ExoMars Options

[Guest_Sunspot_*]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4180840.stm

Europe has fixed on a concept for its next mission to land on the Red Planet.

It aims to send a single robot rover to the Martian surface along with another, stationary, science package.

[elakdawalla]

Question -- would faster microprocessors also require more power?

--Emily

[RNeuhaus]

Question -- would faster microprocessors also require more power?

--Emily

Definitely, yes. That is one of the engineering concerns.

However, there is a new variety of microprocessors which are energy efficient, inclusive much energy economy than RAD750 and are much more powerfull such as the Intel Centrino of last genertion which as capable as the last model of Pentium IV.

Rodolfo

[mchan]

Well, I wouldn't say definitely. In general, power = C*v^2*f where C is a constant depending on the number of gates and the process (how small the gates are), v is the supply voltage, and f is the switching frequency. You can bump up the frequency and keep the same power by improving process and reducing supply voltage.

Terrestrial bound commercial microprocessors have kept pushing process improvements (lower switching and quiescent power per gate), and supply voltage reductions. Analagous improvements in rad-hard microprocessors are more difficult and have been slower-paced since reducing gate geometries and switching threshold voltages typically makes them more susceptible to particle induced single event upsets. And there is less economic demand for rapid improvements in rad-hard proceessors than in commercial processors. Rad-hard processors are thus more likely than commercial processors to require more power for higher switching frequencies.

[helvick]

Rad-hard processors are thus more likely than commercial processors to require more power for higher switching frequencies.

100% true however it is worth pointing out that as the technologies improve the general trend is towards (much) more computing power per watt within similar processors.

The MER RAD6000 from BAE consumes 20watts @ 20Mhz. The RAD750 comsumes 5-14watts @ 132Mhz. The 750 in it's most stringent radiation hardened mode is at least 20x more efficient (in terms of instructions/watt) than the 6000 used on the MER's.