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State of the Art Power Reliability & Data Integrity in Electronics
Based on unique and innovative portfolio of technology for power management, reduction of error rates in computing, and radiation protection for Commercial Off The Shelves (COTS) semiconductor devices.
What we do best
Zero-Error Systems (ZES) provides high-reliability semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) and reliability testing services that enable higher functionality, lower cost, longer lifetime and higher power efficiency for space, automotive, aviation, robotics, IoT and other applications.
Errors in computing due to disruption of the logic state of a digital circuit occurs both in space and on earth as ionized particles are always present in our ambient. Studies also showed that the most common reason for space mission failures is related to lack of reliable power management. In addition, most state-of-the-art Commercial Off The Shelves (COTS) semiconductor devices are not design to work in space environment as they suffer permanent damage to the system when heavy ion strikes.
Based on many years of deep tech research, ZES has created concrete proprietary solutions implemented in semiconductor and system designs, to address these challenges, be it on earth or in space.
See what we can do for your industry or application area.
What we can do for you
Deep Space & Mission Critical
Satellites, High Altitude Platforms (HAPS) & Payloads
5G, 6G & Edge Computing
Automotive & Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV)
Robotics & Medical Applications in High Radiation
Aviation & Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)
Our solutions & services
RADIATION HARDENING BY DESIGN LIBRARY CELLS
POWER
MANAGEMENT
RELIABILITY TESTING WITH IC DESIGN ADVISORY SERVICE
Airplanes and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flying at high altitude are susceptible to galactic cosmic rays that consist of many fast-moving heavy-ion particles that will disrupt the aviation electronics onboard. Occasional solar flare also leads to a surge of radiation particles with sufficient energy to cause permanent damage to the aviation and UAV systems.
Soft-error is the disruption of the logic state of a digital circuit arising from radioactive decay within the ICs or from ionizing particles in the ambient environment, both in space (cosmic rays) and on-earth (protons and neutrons in ambient air).
ZES digital solutions can achieve ultra-low soft-error (ULSE) (such as ~10 FITs, i.e., ~10 errors per billion hours of operation) with low Power x Delay x Area to ensure system data integrity. A low power solution increases operating life and reliability of the system, while low delay increases processing capability and small area offers more utilization per unit area.
ZES can customize the library cells to achieve the different ULSE requirements for autonomous vehicles, robotics, UGV, UAV and so forth.
Robots are deployed in high radioactive environment, such as nuclear reactor plant, to conduct scrutiny, general maintenance, decontamination and post accidental cleanup activities. The aim is to avoid human exposure to the hazardous environment. However, ionizing radiation can cause unintended alteration to the logic state of the electronics despite thick lead exterior protection. The medical imaging industry is also susceptible to high radiation under X-ray, mammogram, and CT-Scan; despite the exposure duration can be short. Patients with electronics embedded on their bodies, such as pace makers, may suffer adverse effects if these devices malfunction under heavy ion attack.
Soft-error is the disruption of the logic state of a digital circuit arising from radioactive decay within the ICs or from ionizing particles in the ambient environment, both in space (cosmic rays) and on-earth (protons and neutrons in ambient air).
ZES digital solutions can achieve ultra-low soft-error (ULSE) (such as ~10 FITs, i.e., ~10 errors per billion hours of operation) with low Power x Delay x Area to ensure system data integrity. A low power solution increases operating life and reliability of the system, while low delay increases processing capability and small area offers more utilization per unit area.
ZES can customize the library cells to achieve the different ULSE requirements for autonomous vehicles, robotics, UGV, UAV and so forth.
Automotive electronic systems cannot afford to have any errors in computing as any malfunctions will result in possible loss of life. Such catastrophic phenomena will cost auto makers and automotive component manufacturers huge recall losses, both financially and in reputation. Ionizing particles are present on-earth ambient air that cause soft-error on automotive integrated circuits (ICs). To date, most state-of-the-art Commercial Off The Shelves (COTS) ICs are not able to achieve Level-4 and Level-5 autonomous vehicles and unmanned ground vehicles (UGV) extreme low soft-error requirements.
Soft-error is the disruption of the logic state of a digital circuit arising from radioactive decay within the ICs or from ionizing particles in the ambient environment, both in space (cosmic rays) and on-earth (protons and neutrons in ambient air).
ZES digital solutions can achieve ultra-low soft-error (ULSE) (such as ~10 FITs, i.e., ~10 errors per billion hours of operation) with low Power x Delay x Area to ensure system data integrity. A low power solution increases operating life and reliability of the system, while low delay increases processing capability and small area offers more utilization per unit area.
ZES can customize the library cells to achieve the different ULSE requirements for autonomous vehicles, robotics, UGV, UAV and so forth.
