The Frontgrade SBC-2A72 VPX Single Board Computer is reported to provide extensive connectivity along with the interoperability required for modern spaceborne applications. (Image courtesy Frontgrade/Business Wire)
Frontgrade’s single-board computer is engineered for long-term mission assurance in a lightweight, compact form factor.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—A next-generation single-board computer introduced by Frontgrade™ Technologies is designed to meet the demanding requirements of the most advanced space missions, the company said in a release.
Frontgrade, a provider of high-reliability electronics for space and national security missions, said its SBC-2A72 VPX Single Board Computer is engineered for efficiency, flexibility, and long-term mission assurance in a lightweight 3U-160mm SpaceVPX form factor. The SBC-2A72 VPX is part of Frontgrade’s MAMBA architecture.
At the core of the SBC-2A72 is the VA7230 Dual ARM® Cortex®-A72 processor (~15K DMIPs) with integrated GPU, reported to provide 10.4 GFLOPs of performance for advanced payload processing, imaging, and real-time graphics.
“This combination gives customers the ability to handle complex applications without straining system resources, ensuring efficiency across mission operations,” the release stated. “By supporting modern OpenGL and OpenCL standards, the integrated GPU ensures compatibility with visualization, imaging, and analytical workloads, making it a workhorse for both payload data and image processing and real-time mission support.”
Despite its processing strength, the SBC-2A72 weighs less than 0.65 kilograms and consumes under 15 watts, typically. It is said to be ideal for size- , weight- , and power- (SWaP) constrained missions, where every gram and watt matter. Its compact footprint simplifies integration into spacecraft architectures, helping customers deploy capability quickly and cost-effectively, Frontgrade said in the release.
The SBC-2A72 is also reported to provide exceptional flexibility. With a CertusPro-NX-RT FPGA and XMC+ mezzanine interface, customers can adapt I/O configurations for unique mission requirements without redesigning hardware.
“Whether the need is high-speed networking, secure telemetry, advanced image processing, or custom control functions, this scalability reduces costs and accelerates deployment while ensuring mission adaptability,” the release stated.
According to Frontgrade, the launch of the SBC-2A72 continues its “legacy of delivering radiation-tolerant, mission-proven electronics that power exploration, defense, and commercial missions around the world.”
A radiation-hardened microcontroller manages power distribution, system health, and module coordination, ensuring consistent performance in harsh orbital environments. With immunity to single-event latch-up and tolerance up to 50krad TID, the SBC-2A72 is designed for long-term durability in space, the company said.
Frontgrade said security is built into the SBC-2A72. Features such as secure boot, Arm TrustZone™, and a dedicated security engine are said to safeguard mission-critical data and commands, providing confidence that onboard operations remain protected throughout the spacecraft’s lifecycle.
The SBC-2A72 also offers extensive connectivity, including Gigabit Ethernet, PCIe, USB 3.0, DisplayPort, GPIO, UART, and SpaceWire. Combined with 8GB ECC DDR4 memory and 32GB eMMC storage, the system is reported to provide the throughput, storage, and interoperability required for modern spaceborne applications.
“The SBC-2A72 is built to give our customers the performance, reliability, and adaptability they need to advance their space missions with confidence,” said Lorne Graves, senior vice president and chief technology officer at Frontgrade, in the release. “By delivering powerful computing in a compact, radiation-tolerant form factor, we enable spacecraft designers to do more with less, without compromising mission assurance.”
Frontgrade Technologies said it provides high-reliability, radiation-assured products for defense, intelligence, commercial, and civil applications. The company offers a complementary and integrated suite of mission-matched electronics, including rad-hard and rad-tolerant components, mission processing subsystems, amplifiers, custom ASICs, motion control systems, waveguides, antennas, and power management solutions products.