nSilition, a company based in Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium), launched project “MuPHIsol”, a groundbreaking multi-purpose high-voltage isolator set to dramatically simplify how electronic equipment communicates on satellites and spacecrafts.

MuPHIsol is a “spin-in” technology transfer: nSilition is leveraging its extensive, silicon-proven expertise and internal library of semiconductor IPs from non-space applications — particularly in high-voltage integrated circuits and advanced communication transceivers developed for demanding sectors like automotive and industrial. These pre-validated design blocks are being radiation-hardened to meet the rigorous demands of the space environment. The purpose of this transfer is to design a monolithic and highly configurable isolation device. This will be a major improvement over currently used single-application solutions.

Today’s spacecraft are complex ecosystems of interconnected equipment, all requiring isolated communication links to prevent fault propagation and ensure data integrity. However, existing solutions are often cumbersome, expensive, and limited in functionality. MuPHIsol offers single, programmable IC that handles various types of interfaces. This significantly reduces size, weight and cost for manufacturers of satellite and spacecraft electronics. Imagine the efficiency of using one versatile component where several discrete devices were once needed, leading to simplified validation, lower failure rates, and streamlined procurement processes. This is especially impactful for the New Space market, driving down the cost of constellations and multi-satellite applications.

The ESA Spark Funding is the catalyst making this vision a reality. This empowers nSilition to embark on the initial phases of the project, focusing on refining the business case, identifying more potential customers, and conducting feasibility study for the isolation link and reconfigurable interfaces. It’s an investment in innovation that not only de-risks early development but also fosters collaboration with key industry players like Thales Alenia Space Belgium, whose positive feedback already underscores the promising benefits of MuPHIsol. With this funding, nSilition is not just designing a chip; they are paving the way for a smarter, stronger, and more connected future in space.

Thierry Delmot, General Manager of nSilition, said:

MuPHIsol is truly one of those ‘Swiss Army knife’ ICs that satellite and payload vendors will love integrating into their equipment. It plays a key role in reducing both the cost and complexity of implementing the necessary electrical isolation between the payload and platform interfaces of modern spacecraft.
At nSilition, we are thrilled to launch this project. With our silicon-proven semiconductor IPs and extensive experience in advanced mixed-signal and high-voltage IC design, we are driving MuPHIsol forward with a strong focus on user requirements and minimal development risk. There is no risk in designing low-level blocks — allowing us to focus fully on the key functionalities. Thanks to ESA Spark Funding, we can accelerate development and ensure this project delivers maximum impact for the space industry.

 

The company has also been involved in other space related projects in the recent past, for example with LUCA, a dynamic latch-up detector/protector and current limitation ASIC that might soon go in flight model validation.

We wish Thierry and the whole team all the best with MuPHIsol: may nSilition conquer the space industry with it!