The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), in collaboration with the Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL) in Chandigarh, has unveiled two advanced 32-bit microprocessors, Vikram 3201 and Kalpana 3201. These processors, developed for space missions, are a significant step towards India’s self-reliance in high-performance computing for launch vehicles.

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• ISRO and SCL developed the Vikram 3201 and Kalpana 3201 microprocessors for space applications.
• Vikram 3201 is India’s first fully indigenous 32-bit microprocessor for space missions.
• Vikram 3201 processes 32-bit data and supports floating-point arithmetic, enhancing complex calculations.
• It is backward compatible with the Vikram 1601 microprocessor, which has been used since 2009.
• The Vikram 3201 microprocessor was successfully validated in space during the PSLV-C60 mission.
• Kalpana 3201 is a 32-bit SPARC V8 RISC microprocessor based on IEEE 1754 architecture.
• Kalpana 3201 is compatible with open-source software and has been tested with flight software.
• Both processors are designed for high efficiency and high-speed processing, with a focus on simple instructions.
• ISRO and SCL have also developed a Reconfigurable Data Acquisition System and a Multi-Channel Low Drop-out Regulator IC to support avionics miniaturization.
• An MoU was signed for the development of miniaturized unsteady pressure sensors for wind tunnel applications.