India has achieved a significant milestone in space electronics with the development and deployment of two fully indigenous 32-bit microprocessors, VIKRAM3201 and KALPANA3201, designed for launch vehicle applications. These advancements mark a major step towards self-reliance in critical space technologies.

The VIKRAM3201 is India's first fully home-grown, space-qualified 32-bit microprocessor. It was designed by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) and fabricated at the Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL) in Chandigarh using 180 nm CMOS technology.

This microprocessor represents a substantial upgrade from its predecessor, the 16-bit VIKRAM1601, which has been integral to ISRO's launch vehicles since 2009. A fully "Make-in-India" version of VIKRAM1601 was introduced in 2016 after domestic fabrication capabilities matured.

VIKRAM3201 features a custom instruction set architecture, floating-point computation capabilities, and native support for the Ada programming language. ISRO has also developed supporting software tools, including an Ada compiler, simulator, and IDE, with a C compiler under development to expand its applications.

The KALPANA3201 is a 32-bit SPARC V8 RISC microprocessor based on the IEEE 1754 Instruction Set Architecture. It is designed to work with open-source software tools and ISRO's proprietary simulator and IDE. Tested with flight software, KALPANA3201 is expected to play a critical role in future avionics systems.

On March 5, 2025, SCL officially handed over the first production batches of these processors to Dr. V. Narayanan, Secretary of the Department of Space and Chairman of ISRO, during a ceremony attended by S Krishnan, Secretary of MeitY. Alongside these microprocessors, four other devices co-developed with SCL were handed over to aid in miniaturising launch vehicle avionics systems.

These include two versions of a Reconfigurable Data Acquisition System (RDAS) integrating multiple indigenously designed 24-bit Sigma Delta ADCs on a single chip, as well as a Relay Driver Integrated Circuit and a Multi-Channel Low Drop-out Regulator Integrated Circuit for high-reliability applications.

This achievement underscores India's growing expertise in semiconductor technology and strengthens its position as a global player in space-grade electronics.

Agencies