The short answer: On October 14, 2026, Microchip announced that its POL-05-20S-T radiation-tolerant GaN point-of-load converter is available in production quantities. The part is relevant to teams powering high-current FPGA, MCU and ASIC rails in new-space and traditional space programs. Buyers should keep the complete -T ordering suffix, request a target-region quotation and radiation documentation, and put thermal, transient, EMI and mission-radiation validation ahead of any production commitment. The announcement does not establish UAE or other regional stock, MOQ, public price or a customer delivery date.
What changed on October 14
Microchip introduced the exact ordering code POL-05-20S-T as a radiation-tolerant, non-isolated DC-DC point-of-load converter and said production quantities are now available. Its public POL-05-20S product page also reports the family as “In Production” and links the -T datasheet. Those two statements make the device credible for an active RFQ and engineering evaluation. They do not prove that stock is allocated in a particular country or that a distributor can meet a program’s requested ship date.
The distinction matters because space programs often carry different gates for technical suitability, radiation assurance, procurement authorization and flight release. “Production quantities” clears none of those gates automatically. It means the conversation can move from watching a future device to asking for controlled documentation, traceable material, sample or production-lot timing, and a formal commercial offer.
The complete MPN matters too. In the DS00006591A datasheet, the ordering table identifies -T as the radiation-tolerant configuration. It also tells readers to contact the factory for a radiation-hardened design. Therefore, POL-05-20S is not a safe shorthand for purchasing, and “radiation-tolerant” must not be upgraded to “radiation-hardened” in a BOM, quotation or approval record.
Electrical and radiation boundaries that shape the design review
The headline capability is up to 20 A of continuous output from a 4.75 V to 13.2 V input. The converter uses GaN power devices, a synchronous buck topology and a nominal 400 kHz switching frequency. The package is a 25 g surface-mount module measuring roughly 1.51 × 1.51 × 0.45 inches. Microchip positions it for fast-transient core rails serving FPGAs, microcontrollers, ASICs and other processing-heavy digital loads.
“20 A” is not the whole operating envelope. The datasheet caps output power at 50 W and gives input-dependent output-voltage ranges. At 5 V input, the listed adjustable output range is 0.7 V to 4.2 V; at 12 V input, it is 1.2 V to 5.0 V. A power architect should validate the actual bus, commanded rail, steady load and transient profile together. A design that meets the current headline can still violate the power limit or a voltage-specific test condition.
The radiation claims are also bounded. DS00006591A specifies electrical parameters before and after total-ionizing-dose exposure up to 50 krad(Si), and characterizes single-event effects up to a linear energy transfer of 43 MeV·cm²/mg. The document states that the -T configuration uses GaN technology to provide a greater-than-43 MeV·cm²/mg SEE capability. These are useful starting points for a radiation control plan, not a substitute for matching orbit, shielding, lifetime dose, particle environment, derating policy and program assurance rules.
Thermal and layout details deserve equal weight. Microchip specifies operation from −55 °C to +100 °C at full load, but the system team still needs to establish mounting, board spreading, interface resistance and worst-case local temperature in its own assembly. The datasheet recommends input capacitance when operating above 5 V, calls for at least 330 µF of output capacitance, and warns that additional low-ESR capacitance may be needed to avoid protection trips during transients. Remote sense can compensate for up to 0.25 V of total distribution drop, which makes sense-line routing and grounding part of the validation—not clerical layout work.
A practical qualification plan before design-in
- Freeze the identity. Put
POL-05-20S-T, the datasheet number and its revision on the engineering record. DS00006591A is Revision A dated September 2026 and marks the document “X3 Preliminary,” so request the current controlled document set when quoting and again before release. - Translate the mission into component limits. Document input-bus tolerance, output set point, peak and continuous current, 50 W power ceiling, temperature profile, lifetime dose and SEE requirement. Record any margin between the mission requirement and the published component characterization.
- Build a realistic transient fixture. Use the intended input source, distribution impedance, output capacitance, sensing arrangement and processor load steps. Check startup, overshoot, recovery, power-good behavior and repeated protection recovery rather than relying on a single steady-state efficiency point.
