Cadence Design Systems and AST SpaceMobile jointly advance the world’s first and only planned space-based global cellular broadband network. This innovative initiative seeks to eliminate connectivity gaps and provide high-speed internet access to people around the globe through satellite technology. AST SpaceMobile is pioneering a revolutionary approach with its BlueBird satellite program, which enables standard smartphones to connect directly to space-based networks.
At the heart of this initiative lies the AST5000 ASIC, a custom-designed, low-power chip architecture developed in collaboration with Cadence. This chip delivers up to ten times the processing bandwidth per satellite, paving the way for enhanced global connectivity. Cadence contributed its advanced tools, flows, and IP to the AST5000 ASIC, which includes:
- High-speed SerDes IP: Ensuring optimal power and performance tradeoffs.
- Palladium® Emulation Platform: Validated IP integration during pre-silicon development, addressing critical performance challenges.
- Custom Design Enablement: Achieved superior power, performance, and area (PPA) optimization.
These contributions ensure efficient operation across a wide range of temperatures and platforms, making the satellite network robust and reliable.
Huiwen Yao, Chief Technology Officer at AST SpaceMobile, expressed appreciation for Cadence's contributions: “Cadence’s industry-leading solutions are instrumental in overcoming the complex engineering challenges of building a reliable, space-based cellular broadband network.”
Boyd Phelps, Senior Vice President at Cadence, added: “We are thrilled to support AST SpaceMobile in redefining satellite and mobile capabilities. Our suite of high-performance AI-driven design tools played a pivotal role in this revolutionary project.”
The BlueBird satellites, equipped with AST5000 ASICs, are designed to support up to 10,000 MHz of processing bandwidth per satellite and deliver data speeds up to 120 Mbps. This innovation unlocks capabilities for seamless voice calls, full data, and video applications—all directly accessible via standard smartphones.
Click here for more information on Bluebird Satellite Program.
