The single event upset environment for avionics at high latitude

Conference · Thu Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1994 · IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (United States)

OSTI ID:6559077

Sims, A J; Dyer, C S; Peerless, C L ^[1]; Johansson, K; Pettersson, H ^[2]; Farren, J ^[3]

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1. Defence Research Agency, Farnborough (United Kingdom). Space and Communications Dept.
2. SAAB Military Aircraft, Linkoeping (Sweden)
3. AEA Technology, Oxfordshire (United Kingdom). Harwell Lab.

Modern avionic systems for civil and military applications are becoming increasingly reliant upon embedded microprocessors and associated memory devices. The phenomenon of single event upset (SEU) is well known in space systems and designers have generally been careful to use SEU tolerant devices or to implement error detection and correction (EDAC) techniques where appropriate. In the past, avionics designers have had no reason to consider SEU effects but is clear that the more prevalent use of memory devices combined with increasing levels of IC integration will make SEU mitigation an important design consideration for future avionic systems. To this end, it is necessary to work towards producing models of the avionics SEU environment which will permit system designers to choose components and EDAC techniques which are based on predictions of SEU rates correct to much better than an order of magnitude. Measurements of the high latitude SEU environment at avionics altitude have been made on board a commercial airliner. Results are compared with models of primary and secondary cosmic rays and atmospheric neutrons. Ground based SEU tests of static RAMs are used to predict rates in flight.

• OSTI ID: 6559077
• Report Number(s): CONF-940726--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (United States) Journal Volume: 41:6Pt1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

440200* -- Radiation Effects on Instrument Components
Instruments
or Electronic Systems
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COSMIC RADIATION
DATA
DETECTION
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
ERRORS
EVALUATION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
INFORMATION
IONIZING RADIATIONS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MEMORY DEVICES
NEUTRON FLUX
NUMERICAL DATA
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATION DETECTION
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATION FLUX
RADIATIONS