- Close thermal and EMI evidence. Measure case and board temperatures at worst-case voltage, load and ambient conditions. Review the fixed-frequency switching spectrum, input-filter interaction, conducted emissions and the effect of the actual harness and enclosure.
- Review radiation assurance with the manufacturer. Ask for the available radiation reports, test conditions, lot applicability and any program-specific screening or traceability options. Treat every system-level conclusion as requiring program approval.
- Plan change control. Align approved manufacturer, exact MPN, documentation revision, date/lot code, traceability and incoming inspection requirements before the purchase order. Do not allow a distributor or internal system to strip the suffix.
No drop-in alternative is asserted in the reviewed primary sources. Any replacement or second source should be recorded only as a candidate requiring validation against electrical, mechanical, thermal, radiation and quality requirements.
What procurement should request now
Start with a target-region RFQ rather than assuming the global availability statement equals local ATP. Ask Microchip or an authorized distributor to quote the exact POL-05-20S-T, required quantity, destination country, requested delivery window, packaging, MOQ, quotation validity, material traceability and date/lot-code policy. Separate “available to order,” “available in production quantities,” factory lead time and physically allocatable stock in the quotation record.
For a space program, the technical document request should sit beside the commercial request. Ask for the current datasheet, radiation assurance reports available for the configuration, quality and screening options, certificate and traceability support, export or regional ordering constraints, and the manufacturer contact responsible for program questions. If samples and production units follow different controls, record both paths and do not use sample delivery as evidence of production allocation.
Keep the quote refresh cadence proportional to the program decision. A quotation can become stale before design verification is complete, while radiation documentation or a new datasheet revision can change the engineering review. An updated quotation should therefore repeat the exact MPN and connect to the same approved technical baseline.
Facts, editorial judgment and recommendation
Verified facts
Microchip dated its announcement October 14, 2026, named POL-05-20S-T, and said production quantities are available. Its product page reports the family as in production. DS00006591A provides the electrical, mechanical, radiation and ordering limits summarized above, including the meaning of the -T suffix.
Editorial judgment
This is a meaningful design-in and sourcing signal because it combines a fresh manufacturer availability statement with a product page and an exact-ordering-code datasheet. It is not evidence of a shortage, price movement, regional inventory level, allocated stock or mission qualification.
Recommended action
Open a controlled engineering and sourcing review now if the part matches a near-term space-computing power requirement. Preserve the complete ordering code, request current radiation and quality evidence, and obtain an updated quotation for the actual delivery region. Delay production approval until the program has closed electrical, thermal, EMI, radiation and traceability requirements.
Frequently asked questions
Is POL-05-20S-T available for production orders?
Microchip said on October 14, 2026 that POL-05-20S-T is available in production quantities. That supports a production RFQ, but it does not confirm stock, MOQ, price or delivery timing for a specific country or customer.
Can the -T suffix be omitted from an RFQ or BOM?
No. DS00006591A identifies -T as the radiation-tolerant configuration. Keep POL-05-20S-T intact in the BOM, RFQ, quotation, approval record and purchase order.
Is POL-05-20S-T radiation-hardened?
The reviewed manufacturer sources describe POL-05-20S-T as radiation-tolerant. The datasheet directs customers to contact the factory for a radiation-hardened design, so the two terms must not be treated as equivalent.
Does the 20 A rating apply at every output voltage?
No. The datasheet also sets a 50 W output-power limit and gives input-dependent output-voltage ranges. Validate the intended input, output voltage, load current, temperature and transient profile together.
What should engineering request before approving the part?
Request the current controlled datasheet, applicable radiation reports, quality and screening options, traceability terms and a target-region quotation, then validate thermal, transient, EMI and mission-radiation margins in the real system.
Sources
- Microchip — “Microchip Expands Space Power Portfolio with New Radiation-Tolerant GaN Point-of-Load Converter,” October 14, 2026.
- Microchip — POL-05-20S product page, accessed October 15, 2026.
- Microchip — POL-05-20S-T Radiation-Tolerant Non-Isolated DC-to-DC Point of Load Converter, DS00006591A, Revision A, September 2026.
