With the 18th and 19th Beidou satellites launched into space late last month, China's proprietary navigation system is one step closer to global coverage. For the first time, the satellites systematically used home-developed chips, said an industry insider.

According to a report from China News Service, 98 percent of the components - including all the essential parts and equipment - in the two satellites are home-designed. One of the core components for navigation, the rubidium atomic clock, replaced imported products for higher accuracy in positioning, range finding and timing services.

About 40 products, including the central processing unit, the data bus and the memory unit, were designed and made by the Beijing Microelectronics Research Institute, a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp.

Led by Zhao Yuanfu, the institute is responsible for the development of aerospace-use chips. It was founded in 1994 and its first chip was launched into space in 2003.

The institute has always focused on the independent development of new-generation aerospace-use CPUs, rather than imitating overseas products.

"Even if we could successfully copy others' designs, they will have developed new products by then," Zhao told People's Daily. "Imitation leads to no competitiveness.

"We cannot depend on others for our core technologies. We see those technologies as our fundamental capabilities."

He said that information security is a matter of national strategy, and home-developed chips will provide hardware support. He added that China currently spends more than $200 billion on importing chips.

"Only by developing an independent and complete product portfolio can we have reliable operation of satellites," said Zhao.

He said that the chips used in the two recently launched satellites have world-class performance, and are more advanced than overseas products in terms of radiation resistance. He explained that satellite chips must be specially treated to resist strong radiation because of the complex environment in space.

Traditionally, satellite chips are processed on special production lines to acquire radiation resisting abilities, but Zhao had an innovative idea that allows the chips to acquire the ability via a special design, so they can be manufactured on ordinary civil-use integrated circuit production lines to reduce manufacturing costs.

The CPU he helped develop features a high processing speed and multiple interfaces to cater to the different functions of various satellite modules.

"A good home-developed chip means not just the chip itself, but also an entire home-developed system that integrates chips and software," Zhao said.

Zhao's team have published more than 600 academic essays and have been granted more than 200 patents. They now also have orders from overseas.

zhangzhao@chinadaily.com.cn

Watches using Beidou's time service attract visitors at a satellite navigation technology exhibition in Wuhan, Hubei province. Provided To China Daily

(China Daily 08/19/2015 page17)