Recent rise in super-app smartphones, Internet of Things (IoT) and edge computing, battery powered electric vehicles, and renewable energy storage systems push up the demand for higher efficient power management solutions to achieve longer battery life. The accessibility, affordability, and availability of 5G network services and soon to be 6G drives more mobile device adoptions and deployments of IoT applications in remote terrains. Hence, longer battery life is becoming more essential than before.
In an electronics system, power is converted from input sources (such as power socket, battery, solar panel and so forth) to various power output levels to drive the semiconductor devices that provide the intelligence of the device, the transceivers to communicate and the batteries for its operation lifetime. An efficient power management solution converts majority of the input power to output power with minimal loss during both active and sleep modes and fast transits from sleep to active modes.
Most Direct Current – Direct Current (DCDC) converters in the market are less power efficient during sleep mode, longer to wake up from sleep to active modes and do not have innate redundancy that allow power management integrated circuits (ICs) to automatically take over each other when its counterpart malfunctions.
ZES power management solutions achieve more than 90% power efficiency during active and sleep modes. ZES solution is the first* in the market to incorporate innate redundancy to ensure power reliability yet remain low cost.
Many smaller and smarter satellites are launched in recent years to provide communication, surveillance, and reconnaissance. Satellites need a lot of money to design, build, launch, monitor and maintain. A typical weather satellite costs around US$290 million to build; while a military satellite might cost an additional US$100 million [Source: Globalcom Satellite Communications]. Therefore, companies are building lower cost satellites Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) integrated circuits (ICs) that are not meant for space environment fraught with heavy-ion radiation particles. Such systems have high probability to suffer permanent damage when heavy ion strikes.
Most state-of-the-art COTS ICs are not design to work in space environment fraught with heavy-ion radiation particles. They suffer latch up event (a type of short circuit) when heavy ions strike that resulted in permanent damage that shorten the lifetime of the satellites and space electronics in HAPS and payloads.
Based on a 2019 NASA white paper, power management is one of the major mechanisms of mission failure. Hence, innate redundancy in power management solution is critical that allows power management ICs to automatically take over each other when its counterpart malfunctions.
These COTS-based systems are also susceptible to soft-error in the space environment, which is the disruption of the logic state of a digital circuit.
Current satellites and space electronics used radiation hardened by process semiconductor ICs that are based on older technology and very expensive. This traditional approach is financially non-sustainable and the latest intelligence and functionalities, such as artificial intelligence, cannot be incorporated.
ZES disrupts the space industry with Radiation Hardened by Design (RHBD) solutions that provide power reliability and data integrity to COTS ICs that allow satellite and space electronics to achieve longer lifetime, higher functionalities cum intelligence and better power reliability.
Latchup Detection and Protection (LDAP): Intelligent protection for COTS ICs from Single Event
Point of Load (PoL): Radiation hardened power management with low power-delay-area
High Performance Commercial Off The Shelves (COTS) IC
Voter: Soft-error-free voting circuit to ensure data integrity of digital circuits and systems in space
ZES also offers characterization and qualification testing plus IC design advisory services to satellite, payload and space electronics manufacturers to understand and take steps to overcome the vulnerability of their systems.
There are increased interests in MARS and lunar missions by various governments and private enterprises exploring space tourism and asteroid mining. This means more advanced electronics are sent to space that need to be functional throughout its lifetime in space. However, these advanced electronics are based on Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) integrated circuits (ICs) that are not meant for space environment fraught with heavy-ion radiation particles. Such systems have high probability to suffer permanent damage when heavy ion strikes.
Most state-of-the-art COTS ICs are not design to work in space environment fraught with heavy-ion radiation particles. They suffer latch up event (a type of short circuit) when heavy ions strike that resulted in permanent damage that shorten the lifetime of the satellites and space electronics in HAPS and payloads.
Based on a 2019 NASA white paper, power management is one of the major mechanisms of mission failure. Hence, innate redundancy in power management solution is critical that allows power management ICs to automatically take over each other when its counterpart malfunctions.
These COTS-based systems are also susceptible to soft-error in the space environment, which is the disruption of the logic state of a digital circuit.
Current satellites and space electronics used radiation hardened by process semiconductor ICs that are based on older technology and very expensive. This traditional approach is financially non-sustainable and the latest intelligence and functionalities, such as artificial intelligence, cannot be incorporated.
ZES disrupts the space industry with Radiation Hardened by Design (RHBD) solutions that provide power reliability and data integrity to COTS ICs that allow satellite and space electronics to achieve longer lifetime, higher functionalities cum intelligence and better power reliability.
Latchup Detection and Protection (LDAP): Intelligent protection for COTS ICs from Single Event
Point of Load (PoL): Radiation hardened power management with low power-delay-area
High Performance Commercial Off The Shelves (COTS) IC
Voter: Soft-error-free voting circuit to ensure data integrity of digital circuits and systems in space
ZES also offers characterization and qualification testing plus IC design advisory services to satellite, payload and space electronics manufacturers to understand and take steps to overcome the vulnerability of their systems.
