FPGAs and SoCs in Aerospace: Powering the Future of Flight

Aerospace and defense systems require electronics that are fast, reliable, and built to perform in extreme conditions. Engineers face constant challenges: processing massive amounts of data, meeting strict power and weight limits, securing communications, and ensuring platforms can be sustained for many years.

Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) and System-on-Chip (SoC) devices are uniquely suited to meet these aerospace and defense requirements. Unlike fixed silicon, FPGAs can be reconfigured after deployment. Additionally, they provide unmatched flexibility, performance, and long-term adaptability for aerospace missions. FPGA and SoC devices are also the perfect solution for low volume production that require extreme levels of density and performance.

At BLT, we bring decades of experience designing with all major FPGA and SoC vendors — AMD (formerly Xilinx), Microchip, Altera, and Lattice — helping aerospace organizations select and optimize the right device for every project.

Why Aerospace Needs FPGAs and SoCs

From avionics and radar to satellite constellations and space exploration, modern aerospace systems face extreme performance and reliability demands. These platforms must handle vast amounts of sensor data, operate under strict power and weight constraints, and remain secure against adversarial threats, all while maintaining flawless performance in unforgiving environments.

FPGAs and SoCs meet these challenges by combining raw computational performance with flexibility and long-term support:

• Deterministic processing for safety-critical avionics.
• Parallel computation for radar, imaging, and signal intelligence.
• Reconfigurability for in-field or in-orbit updates.
• Integration of processors, FPGA fabric, and AI engines in SoCs.
• Extended lifecycle support for multi-decade aerospace programs.

Together, these capabilities make FPGAs and SoCs the cornerstone of aerospace electronics, enabling systems that are faster, smarter, more resilient, and more adaptable than those built on fixed-function hardware alone.

Aerospace Applications for FPGAs and SoCs

Avionics and Flight Systems

FPGAs enable sensor fusion, navigation, collision avoidance, and control functions with the real-time responsiveness aerospace requires.

Radar and Electronic Warfare

With massive parallelism, FPGAs and SoCs accelerate radar signal processing, waveform agility, and secure communications.

Satellite and Spacecraft Electronics

Radiation-tolerant devices, combined with reconfigurability, allow satellites to receive mission updates in orbit. SoCs minimize weight and power while maximizing processing throughput.

Cybersecurity and Secure Communications

Hardware-accelerated encryption and anomaly detection protect mission data, while real-time packet inspection ensures secure communication links.

Payload Processing (Satellites, UAVs, ISR Platforms)

From imaging satellites to reconnaissance UAVs, FPGAs and SoCs handle the intense data streams generated by cameras, hyperspectral sensors, and radar payloads. They compress, filter, and process data onboard, reducing the volume transmitted back to ground stations while ensuring critical information is available immediately.

Autonomous Systems (Drones, Unmanned Spacecraft, Smart Weapons)

SoCs combine FPGA logic with embedded processors, enabling autonomy at the edge. These devices process sensor data, run AI inference, and manage mission decisions in real time, allowing drones and unmanned systems to operate without constant ground control.

Ground Systems and Data Links

Beyond airborne and space platforms, FPGAs are essential in ground-based command, telemetry, and data processing systems. They ensure secure, low-latency uplinks and downlinks while handling the vast data volumes transmitted by modern aerospace assets.

Test, Validation, and Simulation

FPGAs also play a critical role in aerospace development itself. Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) and simulation systems built on FPGA platforms allow avionics and defense electronics to be validated in realistic test environments before deployment—reducing risk and shortening program timelines.

Key Design Considerations

Designing FPGA and SoC systems for aerospace requires balancing performance, reliability, and long-term support. Key considerations include:

• SWaP-C (Size, Weight, Power, Cost): Optimize every gram and watt for airborne and spaceborne systems.
• Thermal Management: Ensure devices operate reliably under extreme or fluctuating temperatures.
• Certification and Compliance: Meet DO-254, MIL-STD, and radiation-hardening requirements.
• Vendor Selection: Choose the right FPGA or SoC from AMD/Xilinx, Intel, Microchip, or Lattice for your mission needs.
• System Integration: Efficiently combine FPGA logic, processors, DSPs, GPUs, and AI engines.
• Reliability and Redundancy: Implement fault-tolerant designs to maintain continuous operation.
• Signal Integrity and EMC/EMI: Maintain clean power, high-speed signal performance, and electromagnetic compliance.
• Software/Hardware Co-Design: Balance workloads between embedded software and programmable logic for optimal performance.

