEX spacecraft * ''Genesis'' and ''Stardust'' sample return missions * ''Phoenix'' Mars Polar Lander * ''Dawn'' Mission to the asteroid belt using ion propulsion * Solar Dynamics Observatory, Launched Feb 11, 2010 (flying both RAD6000 and RAD750)<ref>[https://archive.today/20120913122306/http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/keyDevelopments?rpc=66&symbol=BAESY.PK×tamp=20100217165200 Latest BAE Press Releases ]</ref>{{failed verification|date=February 2019}} * Burst Alert Telescope Image Processor on board the Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Mission * DSCOVR Deep Space Climate Observatory spacecraft
The computer has a maximum clock rate of 33 MHz and a processing speed of about 35 MIPS.<ref name="RAD6000brochure">{{cite news|title=RAD6000 Space Computers |publisher=BAE Systems |url=http://www.baesystems.com/BAEProd/groups/public/documents/bae_publication/bae_pdf_eis_sfrwre.pdf |date=2008-06-23 |access-date=2009-09-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091004130528/http://www.baesystems.com/BAEProd/groups/public/documents/bae_publication/bae_pdf_eis_sfrwre.pdf |archive-date=2009-10-04 }}</ref> In addition to the CPU itself, the RAD6000 has 128 MB of ECC RAM.<ref name="RAD6000brochure"/> A typical real-time operating system running on NASA's RAD6000 installations is VxWorks. The Flight boards in the above systems have switchable clock rates of 2.5, 5, 10, or 20 MHz.
Reported to have a unit cost somewhere between US$200,000 and US$300,000, RAD6000 computers were released for sale in the general commercial market in 1996.
The RAD6000's successor is the RAD750 processor, based on IBM's PowerPC 750.
==See also== * IBM RS/6000 * PowerPC 601, a consumer chip with similar computing capabilities to the RAD6000
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://archive.today/20060430002517/http://www.securityfocus.net/news/7894 Software on Mars rovers 'space qualified'] – By Matthew Fordahl/AP, 23 January 2004 *[https://web.archive.org/web/20090227014807/http://www.kirtland.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-070404-100.pdf AFRL Rad6000 fact sheet] *[http://news.oreilly.com/2008/07/the-software-behind-the-mars-p.html Software Behind the Mars Phoenix Lander (Audio Interview)] * [http://www.cpushack.com/space-craft-cpu.html The CPUs of Spacecraft Computers in Space]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ibm Rad6000}} Category:Avionics computers RAD6000 Category:Radiation-hardened microprocessors Category:American inventions Category:Computer-related introductions in 1996