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| == Server Sky - Planar Solid State Data Centers in Orbit == | == Server Sky - Solid State Data Centers in Orbit == |
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| Server sky is a proposal orbiting data centers composed of large arrays of 3 gram ultrathin satellites, fueled by space solar energy and communicating with EHF radios in sparse phased arrays. | Satellites are overdue for a planar technology makeover. Your smartphone contains more transistors and advanced technology than a three hundred million dollar satellite. Satellites are 99.9% packaging by weight, and cost far too much to launch. What if a "satellite" was more like a cloud of smartphones instead of a 1970 telephone central office switch? |
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| Large data centers consume almost 3% of US electrical generation, growing exponentially as global demand outpaces computing efficiency gains. Simulation models of natural systems, from molecules to human bodies to the global atmosphere, far outstrip our computational resources. Terrestrial "green" energy may be worse than the fossil fuel technologies they try to replace, while the sun wastes 380 trillion terawatts into empty space. | Server sky is a speculative answer to this question. Deep submicron CMOS and micron-thick indium phosphide solar cells are inherently rad-hard. These and other recently deployed technologies enable "thinsats", 50 micron thick gram-weight satellites in large arrays, converting megawatts of PV output into computation and microwave communication. |
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| Satellites are overdue for a planar technology makeover. Your smartphone contains more transistors and advanced technology than a three hundred million dollar satellite, and replaces a complex wired network with a distributed cloud of small cooperative devices. Deep submicron MOSFETs and micron-thick InP solar cells do not need radiation shielding. Speculative branch processor pipelines can be adapted for error tolerance. Combined with other new technologies, such as electrochromic mirrors, flat screen technology, and automated solar cell production, we can cheaply mass produce tiny satellites by the billions, and launch them millions at a time. Local factories can produce these satellites with little or no retooling. | Applications such as orbiting data centers can serve rapidly growing markets in developing nations, and provide batch computation for simulation, rendering, weather modelling, and other power hungry computing processes. |
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| Solid state electronics can solve many of the world's most vexing problems at Moore's Law rates. The opportunities for market growth and profit are enormous, healing the earth while expanding into the solar system. | The sun wastes 380 trillion terawatts on empty space - if we can use and dissipate a tiny fraction of that power on our mass computing needs, we can continue growing computation markets without expensive infrastructure constraints and environmental burdens. Moore's Law, which is really a promise of exponentially increasing capability per dollar, can continue into the far future. This may be an incredible opportunity for regional companies - we have the technologies, the manufacturing capability, and the global connections to create economic and environmental wealth for the entire planet, and beyond, while providing profits and jobs locally. Server sky is being developed as open technology. Please come learn how you can participate. Large data centers consume almost 3% of US electrical generation, growing exponentially as global demand outpaces computing efficiency gains. ---- [[ http://www.keithl.com | Keith Lofstrom ]] is an integrated circuit designer and occasional entrepreneur. Graduating from UC Berkeley in 1975, and Tektronix in 1989, he has designed data converters, crossbar switches, femtosecond-jitter timing sources, LCD displays, toy electronics, and many other mixed signal chips. He founded [[ http://www.siidtech.com | Siidtech ]], which licenses ICID, an integrated circuit identification cell used for device tracking, product authentication, and data protection. He helped write the [[ http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/1149/4/index.html | IEEE 1149.4 ]] mixed signal boundary scan standard. He is active in [[ http://pdxlinux.org | open source]], [[ http://launchloop.com | space launch]], [[ http://wvhma.org | alternative medicine ]], and other activist communities. He doesn't get enough sleep. |
Oregon IEEE Solid State Circuits Society
June 20, 2012
Server Sky - Solid State Data Centers in Orbit
Satellites are overdue for a planar technology makeover. Your smartphone contains more transistors and advanced technology than a three hundred million dollar satellite. Satellites are 99.9% packaging by weight, and cost far too much to launch. What if a "satellite" was more like a cloud of smartphones instead of a 1970 telephone central office switch?
Server sky is a speculative answer to this question. Deep submicron CMOS and micron-thick indium phosphide solar cells are inherently rad-hard. These and other recently deployed technologies enable "thinsats", 50 micron thick gram-weight satellites in large arrays, converting megawatts of PV output into computation and microwave communication.
Applications such as orbiting data centers can serve rapidly growing markets in developing nations, and provide batch computation for simulation, rendering, weather modelling, and other power hungry computing processes.
The sun wastes 380 trillion terawatts on empty space - if we can use and dissipate a tiny fraction of that power on our mass computing needs, we can continue growing computation markets without expensive infrastructure constraints and environmental burdens. Moore's Law, which is really a promise of exponentially increasing capability per dollar, can continue into the far future.
This may be an incredible opportunity for regional companies - we have the technologies, the manufacturing capability, and the global connections to create economic and environmental wealth for the entire planet, and beyond, while providing profits and jobs locally. Server sky is being developed as open technology. Please come learn how you can participate. Large data centers consume almost 3% of US electrical generation, growing exponentially as global demand outpaces computing efficiency gains.
Keith Lofstrom is an integrated circuit designer and occasional entrepreneur. Graduating from UC Berkeley in 1975, and Tektronix in 1989, he has designed data converters, crossbar switches, femtosecond-jitter timing sources, LCD displays, toy electronics, and many other mixed signal chips. He founded Siidtech, which licenses ICID, an integrated circuit identification cell used for device tracking, product authentication, and data protection. He helped write the IEEE 1149.4 mixed signal boundary scan standard. He is active in open source, space launch, alternative medicine, and other activist communities. He doesn't get enough sleep.