The LeanREL line of electronic devices from Cobham Advanced Electronic Solutions was developed more for space than for terrestrial applications, to meet the needs of spacecraft manufacturers. The highly integrated devices include microprocessors, microcontrollers, memory, and interface integrated circuits (ICs) that leverage a company legacy of more than 30 years of designing radiation-hardened components for outer space. The LeanREL electronic devices are designed to survive harsh military and aerospace environments with considerably longer operating lifetimes than standard off-the-shelf components and ICs.
LeanREL components are meant as cost-effective alternatives to those that have undergone qualified manufacturers list (QML) and qualified products list (QPL) characterization for military and aerospace applications. These high-reliability devices feature the same package pin-out configurations as their QML counterparts, allowing system designers to use LeanREL components in the same circuit layouts developed for QML components. They are essentially a class of devices between lower-cost off-the-shelf components and higher-reliability, higher-cost QML components.
LeanREL microprocessors, microcontrollers, and ICs were developed to fit both commercial and military space applications. (Courtesy of Cobham)
“Cobham has created LeanREL as a cost-effective QML alternative to address the growing need to decrease costs while finding just the right level of reliability and radiation-hardness for new classes of missions,” said Kevin Jackson, vice president and general manager for the Space and Semiconductor Solutions division of Cobham Advanced Electronic Solutions. The new components balance the critical tradeoffs between cost, reliability, and radiation hardness, allowing for the design of systems that can extend from commercial space to QML-level applications.
