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What was the MacSpace RC64?
MacSpace was a seven-partner collaborative research and development project supported by the European Commission’s FP7 programme and coordinated by Ramon Chips. Its goal was to develop a many-core processor and DSP computer for demanding space applications. The project’s CORDIS record describes a “Non-Dependent High-Performance ManyCore Rad-Hard Processor and DSP Computer for Computation-Intensive Space Applications.”
The RC64 was the project’s principal processor design: a 64-core digital signal processor (DSP) architecture built around CEVA’s X1643 DSP intellectual property. It was intended to handle substantial signal- and image-processing workloads on board a spacecraft, rather than relying entirely on sending raw data to Earth for processing.
How did its 64-core architecture work?
A central scheduler distributed work to the DSP cores. Each core could use local cache and shared memory, while programmable DMA channels moved data between the processor and external resources, including DDR2/3 memory and streaming interfaces. This arrangement was intended to keep data moving among compute cores and off-chip memory without making every transfer depend on the same processing path.
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The design was also meant to scale beyond one chip: multiple RC64 devices could be interconnected for heavier workloads. That describes an architectural aim, not a published guarantee of a particular multi-chip system’s performance.
How fast was the MacSpace processor?
Project-era publications report several figures for different configurations. The most prominent RC64 demonstrator figures are 150 GOPS and about 38 GFLOPS; EE Times also reported 75 GMAC/s at 16-bit, about 38–40 single-precision GFLOPS, and power below 10 watts. The European Commission’s CORDIS project record gives a separate custom many-core configuration at 51.2 GOPS and 12.8 GFLOPS.
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| Published figure | What it refers to | Source and qualification |
|---|---|---|
| 75 GMAC/s at 16-bit; 150 GOPS; approximately 38–40 single-precision GFLOPS; below 10 W | MacSpace processor performance and power figures reported in project-era coverage | EE Times, 2015; ESA DSP Day proceedings, 2016. The reports do not establish that every listed measure was obtained in the same configuration or test. |
| 150 GOPS and 38 GFLOPS | RC64 configuration in the ESA demonstrator material | ESA DSP Day proceedings, 2016; associated with a Virtex-7 FPGA implementation. |
| 51.2 GOPS and 12.8 GFLOPS | A custom many-core configuration in the project record | European Commission CORDIS project record; not the same published figure as the ESA RC64 demonstrator. |
GOPS counts operations per second, while GMAC/s counts multiply-accumulate operations per second. A multiply-accumulate can be counted as a multiplication plus an addition, so 75 GMAC/s can correspond to 150 GOPS under that convention. The figures should not be read as interchangeable measurements across workloads or configurations. The available reports also do not provide a common benchmark procedure that would make them directly comparable to modern processors.
What work was it designed to do in space?
Processing sensor data on board can reduce the time and communications capacity needed to return raw data to Earth. ESA material specifically names synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) imaging and data compression. The CORDIS project record also lists remote sensing, planetary exploration, scientific missions, navigation and telecommunications.
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For example, a spacecraft collecting SAR data could perform image-processing steps before downlink, returning processed results or a reduced data set rather than transmitting all raw measurements. The project material presents this as a target use; it does not establish that an RC64 system flew or delivered operational results on a satellite.
Was MacSpace radiation hardened?
The design pursued radiation tolerance through Ramon Chips’ RadSafe approach, which combined a dedicated library and mitigation methods with selected commercial IP blocks, including SRAM, PLL, SERDES and DDR2/3 interfaces. The project article describes error-correction logic for DSP and memory, alongside monitoring of radiation effects and junction temperature.
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These measures support describing MacSpace as designed for radiation tolerance, but they are not the same as a public flight qualification or a complete radiation-test specification. The cited project-era material does not establish specific total-ionizing-dose limits, single-event upset rates, or flight heritage for the RC64. Those details matter when assessing whether a processor is suitable for a particular orbit and mission.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Was the RC64 a finished chip or an FPGA prototype?
The demonstrator described by ESA proceedings implemented the processor architecture in a high-performance Xilinx Virtex-7 FPGA. It executed image processing and was associated with the approximately 150-GOPS, 38-GFLOPS RC64 configuration. An FPGA demonstrator can validate and demonstrate an architecture, but it is not the same thing as evidence of a manufactured ASIC or a qualified flight computer.
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- 【Premium RAM and Storage】Boost your multitasking efficiency with up to 64GB of RAM, while experiencing significantly faster performance with up to a 2TB PCIe M.2 SSD. For even more storage, expand your capacity with support for an additional 3.5" HDD.
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- 【Comprehensive Connectivity】The system features a Wi-Fi and Bluetooth combo for seamless connectivity, along with a versatile selection of ports, including HDMI, VGA, RJ-45, and eight USB ports (four USB 2.0 and four USB 3.2 Gen 1).
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Can you buy a MacSpace RC64 today?
The CORDIS record says the project aimed to produce a radiation-hardened-by-design prototype chip for commercial evaluation and enable recurring products, including multiple ASIC and DSP-computer versions adapted to different applications. Those are stated project objectives. The project-era sources cited here do not confirm a currently sold MacSpace product, a successor, a license, or a distributor in 2026. Treat current availability as unconfirmed rather than assuming that a prototype or project target is a purchasable flight part.
For a mission procurement decision, the key distinction is whether the item on offer is a flight-qualified product, an engineering prototype, or licensed IP. A meaningful comparison also needs mission-specific evidence on radiation tolerance, throughput per watt, software tools, memory and I/O bandwidth, qualification status, and multi-device scalability. The available MacSpace material does not provide a current market comparison across those criteria.
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