SIDECAR ASIC - Control electronics on a chip

The SIDECAR ASIC is a custom-designed integrated circuit for controlling high performance focal plane arrays. It includes 36 parallel analog input channels, each providing pre-amplification coupled with 12-bit or 16-bit AID converters. In addition, the micro-controller based SIDECAR ASIC provides full programmability for bias and clock generation as well as a number of digital processing features. It has been developed for space-based as well as ground-based applications. Excellent performance has been demonstrated both at room temperature and at cryogenic temperatures down to 37 K in conjunction with the HA WAII-2RG multiplexer. The ASIC has been selected by NASA for use in all three JWST near-infrared instruments and is in the process of full space qualification.