 

Emerging Trends in Aerospace FPGA and SoC Design

As aerospace missions become more complex and data-intensive, FPGA and SoC technologies continue to evolve to meet new performance, autonomy, and connectivity requirements. Engineers are leveraging next-generation architectures to enable smarter, faster, and more adaptable systems across avionics, satellites, and defense platforms.

Some of the emerging uses for FPGAs and SoCs in Aerospace:

• AI and Machine Learning: Next-generation SoCs integrate AI engines that accelerate autonomous navigation, predictive maintenance, and onboard analytics.
• 5G and Satellite Constellations: FPGAs enable low-latency, high-bandwidth aerospace communication systems.
• Heterogeneous architectures: Blending FPGA fabric with CPUs, DSPs, and GPUs creates powerful, application-optimized designs.
• Resilience and adaptability: Reconfigurable systems can evolve with mission requirements and security threats.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for FPGAs and SoCs in Aerospace

What is the difference between FPGAs and SoCs in aerospace applications?

In fact, commercial and space-grade devices have far more in common than apart. With only underlying differences and different qualification, screening, and physical differences to support more demanding operating conditions, they used the same core architectures and same development tools. Thus space designs can affordably be created and tested for a small fraction of the cost of space-grade hardware.  Whether commercial, industrial, military or space-grade, all are reconfigurable logic devices optimized for parallel, real-time processing. SoCs integrate FPGA fabric with CPUs, DSPs, and specialized hard blocks such as AI engines, 100G Ethernet, PCIe Gen 5, and LPDDR5 memory controllers for a complete system-on-chip solution.

Which FPGA or SoC vendor is best for aerospace projects?

It depends on performance, power, and lifecycle needs. BLT has experience with AMD (formerly Xilinx), Altera (formerly Intel), Microchip, and Lattice, enabling the best-fit choice for each mission.

How do FPGAs and SoCs improve satellite and space systems?

They deliver radiation-tolerant processing, support in-orbit reconfiguration, and reduce weight and power requirements through SoC integration. Reconfigurability / Extreme capability with extremely low volumes.

Can FPGAs and SoCs accelerate AI in aerospace?

Yes. Many modern SoCs feature AI engines for real-time object detection, anomaly monitoring, and autonomous decision-making. The key is AI processing at the edge / endpoint where latency to direct queries back to a server are intolerable in earth orbit and especially beyond.

What are the main design considerations for aerospace FPGAs and SoCs?

SWaP-C, thermal management, compliance with DO-254 and MIL-STD, radiation hardening, and long-term vendor support.

How does BLT ensure success for aerospace FPGA and SoC projects?

We combine cross-vendor expertise, aerospace-specific design experience, and rigorous processes to deliver reliable, certifiable, first-time-right designs.

Final Thoughts on FPGAs and SoCs in Aerospace

From avionics to satellites, FPGAs and SoCs continue to transforming aerospace electronics. Their speed, flexibility, and adaptability make them indispensable for modern aerospace and defense systems.

With BLT as your partner, you gain engineers who understand not just FPGAs and SoCs, but the mission-critical demands of aerospace. We ensure your system is future-proof, certifiable, and built to perform where it matters most.

 

Why Choose BLT for FPGA and SoC Designs in Aerospace

Trusted by aerospace and defense leaders since 1989, BLT delivers FPGA and SoC solutions that succeed the first time. Our engineers have multi-vendor expertise and deep system-level knowledge, allowing us to deliver mission-critical designs that meet strict performance, compliance, and lifecycle requirements.

When failure is not an option, BLT ensures your aerospace system is done right — on time and on budget. Contact our experts.