Toward very large scale integration applications in space

A promising new technology is related to the design of custom very large scale integration (VLSI) circuits. 'Custom' circuits are unique monolithic chips, with limited and quite specific applications, produced in relatively small quantities. The present investigation is concerned with the long-term objective to obtain by 1992 the capability to design spaceborne supercomputers which have the proficiency of a Cray-1 computer. Attention is given to the need for powerful spaceborne computers and signal processors for a wide spectrum of applications, potential methods of using VLSI technology in such applications, the required design tools, the foundry interface, and aspects of chip design.